Tired of tedious transport? Swap rail for coach

a seat when commuting by train.

Previously, Mr Kellow moved from Coventry to Kent and assumed his new home would leave him with a better commute. In the end, it was half-an-hour longer.

Driving to work in London has also been problematic for Mr Kellow, whose parking would cost almost £46 a day. He adds travelling to Westminster by road in particular is a “surefire way to raise blood pressure and get stressed”.

As Mr Kellow has hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, a regular workday commute has an especially damaging impact on his health and he turned to Kings Ferry to provide a better solution.

How does the coach solve the problem? By switching to Kings Ferry, Mr Kellow has been able to make his daily commute far less stressful. Rather than spending £548 a month, he now buys 40 coach tickets for around £318.

This means he is not restricted by a weekly, monthly or annual pass and has total flexibility over his travel plans.

Describing his experience with rail services, Mr Kellow said: “I had to get to the station on the bus, then get a seat on the train, then fight my way to a tube station, then hike or taxi from the tube to my clients.

“Using the coach means I don’t have to worry about getting a seat, I know it’s guaranteed.”

However, rather than struggling for somewhere to sit on a train, Mr Kellow’s new commute starts with a drive to the Blue Bell Hill park and ride, from which he boards his coach and travels to Westminster, leaving him a short walk away from his place of work.

On the way home, the bus stop is just outside his office and he reaches Blue Bell Hill before 7pm most days, putting him just a short drive away from his home.

Travelling to London by train and car has become more stressful over the years, as thousands of people make their way into the capital from border towns.

With so many people commuting to work every day, it is imperative employees are as comfortable as possible to ensure a good work/life balance.

The average weekly commuting fee is £93.13, with 28 per cent of respondents having to reduce their savings to afford their yearly travel costs, while 18 per cent have tapped into investments to financially support their commute.

Plenty of commuters have turned to coach journeys for a cheaper, simpler and less stressful routine, including Mick Cooper, an employee at a London insurance broker.

Mr Cooper stopped using the trains in favour of boarding Kings Ferry services to his workplace near the Tower of London.

His new routine has significantly improved his work/life balance, admitting he feels less stressed as he can rely on the coaches to provide a good service.

In his 15 years commuting with Kings Ferry, his trip has been cancelled just once, due to heavy snow.

The promise of a guaranteed seat is another great advantage for Mr Cooper, who feels sitting down for the journey means he starts the day “refreshed”.

He takes the Hempstead Valley service to Fenchurch Street, leaving him a short walk away from his office.

As well as this, he is thankful for having an organised and timely commute, explaining: “Again due to the reliability of the coaches you know subject to traffic you arrive home within 15 minutes of the timetable arrival time and you can plan your evening around that.”

As well as more comfortable journeys, Mr Cooper has been able to benefit from significant financial savings.

He estimates over £3,000 is saved every year when compared to commuting by train.

“I have driven and also caught the train – only one winner, which is the coach,” he concluded.