Is London commutable?

[Fred Bloggs]

That's quite cunning, as they market it as a "free weekend travel" service. I suppose you are, except the wrong way around.

You buy 8 x 1st class tickets then you travel for a year for free? Did I read that correctly, it can't be free for a year?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Free Friday am - Mon Noon

[BoredBloke]

That's quite cunning, as they market it as a "free weekend travel" service. I suppose you are, except the wrong way around.

I've been doing this since I got my traveller card in September - It's saved me loadds. But they moved the goal posts. On the train from Manchester on Monday mornings they have severly restricted the trains you can use. You can leave on the 5.05 and then nothing until the off peak trains kick in. No restrictions on the Friday trains yet. They claimed it was because too many people were using the early Monday ones for free. When you consider that it is impossible to book on say the 6:30 am train at anything other than an extortionte price, you can see the real reason why - clear the free loaders out and charge an arm and a leg for their seats. These trains were not that busy in first!!

I've just checked their website and the earliest train from Wilmslow that you can use on Monday morning for free is the 8:27 am - arriving at 10:42. Loads of trains from London though!

[BoredBloke]

You buy 8 x 1st class tickets then you travel for a year for free? Did I read that correctly, it can't be free for a year?

Not just that, you get free beer at Euston!

[dang65]

Your train times don't sound too hideous on paper, but don't forget that travelling by rain (esp into London) can be pretty hit and miss in terms of punctuality. Account for 50% of the time, the journeys will take 10% longer, and 10% of the time, the journey will take 50% longer.

Then you have the delays on the underground...

Either I am incredibly lucky (does not compute) or this is complete nonsense. I don't recall ever being more than a few minutes late coming in to Euston in four months of commuting. Delays on the way out were usually due to the lag after a day of trains going back and forth, but even those delays were rarely a problem and they'd often make up the time during the journey anyway.

50% of the time, the journey will take 10% longer? So on a two hour journey you're talking about 12 minutes delay? That's hardly a dealbreaker anyway, and the train I caught was often early in to Euston.

Local commuter trains, and the tube, are often delayed - usually due to horrendous congestion - but that doesn't apply to inter-city trains. And you can usually get around London easily enough without the tube, unless you're working somewhere like Hounslow or Canary Wharf, which aren't really London anyway, let's face it.

[mouseorgan]

FWIW I've been driving Birmingham to west London for 8 months, and as of tomorrow I'm training Birmingham to central London. It's just a case of getting your life working in that pattern. People work night shifts, people work long hours, Just because it's a 9-5 with a lump at each end doesn't make you crazy. Sure I'd *rather* have a home working role in Birmingham or something local, but especially when it comes to trains, people working for The Company do this for decades at a time without changing, so if it's not for that long, just do it. As long as it works out worthwhile.

[oversteer]

You buy 8 x 1st class tickets then you travel for a year for free? Did I read that correctly, it can't be free for a year?

No, you just get free weekend trip travel provided you stay overnight. So if you lived in Manchester and worked in London you would book your free "Manchester weekend" with a Friday journey from Euston returning at early o'clock on Monday :hehe:

I suppose the value of this diminishes slightly if you have a season ticket and travel every day though.

[BA to the Stars]

I have a friend who did 6 months commuting from Crewe to Westminster on a daily basis. It said it was OK but could get very tiring. May be worth a mid-week stay (say a Holiday Inn and get their points - build up enough for free stays).

[SueEllen]

, unless you're working somewhere like Hounslow or Canary Wharf, which aren't really London anyway, let's face it.

Where exactly are they then?

[2BIT]

Local commuter trains, and the tube, are often delayed - usually due to horrendous congestion - but that doesn't apply to inter-city trains. And you can usually get around London easily enough without the tube, unless you're working somewhere like Hounslow or Canary Wharf, which aren't really London anyway, let's face it.

surely you can get to canary wharf on the dlr? why isn't canary wharf considered london? the area surrounding it is...