Skip advert
Advertisement

"Car journeys are a bargain next to the wretched, exorbitantly priced train"

Rail fares will rise again in 2015 but Mike Rutherford thinks they're already a monumental rip-off compared to car travel

The worst value item purchased by consumers in Britain today? That wretched piece of cardboard known as the ‘peak’ railway ticket – a product ordinary folk buy when needing to get to work, university, hospital, church, court and countless other places on time. 

Along with car insurance, inner city or airport parking charges, energy bills and mechanics charged out at £200 an hour, tickets to travel by train sit close to – if not at the very top of – the rip-off league. And just when you thought fares couldn’t get any higher, yet another round of inflation-shattering ticket price hikes is being dumped on citizens whose wages are going backwards in real terms.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Cheapest cars to run

A short, early morning, second-class (and then some!) train journey I often take costs £1.20 per minute travelled, or £72 per hour. Those doing the peak, 121-minute trip between Manchester and London (or vice versa) spend £1.33 per minute/£80 per hour. “Not expensive enough,” say rail industry fat cats with noses in the trough and lucrative bonuses in back pockets.

Their addiction to above-inflation increases should ensure train rides costing £100 per hour (second class) or nearer £150 (first) arrive soon. The £14,000-and-rising cost of a Manchester-London annual season ticket is more than enough to buy a new MINI outright. 

motorway

Forget that heinous £1.33 per minute charge to travel by train. Assuming a 60mph average speed, a basic MINI will cost 33p per minute/£19.80 per hour all-in – that’s purchase price, fuel, modest insurance policy, VED, servicing and depreciation all included. A new Skoda Citigo can scrape in under 30p per minute/£18 per hour. 

Charges to enter the fiefdom that is the ‘congestion zone’ (only a central London phenomenon) can be a problem. So vow to never enter the damned thing, thereby avoiding such charges. Parking? Search hard enough and you’ll discover it’s free all day and night in much of Greater London, and on the fringes of other towns and cities. 

Most economical cars

If you have to, park up and walk, jog, cycle, skateboard or even kayak that final mile or three of your daily commute. You’ll save a fortune – but, more importantly, you’ll own a brilliant, 24/7, state-of-the-art car... not. a wretched, exorbitantly priced ticket to travel on a rancid train.

What's your opinion on the price of rail travel and how it compares to taking the car? Join the debate on Twitter, on Facebook or in the comments section below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Chief columnist

Mike was one of the founding fathers of Auto Express in 1988. He's been motoring editor on four tabloid newspapers - London Evening News, The Sun, News of the World & Daily Mirror. He was also a weekly columnist on the Daily Telegraph, The Independent and The Sunday Times. 

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

No matter who wins the election, we’ll keep pushing to get motorists the best deal
Opinion - election 2024

No matter who wins the election, we’ll keep pushing to get motorists the best deal

After the transport secretaries pitch for votes in our leaders’ debate, editor Paul Barker wonders what it could all mean for the motorist
News
27 Jun 2024
Raise a glass in memory of Nick Rielly, a Vauxhall and automotive industry legend
Nick Reilly standing next to an Opel Ampera

Raise a glass in memory of Nick Rielly, a Vauxhall and automotive industry legend

Editor Paul Barker remembers Nick Rielly, a giant figure of the British and International car industry who sadly died on Friday
Opinion
11 Jun 2024

Most Popular

Ford Fiesta set to return? Icon could be reborn with a little help from Volkswagen
Ford Fiesta exclusive image

Ford Fiesta set to return? Icon could be reborn with a little help from Volkswagen

The Ford Fiesta could be coming back from the dead, and our exclusive image previews how it might look
News
2 May 2025
New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025