Cost of station parking

[SkierM]

Hi

I have just come to look at how much my annual car park season ticket will be for next year and was staggered to see it has increased nearly £400 in one year.

Last year my annual ticket was £739 and the price to renew is now £1,113. This is an increase of £374 (or 33.6%). Bentley used to be priced on a par with Liphook - I note the price there is still showing around £720.

Many of us regular commuters use Bentley as it is our nearest station. I live seven miles away and am reliant on the car to get to the station where I catch the 6.19 to Waterloo three times a week. I feel like we are being targeted here as we have no other options.

Has anyone else experienced this level of increase? - it just seems totally unreasonable. I’ve written to SWR and await their comments.

Regards

 

[jfollows]

The car park in Wilmslow used for the station is £895/year, but is to be decreased to £490/year because it’s no longer anything like full, as it used to be before Covid.

Presumably this is because of a drop in long-distance commuting such as to London, when it would be used by people from Altrincham, Hale and so on.

This car park is run by the council and allows for stays of up to 5 days.

 

[miami]

10 years ago I used to go for the 0811 from Wilmslow down to London, but the station car park was always full. The council car park was far cheaper and only a couple of minutes walk away. Only once was that full as well, and I had to park on the street about 500 yards (that was a lot of running and hoping the train was a little late)

Now the best station for me to use is Stafford, and the station car park is still very well used

 

[John R]

Hi

I have just come to look at how much my annual car park season ticket will be for next year and was staggered to see it has increased nearly £400 in one year.

Last year my annual ticket was £739 and the price to renew is now £1,113. This is an increase of £374 (or 33.6%).

Its actually an increase of 50%!

 

[Railwaysceptic]

Has anyone else experienced this level of increase? - it just seems totally unreasonable. I’ve written to SWR and await their comments.

I've just renewed my residents' parking permit and the price has doubled! We motorists are an easy target, and a tempting one for anti-motor car local authorities.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've just renewed my residents' parking permit and the price has doubled! We motorists are an easy target, and a tempting one for anti-motor car local authorities.

Residents' parking permits are dirt cheap when compared with the benefit of reserving a piece of public road for a specific group of people. It could be argued that they should be MUCH more expensive reflecting the actual value of that land.

 

[SECR263]

I suspect car use will dwindle significanlty if insurance, fuel, parking costs, lack of chargers, environmental restrictions. 20mph etc, keep increasing. Near to killing the golden goose of motoring which seems a milk cow to all who have motorists wanting to use a particular service they run.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I suspect car use will dwindle significanlty if insurance, fuel, parking costs, lack of chargers, environmental restrictions. 20mph etc, keep increasing. Near to killing the golden goose of motoring which seems a milk cow to all who have motorists wanting to use a particular service they run.

Seems to be already happening due to the huge cost of becoming a motorist as a young person compared to years ago.

 

[Kite159]

One potential outcome of the higher car parking charges is that those passengers who would previously drive to the station using it as a railhead for other nearby settlements could simply decide to drive further* rather than using the train

(* Using park & ride sites etc)

Or they will find legal ways to avoid paying for station parking by parking on the side of the road if restrictions allow it.

 

[renegademaster]

Honestly unless it's either somewhere in Greater London with really good bus connections, or charging is required to ration the places, parking should be free, especially when they all become GBR property, otherwise as Kite195 has said people will just drive the whole way

 

[jfollows]

In Wilmslow, where the main long-term car park charges are going to be reduced significantly, it's also significantly cheaper to park all day on roads with limited free parking - I live on such a road and see people parking all day on it. The enforcement requires two passes by a traffic warden, plus noting the car registration numbers, and the few parking wardens we have clearly prefer to ticket in simpler zones, ones which don't require the same effort to enforce. I probably see tickets on cars parked in my street about once every two months. So it's actually a lot cheaper to pay the occasional penalty than it is to pay for proper parking each day.

Clearly just the fact of being potentially liable will put many people off anyway. But those who only think of the money and aren't bothered by the occasional bill will be happy. There are lots of free spaces for all-day parking in the early morning.

 

[lachlan]

One potential outcome of the higher car parking charges is that those passengers who would previously drive to the station using it as a railhead for other nearby settlements could simply decide to drive further* rather than using the train

(* Using park & ride sites etc)

Or they will find legal ways to avoid paying for station parking by parking on the side of the road if restrictions allow it.

Was going to suggest -is there anywhere in walking distance that one can park on the side of the road?

Honestly unless it's either somewhere in Greater London with really good bus connections, or charging is required to ration the places, parking should be free, especially when they all become GBR property, otherwise as Kite195 has said people will just drive the whole way

Presumably it's to control demand. Plenty of stations with free parking around. If there's enough people willing to pay why not charge for it - commuters need to be able to rely on getting a space in the morning.

 

[stuu]

Honestly unless it's either somewhere in Greater London with really good bus connections, or charging is required to ration the places, parking should be free, especially when they all become GBR property, otherwise as Kite195 has said people will just drive the whole way

Why should people be able to store their property for nothing?

And as an absolute minimum, why shouldn't they pay for the cost of maintaining the car park?

 

[43066]

Honestly unless it's either somewhere in Greater London with really good bus connections, or charging is required to ration the places, parking should be free, especially when they all become GBR property, otherwise as Kite195 has said people will just drive the whole way

I’m not sure what’s that’s based on given that it isn’t free at the moment in many non London locations, and people clearly still use the railway!

 

[renegademaster]

Why should people be able to store their property for nothing?

The same reason people can use the trollies at tesco for free, it encourages people to use the paid for service

 

[jon81uk]

Honestly unless it's either somewhere in Greater London with really good bus connections, or charging is required to ration the places, parking should be free, especially when they all become GBR property, otherwise as Kite195 has said people will just drive the whole way

Why should people be able to store a vehicle for free?

 

[renegademaster]

I’m not sure what’s that’s based on given that it isn’t free at the moment in many non London locations, and people clearly still use the railway!

I'm guess you are fine with everything currently the TOCs do. Since trains are packed we can't complain. I specifically said in the post I agree with charges where it is necessary to manage demand.

Presumably it's to control demand

In some places it will be, some places it's just because they got a relatively captive market , and milking the office workers offsets the cost of putting off more casual trips

Why should people be able to store a vehicle for free?

Why not? Why should people be able to use toilets at train stations for free? The one at London Bridge often has a queue so I guess we need to manage demand.

 

[43066]

I'm guess you are fine with everything currently the TOCs do. Since trains are packed we can't complain

No (nice strawman), but it clearly undermines the argument that people won’t use the railway if it charges for parking!

Would you argue that train tickets be completely free to passengers as well, to encourage more people to use the railway?

 

[renegademaster]

won’t use the railway if it charges for parking!

Didn't say won't use at all. I've seen plenty of paid for car parks in Southeastern stations with 90% empty spaces even on weekday mornings. Even if it only attracts 5 people from car all the way to train and car it will be worth it imo

Would you argue that train tickets be completely free to passengers as well, to encourage more people to use the railway?

Rail subsidies are pretty popular and often make the majority of the funding for many services. A few cities even have completely free transport.

 

[Killingworth]

An unlimited hours annual season ticket at Sheffield Station Qpark would cost £2520. Limited to 120 hours a month that would reduce to £1512. Weekdays only £2016. Daily rate over 10 hours is £23.

 

[stuu]

The same reason people can use the trollies at tesco for free, it encourages people to use the paid for service

That's really not a good comparison. Why should people who don't drive to the station subsidise people who do?

 

[jon81uk]

Why not? Why should people be able to use toilets at train stations for free? The one at London Bridge often has a queue so I guess we need to manage demand.

Can I get a free bus to the station then as I don't drive?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why not? Why should people be able to use toilets at train stations for free? The one at London Bridge often has a queue so I guess we need to manage demand.

TBH I'd like to see charges return at London termini (but with card payment as well as cash offered). They've been in far poorer condition due to misuse since charges were removed.

 

[paul1609]

I havent used the train from Headcorn since the pandemic because of car parking charges increase. I now drive to Tonbridge and use a private car park there which is a third of the railway car park price, I also benefit from disproportionately lower fares and a more frequent service. Despite massive housebuilding going on in the Headcorn area the station now resembles a ghost town with tumbleweed blowing around the car park. Even the bus company has pulled out of the traditional station call now serving a bus stop on the main road.

 

[renegademaster]

Can I get a free bus to the station then as I don't drive?

You can get discounted tickets to connect with trains (plusbus), lot of Europe you can buy through tickets involving bus journeys or bus+train travel cards. Making associated costs less to get more people on a service is hardly some new and radical concept.

That's really not a good comparison. Why should people who don't drive to the station subsidise people who do?

How much does running a car park actually cost? And how much of it is just rent seeking. I really doubt their is much subsidy involved

I havent used the train from Headcorn since the pandemic because of car parking charges increase. I now drive to Tonbridge and use a private car park there which is a third of the railway car park price, I also benefit from disproportionately lower fares and a more frequent service. Despite massive housebuilding going on in the Headcorn area the station now resembles a ghost town with tumbleweed blowing around the car park. Even the bus company has pulled out of the traditional station call now serving a bus stop on the main road.

Headcorn was actually one of the ones on mu mind. Staplehurst is the same

 

[43066]

In some places it will be, some places it's just because they got a relatively captive market , and milking the office workers offsets the cost of putting off more casual trips

In which case why not charge for it and save some subsidy for other things!?

Even if it only attracts 5 people from car all the way to train and car it will be worth it imo

Not if the loss in revenue means other things have to be cut back that might put passengers off for other reasons. Have you actually costed it up? Or are you just saying you want parking to be free because it would benefit you?

I havent used the train from Headcorn since the pandemic because of car parking charges increase. I now drive to Tonbridge and use a private car park there which is a third of the railway car park price, I also benefit from disproportionately lower fares and a more frequent service. Despite massive housebuilding going on in the Headcorn area the station now resembles a ghost town with tumbleweed blowing around the car park. Even the bus company has pulled out of the traditional station call now serving a bus stop on the main road.

Headcorn seems reasonably well used whenever I use it, as I do fairly frequently post pandemic. The passenger usage has rebounded back to around 470k from just over 600k pre pandemic, so I’m not sure how much the car park really tells you (anecdotally a lot of people are being picked up/dropped off rather than parking up). The local bus services have been pared back as in many other low density, affluent rural areas, but there is still an hourly-ish service connecting Ashford and Tenterden.

Obviously Headcorn is the sort of place that will have been affected by working from home but, given that the car park wasn’t free prior to the pandemic and was well used then, there’s nothing to suggest that that factor alone would encourage people to return to the railway.

 

[Andyh82]

It’s £22.50 to park for the day at Leeds station

Therefore if I was going on a day out by train, I either park elsewhere in the city or use the Park & Ride, or drive somewhere else (if I’m heading to Nottingham or Birmingham for example I tend to drive to Meadowhall, heading westwards Low Moor can be a good choice, at weekends I think it costs £1 to park in The Broadway in Bradford)

I presume they only charge such an amount because high end customers in Range Rovers or people on business expenses will pay it. I can’t imagine a leisure traveller willingly adding £22 on top of the price of their ticket

 

[Bletchleyite]

It’s £22.50 to park for the day at Leeds station

Therefore if I was going on a day out by train, I either park elsewhere in the city or use the Park & Ride, or drive somewhere else (if I’m heading to Nottingham or Birmingham for example I tend to drive to Meadowhall, heading westwards Low Moor can be a good choice, at weekends I think it costs £1 to park in The Broadway in Bradford)

I presume they only charge such an amount because high end customers in Range Rovers or people on business expenses will pay it. I can’t imagine a leisure traveller willingly adding £22 on top of the price of their ticket

Sheffield is similarly outrageous. Most Avanti car parks appear to be £10-15 per day in my experience.

 

[renegademaster]

You also have to remember TOCs don't see farebox revenue anymore , and many (if not most) car parks are outsourced, so there isn't a reason to believe their is any rational link between car park charge decisions and how they effect passenger numbers

 

[D1537]

An unlimited hours annual season ticket at Sheffield Station Qpark would cost £2520. Limited to 120 hours a month that would reduce to £1512. Weekdays only £2016. Daily rate over 10 hours is £23.

QParks are always a rip-off. I paid £18 recently to park in one for four hours in the evening (because I was running late and didn't want to miss the gig I was going to).