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Virgin Trains

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    Virgin Trains

    Today I paid the eye watering amount of £183 for a single to london from Manchester. I'd always assumed that this figure was down to supply and demand and that the high ticket price was because other people had got in and bought up the cheap tickets already. As we pulled out of Manchester I was the only person in coach H. I'd already walked through G and there was nobody in there either. At Stockport 1 more got on and another 2 at Macclesfield. By Stoke we had 6 in total and then at Rugby (where the journey price is £80.50) the total in a coach with 48 seats was 12. Hardly packed like sardines. Surely they would generate more income if they had a higher degree of utilisation, either by dropping the overall price for people booking in advance and/or reducing the differential between the standard price and first. On the train this morning,

    1 * 183 - Me
    1 * 183 (same price from stockport - so manchester to stockport = 0!!
    2 * 169
    2 * 142
    6 * 80.50
    Total for coach H was 1471 - surley it can't be too difficult to adjust the fares to encourage more people to travel and beat that score!!
    Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

    I preferred version 1!

    #2
    When I've been doing the Wigan to London Euston trip, I would find if you left at peak times 7:30 to 9:30, then it's a "bend over, and take it like a man" price... £150.00+, but leave around 9:30 to 10:00 and it's £36.00 return....

    Makes no sense...

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by TonyEnglish View Post
      1 * 183 - Me
      1 * 183 (same price from stockport - so manchester to stockport = 0!!
      2 * 169
      2 * 142
      6 * 80.50
      Total for coach H was 1471 - surley it can't be too difficult to adjust the fares to encourage more people to travel and beat that score!!
      Some or all of the other passengers might have paid in advance and paid even less

      I agree though, rail fares in this country are an absolute joke.
      I need to go up to scotland in Feb, even looking at the cheapest advance fares, its still cheaper to fly than to go weekend first class by train
      Coffee's for closers

      Comment


        #4
        Everyone knows walkup fares are a total rip off. Booking just one day in advance would have saved you about half.
        It's about time I changed this sig...

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by TonyEnglish View Post
          Today I paid the eye watering amount of £183 for a single to london from Manchester. I'd always assumed that this figure was down to supply and demand and that the high ticket price was because other people had got in and bought up the cheap tickets already. As we pulled out of Manchester I was the only person in coach H. I'd already walked through G and there was nobody in there either. At Stockport 1 more got on and another 2 at Macclesfield. By Stoke we had 6 in total and then at Rugby (where the journey price is £80.50) the total in a coach with 48 seats was 12. Hardly packed like sardines. Surely they would generate more income if they had a higher degree of utilisation, either by dropping the overall price for people booking in advance and/or reducing the differential between the standard price and first. On the train this morning,

          1 * 183 - Me
          1 * 183 (same price from stockport - so manchester to stockport = 0!!
          2 * 169
          2 * 142
          6 * 80.50
          Total for coach H was 1471 - surley it can't be too difficult to adjust the fares to encourage more people to travel and beat that score!!
          Only so many people need to make the journey, so they have to charge that to make it profitable. They would have to drop fares a long way to encourage people with nothing better to do to get the train there for the day.
          While you're waiting, read the free novel we sent you. It's a Spanish story about a guy named 'Manual.'

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by TonyEnglish View Post
            Today I paid the eye watering amount of £183 for a single to london from Manchester. I'd always assumed that this figure was down to supply and demand and that the high ticket price was because other people had got in and bought up the cheap tickets already. As we pulled out of Manchester I was the only person in coach H. I'd already walked through G and there was nobody in there either. At Stockport 1 more got on and another 2 at Macclesfield. By Stoke we had 6 in total and then at Rugby (where the journey price is £80.50) the total in a coach with 48 seats was 12. Hardly packed like sardines. Surely they would generate more income if they had a higher degree of utilisation, either by dropping the overall price for people booking in advance and/or reducing the differential between the standard price and first. On the train this morning,

            1 * 183 - Me
            1 * 183 (same price from stockport - so manchester to stockport = 0!!
            2 * 169
            2 * 142
            6 * 80.50
            Total for coach H was 1471 - surley it can't be too difficult to adjust the fares to encourage more people to travel and beat that score!!
            The pricing is based on destination and time. If you can be bothered you can buy >1 tickets to "non business" destinations and/or arrival times to reduce ticket price.
            Virgin and other train companies have decided to use the airline ticket pricing model which seems at odds with the publics use of trains.

            no wonder people choose to drive. 183 quid to London, you would use less petrol and pay less to park, you might even fit a B&B on the outskirts at that price.
            Just saying like.

            where there's chaos, there's cash !

            I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong!

            Lowering the tone since 1963

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Spacecadet View Post
              Some or all of the other passengers might have paid in advance and paid even less

              I agree though, rail fares in this country are an absolute joke.
              I need to go up to scotland in Feb, even looking at the cheapest advance fares, its still cheaper to fly than to go weekend first class by train
              I live in Wilmslow, just one hour and 45 minutes direct to Euston, great for a day return meeting or course in London.

              However, it is a lot cheaper to go the evening before and get a hotel.

              This is bonkers!

              Comment


                #8
                All train fares are horrendous: £4,600 for an yearly pass from Colchester to London + £926 for the carpark, with no guarantees on availability of seats or time keeping

                On principle I would not work in London if I had to pay that!
                Growing old is mandatory
                Growing up is optional

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Halo Jones View Post
                  All train fares are horrendous: £4,600 for an yearly pass from Colchester to London + £926 for the carpark, with no guarantees on availability of seats or time keeping

                  On principle I would not work in London if I had to pay that!
                  OR... just don't live in Colchester??
                  It's about time I changed this sig...

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Spacecadet View Post
                    Some or all of the other passengers might have paid in advance and paid even less

                    I agree though, rail fares in this country are an absolute joke.
                    I need to go up to scotland in Feb, even looking at the cheapest advance fares, its still cheaper to fly than to go weekend first class by train
                    Actually No! Check thetrainline.com. I've checked the peak hour trains out of Manchester for Monday and Tuesday departures as far out into the future as you are allowed to book and with the exception of the week between christmas and new year, when they have a holiday timetable running, ALL peak time trains are £183 out of Manchester. The 5:05 train is the only exception and that is the one I tend to use as prices start at £77 However leaving London, they do offer cheaper prices when booking in advance, down to £59 I think.

                    As others have said, driving is a cheaper option - I've done that myself on a weekly basis for a couple of contracts amounting to about 4 years. But I don't find that a 3 to 4 hour monday drive is the best way to start a week.
                    Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

                    I preferred version 1!

                    Comment

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