A bargain hunting car buyer has proved that the spiralling costs of train travel are out of control, after discovering that it was cheaper to buy a used car, rather than pay for a return train ticket.
Tom Church purchased a 21-year-old Honda Civic in London, and drove it all the way to Bristol after being fed up with sky-high train fares.
Despite its age, the vehicle came with an MOT, which meant with six months tax, one day’s insurance and £25 of petrol, Mr Church managed the one-way journey for £206.81, more than £10 less than the £218.10 return train ticket.
‘I found the car on Gumtree. The lady I bought it from, Sutinder, was basically selling it for scrap’, he told The Sun.
‘It’s a very old car, 1997 Honda Civic, but the MOT was fine. Plus, the engine was small enough that I could get the cheapest road tax: a minimum of six months for £81.38.
‘At the end of the trip, I still have a car. I’ll probably sell it again. After some TLC, I think I can get £200. You get your unused road tax refunded so I might even be in profit! That’s real bargain hunting for you.’
Mr Church is the founder of an internet money saving website, which may cause some to question the validity of his claims. Regardless of the nature of the journey, he has still drawn attention to the high cost of train travel in the UK, at a time when the Government is hoping to persuade car owners to opt against driving their cars, and pollution charges for driving to the capital.