Nightmare on a Train

[Crazyface]

After a pleasant but tiring day pottering around Manchester we got to the train station to go home and the first available train was the Arkansas Chugabug, Northern rail stopping everywhere, and it was rammed. So we gave it a miss and got the next. Cross Country. We got a seat! Yay! But then it started to fill. OMG. The staff hammered on our window to signal people already standing in a packed carriage to move down and more got on. It was aweful. And quite scary. When we stood early to ensure we could get off we were squashed by the train bog that had six people in. There was almost no air to breathe and COVID rules were non existent. I know we are relaxed about them now but this was ridiculous. We were going to get a taxi home but wanted to walk so that we could get some air after such a terrible journey. I suspect the train people are going to get quite a few complaint e mails going off the overheard comments when we got off. Bring back Virgin Trains. They were much better.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

After a pleasant but tiring day pottering around Manchester we got to the train station to go home and the first available train was the Arkansas Chugabug, Northern rail stopping everywhere, and it was rammed. So we gave it a miss and got the next. Cross Country. We got a seat! Yay! But then it started to fill. OMG. The staff hammered on our window to signal people already standing in a packed carriage to move down and more got on. It was aweful. And quite scary. When we stood early to ensure we could get off we were squashed by the train bog that had six people in. There was almost no air to breathe and COVID rules were non existent. I know we are relaxed about them now but this was ridiculous. We were going to get a taxi home but wanted to walk so that we could get some air after such a terrible journey. I suspect the train people are going to get quite a few complaint e mails going off the overheard comments when we got off. Bring back Virgin Trains. They were much better.

Honestly the train companies won't care... I work in London and have been on many many trains in that exact scenario that you describe. the Victoria tube line is similar to that most days, it's normal.

 

[Red devil]

And yet according to the Department of Transport there's less people travelling and footfall will never get back to pre Covid levels. As you've discovered they're very much wrong on that.

 

[RichA]

Yep. This just sounds like any Mon-Fri morning or evening commute to and from Vauxhall to me.
I'm not suggesting it isn't dreadful - it is.

 

[Red devil]

During Covid training operators reduced their services to take into account the fall in numbers of passengers. These passengers have near enough returned but the train services haven't. Consequently more passengers on less services results in serious overcrowding.
Leisure travel at weekends is through the roof, trains are rammed all day,trust me I know, I drive them!

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Couldn't drag me kicking and screaming on a train.

 

[pendodave]

And yet according to the Department of Transport there's less people travelling and footfall will never get back to pre Covid levels. As you've discovered they're very much wrong on that.

I don't have figures to hand, but my personal experience is that local commuter routes into London are still way down on pre-covid (especially on Mondays and Fridays), while long distance leisure travel is back to normal (And seems worse because services are still reduced).
It's a complicated picture, because the business models of commuter services need much higher numbers and given the current financial situatio, nobody wants to pay the difference.

 

[jim8flog]

Try the London Underground any time from about 4 pm onwards.

I want to go North but used to catch a tube going South because I knew it terminated a few stops down the line and I could get a seat when everybody got off and it went back North again.

 

[Red devil]

I don't have figures to hand, but my personal experience is that local commuter routes into London are still way down on pre-covid (especially on Mondays and Fridays), while long distance leisure travel is back to normal (And seems worse because services are still reduced).
It's a complicated picture, because the business models of commuter services need much higher numbers and given the current financial situatio, nobody wants to pay the difference.

Yes I've noticed the commuter services are not as busy as they were pre Covid but back then they were too busy, uncomfortably so.

 

[PJ87]

Weren't United playing yesterday? ... Prob why trains would be a bit busy.

 

[Billysboots]

Weren't United playing yesterday? ... Prob why trains would be a bit busy.

They were at Old Trafford. Not sure they actually played ?

 

[need_my_wedge]

I travelled to work on the Tokyo subway for two years..... can't get much more crammed in than that.

 

[Red devil]

I don't have figures to hand, but my personal experience is that local commuter routes into London are still way down on pre-covid (especially on Mondays and Fridays), while long distance leisure travel is back to normal (And seems worse because services are still reduced).
It's a complicated picture, because the business models of commuter services need much higher numbers and given the current financial situatio, nobody wants to pay the difference.

I note your moniker. Are you on the rail Dave?

 

[PJ87]

I don't have figures to hand, but my personal experience is that local commuter routes into London are still way down on pre-covid (especially on Mondays and Fridays), while long distance leisure travel is back to normal (And seems worse because services are still reduced).
It's a complicated picture, because the business models of commuter services need much higher numbers and given the current financial situatio, nobody wants to pay the difference.

Weekend on the tube is back to 75% pre pandemic levels .. weekdays are about 65%

 

[pendodave]

I note your moniker. Are you on the rail Dave?

For my sins...

 

[Tashyboy]

If you are only allowed so many folk in a Taxi, so many folk allowed on a bus.How comes you can ram folk on a train. ??

 

[PJ87]

If you are only allowed so many folk in a Taxi, so many folk allowed on a bus.How comes you can ram folk on a train. ??

It is all to do with safety. A train has many many systems of safety to stop it hitting another train

Buses and taxis can have accidents so it will be down to safety.

 

[Foxholer]

After a pleasant but tiring day pottering around Manchester we got to the train station to go home and the first available train was the Arkansas Chugabug, Northern rail stopping everywhere, and it was rammed. So we gave it a miss and got the next. Cross Country. We got a seat! Yay! But then it started to fill. OMG. The staff hammered on our window to signal people already standing in a packed carriage to move down and more got on. It was aweful. And quite scary. When we stood early to ensure we could get off we were squashed by the train bog that had six people in. There was almost no air to breathe and COVID rules were non existent. I know we are relaxed about them now but this was ridiculous. We were going to get a taxi home but wanted to walk so that we could get some air after such a terrible journey. I suspect the train people are going to get quite a few complaint e mails going off the overheard comments when we got off. Bring back Virgin Trains. They were much better.

Moral of the story...Time your train journey better!

 

[3offTheTee]

Weren't United playing yesterday? ... Prob why trains would be a bit busy.

Thought Crazyface lived in Mac or Styal. United fans would be heading to Brighton/Dublin/ Belfast not 10 miles S. of Manc. Land

 

[ColchesterFC]

Weekend on the tube is back to 75% pre pandemic levels .. weekdays are about 65%

Are services back up to pre pandemic levels or are fewer trains running now than before?