{"id":1300,"date":"2025-05-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/?p=1300"},"modified":"2025-06-02T10:03:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T10:03:46","slug":"a-2-hour-train-journey-can-cost-me-226-uk-travel-is-broken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/24\/a-2-hour-train-journey-can-cost-me-226-uk-travel-is-broken\/","title":{"rendered":"A 2-hour train journey can cost me \u00a3226 \u2013 UK travel is broken"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Charley\t<\/div>
Public transport is an essential service and it should be affordable for everyone (Picture: Charley Hullah)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scrolling through the timetable, my eyes began to water at the price of a return ticket. <\/p>\n

There was a time when a 2.5 hour journey from London<\/a> Paddington to my hometown of Malvern would have only set me back \u00a338.80. <\/p>\n

Now, however, that same journey was threatening to cost anywhere between \u00a3117 to \u00a3226. <\/p>\n

With the government’s net-zero ambitions<\/a> in mind, it begs the question: Shouldn\u2019t it be cheaper and easier than ever to take the train?  <\/p>\n

Public transport is an essential service and it should be affordable<\/a> for everyone. So why, therefore, are we pricing people off the railways? <\/p>\n

I try to go home at Easter every year \u2013 just like at Christmas, but it\u2019s nice to see them twice a year, in warmer weather. So, weeks in advance, I started searching for train tickets.  <\/p>\n

Right on cue though, in March, fares rose by 4.6% and what was already pretty unaffordable had now become extortionate<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Charley\t<\/div>
I then found myself daydreaming about all the times I’d managed to get tickets for less (Picture: Charley Hullah)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One service provider was charging up to \u00a3226 for an anytime return. Even a single ticket valid only on a certain off-peak train was \u00a3103, without a railcard discount. I wanted to cry. <\/p>\n

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Sadly, that\u2019s since gone the way of the Dodo though and now lies in the train graveyard, in a joint-burial with affordable fares. <\/p>\n<p>Even last year\u2019s ticket only cost \u00a345 \u2013 a bargain by comparison. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"428\" src=\"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_251384475-6955-e1747314112293.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23092688\" alt=\"Charley Hullah - I haven't been able to seen my family because of the ridiculous price of train fares\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>I\u2019ve even tried to forgo train travel altogether and last summer I exclusively used coaches (Picture: Charley Hullah)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s no wonder then that, over the years, I\u2019ve relied on all the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2021\/06\/21\/commuters-say-useless-flexible-season-tickets-save-you-almost-nothing-14806257\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2021\/06\/21\/commuters-say-useless-flexible-season-tickets-save-you-almost-nothing-14806257\/\">tricks to secure cheaper tickets<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Cashback, split tickets, and my 26-30 railcard have all been lifeline\u2019s at times. I\u2019ve even tried to forgo train travel altogether and last summer I exclusively used coaches. <\/p>\n<p>However, the savings weren\u2019t great, journeys were exponentially longer, and they didn\u2019t go anywhere near my family so I was back to where I started. <\/p>\n<p>Despite recent cuts to discounts and a \u00a35 increase, my railcard did bring the cost of a super off-peak return down to \u00a377.90 \u2013 it was a start, but even this was money I didn’t have. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_251384369-8b99-e1747314216954.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23092697\" alt=\"Charley Hullah - I haven't been able to seen my family because of the ridiculous price of train fares\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Nothing brought me closer to a more reasonable fare and I didn\u2019t get to see my family (Picture: Charley Hullah)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hoping for a miracle, I then pulled out <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/05\/13\/passengers-swerving-train-fares-trick-save-50-per-ticket-23075435\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/05\/13\/passengers-swerving-train-fares-trick-save-50-per-ticket-23075435\/\">all my tricks <\/a>and trawled multiple websites from Trainline, TrainPal, and SplitMyFare, to bring the cost down further. <\/p>\n<p>Finding the best price is like being lost in a maze, with each site offering different prices, conditions, and routes. Even slower routes via Birmingham, offering minimal savings, proved pointless as half the route was closed for engineering works.  <\/p>\n<p>Sadly, nothing brought me closer to a more reasonable fare and I didn\u2019t get to see my family. <\/p>\n<p>I had to choose between seeing them or going to a specialist hospital appointment I had been waiting two years for, in Bath the following week \u2013 which was costing \u00a358 for a day return using TrainPal with 3x split tickets each way and including a railcard discount.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_251384394-c326-e1747314194823.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23092696\" alt=\"Charley Hullah - I haven't been able to seen my family because of the ridiculous price of train fares\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>That\u2019s truly heartbreaking because I love travelling by train (Picture: Charley Hullah)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is becoming the pattern. And I\u2019m afraid that, if we continue down this track, then I will no longer be able to afford to travel. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s truly heartbreaking because I love travelling by train. <\/p>\n<p>Not only does it offer me creative sanctuary and rare time for reflection \u2013 I\u2019ve written articles and produced music on my journey\u2019s in the past \u2013 it can also be therapeutic. <\/p>\n<p>Last year, when my nan was dying, I went back frequently to be with family and those journeys helped me process grief and escape from reality, albeit momentarily.  <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"415\" src=\"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_251384366-635b-e1747313912872.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23092662\" alt=\"Charley Hullah - I haven't been able to seen my family because of the ridiculous price of train fares\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>The cost of living has hit millions of us hard (Picture: Charley Hullah)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But now, all journeys feel like a luxury. Recently, one text from a friend captured my mood and  the issue perfectly: \u2018I feel robbed every time,\u2019 they said. \u2018The amount I spend on trains, I could afford a luxury holiday.\u2019 <\/p>\n<p>The cost of living has hit millions of us hard, and while I\u2019m sure those on higher incomes can better absorb rising prices, for people like me on a lower income, there\u2019s little room for manoeuvre. <\/p>\n<p>When a ticket costs more than a day’s income, I\u2019m forced to choose between survival and seeing my family.  <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"449\" src=\"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_251384477-96c0-e1747313976991.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23092674\" alt=\"Charley Hullah - I haven't been able to seen my family because of the ridiculous price of train fares\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>I see family less and less (Picture: Charley Hullah)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<section class=\"metro-comment-cta\">\n<div class=\"metro-comment-cta__inner\"><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text-wrap\"><title>Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Do you find it too expensive to use public transport? Have your say in the comments below<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>As a result, with every passing year I see family less and less. I\u2019ve traded witnessing my nieces and nephews grow up in person for the virtual worlds of FaceTime and Facebook. We communicate as if we\u2019re living in other countries, though we\u2019re only a train ride apart. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s maddening and yet, I fear, things are about to get worse. <\/p>\n<p>With my railcard expiry approaching, my last ticket to \u2018cheaper\u2019 travel is about to leave the station. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve already cut back on everything I can just to get by but soon I won\u2019t even be able to afford to board one last discounted train. It\u2019s not fair. <\/p>\n<p>Like many, I welcome<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/04\/24\/british-rail-come-back-public-ownership-labour-plans-20707235\/\"> nationalisation plans<\/a>, but they need to happen sooner. We <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/01\/22\/7-ways-get-train-tickets-cheaply-possible-20151218\/\">need cheaper fares now. <\/a>  <\/p>\n<p>I just hope that, when we do, my niece will be eagerly waiting on the platform as my train pulls in. <\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:jess.austin@metro.co.uk\">jess.austin@metro.co.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Public transport is an essential service and it should be affordable for everyone (Picture: Charley Hullah) Scrolling through the timetable, my eyes began to water at the price of a return ticket.  There was a time when a 2.5 hour journey from London Paddington to my hometown of Malvern would have only set me back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1300"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1300"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1310,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1300\/revisions\/1310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharosstory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}