Seriously, how can anyone use the railway for long distance commuting?

[TUC]

One can get a lot of work done on a long train journey in terms of emails and Teams meetings,

 

[james_the_xv]

From someone who commutes from the midlands up the WCML 3/4 times a week days like Thursday happen once every couple of months (if that), I claim my delay repay and remind myself how much more expensive and stressful it would be to drive when fuel, insurance, and wear & tear are considered.

 

[dk1]

Best trains ever. On GWR they have been replaced with the Hitachi Class 800s. Uncomfortable, noisy and with seats like ironing boards even in First

Noisy?

 

[Unobrow]

How could a breakdown in Northampton affect Avanti though? Aren't they seperate routes by then?

As I explained, both routes got blocked by different issues. The old route, which is also classed as the fast lines is known as Weedon to many.

 

[coach fan]

The same way someone can use the road network for long distance commuting.

I’d sooner the roads anyday. As would most of the Public.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Nov 2025 ==

It's very simple. Even with some awful reliability (hello GWML Paddington-Reading) I would still rather be on a train/in a cafe with laptop and headphones getting work done that trapped in a car unable to do anything useful.

I’d say you’re more trapped in a train. You can pull over and take a break in a car. Can’t really do that on a cattle truck on rails.

 

[AndrewE]

From someone who commutes from the midlands up the WCML 3/4 times a week days like Thursday happen once every couple of months (if that), I claim my delay repay and remind myself how much more expensive and stressful it would be to drive when fuel, insurance, and wear & tear are considered.

I am glad it works OK for you and it's not too frequent, even if it's not perfect!
However, as @Russel posted in https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/delays-south-of-crewe-2025-11-26.295345/#post-7566667 it can be appalling and sometimes leaves you wondering if the situation is bearable or keeping the job is even viable. I got to that stage and was about to chuck in a job which I enjoyed (and even abandon my RST concessions) when luckily a redundancy offer was made...

 

[cats_five]

<snip>

I’d say you’re more trapped in a train. You can pull over and take a break in a car. Can’t really do that on a cattle truck on rails.

Why would you need a break on a train? All the long distance ones have toilets, and you don't need to take a break if you are tired

 

[dk1]

Why would you need a break on a train? All the long distance ones have toilets, and you don't need to take a break if you are tired

Beat me to it. Train every time for me.

 

[coach fan]

Why would you need a break on a train? All the long distance ones have toilets, and you don't need to take a break if you are tired

You may wanna stretch your legs? You may want some fresh air? You may want some decent food and not the crap that’s served up on trolleys?

 

[AndrewE]

You may wanna stretch your legs? You may want some fresh air? You may want some decent food and not the crap that’s served up on trolleys?

if you want decent food [on a train] then you take it with you! Motorway services most certainly do not provide a gourmet experience, however home-made sandwiches and a can of beer (or even a tray of Booth's potato salad, a portion of chicken and a bottle of wine on the way home from the Lake District) turn a train journey into a treat!

 

[dk1]

You may wanna stretch your legs? You may want some fresh air? You may want some decent food and not the crap that’s served up on trolleys?

It can be decent at the cafe bar with the likes of LNER. I get the impression you’re not a fan of trains.

 

[sh24]

You may wanna stretch your legs? You may want some fresh air? You may want some decent food and not the crap that’s served up on trolleys?

You'd want all of those after being trapped on a Megabus, or whatever coaches are called now.

 

[coach fan]

You'd want all of those after being trapped on a Megabus, or whatever coaches are called now.

Ohh. Coaches are worse I’m not denying that. But nothing beats the car.

 

[AndrewE]

Ohh. Coaches are worse I’m not denying that. But nothing beats the car.

The train certainly does if you have had a long day out, you are tired and the weather is filthy!

SWMBO gets news alerts on her tablet... every evening without fail there is a warning of long delays from a crash on the motorway near us. Even on a delayed train life is easier (and probably for the train driver too!) but I do recognise that potentially missed connections introduce stress that is absent from car journeys.

 

[coach fan]

The train certainly does if you have had a long day out, you are tired and the weather is filthy!

SWMBO gets news alerts on her tablet... every evening without fail there is a warning of long delays from a crash on the motorway near us. Even on a delayed train life is easier (and probably for the train driver too!) but I do recognise that potentially missed connections introduce stress that is absent from car journeys.

As long as that long day out doesn’t end after the barmy time of ten pm….no trains from my station to and from London after that. Trains are amazing if you’re commuting in and out of London or some other major cities between 9am and 5 pm. Not too bad if going from London to Scotland. Can’t think of very much else they’re good at.

 

[Starmill]

Most people use trains for one of three reasons:

• They don't have car access, or don't have one available for that journey, so it compares favourably to short term hire
• They recognise it's the least worst option for where they want to go to
• They have a vested interest in its use, such as being an enthusiast or a member of staff

Most regular forum readers will find themselves in at least one of those categories. Some of us may be in all three at once!

 

[sh24]

Ohh. Coaches are worse I’m not denying that. But nothing beats the car.

Well the train does as I can work onboard. I can't when driving!

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I’d sooner the roads anyday. As would most of the Public.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Nov 2025 ==


I’d say you’re more trapped in a train. You can pull over and take a break in a car. Can’t really do that on a cattle truck on rails.

I agree and I don't even drive!

For me it's all about control. If you're delayed in a car you have choices; you can choose to go a different route, you can decide how warm you want the heating to be and what music to play. You may not get home any quicker but you'll have a much more pleasant journey.

By contrast on a delayed train you have to put up with other people's music and inane phone conversations, screaming kids running around and incessant announcements.

If I had the choice it would be the car every time.

 

[coach fan]

Well the train does as I can work onboard. I can't when driving!

I mean why would I want to work during commuting? That’s why I’m going to work. To work there. Not on my commute. Strange reason that.

 

[sh24]

I mean why would I want to work during commuting? That’s why I’m going to work. To work there. Not on my commute. Strange reason that.

Pretty normal to work on your commute if you have a professional, managerial or senior role. Also a fair few people commute long distance once or twice a week for business (as I do), so working on the train is very efficient.

Of course you can also read, watch TV, sleep on the train none of which are even legal when driving.

 

[Russel]

Most people use trains for one of three reasons:

• They don't have car access, or don't have one available for that journey, so it compares favourably to short term hire
• They recognise it's the least worst option for where they want to go to
• They have a vested interest in its use, such as being an enthusiast or a member of staff

Most regular forum readers will find themselves in at least one of those categories. Some of us may be in all three at once!

For me, only working in the office twice a week, it doesn't make sense to buy a second car, I have the option of bus and train for my Trent Valley journey, the train is 50% quicker and a few quid cheaper, on paper it's a great option.

However, in reality, the last couple of weeks have been awful, last Tuesday my train home didn't stop as LNWR ripped out the Trent Valley stops to make up time, resulting in a two hour gap in the service and yesterday it was 50ish minutes late, both days the bus was the better option...

Throw in the other 10/15 minute delays here and there too...

I want to use the train, but the last couple of weeks have knocked my confidence somewhat.

 

[coach fan]

Pretty normal to work on your commute if you have a professional, managerial or senior role. Also a fair few people commute long distance once or twice a week for business (as I do), so working on the train is very efficient.

Of course you can also read, watch TV, sleep on the train none of which are even legal when driving.

Fair enough. I personally couldn’t think of anything worse than taking your work home with you. But each to their own. Not sure I’d wanna nod off anywhere public. Especially public transport. Each to their own again though…

Of course you have to actually get a seat though to do any of those things.

 

[Russel]

Fair enough. I personally couldn’t think of anything worse than taking your work home with you. But each to their own. Not sure I’d wanna nod off anywhere public. Especially public transport. Each to their own again though…

Agreed, I have a work laptop, but refuse to use it outside of work hours, setting boundaries is important.

 

[Annetts key]

Of course you can also read, watch TV, sleep on the train none of which are even legal when driving.

Maybe, even read or contribute to RailUKforums while travelling on the train

 

[Belfastmarty]

This thread makes me glad I no longer have to commute by train, bus or car. These days if I get delayed between the office and home it's because I've tripped over the dog in the hall

 

[Bald Rick]

I decided to go to London and for being a random Thursday so many things went wrong.
I was booked on the 08:58 Birmingham international to euston but was delayed by half an hour when arriving at 10:36 instead.
And then on the way back I was booked on the 17:38 but this didn’t leave until around 18:12 because the driver for the train had been delayed getting into London, and it reached Birmingham International 50 minutes late.
I kept thinking at least I don’t have anywhere important to be or anything I need to do On Time but for people who regularly do long distance commutes like this how do you manage?

Put simply, you were unlucky. Yesterday was a very poor day for the WCML, as described by others above. Even then, others had a perfectly good trip on the route.

I maintain - as a daily user of the WCML I rarely see the problems others report

Indeed. I use it twice a week on average. My median punctuality is in the 0-3 minute band. Rarely do I experience a delay of more than 30 minutes. My two trips yesterday were a) 2 minutes early and b) 23 late. The latter was comfortably my biggest delay for months.

Some years ago I was a daily commuter from Birmingham to London, for 4 years, where delays of more than 15 mintues were very much the exception. I sat next to a colleague who commuted from Croydon, and she was more late more often than I was.

In anothe job I used to have a 90second commute between home and office, and I much preferred the Birmingham - London commute!

 

[webbfan]

I commuted for 25 years between the Fens and London. That was in the era of Network SouthEast, WAGN and FCC, so no live updates on smartphones or laptops. It included the aftermath of the Kings Cross fire and the Hatfield and Potters Bar derailments.

Disrupted services are part of commuting, and coping with it is a learning experience with plenty of practice. There are a few simple rules that most commuters learn quite quickly:

• always have a plan B, and know when to stick and when to twist
• always have something to read
• don't get angry
• don't get stressed

Commuted for 10 years from Nuneaton to Euston in '90s. Learnt the above very quickly, once on the train there's nothing you can do about when it gets in so don't fret about it. Always had flask of coffee, spare book, extra cigarettes so sat back and relaxed or had a kip. Of course the only time the one hour journey took 9 hours had a pretty uninteresting book - IBM manual.
Working in London everyone was pretty relaxed about delays, I was probably the most reliable despite living the furthest away.

 

[Russel]

Commuted for 10 years from Nuneaton to Euston in '90s. Learnt the above very quickly, once on the train there's nothing you can do about when it gets in so don't fret about it. Always had flask of coffee, spare book, extra cigarettes so sat back and relaxed or had a kip. Of course the only time the one hour journey took 9 hours had a pretty uninteresting book - IBM manual.

Not sure what is worse, a 9 hour delay or knowing that you're heading back to Nuneaton!

 

[webbfan]

Not sure what is worse, a 9 hour delay or knowing that you're heading back to Nuneaton!

Nuneaton no problem, get in car, drive 18 miles home away from town.

 

[Russel]

Nuneaton no problem, get in car, drive 18 miles home away from town.

Fair enough, it's gone down hill a bit over the last few years!