Mainline steam value for money...

I'm booked on the Railway Touring Company's Cumbrian Mountain Express on Feb 4th for £70.45 (inc cc fee) taking me over the route from London to Preston.. and obviously steam train over the Settle Carlilse line and return to London by electric locomotive.

The Virgin Trains cheapest advance fare for this same route London to Preston (The none steam hauled part of the trip), the cost is £66.45+credit card fees at the same times of travel on February 4th. If I go 1st class that rises to an astonishing £252.50 compared to premier in RYTC at £189... and I'm guaranteed decent food (Virgin has precious little on a weekend).

Now if I changed the search from London at 07.30 returning for 21.30 to / from Carlilse (The full distance of the Steam Charter)... all of a sudden it's cheaper by steam train !!! The Virgin Trains cost rising to £83.55 + Credit Card charges.... and thats off peak, in advance at a weekend !, Pay on the day would be £103 !!!



I'm looking at the Mancunian in June with 70013 for £79 for the same route.. London to Manchester.

I looked today at 7th April (furthest advance I can book) and cheapest saturday economy is £74.20 (Tickets in Olympic season in August are little different as a guide).But 1st Class on Virgin Trains for a saturday is an eye watering £423 !!!!

It seems to me in 2012 Mainline steam is quite a bargain, I'm going to book The Mancunian as a passenger rather than an enthusiast and go one way and return on a different ticket later...it may be cheaper for us none railcard holders.

It could also be cheaper for me to buy a ticket on the winter CME to have a day up north and detrain in Preston.. than it would be to take a Virgin Train.

If rail fares continue.. it will be cheaper by steam charter train than regular train routinely.(Source: Trainline.com @2200pm on 10/01/2012).

 

Or more to the point, train travel certainly isn't!

 

Ignoring the fact that if recent history is anything to go by, your charter train would probably run on a different day, at a different time and to different destination compared to what you thought you'd agreed with.

 

Hit the nail on the head there. I am waiting for the day a Government minister can explain why I can fly more cheaply to the USA with Virgin Atlantic (the ticket includes food and drink even in Economy) than I can travel from London to Birmingham (that is UK not Alabama) with Virgin Trains!

 

Not that I'm advocating air travel over rail, but maybe one reason for the price difference is that railways require a massive infrastructure between each station that has to be maintained which the access charges have to cover, whereas all the airlines have to pay for is the airports they use and the air they fly in is effectively free. (Although you could argue that climate change shows a desperate requirement for some maintenance of the air we breath!)

 

The design life span of an aircraft and of a train are comparable, however the initial purchase cost of an aircraft is far higher than an average train (sometimes as much as £180mn), whilst the air is free, the maintenance and depreciation costs are far higher, and therefore the total cost of ownership of a 400 train versus plane will be similar...

Though the train may do more trips per day thus reducing the ticket price.

So in theory... Distance per mile should be the same or similar... Would be an interesting exercise for someone to do.

 

Actually the air isn’t free, all countries charge commercial airline a fee for overflying their airspace. This depends on the weight of the plane so more passengers = bigger fee. In Europe ‘Eurocontrol’ works out all the flight details and the airlines get a bill. I assume (but don’t know) that flying over the Atlantic is free however!

 

I’m convinced! Next trustees meeting I’m going to propose we change the name from Vintage Trains to Vintage Planes! Anyone got an old Comet-4 (without the Nimrod modifications) that we can borrow?

Copper radar dome?


Incidentally, I just checked the prices for service trains from Birmingham to Edinburgh – Saturday outbound and Monday return.

Service Train: Anytime Standard £232.00 Anytime First Class £511.00
Vintage Trains: Standard £150.00 Premier Class £320.00

We are using 5043 all the way in both directions from B’Ham New St to Edinburgh Waverly.

 

For that you also get to sit in a proper carriage, not a tube. How long does a VT(Vintage not Virgin, just realised my error) open return last for?

 

Just done a similar check for Steam Dreams trip to Plymouth on 10th March (table of four in first class booked at £129 each) and (at the moment) by First Great Western it would be £220.50 each, so steam is quite a bargain eace:

 

Those of us without rose tinted glasses
London - Weymouth weekday price £26 return , 1st class £44 return with SWT both considerably cheaper than the Steam runs.

 

There is always an exception to the rule - Check prices for Birmingham to Plymouth! £107.10 Standard / £271.00 First!

 

If VT wanted to run a train for me on Tuesday night from Worcester Foregate Street to Great Malvern for £3.50 return (with a railcard) I would have been very grateful ;-)

 

Is that 1 pannier or 2 ?

 

Dont think I can do it this Tuesday...I need 12 weeks to plan it!

 

The whole issue is one of commitment and non-refundability. A steam train booking is a commitment to a particular train and is not refundable. So, the comparison should be with the bargain tickets available with such as First Great Western, not with the walk up fares.

On that basis, steam train tickets are more expensive - but also more fun! Yes, a Mark 1 coach beats a Voyager for comfort and general ambience.

 

Not on my original example..

Pick any Saturday in feb...
chose a 7amish departure to Carlilse...
chose an arrival back in London around 2130..

Any advance fare is higher than the steam trip.

 

Accepted, as long as you happen to be going at those particular times of a Saturday in February, and don't mind the journey taking a little longer. As an enthusiast I'm happy of course to fit in with that.