1.5 hour commute 3 days a week (London to Cambridge)

[Yesolafff]

Is this doable? (The other 2 days will be WFH).
Commuting from London to Cambridge. Salary 40k.

Thanks in advance

Yes. Just be organised (stuff to do on the train). Check the cost though, unless work will buy your ticket, and factor in car parking at the station, fares the other end etc.

I commuted Birmingham to London twice a week for years, and sometimes birmingham to Brussels. I got very efficient at working out what I could do in the time slot.

@antidisestablishmentarianism

Yes. Just be organised (stuff to do on the train). Check the cost though, unless work will buy your ticket, and factor in car parking at the station, fares the other end etc.

I commuted Birmingham to London twice a week for years, and sometimes birmingham to Brussels. I got very efficient at working out what I could do in the time slot.

I think it would work out at over 3k a year in train fares but I don't think it would be worth buying a season ticket for 3 days a week?

Three days per week would probably nudge you into season ticket prices and be more economical, but it varies by journey and train company.

Yes absolutely, use the time on the train wisely, get jobs done like appointments and online shopping etc.

is it 1.5hrs train station to train station or home to office?

@idontlikealdi

is it 1.5hrs train station to train station or home to office?

Home to office is 1hr 30-1hr 35

I've certainly done longer - north of Peterborough to Tower Bridge (and then a ten min walk). It's doable but exhausting. Worse in winter when you never see daylight and you feel chilly and damp all the time.

Currently (outside Covid) north of Bedford to London, about an hour and a half each way, 5x a week. Bit easier. Can't nod off on the Thameslink trains though, they are way too uncomfortable, rattly and bumpy. From my stations I do at least get a seat both ways, that helps. Standing all that time is miserable.

I do earn more though so for me the cost was worth it.

Three days would normally be season ticket, you get the saving on the third day for the train. There's also value in not having to book every week and get there early to pick up your weekly ticket and to having a scannable ticket rather than one that has to be fed into the barrier and retrieved, especially if you're a bit late.
Parking you usually get the saving on day five, so not worth it with them.

In a job a while ago, I worked Thu, Fri, Mon, Tue Wed in the office, over two weeks. Bought a weekly ticket on the Thu. Worked from home the other days. Halved my travel costs and was cheaper than a season ticket too.

Don't forget to factor in train delays too!

I think I can get a railcard which will give me 1/3 off, so will a season ticket still be worth it?

@Yesolafff

I think I can get a railcard which will give me 1/3 off, so will a season ticket still be worth it?

You might want to double check that, I don't think it applies on commuter routes/times.

Are you working within walking distance of Cambridge station? The good news is that you’ll definitely get a seat, unlike in the other direction!

@Squirrelonwheels

Are you working within walking distance of Cambridge station? The good news is that you’ll definitely get a seat, unlike in the other direction!

Depends where you get on. Doesn't the Cambs train go right across London, like the Bedford one does? In my last job I got on at London Bridge and always got a seat, always get one at Blackfriars too. Current job I'd get on at City and think I'd get a seat there too. Previous job got on at St P and no chance. Tried to stand near people who looked like they might get off at At Alban's so I could have their seat!

I would hate it but a 90 min journey each way is what universal credit asks of people apparently.

Yep, doable. My colleague did the journey everyday in pre-covid times.

@VanGoghsDog No, I think Cambridge starts at KX/St Pan though I might be wrong - it’s been a few years since I used it. There’s also the Liverpool St line as an option and that’s slow but quiet. Useful to have both for commuting emergencies though (especially as the KX line seems to often have problems!)

I know someone who did this pre Covid. They said it was fine and they always got a seat.

Hmmm, looking at the map it seems there is a link through to the other stations but I guess it might only be some services:

www.greatnorthernrail.com/destinations-and-offers/where-we-travel-to/our-routes

I love that my line has so many stops, it really opens up the London commute meaning I don't have to get a tube and pay an extra fare.

Are you asking if its doable with regard to time or money?

Office to home in 1hr 30 mins is really good for the distance. When I lived in South London and worked in Central London my journey office to home was 1hr 30 mins

That's my normal commute from just outside zone 6!

It'll be a lot more than £3k a year though. Double that I'd have thought. Don't forget you won't be able to use a railcard.

I'm currently applying for £50k jobs 1hr train ride to London, if successful I won't accept if they want more than 2 days a week in the office. That's my cut off financially and for work/life balance, I'm hoping for 1 day a week office based but if I love the job will stretch to 2. I earn close to £40k now and wouldn't be happy to pay the travel costs for 3 days in London (I'm near Cambridge)

Plenty of people who I’ve worked with in central london have a 1.5 hour commute, so it’s eminently “normal”/ do-able. I think the question is, can you put up with it? My commute is an hour door to door (pre Covid anyway!) and personally I couldn’t stand a minute longer - 2 hours commuting a day is bad enough for me. There’s also the issue of any delays turning it into a 2 hr commute for you...

I think it also makes a massive difference how chopped up your journey is - 5 min walk, 1hr 20 on a train, 5 min walk, is very different to 15 min drive, park, get on train, get to London, bus/tube, 10 min walk to office. Mine is all chopped up .

Railcard definitely won’t work at peak hours, and they usually define peak hours over a pretty long time slot. On my trainline (Northwestern), it’s not worth getting a season ticket for 3 days a week (I’ve done the maths). So definitely calculate your costs, inc any tube/bus/parking, as they’ll be pretty steep coming from Cambridge.

I do a similar length journey everyday, costs £17.90 each day including parking.

The journey itself is fine and there have rarely been delays that I can't get around by making changes to my journey/route.

For me it's worth it because I really wouldn't want to live in London.

3 days? Only 2 wfh. I would press to switch that, post covid.
If it remains. No.

You can't use a railcard before 10am usually. Sometimes there are restrictions in the evening peak time.
Journey time is fine, I have done longer. You might need to look at the fares carefully, annual season is about £5K but the Government is trying to get the rail companies to offer different types of seasons for people who work fewer days per week.

Oh for some reason the prices were showing as discounted when I put in my railcard- do bear in mind my train would be at around 7.40am- is this still peak?