Train vs. Car ... Lisburn to Belfast

Using the example of travelling daily from Lisburn to Belfast in Northern Ireland we are going to compare how taking the train can be beneficial, not just for the environment, but also for your pocket and time.

Translink offer a free car park at Lisburn station, and will soon extend the number of available spaces by 272, at a new proposed car parking facility located in close proximity to the station, allowing even more people to take advantage of the park and ride scheme. With a daily return ticket to Belfast at only £3.30 (current promotional rate). This takes the hassel out of the 7.8 miles journey to the city centre, and not to mention the time to find a car parking space. So why do so many people still drive when the journey can take up to an hour in both directions, Google maps cite a 23 minute driving time on an average day, during regular travel. Even at this the train can take a mere 9 minutes point to point. Saving at least 14 minutes off the drive time. According to the AA, it would cost £6.09* (or more) in associated costs to drive, taking into consideration tax, insurance and car maintenance.

Also taking into account many companies do not offer car parking, or do so at a reduced rate, the cheapest car parking in the area of central Belfast was £3.40* a day.

So travelling to work by train costs £3.30 a day (with greater discounts for weekly and monthly tickets) compared to £9.49 per day by car. With this the journey time of 9 minutes compared to 23 minutes at least by car. Annually this would save you 121 hours, added to that the time gained from being able to carry out those tasks on the train, such as texting, reading the paper, checking the news that you would not be able to do in the car. You would save £31 a week and £1,609 a year travelling by train, and if you include your time into the equation, you could consider further savings in excess of £1,000 per year.

For more on Park & Ride in Northern Ireland with Translink visit their dedicated section. Plus they also have a list of all Park & Ride sites in Northern Ireland.

*Based on Travelling in a car worth less than £10 000 new, and travelling 10 000 miles a year, not allowing for recent surges in petrol prices. Source: AA
*Based on Secure designated car park space with Key/Fob for automatic shutter door entry, on Great Victoria Street, Belfast, Source: Gumtree