CWK205 (2009)

I am going to sound pompous now but have Families ever really travelled by rail?
Looking at the programe this week on TV re post war railways it was implied that families went on trains immediately post war as a means of getting over wartime travel restrictions then deserting the railways for their private cars from late 50s onwards.
Railway passenger journeys are higher now than at any time since the 50s which indicates that a lot of people do not find trains expensive.
I can travel from Cov to London for £8 return on LM provided I plan ahead and £14 on Virgin both of which give me potentially 3 trains an hour-unheard of frequencies. Natex struggle to match these prices most of the day.
Families travel now with so much "baggage" (not luggage) these days that an education programme is reqd to get them to consider rail.
Roger Burdett

Hmmm!! I like to look at steam trains but would rather travel on modern ones - except I can't have a ciggie. But the journeys I have made in the last few years have been either by mixed modes of transport or by NatEx coach. I had not travelled by coach since the 1960s when while in the army we had travelled from Adelaide to Cairns by coach. All was well by train until the Glasgow-bound Virgin Pendelinos stopped calling at Motherwell. I went only once on the Trans-Pennine replacement. I ended up with a suitcase and my heavy camera bag balanced on my knees.

I have made the journey from Preston to Hamilton via National Express since the above experience. It takes longer but I always write off travelling days anyway. I have found that the coach-drivers are much more aware to give their passengers customer service than you can ever get by train.

When I head over I get a "Sailrail" ticket which takes me on the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead and then train from Holyhead to Birmingham and back again. A long train trip but for a good price. The local bus network then gets me around the whole West Midlands area so no need to use the local trains.