Train fares aren't (although the tax payer in France pays far more for train services -- services which are pretty rubbish compared with the UK.

Compare somewhere like Lesparre (population about 5,000 and 40 miles from Beudeux), which has about 10 trains a day taking 90 minutes.

With Cononley (25 miles out of Leeds) with 4 trains in each direction the next hour.