Hello. I'm a long-ish time reader/first time poster looking for objective advice on a family travel decision. I've tried to make the following as neutral as possible, so as to not bias replies.
An elderly family member (C, early 90s), who is generally fit for his age but understandably cautious, has been invited to stay with relatives for several days. The journey is around three hours by train. He has travelled twice this way before, including independently.
One family member (A) who is closely involved in his day-to-day care, feels that continuing to travel by train is important for maintaining independence and the previous established arrangment. From a practical point of view, this also involves around an hour’s travel to the train station at either end.
On a previous visit, C's return train was cancelled, resulting in a wait of around an hour for the next service. He was not alone at the time, but the disruption added complexity and has perhaps made him even more nervous.
Another family member (B) has offered to collect and return him by car. This would involve a one-way drive of around four hours, or up to five hours depending on traffic. They feel this option would be more comfortable and predictable for C and are willing to take on the driving.
Everyone involved wants the visit to be positive and does not want to create unnecessary difficulty or upset foranyone else. But both A and B feel strongly about their preference.
I’d appreciate outside perspectives on what seems the most reasonable way forward here.