All things being equal I'd rather take the train - you can read, work, watch TV
The main benefit of driving is not having to wait for a specific train.
From where I live in south cheshire, it's quicker to get the train into Manchester than drive (although quicker to drive to Stoke than train). That's with a 0930 arrival in Picadilly Gardens.
Same to get to Cardiff, Birmingham and certainly London (2h15 to Euston, vs 2h40 to the M25 with no traffic)
If I had to be in Picadilly Gardens for 0900 though it would be faster to drive thanks to the train times.
The main benefit of driving is not having to wait for a specific train.
From where I live in south cheshire, it's quicker to get the train into Manchester than drive (although quicker to drive to Stoke than train). That's with a 0930 arrival in Picadilly Gardens.
Same to get to Cardiff, Birmingham and certainly London (2h15 to Euston, vs 2h40 to the M25 with no traffic)
If I had to be in Picadilly Gardens for 0900 though it would be faster to drive thanks to the train times.