Idk where to put this but this has radicalized me
Posted by TophatOwl_@reddit | miltonkeynes | View on Reddit | 39 comments
Posted by TophatOwl_@reddit | miltonkeynes | View on Reddit | 39 comments
PossibleLine6460@reddit
I've always thought it's because wealthy people live in those places who have pull to keep them isolated and off the London-Birmingham main line (unlike MK which is slap on it)
TophatOwl_@reddit (OP)
Its not as much about desiring isolation, but rather that the UK gives such incredible power to people who dont want stuff near them.
Legorooj@reddit
Just take the bus? The MK1 runs from MK Station -> Luton Airport and takes about an hour
TophatOwl_@reddit (OP)
I know there is a bus, but there is 0 excuse for there not to be a train
vivalaalice@reddit
I feel like the train lines not connecting is quite a good excuse
TophatOwl_@reddit (OP)
Okay I feel like you are either intentionally misunderstanding me or joking. Obviously I mean that theres no excuse for UK (a country that likes to pretend to be a first world economy) public infrastructure to be this lacking that you cannot take a direct train from MK to any airport in London.
RBLime@reddit
If I live in Beauvais in France it’s a pretty similar situation if I’m trying to get to Gare Du Nord. This isn’t a UK issue, this is how an efficient public transport system works. Very little demand for an MK to Luton Airport train to justify the cost.
darybrain@reddit
If you think public transport from MK to Luton is bad then check out MK to London Oxford airport. The bus can fuck right off in that case and trains still mean going into London and then back up again. Getting to London Southend makes sense having to get the train into central London first so I'm not counting that as a ballache.
At least when Birmingham airport finally changes to London Birmingham (they've been trying to rebrand it for years) the train from MK is a piece of cake, faster than driving or a bus, and only a short walk to the terminal or the NEC.
TophatOwl_@reddit (OP)
Im not denying that its worse elsewhere but why do yall always point and go "well its worse elsewhere" instead of just acknowledging that, even though other places have it slightly worse, this is still just slightly less awful?
darybrain@reddit
We've all acknowledged that it isn't great while also acknowledging that it isn't super shit via other routes that you didn't originally mention. Of course it would nice and handy to have a direct rail line to straight to the airport front door, however, even if east-west rail lines were aplenty it simply isn't feasible or practically possible to have direct lines from every city to every major travel hub.
I am completely reliant on public transport for travel at my own expense so many journeys are a major pain in the bottom and I wish they could be easier. Some could while others cannot. If I'm travelling via Luton for work then I'll always expense taxis because of the time and ease so I get your frustration. That being said the Luton rail stations are both big bottlenecks of time on the East Coast mainline and if it was on the West Coast mainline instead many of our faster trains would not be running as they should and all train journeys would be slower. This is one of the reasons why less trains stop at Birmingham International.
RBLime@reddit
If I live in Beauvais in France it’s a pretty similar situation if I’m trying to get to Gare Du Nord. This isn’t a UK issue, this is how an efficient public transport system works. Very little demand for an MK to Luton Airport train to justify the cost.
Legorooj@reddit
How is there meant to be a train when the lines don't even connect?
TophatOwl_@reddit (OP)
Bruh are you intentionally misunderstanding me? Obviously I al saying that the infrastructure should exist that there should be a line that can run trains.
nasted@reddit
Sadly there are lots of excuses: MK was built after the Beechings Report which closed and decommissioned so much rail infrastructure across the country. So MK was born into a world where trains were in decline and where Thatcher sold of the train companies. The kind of investment needed to build a new track that didn’t benefit London was never going to happen.
Thankfully things have (and are still) changed: the East-West line plus the new theme park near Bedford should help eventually… but nothing that helps you now.
OK_Cake05@reddit
Don’t know why this is being downvoted when you are absolutely correct. It’s the next town over, the rail network is nonsensical
Xaerob@reddit
It's worth considering the national express bus too, especially if you're going to the airport. It's about 40mins and relatively reliable and affordable.
TophatOwl_@reddit (OP)
Yes I know, my point is that the rail network in the UK is absolutely terrible, there is no excuse for it being so terrible, and that we deserve better.
RBLime@reddit
If I live in Beauvais in France it’s a pretty similar situation if I’m trying to get to Gare Du Nord. This isn’t a UK issue, this is how an efficient public transport system works. Very little demand for an MK to Luton Airport train to justify the cost.
Ok-Commercial9861@reddit
Luton - Bedford - Bletchley is quicker
Nok1a_@reddit
stagecoach bus it´s about 1h 20min and 3£ but used to be 2£
TophatOwl_@reddit (OP)
So i can drive 30 minutes or take a bus that takes 3x longer. What amazing public transport we have, you are right I should be happy
Volaticus_films@reddit
It’s more like 40 mjj in nites the you have to park. Then Get to terminal. It’s about as quick factoring everything in
TophatOwl_@reddit (OP)
In any case, my point is that the rail system in the UK is inexcusably bad and we deserve better given the amount of taxes we pay
Volaticus_films@reddit
Nobody could disagree with this
Zs93@reddit
🤣
fieldashtree@reddit
Moving here is what's encouraged me to start saving for driving lessons again 😭 I lived just outside London before, and I can't deal with the bus and train service here - it's not even bad but it doesn't hold a candle to the buses every 7 minutes that take me straight to the Elizabeth line
MAJORXL@reddit
The whole terrible situation is made worse by ending up in Luton.
darybrain@reddit
The bus journey to Luton is typically an hour.
You could also take the train via Bletchley, Bedford, and the Luton although currently that is super shit and takes far too long, however, in theory when the new East West Rail is running it should be faster although the driving or the bus will still be quicker and easier options overall.
Volaticus_films@reddit
I’ve taken bus and national express. Both very good and drop off outside terminal without any faff
darybrain@reddit
Exactly. Even if the train from MK was a lot faster - which it won't be even with the new rail line because of all the connections - the train will still only stop at either Luton or Luton Parkway and then you would still need to transfer to the DART to get to the terminal. For the moment the bus stops right near the terminal door. That might change if ever Luton gets a second terminal, but that ain't happening any time soon.
Of course the bus can be cramped, sorting out big luggage can be a pain, and motorway traffic can be a right son'bitch but you'll still get in and out faster to the terminal or back home.
Substantial_Steak723@reddit
Train lines??.. You need to overlay the era of "beeching" line cuts to understand fully how fcuked over, and given up to road haulage the uk train system has been.
Branch lines are a rarity.
JDAckers@reddit
Our train system is unsurprisingly very London-centric.
darybrain@reddit
All of the main rail lines are north-south centric. There has always been a problem going east-west and across the country there have been calls for decades to make those journeys easier, but they are always too expensive and locals protest too much. No-one wins either way.
velotout@reddit
If you’re south MK, going from Bletchley & changing at Bedford is 1h06, if not then the additional change using MK>Bletchley>Bedford is 1h36.
SolarMoonWitchx@reddit
This is something I’ve known for years. I work in MK, so I drive there but if one day for whatever reason I couldn’t drive or work from home I’d be fucked because I’d never get to work on time. Having to take 3 buses to somewhere 35-45 minutes away is ridic 🙈
vivalaalice@reddit
It’s one bus? OP is showing trains but the bus is very easy and frequent to get
SolarMoonWitchx@reddit
Well it’s not one bus. You would have to get one bus into the town centre or to the airport (which depending where you live in Luton may be two buses), and then from town > MK and then MK > Wolverton (that’s where my work is).
The earliest bus in my area in Luton is 7:20, I start at 9, and I work in Wolverton, so I wouldn’t be able to get there in time considering it used to take an hour to get from Wigmore into Luton town centre in the mornings when I worked there.
Lolxd69Prank@reddit
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 u clown. Why would u go to Luton when there’s 3 stations before including MILTON KEYNES CENTRAL???
ParticularNo3104@reddit
Why is that tho? 🤔