IIRC only about half of transport is for the purposes of commuting. I wouldn't own a car if I only used it for commuting; that's the easy case because generall

IIRC only about half of transport is for the purposes of commuting. I wouldn't own a car if I only used it for commuting; that's the easy case because generally most people have the same job for months at a time. By contrast I can't simply move back to my home town without giving up work; I can't live near all of my friends that moved around the country; I can't simultaneously live everywhere I visit. So the fact that a single or return train ticket costs hundreds of pounds makes it completely infeasible really. Most people in the UK consider it an exciting treat, not a normal mode of transport, particularly families (sod paying for 4 tickets, one is already more than the car).