Latest public transport rant

[Cush]

Compared to some peoples travelling expenses and problems, the following rant may seem trivial but I hope it high lights the absurdness of public transport pricing. For the next 5 weeks I have to travel over to Newcastle University from a village 3 miles out of Carlisle. I would prefer to use the bus both ways, as I have a pensioner pass and the bus stop is just a 1/4 of a mile away from home but the last bus leaves Newcastle before my class finishes. The nearest railway station is two miles away. So the next preference would be ; Bike and train but it is always a gamble getting on any named train with a bike (the two bike rule is some times applied) So I get a free bus to Ncl walk up to the Uni. Finish the class, walk down to the Metro station, train to the Central Station, train to Wetheral. SWMBO picks me up. Simple and no trouble, Then I break down costs. Bus Free. Metro to Central station £2.50 Train to Carlisle booked in advance £3.95. My rant is why is the Metro so expensive? I could get a one journey ticket out of a machine for £1.90 but it is only valid for 90 minutes and there is only a ten minute slot to get from the Uni to catch the Metro train that will connect with the Carlisle train and this does not leave time for messing with ticket machines.

 

[Spinney]

Actually my query on that would be why is the train to Carlisle so cheap!

 

[Sandra6]

That's what I was thinking. I'm sure it costs over a tenner. Ah, but I am not a pensioner. Maybe that's it?

 

[Cush]

Yes I have wondered about the price of the Carlisle ticket and this is why I said that it high lights the pricing of public transport. Part of the answer is (a) it is bought with a pensioner rail card (b) it is for a specific off peak train and you can only travel on that train, hence the bike problem (c) it is bought in advance and the ticket can only be collected on a station where there is a ticket machine or you pay a premium to have it posted to you. I still think that it is strange that a journey of under a mile costs £1.40 less than a journey of over 60 miles.

 

[Sandra6]

We once went from Wigton to Manchester, 2 adults and 4 children.
I booked the train tickets on line in advance with a rail card and it cost £25 from Carlisle to Manchester and back again.
Because the car decided to break down two days before the trip we had to get the bus from Wigton to Carlisle and it cost a little short of £20. If it had been after 9am the same journey would've been less than 8 quid.
So 100 plus miles by train £25, just short of 10 miles on the bus very nearly as much.
There is no logic.

 

[Archie_tect]

It's only a short walk to the University from the Central Station Cush... but the cost of the Metro is one that constantly irritates me. Don't you get a concession fare [button on ticket machine] if you have a free bus pass with you though? ...that's 50p I think, but would have to check.

Single fare to Newcastle from Zone 2 park and ride [5 minutes walk from airport building]- £2.60.
Single fare to Newcastle from Airport Building [Zone 3]- £3.20.
So Nexus are ripping off every visitor to and from the airport by 60p per journey.... blatant profiteering.

 

[Cush]

I am just going down town to get return ticket for tomorrow (train to the Metro center,ride to the Angel of the North Via Consett, down to Newcastle via Axwell park)I never really had time to study the ticket machine, so there could well be a concession button on it I will look at it next Thursday or maybe tomorrow if I have time. A few years ago I would have walked or jogged down to the Central station but Uncle Arthur Ritus is now a permanent lodger in the knee and any fast walking annoys him.