the cost of trains is unreal

[Mich the Tester]

I'd want more than £35K to deal with some of the nasty, arrogant, ignorant oiks who make up a sizable portion of the commuting public. I wouldn't last 3 days without punching someones face - never mind their ticket.

Indeed. I once worked in a shop; dealing with the general public encouraged me to go and work in an office. I still have to deal with assholes, but at least they’re not violent or threatening assholes.

[expat]

That's my point. I don't want to book in advance; if I'm on business my diary can change from day to day and on holiday I like to decide spontaneously on where to go.

Under one perfectly reasonable pricing model, you can expect that to be very expensive.

I just looked up my own commute for middle of next month on Lufthansa, LHR-FRA M-F:
advance booking with conditions, £99.
full fare, £439.

Same deal as the train: book in advance and accept conditions, it can be cheap. Take the full flexible fare, and it isn't.

[Cyberman]

I'd want more than £35K to deal with some of the nasty, arrogant, ignorant oiks who make up a sizable portion of the commuting public. I wouldn't last 3 days without punching someones face - never mind their ticket.

He's probably on about 45-50K now. How many jobs in the private sector pay that much with perks such as a gold-plated pension and with free travel ? I would do it for that money !!

[Mich the Tester]

Under one perfectly reasonable pricing model, you can expect that to be very expensive.

I just looked up my own commute for middle of next month on Lufthansa, LHR-FRA M-F:
advance booking with conditions, £99.
full fare, £439.

Same deal as the train: book in advance and accept conditions, it can be cheap. Take the full flexible fare, and it isn't.

So why can I get a normal price on the train if I buy on the day in NL? I don't care what the flights cost; I prefer the train because a high speed train from Amsterdam is actually quicker to the centre of Paris, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Brussels (no fannying around at out of town airports) etc AND cheaper AND I can buy the ticket on the day, whereas in the UK if you don't buy the ticket on the day you pay through the nose.

Actually I shouldn't complain; seeing as I travel from NL I get a reasonable deal. Of course, the prices you quote in pounds appear much more reasonable to me now that they would have 3 months ago, seeing as I'm paying euros.

[expat]

So why can I get a normal price on the train if I buy on the day in NL? ....

OK I'm not trying to grind you down with pedantry, but that is what is abnormal. Deals where it costs less if you accept conditions are normal.

PS Doesn't mean I like it that way. Missed a £99 flight once. Ouch.

[Cyberman]

So why can I get a normal price on the train if I buy on the day in NL? I don't care what the flights cost; I prefer the train because a high speed train from Amsterdam is actually quicker to the centre of Paris, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Brussels (no fannying around at out of town airports) etc AND cheaper AND I can buy the ticket on the day, whereas in the UK if you don't buy the ticket on the day you pay through the nose.

I paid about 70 quid return last year from London to Paris on Eurostar but needed to book two weeks in advance, and if I had booked a few weeks earlier could have got 52 quid return.... not bad !! I tend to book in advance for air travel also, to get the best prices. If you turn up at LHR and expect a cheap ticket on the day you are in for a big shock, so you do need to be a bit more realistic !!!

[bogeyman]

He's probably on about 45-50K now. How many jobs in the private sector pay that much with perks such as a gold-plated pension and with free travel ? I would do it for that money !!

Yes. I can easily picture you as an officious jobsworth prowling up and down the carriages hissing at people, sucking your teeth and telling 7-year-olds to get their shoes off the seats.

[scooterscot]

So why can I get a normal price on the train if I buy on the day in NL? I don't care what the flights cost; I prefer the train because a high speed train from Amsterdam is actually quicker to the centre of Paris, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Brussels (no fannying around at out of town airports) etc AND cheaper AND I can buy the ticket on the day, whereas in the UK if you don't buy the ticket on the day you pay through the nose.

Under one perfectly reasonable pricing model, you can expect that to be very expensive.

So the systems exists to reward the shareholders maximise profit and rob the passengers.

As far as the train companies are concerned the customer is not a stake holder more like a commodity to keep the wheel greased.

There is nothing attractive about using the trains for me anymore, even the new leather seats on FGW tell me their more for ease of maintenance than comfort.

Does anyone remember the good old days when a government served the people that elected them?

[Cyberman]

Yes. I can easily picture you as an officious jobsworth prowling up and down the carriages hissing at people, sucking your teeth and telling 7-year-olds to get their shoes off the seats.

Yeah, but then you ARE a left-winge..ing bigot, are you not !!

[bogeyman]

Yeah, but then you ARE a left-winge..ing bigot, are you not !!

Tory voter all my life you pillock.