You can't make it up

Post by **orudge** » 15 Nov 2009 16:46

Clickity-click

"Network Rail is transporting 200 staff by coach from Reading to Coventry for a conference because of the high cost of train tickets, it has emerged."

Ploes · Post by **Ploes** » 15 Nov 2009 16:49

You could make it up, but no one would belive you.

BBC news link back it up nicely tho

FHS · Post by **FHS** » 15 Nov 2009 17:22

This is a serious FAIL.
Id never have thaught that there is a place where train tickets cost that much

.

JamieLei · Post by **JamieLei** » 15 Nov 2009 20:45

That is actually ridiculous. Why didn't Network Rail look into Group Travel with CrossCountry? Or even hiring a charter train?
I did once ring up Virgin Train to enquire about Group Travel to London, and although they restrict you to specific trains, there's no difference between that and the coach.

But thenagain, transporting 200 people would exceed the capacity of a single 4-car voyager which plies the route (which is 188, including both First and Standard). Hiring a charter train probably would have been the best plan of action...

Kevo00 · Post by **Kevo00** » 15 Nov 2009 21:39

And hiring a charter train would probably have been pricier than the bus! I actually think this is fair enough, because even if they had booked a group discount etc., they would have forced 200 customers to stand.

audigex · Post by **audigex** » 02 Dec 2009 20:17

The fact is that a coach has a fixed price, so they can base their costs on their overheads. Costs+whatever the company wants to make mean they can offer a price based on that, wherease the train companies have to base theirs on the average loading of the train, putting the costs per individual up.

It wouldn't exactly be cost-effective for one person to hire a coach, but for 200, 4x 50 seat coaches makes a lot of sense.

While it seems like a bit of a gaff, would you rather they wasted yet more taxpayer cash?

Lord Aro · Post by **Lord Aro** » 02 Dec 2009 20:25

HA

HA

PS i wont mind if this is deleted, but it is funny

Post by **Dave** » 02 Dec 2009 23:19

I'd rather they went on the bus if it meant more money was being spent on my railway network.

bwong · Post by **bwong** » 03 Dec 2009 01:34

that is serious fail....
thats dumb...

JamieLei · Post by **JamieLei** » 03 Dec 2009 02:01

bwong wrote:that is serious fail....
thats dumb...

It's not at all. Like I said, the capacity of one of the trains on that line is actually less than the number of people they need to move. It would displace every other farepaying customer for a start, and also the Birmingham-Reading line is one of the most crowded since XC use only 4-car 220s on it.

bwong · Post by **bwong** » 03 Dec 2009 03:55

then again... true that

Kevo00 · Post by **Kevo00** » 03 Dec 2009 17:54

I bet the Highways Agency sends its people around by train. Probably first class and all.

John · Post by **John** » 03 Dec 2009 18:39

Kevo00 wrote:I bet the Highways Agency sends its people around by train. Probably first class and all.

Nah - I suspect they use charter planes.

That then leaves the CAA / BAA to send their people around by train, thus completing the triangle

[edit]
Also, wouldn't it just have been easier to choose a venue in Reading rather then Coventry?

Would have solved a whole lot of problems!

Ferretscout · Post by **Ferretscout** » 03 Dec 2009 19:16

ah but thats displaying intelligence, john yu would never get into power.

Kevo00 · Post by **Kevo00** » 03 Dec 2009 19:27

Too logical that. Or perhaps people from other bits of NR further north also needed to attend, and couldn't be arsed with the M40/A whatever combination needed to get down to Reading avoiding the M25.

audigex · Post by **audigex** » 04 Dec 2009 22:12

Perhaps there are 300 people in coventry who are attending the conference?

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