CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Train v. plane

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  1. SRD
    Moderator

    From the scotsman. I'd somehow missed this! I go back and forth to London at least every three months, sometimes more, and after trying both for the first few years, have definitely moved to train as my default option - partly because my destination is usually walk-able from King's Cross. My only complaint is that my most regular travel day is Friday, and the trains are definitely more crowded both morning and evening, and the late return trains can be pretty grim.

    Will be interesting to see if anyone in these debates mentions being able to take a bike with you as a benefit of train over plane.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  2. Stepdoh
    Member

    I'm pretty much minded towards the train, if they could just shave 35-45 minutes off the journey time (and improve the reliability) it would be a no-brainer.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  3. SRD
    Moderator

    "if they could just shave 35-45 minutes off the journey time (and improve the reliability) it would be a no-brainer."#

    Agree on the timing -- it's still a push to make anything before a noon start. But reliability seems very good. I've not had any delays on London-Edinburgh travel in past three years at least, while one out of every two journeys I make off the EastCoast mainline have had major delays.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    "
    It’ll be a fascinating discussion and, if you wish, you can take part. Come back to this page from October 25, when you’ll find there will be a comments section and you can have your say.

    There are no published articles at present.

    "

    Oh well.

    "
    Which do you think is the most relaxing way to travel...

    Train or Plane?

    Poll Results

    Train 86% Plane 14%

    Total Votes: 84

    "

    Posted 14 years ago #

  5. cb
    Member

    SRD "it's still a push to make anything before a noon start."

    First train of the day gets in to Kings Cross at 10:10am according to The Trainline. That's a departure time of 5.50am which sounds early but compares quite well against the 1st flight of the day.

    By plane you can get into London (well, Paddington, at least) by 9am, but that seems to require a bit of good fortune and an expensive ticket on the Heathrow Express.

    I had a work thing in Manchester a while back and some colleagues were surprised to hear I was opting for the train until I explained it was cheaper, more convenient, more pleasant and faster (at least for the destination I was going to).

    Posted 14 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    "First train of the day gets in to Kings Cross at 10:10am"

    Yes, that's about the time it got in when I last went on it (I don't like early mornings...)

    BUT in those days it was supposed to be 9.59.

    ""if they could just shave 35-45 minutes off the journey time"

    Well the 'high speed' line idea is in the news again today as there is a conference in Edinburgh about it.

    http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Scotland-must-be-on-new.6606935.jp

    Politicians (including Dawe) calling for lotsofmoney to be spent because 'the business case is good'.

    I'd love to get to London in 3 hours, 2 hours or whatever (would draw the line at teleporting - The Fly put me off...)

    But am I that important? Are politicians/civil servants/businesspersons so important that their necessary/preferred inter-capital journeys have to be raised above all others in importance and facilitation??

    Posted 14 years ago #

  7. SRD
    Moderator

    CB: Yes, I have managed an 11am start, but don't like to cut it too tight. Actually had put 11 in my original post then edited to 12, as that is more normal for me. It does take a little while to get out of the station etc. I just go down the day before if there is an early morning event I have to attend.

    Had two years of my husband commuting on the 5.50 so know _all_ about it....

    Posted 14 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    "

    The Challenge has finally arrived. Friday is the big day when we'll finally solve one of the biggest questions in Scottish business life - whether the train or the plane is the best way of travelling from Edinburgh to London.
    Starting at 9am on Friday 5th November, we're dispatching two top journalists off to compete against each other. One will take a mainstream business airline, while the other will travel First Class with rail operator East Coast.
    They'll then meet up again later on Friday afternoon outside Norman Foster's famous Gherkin building, right in the heart of the City of London.
    But The Challenge isn't just a competition to see who gets to the destination first. During their trips, both writers Jonathan Trew and Rory Ford will be expected to carry out some tasks we've set for them.
    For the first time ever, Scotsman readers will be able to share their trials and tribulations and to see their high points and frustrations in real time.
    Both Jonathan and Rory will be blogging on their experiences as they travel, and you'll be able to follow them by visiting our dedicated website at http://www.scotsman.com/trainvplane.
    During the trip, they'll each be expected to take on some of the sort of challenges any ordinary business traveller would have to deal with. They'll have to take baggage, carry out real work on the move and conduct conversations by phone with colleagues.
    Even when they finally arrive, having made their way to the nearest London Underground stop by Tube, they'll be expected to interview someone whose name they haven't been given in advance, meaning they won't have been able to do any research in advance of The Challenge. They will have had to use their wits and rely on internet connections en route.
    How will we judge the winner? As we've already said, it's not simply going to be a case of the first person to arrive at the finishing tape. That's only one element - and not necessarily the most important one - of a successful business journey.
    Log on from Friday 5th November at 9am to watch the blogs live and see if it changes your perception.

    "

    Posted 14 years ago #

  9. cb
    Member

    "the 'high speed' line idea is in the news again today"

    Unfortunately a new line would be bad for the environment.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    From above link -

    "
    Of the passengers expected to use the new railway, 57% would otherwise have travelled by conventional train, 27% wouldn't have travelled at all, 8% would have gone by car and 8% by air. In other words, 92% of its customers are expected to switch to high-speed rail from less polluting alternatives.
    "

    Posted 14 years ago #

  11. SRD
    Moderator

    Poll Results c.8pm Friday

    Train 81%

    Plane 19%

    Total Votes: 494

    Posted 14 years ago #

  12. Greenroofer
    Member

    I always use the train when going to London for work. Tend to take the sleeper down and normal train back, and I wouldn't consider flying any more.

    The Scotsman thing, though, feels a bit too much like an advert for East Coast Trains from start to finish, so I'm not sure how seriously the general public will take it!

    Posted 14 years ago #

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