Shocking U.K. Rail and Bus service

Darcydog · 18th June 2018, 16:42

Trying to help a friend out this afternoon who wants to travel to Boston Lincs from Salisbury or possibly Southampton.

The railway booking site was ok’ish - but came out at over £100.

So we thought - try a coach! But National Express has the most useless and confusing website ever!

So let’s ring them I said - got the number - and the only one is an 0900 number at £6.

So guess what - she is taking her car....

Is it any wonder people want to keep their cars?

stevestrat · 18th June 2018, 17:28

We're having to travel from Edinburgh to Torquay for the funeral of a close friend, £400+ return by train but, thankfully, we have free rail travel as I spent my working life in the rail industry.

frankson · 18th June 2018, 17:59

I last rode upon a bus in my teenage years and it was a ghastly and unnerving experience back then even

topman · 18th June 2018, 21:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darcydog

So guess what - she is taking her car....

Is it any wonder people want to keep their cars?

Not really, having lived near Boston for years it's a transport dead end. Its quicker to drive going to or from anywhere in that neck of the woods.

0371 781 8181 is a number for national express, at national rate.

Darcydog · 19th June 2018, 04:22

Thanks TM - will give it a try.

rustymotor · 19th June 2018, 06:14

I have a senior railcard and has paid for itself over and over, last one was Hull to Havant..what I find works is to break the journey up in to sections on the likes of trainline.com or virgin..the total came out at £130 however, Hull to London £30 London down to Havant £9.00, paid for the underground £5 so total £44.00.

StewartIngram · 19th June 2018, 11:25

A railcard will give you discount, usually 1/3, off fares (normally off peak but check).
ALWAYS check which operators (TOCs) you will be using. They will have the cheapest fares for their services on their own websites, and usually charge the "normal" fares for parts of the journey over other TOC services. The cheapest fares, in advance, can give absolutely massive discounts. Be aware though, these are not usually "walk-on" fares for any train, but are possibly time/date specific.
Splitting tickets over the journey can also give good discounts, but you lose some rights. Say you are using TOC A+B+C for the total journey. If you book a through ticket with A, even train specific, and that is cancelled or delayed, you are entitled to use your ticket on later trains throughout at no extra costs. However if you split the tickets, (with worthwhile discounts), and your specific A or B train is cancelled/delayed, so you miss your connection into the next specific train, you are not allowed to travel further without paying for a new ticket. Also, you may claim for refunds for late/cancelled trains only from the selling TOC, so this only applies to there own part of the journey with split tickets.
With some care, rail travel is very cheap.

Stewart

rustymotor · 20th June 2018, 05:45

Got a shock yesterday, my son has had his phone cut off due to exceeding his bill limit with virgin mobile. When we looked in to the situation via their app, he had an £83 charge for one call..guess where he called..trainline.com to change a ticket, they kept him on hold for 30 minutes and we think he had been redirected by the trainline operator to a scam number at £3 odd per minute.

According to their website calls cost 13p per minute.

Darcydog · 20th June 2018, 06:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustymotor

Got a shock yesterday, my son has had his phone cut off due to exceeding his bill limit with virgin mobile. When we looked in to the situation via their app, he had an £83 charge for one call..guess where he called..trainline.com to change a ticket, they kept him on hold for 30 minutes and we think he had been redirected by the trainline operator to a scam number at £3 odd per minute.

According to their website calls cost 13p per minute.

I suspect that was an 0900 number their website directs you to. Same as I found for the National Express.

So I for one will not be giving up the cars just yet!

18th June 2018, 16:42	#1
Darcydog This is my second home Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 5,428 Thanks: 3,123 Thanked 3,170 Times in 2,096 Posts	Shocking U.K. Rail and Bus service Trying to help a friend out this afternoon who wants to travel to Boston Lincs from Salisbury or possibly Southampton. The railway booking site was ok’ish - but came out at over £100. So we thought - try a coach! But National Express has the most useless and confusing website ever! So let’s ring them I said - got the number - and the only one is an 0900 number at £6. So guess what - she is taking her car.... Is it any wonder people want to keep their cars?

18th June 2018, 17:28	#2
stevestrat This is my second home ZT260 #243 (resting) Join Date: May 2010 Location: Prestonpans Posts: 22,466 Thanks: 650 Thanked 4,624 Times in 3,358 Posts	We're having to travel from Edinburgh to Torquay for the funeral of a close friend, £400+ return by train but, thankfully, we have free rail travel as I spent my working life in the rail industry. __________________ Steve T4 Location Map

18th June 2018, 17:59	#3
frankson Avid contributor Rover 75 saloon auto KV6 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: portsmouth Posts: 207 Thanks: 462 Thanked 88 Times in 48 Posts	ghastly I last rode upon a bus in my teenage years and it was a ghastly and unnerving experience back then even

19th June 2018, 04:22	#5
Darcydog This is my second home Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 5,428 Thanks: 3,123 Thanked 3,170 Times in 2,096 Posts	Thanks TM - will give it a try.

19th June 2018, 06:14	#6
rustymotor Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: May 2017 Location: Hull Posts: 1,848 Thanks: 216 Thanked 432 Times in 340 Posts	I have a senior railcard and has paid for itself over and over, last one was Hull to Havant..what I find works is to break the journey up in to sections on the likes of trainline.com or virgin..the total came out at £130 however, Hull to London £30 London down to Havant £9.00, paid for the underground £5 so total £44.00.

19th June 2018, 11:25	#7
StewartIngram Gets stuck in Rover 75 Connoisseur 2.5 V6 auto Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chatteris, Cambridgeshire Posts: 902 Thanks: 320 Thanked 159 Times in 127 Posts	A railcard will give you discount, usually 1/3, off fares (normally off peak but check). ALWAYS check which operators (TOCs) you will be using. They will have the cheapest fares for their services on their own websites, and usually charge the "normal" fares for parts of the journey over other TOC services. The cheapest fares, in advance, can give absolutely massive discounts. Be aware though, these are not usually "walk-on" fares for any train, but are possibly time/date specific. Splitting tickets over the journey can also give good discounts, but you lose some rights. Say you are using TOC A+B+C for the total journey. If you book a through ticket with A, even train specific, and that is cancelled or delayed, you are entitled to use your ticket on later trains throughout at no extra costs. However if you split the tickets, (with worthwhile discounts), and your specific A or B train is cancelled/delayed, so you miss your connection into the next specific train, you are not allowed to travel further without paying for a new ticket. Also, you may claim for refunds for late/cancelled trains only from the selling TOC, so this only applies to there own part of the journey with split tickets. With some care, rail travel is very cheap. Stewart

20th June 2018, 05:45	#8
rustymotor Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: May 2017 Location: Hull Posts: 1,848 Thanks: 216 Thanked 432 Times in 340 Posts	Got a shock yesterday, my son has had his phone cut off due to exceeding his bill limit with virgin mobile. When we looked in to the situation via their app, he had an £83 charge for one call..guess where he called..trainline.com to change a ticket, they kept him on hold for 30 minutes and we think he had been redirected by the trainline operator to a scam number at £3 odd per minute. According to their website calls cost 13p per minute.