It was interesting to read in the Surrey Advertiser today about increases to the cost of rail fares locally.
The price of an annual season ticket between Guildford and London has risen by nearly 3% from £3,224 to £3,320.
Regulated fares, including season tickets, could increase across the UK by no more than an average of 3.1%, making the rise of Guildford based commuters around average.
Looking back to 2010, the article explains the cost of commuting between Guildford and London was 17.8% lower at £2,728 a year.
Despite rail fare increases generally outstripping wage growth, from a purely financial perspective there might still be an argument for commuting to London for work.
You would generally expect higher wages in the City than those available locally; they would need to be at least £5,533 greater for a higher rate taxpayer to cover that season ticket cost, and that is of course before the cost of parking at the station, at £1,800 a year.
The long term benefit of working in the City might be harder to quantify, but could include more opportunities for career progression.
For those unable to find meaningful employment closer to home, accepting a wage which does not quite cover the cost of commuting might be necessary.
But is the financial cost of commuting the real cost?
On most mornings (and many afternoons!) my Twitter feed is littered with comments from disgruntled commuters, fed up with delays and cancellations, or simply unable to get a seat.
This tweet from our local MP, Anne Milton, nicely illustrates this point:
Delayed 5.30 – full is an understatement – packed like sardines.
— Anne Milton MP (@AnneMiltonMP) December 19, 2013
Or this example from Peter Timberlake:
Rather than stating obvious perhaps guard on @SW_Trains 18.45 W’loo to P’mth Hbr could explain why it’s 8 not 12 cars! We’re like sardines!
— Peter Timberlake (@PeteTimbers) January 8, 2014
Twitter allows regular commuters to share their pain with the rest of us folk, as we contemplate our (not so stressful) three minute drive from home to the office.
This does highlight what I believe to be the real cost of commuting; the time cost and impact it undoubtedly has on our health, relationships and ability to achieve other things.
Deciding to be a commuter should be a conscious decision, embedded within a defined long-term Financial Plan.
Season ticket price hikes in recent years means the decision to commute is no longer a sensible choice for many from a purely financial perspective, looking at the cost and rewards.
With inconsistent service delivery, busier train carriages and longer journey times, commuters should also look at the non-financial reasons for and against a life spent in transit.
On a final note, the ‘extreme commuters’ featured in this recent BBC News article might quite happily swap their journey for a delayed 35 minute hop between Guildford and London.
