Train Tickets - Politics And Rackets

In the UK, there is an almost constant and often heated debate on how much it costs to travel by train, especially over longer distances. Those asserting that companies operating trains over the National Rail Network are ripping off customers frequently cite other countries, where demand management has not been taken to such lengths as in Britain. But they miss something.

A southbound Intercidades, of Corail coaches, calls at Entroncamento

It’s not just the ticket costs, but also the captive market for items like railcards: seniors and young people who travel at all regularly have to buy these just to get a third off full price tickets. And I have to tell you all in the UK that this is a racket. Moreover, tickets do not have to cost so much: this is, as I point out so often, a political decision. Other countries’ politics bring different results.

So let’s bring all of this together: next week I have to visit the city of Coimbra. This involves, in units Brits will recognise, a journey of just over 130 miles from Lisboa Oriente (north east of the city centre) to Coimbra-B (on the western fringe of the city). As a comparison, I fed the same dates and times into the National Rail journey planner for London to Bristol.

Travel both ways will be by Intercidades (Inter City) trains. These are what your average rail enthusiast will recognise as a Proper Train™, having a locomotive at the head, and a rake of coaches. They are not Portugal’s fastest trains - the tilting Alfa Pendular is quicker, and is also more expensive - but they make rapid enough progress, and offer a decent travelling environment. I decided to travel in the comfier end of the train.

So that’s First Class, Lisboa Oriente to Coimbra-B and back. 130 miles each way. Ticket bought on Friday 8th September for outward travel Thursday 14th, and return Saturday 16th. What is that going to cost?

It’s going to cost €26. 26 Euro. Not much more than £22.

There must, you will think, be a catch. OK, there is one factor I should mention: it’s half price, because I’m an Old Fart™. So double that amount to €52, or around £45. Now look at the National Rail journey planner for London to Bristol off peak - that will be £46.95 (with a railcard). Standard Class, or what is still called Second Class in Portugal. How much for First Class, then?

Faro to Lisboa Oriente Intercidades, made up of older coaches, arrives at Pinhal Novo

The website helpfully lets you know “First Class from £91.70”. HOW MUCH? Might just pass on that, thanks. And it gets worse: London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads is around 15 miles less than Lisboa Oriente to Coimbra-B. It still costs more, with a railcard, to do the former and sit in the cheap seats, than it does to pay full whack for the latter and go first class.

And then we get to railcards. They are, once more, a racket. Another way of raising a bit more cash. Another of those political choices. Why so? Simples. You don’t need anything like that to get Old Fart™ discount in Portugal: you just show a photo ID, which you will also have to show to the conductor or ticket inspector as required. No additional cost involved. No racket.

Yes, there are differences: in the UK, an off peak ticket allows break of journey and the ability to just get on the next train, or not. Inter City trains in Portugal are booked to be journey and seat specific: you have to decide which train you want to travel on beforehand. In the UK, you can get on a busy train and stand all the way; in Portugal, when the seats are sold out, that’s it. No more tickets sold. Same in Spain. Same in France.

Maybe the trains aren’t up to the kind of standard you might expect in the UK? Er, no: the trains I’m travelling on use coaches similar to the French Corail design, built under licence in the mid 1980s and using stainless steel construction under licence from the Budd Company. The French originals are mainly still in service across France, especially where there is no TGV.

Some Intercidades, like Faro to Lisbon, use older coaches, with interiors similar to the Corails. All have air con. These trains are also popular with visitors because the fares are low and the travelling environment is OK. Once again: fare levels in the UK are a political choice, and railcards are a racket.

Here endeth the lesson from southern Europe. Have a good trip.

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