Does taking the train really save you money?

Question

Would I save money if I take the Metrolink trains to school, which is a 30 mile trip from home, instead of my gas-guzzling SUV?

Answer 1

take a train less miles on your car plus you dont have to drive

Answer 2

you first need to compute the price of using each.  as others say, there is more to auto use than just the price of gas - there is maintenance, oil changes, tires, insurance, and so on.  less driving can reduce some of these costs.  other costs are fixed, such as yearly license plate, your drivers license, and so on, but these should be considered as well.  

and what most people dont consider is the cost of their time.  put a $$ value on your time as well, for both the driving and for the train.

some things can not be costed:   keep in mind that in the auto, you can not safely do other things, whereas on the train you can eat, sleep, read, use laptop computer, watch dvd, talk on cell phone, meet people and make friends, and so on and so forth.

we also need to know how frequently you are going - you say to school (not work), so are you a student? are you going 5 days a week, or only 2 or 3 days a week (like MWF or TT classes at universities).  

you should figure your gas mileage and all other costs above exactly, but here is an idea for an off-the-cuff calculation.  you can use the standard us irs mileage allowance rates as a rough guide.  these numbers are an average - they account for approximate gas usage, depreciation, maintenance, insurance - but are set per year so can not recognize any sharp or sudden increase/decrease in gas prices, nor do they differentiate between gas consumption of small vs large vehicles.

for business travel, cost is figured at 50.5 cents per mile.  for medical travel or moving expenses, rate was lowered to 19 cents per mile, and for charity it is a low 14 cents per mile.

assuming that you are going 30 miles each way (you dont say if 30 miles is OW or RT) at 5 days a week for a month, that would be 1200 miles per month.

1200 miles/month X 50.5 cents/mile =  $606.00

1200 miles/month X 19 cents/mile =  $228.00

1200 miles/month X 14 cents/mile =  $168.00

you say metrolink monthly is $190.00

now you can compare estimated transport costs equally, ie on a per monthly basis.  you would have to consider yourself to be driving for a charity before you could perceive that driving is cheaper than the train.  if you value your driving at something higher, such as medical/educational or for business, then you are losing money by driving --- especially since you are not being reimbursed by an employer or by the IRS as a deduction.

see, you can use these calculations as a guide, but if you are going to school or commuting to/from a regular place of employment, you can not actually claim this as an irs deduction. so it is costing you an awful lot to drive.

again, this is just rough calculation.  an suv in city traffic is going to get poor gas mileage, and prices have spiked over 20% in the past 4 weeks.  

just looking at gas cost alone, lets assume you get (generously) 19 mpg.  for 1200 miles/month, you would use aprox 63 gallons.  at $4.30/gal, this will cost you $270.90 month, before any other vehicle costs.  

compare again to your monthly rail fare of $190.00.

some other notes:  the vehicle is not necessarily faster, especially in traffic, bad weather, or in cases of accidents/road incidents - but it does provide flexibility of infinite departure times ((ie 60 possible departures in an hour, bcs you can choose to leave at any minute you like).  an auto can take you door-to-door.  but you pay a lot for this flexibility.  

with the train, a monthly ticket allows unlimited rides, so you can ride for other reasons/events/weekends/etc at no extra costs.  you have less flexibilty (maybe 1 dep per hour, or if lucky you might have 2 or 3) for departure times.  some people are able to walk to/from train stations and their home or business, but many chose to live or work away from rail lines, so this will depend on you and your life choices - but generally people have to transfer, either bus-train or auto-train, and transfers cost at least 5 mins or more in time.  

but if the times and locations work well (or work well enough at least) for you, then you should use the train as a way to save money.

sorry so long winded, but you can see how variables can add up quickly.  but i find transport exciting, so i wanted to point out some other ideas to help you.  i do applaud you for thinking of using transit, and hope that you will climb aboard metrolink and enjoy the ride.

Answer 3

just remember oil changes and repair bills on the suv.  trains save you a lot on your suv life.  also you don't have to worry about traffic or your breaks on that thing.

Answer 4

What's your time worth?  You can study on the train.

Answer 5

Yes, of course.  Do the math yourself.  Even if you had a small normal car you'd still probably save money on Metrolink.

Answer 6

It will save you a lot of money, yes. Not just gas. You have to get oil changes, tune ups, etc. The train is the one price. Take it.