Commuting from Sheffield to Birmingham

[Deerobe 10]

I was wondering if any forummers commuted to Birmingham to work?

 

I have been unemployed for 11 months and have, today, been offered a job in Birmingham. I was wondering how reliable the Cross Country service was or whether I should look at renting a place in Birmingham and coming home at the weekends.

[Allen 38]

Do you drive?

It's about an hour and a half by car.

[Deerobe 10]

Do you drive?

It's about an hour and a half by car.

 

Yes I do. Is that the better option?

 

The season ticket on cross country costs £400.60 per month.

 

The problem may be parking. The company is in the Jewlry Quarter.

[Paul2412 10]

Yes I do. Is that the better option?

 

The season ticket on cross country costs £400.60 per month.

 

The problem may be parking. The company is in the Jewlry Quarter.

 

If you drive you've got a choice of either M1 then M42 or the A38. It's not a bad drive to be fair, the M42 leads to the M6 (I think) and is a well known car park but the A38 takes you kind of under spaghetti junction and then into the city centre.

 

I've regularly taken the train and driven down and to be honest neither were that bad.

[Deerobe 10]

Hmmmm. It used to take me one and a half to two hours to get from West London to Canary Wharf so that time from Sheffield to Birmingham is not bad at all!!

 

Thanks for your advice.

[Number Six 10]

No advice on the commute except to say that the twice a year I have to go to the NEC, do a trade show and drive home the same day I find exhausting - the drive isn't too bad, and neither is the days work, but both together is a bit much. I'd get the train.

 

Really though I wanted to say congrats on getting the job :-)

[Deerobe 10]

No advice on the commute except to say that the twice a year I have to go to the NEC, do a trade show and drive home the same day I find exhausting - the drive isn't too bad, and neither is the days work, but both together is a bit much. I'd get the train.

 

Really though I wanted to say congrats on getting the job :-)

 

Thank you ;-)

[warriormonk 10]

I use Cross Country everyday to get to and from Leeds....same line. In terms of reliability pretty good. Maybe 1 or 2 seriously late every month. Such trains usually get priority when it comes to log jams. Any hold-ups usually down to scrotes nicking copper cabling.

 

If cost of fuel is equal to train fares I'd always get the train. You can relax, do some work or have a kip. In the car....loads of stress due to crap drivers and no chance to chill out before the rigours of the day.

[nohands 10]

I think that you would have to add a good 20 minutes to get out to the Jewellery Quarter. There is no direct public transport from New Street as the bus goes from Colmore Row and the tram from Snow Hill. I would walk it.

 

As for train disruptions, the increase to 2 London trains an hour means that if Cross Country is delayed, you could go to Derby and change. My experience is that Cross Country are OK in the morning, but more liable to delays as the day progresses.

 

The train time to Birmingham is good, but then if you set off by half six the drive is normally fine. I travel sometimes to north Birmingham and so use the A38.

[HarrietStar 10]

Train to Birmingham will take you 90 minutes, but bear in mind the time it takes to get to and from the stations either end, and the hanging about at the station. I commute to Derby and it takes me 90 minutes door to door on a good day, 2 hours on a bad one (from H'boro).

 

My husband used to drive from Broomhill to J.21 (Leicestershire) and that used to take him 2 hours either way on a good day, because the M1 was very busy, and the speed restrictions made the journey a lot longer than it otherwise would be.

Edited December 18, 2009 by HarrietStar
more to say!

[llamatron 10]

Yes I do. Is that the better option?

 

The season ticket on cross country costs £400.60 per month.

 

The problem may be parking. The company is in the Jewlry Quarter.

 

I would definitely get the train, all those hours driving could be spent reading or working on the train. The cost is ridiculous though so I guess the choice is money vs time. Time is much more important to me.

 

My trains, if not always on time, are pretty frequent so on the relatively rare occasions that yours is late the next isn't too far away.

[Brunette 10]

There's no way I'd drive!! It's a journey I make often as my family are in the midlands, and it can be hell. Most of the time there's a hold up of some sort. Anywhere around the M42 or M6 at rush hour is a nightmare, and you'd have to get past Nottingham before that - you'd have to leave home before 5am every day! And getting back again would be twice as bad. I'd rent a room during the week if I were you.

Congrats on the job though!! :-)