Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: JamesV6CDX on 10 November 2007, 22:50:34

Title: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 10 November 2007, 22:50:34
Well it was always planned - the Central Trains franchise ends Nov07. I just visited their website to look at some ticket costs, and it redirected to "london midland" who are taking over the services.

I always use the Central Cardiff-Nottingham route, I just hope the trains remain as reliable, and the ticket prices don't hike  :-/
Title: Re: Centra Trains - end of an era
Post by: STMO123 on 10 November 2007, 22:51:25
Quote
Well it was always planned - the Central Trains franchise ends Nov07. I just visited their website to look at some ticket costs, and it redirected to "london midland" who are taking over the services.

I always use the Central Cardiff-Nottingham route, I just hope the trains remain as reliable, and the ticket prices don't hike  :-/


You're better by omega James :y
Title: Re: Centra Trains - end of an era
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 10 November 2007, 22:53:29
Quote
Quote
Well it was always planned - the Central Trains franchise ends Nov07. I just visited their website to look at some ticket costs, and it redirected to "london midland" who are taking over the services.

I always use the Central Cardiff-Nottingham route, I just hope the trains remain as reliable, and the ticket prices don't hike  :-/


You're better by omega James :y

Not at £1/litre I'm not :)

Train does the journey in 56 minutes, averaging 90mph...

Car, hits so many Jams it takes nearly couple of hours.

Train fare is £10.90 oppsed to £25 in fuel I need - and also on the train, I don't pay £5.10 to cross the Severn bridge :y

I can also have a beverage (hic) on the train..
Title: Re: Centra Trains - end of an era
Post by: STMO123 on 10 November 2007, 22:54:47
Quote
Quote
Quote
Well it was always planned - the Central Trains franchise ends Nov07. I just visited their website to look at some ticket costs, and it redirected to "london midland" who are taking over the services.

I always use the Central Cardiff-Nottingham route, I just hope the trains remain as reliable, and the ticket prices don't hike  :-/


You're better by omega James :y

Not at £1/litre I'm not :)

Train does the journey in 56 minutes, averaging 90mph...

Car, hits so many Jams it takes nearly couple of hours.

Train fare is £10.90 oppsed to £25 in fuel I need - and also on the train, I don't pay £5.10 to cross the Severn bridge :Y

That's on a good, trouble-free train journey. They dont happen all of the time.
Title: Re: Centra Trains - end of an era
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 10 November 2007, 22:57:15
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Well it was always planned - the Central Trains franchise ends Nov07. I just visited their website to look at some ticket costs, and it redirected to "london midland" who are taking over the services.

I always use the Central Cardiff-Nottingham route, I just hope the trains remain as reliable, and the ticket prices don't hike  :-/


You're better by omega James :y

Not at £1/litre I'm not :)

Train does the journey in 56 minutes, averaging 90mph...

Car, hits so many Jams it takes nearly couple of hours.

Train fare is £10.90 oppsed to £25 in fuel I need - and also on the train, I don't pay £5.10 to cross the Severn bridge :Y

That's on a good, trouble-free train journey. They dont happen all of the time.

True, although the biggest delay I've had in two years on that route is only about 30 mins, never had a cancellation.
Title: Re: Centra Trains - end of an era
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 10 November 2007, 23:39:15
Quote
Quote
Quote
Well it was always planned - the Central Trains franchise ends Nov07. I just visited their website to look at some ticket costs, and it redirected to "london midland" who are taking over the services.

I always use the Central Cardiff-Nottingham route, I just hope the trains remain as reliable, and the ticket prices don't hike  :-/


You're better by omega James :y

Not at £1/litre I'm not :)

Train does the journey in 56 minutes, averaging 90mph...

Car, hits so many Jams it takes nearly couple of hours.

Train fare is £10.90 oppsed to £25 in fuel I need - and also on the train, I don't pay £5.10 to cross the Severn bridge :y

I can also have a beverage (hic) on the train..

Yep..agreed ..Prefer trains much comfy and no parking problem after  :y

and a beverage mmmmmm..
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: Golfbuddy on 10 November 2007, 23:53:49
Last time I went on a train, took me 5 hours to get from Leeds to Bristol and cost over £100. Never again.  >:(

If a family of four want to travel from St Austell to St Ives it costs a minimum of £21 return and takes up to two hours to get you to the outskirts of town. It is a 45 minute drive by car.

If we want to go and see my family in Bristol, the journey takes a minimum of 3hrs 15mins and 3hrs 55mins to return on a Sunday. The return fare is £153 plus the time and cost of getting to and from the station at either end. It takes 2hrs 30mins to drive and I can do the return trip on one tank of petrol door to door.

Trains are not good value for money for most people and are unuseable for us.  :(
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 10 November 2007, 23:59:17
for 4-5 persons car becomes logical for the cost..But still I like a cold beer watching outside form the trains restaurant..

may be nostalgic from my childhood..
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: Golfbuddy on 11 November 2007, 00:14:04
My father worked for British Rail for his whole career. We used to go everywhere by train as it was free. We travelled all the way to the Adriatic coast of Italy one year for nothing. I love going by train when time and money are no object but the fares are just a rip off and the inconvenience of it just doesn't make it worth it.

I can fly from Newquay to Bristol in 40 minutes, plus 45 minutes check in time, and the fare is £216 return. It's quite a bit dearer than the train but it is so much quicker it may be worth it just for the fun of flying.
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 11 November 2007, 00:15:39
That's a lot of money... book a couple of weeks in advance, and you can always get a return to Amsterdam for £47....
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 11 November 2007, 00:16:14
Quote
That's a lot of money... book a couple of weeks in advance, and you can always get a return to Amsterdam for £47....

Flight, that is..
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: Golfbuddy on 11 November 2007, 00:17:38
Quote
That's a lot of money... book a couple of weeks in advance, and you can always get a return to Amsterdam for £47....

I mean for the me, the wife and two kids, return.  :)
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: Martin_1962 on 11 November 2007, 10:41:53
Quote
Last time I went on a train, took me 5 hours to get from Leeds to Bristol and cost over £100. Never again.  >:(

If a family of four want to travel from St Austell to St Ives it costs a minimum of £21 return and takes up to two hours to get you to the outskirts of town. It is a 45 minute drive by car.

If we want to go and see my family in Bristol, the journey takes a minimum of 3hrs 15mins and 3hrs 55mins to return on a Sunday. The return fare is £153 plus the time and cost of getting to and from the station at either end. It takes 2hrs 30mins to drive and I can do the return trip on one tank of petrol door to door.

Trains are not good value for money for most people and are unuseable for us.  :(

Last time I was on a train it was between Toddington and Cheltenham, problem is all the best trains are now preserved (excepting HSTs)
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: Martin_1962 on 11 November 2007, 10:43:03
Quote
for 4-5 persons car becomes logical for the cost..But still I like a cold beer watching outside form the trains restaurant..

may be nostalgic from my childhood..


About 18 years ago there was no SUnday afternoon drinking in pubs - trains were fine.

Been to SVR Diesel days and ended up drunk!!!!
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: tunnie on 11 November 2007, 11:07:00
trains? pah.... take a boat....

The beer is suprisingly cheap on them.....

(http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Thames-Clippers/Hurricane-C_070912-090_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Central Trains - end of an era
Post by: TheBoy on 11 November 2007, 11:18:03
Brackley used to have 2 stations, alledgedly a 3rd. None now.

For me to take public transport to work (25 miles, 1hr10m by car), according to the online timetable type sites, is 5 - 7hrs and about £20 each way.