Hate paying £5k train fare. Realistic alternatives??

Spidernick

In terms of your sanity, think about how awful driving into London or anywhere close would be. For all their problems, at least on a train you can sleep, read or even work, which you cannot do when driving. You might well save money driving, but it could make you really miserable and be detrimental to you in the long run.

I agree that the train fares in this country are a joke and has reached the stage whereby a train journey is a luxury. I live near Southampton and, like you, it's about £5K to commute into London (£6K with tube) before you even look at any parking charges (which are unregulated, so go up even faster than the fares - it's currently £14 a day to park at Southampton Airport Parkway station if you want to get a fast train into London and goes up £1 every year).

I remember when London weighting net of tax and NI would more than cover the train fare and would be worth considering. Now I'd need an extra £8,600 or so gross just to break even with a £5K train fare and the differential with London salaries is nowhere near that, so London is a 'no go' for me, unless I was made redundant and forced to look there.

It's a shame, but my feeling is that the best thing for you would be to grind your teeth, hope that a government at some stage will see sense around rail fares, and carry on as you are. However, only you know how you would feel about driving every day.

buglawton

German workers get a 30 cent tax allowance per km of commuting distance.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.steuerberaten.de/tag/entfernungspauschale/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dentfernungspauschale%2B2014%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D248
That such sensible policies don't exist here in the UK makes me wonder if we live in a democracy or not.

Spidernick

Their fares are much cheaper to start with as well!

Germany also recently bucked the trend by REDUCING their state retirement age.

At least they're no good at football...

Oh!

AdrianC

buglawton wrote: »

German workers get a 30 cent tax allowance per km of commuting distance.

That such sensible policies don't exist here in the UK makes me wonder if we live in a democracy or not.

Of course we live in a democracy.

Stand as the "commuter's friend" party, and see if people vote for you. If your theory that this would be a popular policy are correct, then you've very little to lose, certainly not your deposit. After all, that'd only go if very few agreed with you. And what could be more democratic than not having government policies that few agree with?

I've worked, in central London, with people who commute daily from Swindon, from Lincolnshire, from Birmingham. Then there's those who commute for several days at a time from further away - Cornwall, the Highlands. You believe that those choices should be subsidised by other taxpayers, right?

mattyprice4004

£5k a year for that distance isn't that bad really - it's a heck of a commute.
Find a more local job if £5k is a problem - I used to spend that on a 40 mile each way drive on diesel alone.

pinkteapot

You'd have to work out the full cost of alternatives. Your price per mile depends entirely on the exact car you get, but would be around 8-20p.

Then budget for your annual insurance, tax, MOT and the odd repair bill.

I sympathise because I used to commute into London from Colchester (50 miles or so each way, and almost £5k a year for the season ticket). I wouldn't have considered driving instead though. The roads will be really busy if you're commuting towards London. Despite the frustration of train delays, driving is worse! It also would have taken far longer.

jimjames

pinkteapot wrote: »

You'd have to work out the full cost of alternatives. Your price per mile depends entirely on the exact car you get, but would be around 8-20p.

And that isn't just the monetary cost but time and other non financial considerations.

The OP has already said that they can't get the coach because the timings dont work - how many times are there delays or accidents that would delay you more than an hour on your journey.

You could always drive to a coach park somewhere nearer and get the coach from there. I know they are in Medway and that might cut some costs and be better timings but ultimately I think the most efficient way will be the train.

Hintza

buglawton wrote: »

German workers get a 30 cent tax allowance per km of commuting distance.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.steuerberaten.de/tag/entfernungspauschale/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dentfernungspauschale%2B2014%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D248
That such sensible policies don't exist here in the UK makes me wonder if we live in a democracy or not.

A much more sensible policy would be if people lived closer to their work.

If they don't then they have made the economic choice to travel whatever distance they feel makes sense. Salaries in London tend to reflect the additional costs of living in the South East.

benjus

Actually I don't think the roads would be too bad until you got to the part of the A20 where the traffic lights start (i.e. New Eltham). If you came off there or before you could probably find a station in zone 4 or 5 with free on-street parking reasonably close by. I haven't calculated costs though so no idea if it would make economic sense.

kfw_2

Arfa, you are dead right!!


I have just received an official response from TfL regarding the status of a trike. Response:


Congestion Charging Exemption


Thanks for your enquiry received today about an exemption from the
Congestion Charge.


I can confirm that motor tricycles are not automatically exempt from the Congestion Charge. If you purchase a motor tricycle which is one metre or less wide, and two metres or less long, it will be eligible for a 100% discount.


To register, apply in writing and enclose photographs of the vehicle
(front, back and side) showing the Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM) along with a copy of the registration document (V5C) and a £10 registration charge. Once we've approved your application and your discount is active, you can drive within the zone for free. This will need to be renewed annually.


Transport for London
Congestion Charging
PO Box 4780
Worthing
BN11 9PQ


In the meantime, please ensure that you pay the Congestion Charge if you travel in the Congestion Charging Zone during charging hours.
If you have any questions, just call us on 0343 222 2222 (or Textphone 0207 649 9123 if you have impaired hearing), or contact us via our website www.tfl.gov.uk/cc.
Yours sincerely