Nightmare on a Train

[stefanovic]

...got the next. Cross Country...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...

Perfect description of the Cross Country trains running between Coventry and Birmingham in the rush hour.

 

[Blue in Munich]

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

Our 4 trains per hour service into Waterloo was cut to 2 per hour and despite the increase in passengers has not been restored, according to the two neighbours who commute. It is apparently worse for space than it was pre-Covid, and as others have said, that wasn't good.

 

[PJ87]

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

Underground services have been running pre pandemic levels throughout the entire pandemic due to gov bailout conditions

 

[ColchesterFC]

Underground services have been running pre pandemic levels throughout the entire pandemic due to gov bailout conditions

Not sure if this can be answered without getting political, but why on earth has the underground been running a full service throughout the pandemic, especially during times when businesses were shut and people were having to work from home?

 

[PJ87]

Not sure if this can be answered without getting political, but why on earth has the underground been running a full service throughout the pandemic, especially during times when businesses were shut and people were having to work from home?

Your right in your statement. It can't be answered without politics .

I'll try to

We had to run for key workers to get to work, that's fine ..

We originally had special services , which provided a service

However with bailout we had loads of conditions including bring back night tube and run a full service

Which obviously was run at a loss and cost more money needing more bailouts

But that's about as far as I can go without politics

 

[RichA]

Not sure if this can be answered without getting political, but why on earth has the underground been running a full service throughout the pandemic, especially during times when businesses were shut and people were having to work from home?

A lot of people were in work through the pandemic. Sure, the Underground was less busy, but there were always plenty on it.
The proper trains were crazy at times, having a whole carriage to yourself, but I rarely saw an Underground carriage with fewer than a dozen travellers.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Your right in your statement. It can't be answered without politics .

I'll try to

We had to run for key workers to get to work, that's fine ..

We originally had special services , which provided a service

However with bailout we had loads of conditions including bring back night tube and run a full service

Which obviously was run at a loss and cost more money needing more bailouts

But that's about as far as I can go without politics

A lot of people were in work through the pandemic. Sure, the Underground was less busy, but there were always plenty on it.
The proper trains were crazy at times, having a whole carriage to yourself, but I rarely saw an Underground carriage with fewer than a dozen travellers.

Thanks both, as I suspected we'd be crossing into territory that is verboten if we were to discuss this in detail. I can understand running the underground so that key workers could get to work but surely an agreement could've been reached to run a reduced timetable where it wasn't necessary to run a full schedule to Canary Wharf, for example, where almost all of those people wouldn't have been in the office and would've been working from home.

 

[PJ87]

Thanks both, as I suspected we'd be crossing into territory that is verboten if we were to discuss this in detail. I can understand running the underground so that key workers could get to work but surely an agreement could've been reached to run a reduced timetable where it wasn't necessary to run a full schedule to Canary Wharf, for example, where almost all of those people wouldn't have been in the office and would've been working from home.

it would have been nice, the special service we put in was more than enough service for the levels of customers we had at the time.

Ill stop there because this will get on the wrong side of politics

 

[ColchesterFC]

it would have been nice, the special service we put in was more than enough service for the levels of customers we had at the time.

Ill stop there because this will get on the wrong side of politics

I'm guessing that one train to Canary Wharf every six months would've been enough at that time.

 

[PJ87]

I'm guessing that one train to Canary Wharf every six months would've been enough at that time.

would have to ask the jub but I know that on the northern we didnt need to run the 96 trains per hour peaked timetabled service thats for sure

 

[Deleted member 23270]

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.

Trains should be all seated like aeroplanes which are even safer.

 

[pendodave]

Trains should be all seated like aeroplanes which are even safer.

Nope. Just wouldn't work. Disadvantages far outway the benefits
For long distance, non commuter services, maybe. But remember that many of these are used for commuting as well. There are a vanishingly small number of UK services where it would be appropriate (The sleepers for example).

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Nope. Just wouldn't work. Disadvantages far outway the benefits
For long distance, non commuter services, maybe. But remember that many of these are used for commuting as well. There are a vanishingly small number of UK services where it would be appropriate (The sleepers for example).

If I travel up to the smoke it takes 2.5 hours and costs over £100 peak time, I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a seat.

 

[stefanovic]

If I travel up to the smoke it takes 2.5 hours and costs over £100 peak time, I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a seat.

Rules are:
Can I receive compensation if I don’t get a seat?
Compensation is not normally offered where no seats are available, but claims may be considered where a reservation has been made.
Can I claim compensation if I paid for a First Class Seat and there were none available?
If you have paid for a First Class ticket and no First Class seats are available (or where a First Class carriage was advertised but not available), then you will be able to claim through the Train Company for the difference in fare between your fare and a walk-up Standard class fare for the same service. Please note that occasionally a promotional or Advance First Class fare can be cheaper than the walk-up Standard Class fare and in these cases you may not be entitled to any money back.

It's about time they scrapped 1st Class which is a relic from a bygone age.

 

[pendodave]

If I travel up to the smoke it takes 2.5 hours and costs over £100 peak time, I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a seat.

You can reserve a seat on all long distance trains free of charge. With some tickets (most cheap advanced ones) it's compulsory. If you have an open ticket you can reserve when you book or use a variety of methods to create/amend one when it suits.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Rules are:
Can I receive compensation if I don’t get a seat?
Compensation is not normally offered where no seats are available, but claims may be considered where a reservation has been made.
Can I claim compensation if I paid for a First Class Seat and there were none available?
If you have paid for a First Class ticket and no First Class seats are available (or where a First Class carriage was advertised but not available), then you will be able to claim through the Train Company for the difference in fare between your fare and a walk-up Standard class fare for the same service. Please note that occasionally a promotional or Advance First Class fare can be cheaper than the walk-up Standard Class fare and in these cases you may not be entitled to any money back.

It's about time they scrapped 1st Class which is a relic from a bygone age.

Why ? It allows people who are happy to pay more to be able to travel in a bit more quiet , comfort which could potentially help them work

Should they also get rid of all the different levels on a plane as well ?

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Why ? It allows people who are happy to pay more to be able to travel in a bit more quiet , comfort which could potentially help them work

Should they also get rid of all the different levels on a plane as well ?

1st class would often work out cheaper when travelling for business if food was included. Even more so when the ability to work on the train uninterrupted is taken into account.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Rules are:
Can I receive compensation if I don’t get a seat?
Compensation is not normally offered where no seats are available, but claims may be considered where a reservation has been made.
Can I claim compensation if I paid for a First Class Seat and there were none available?
If you have paid for a First Class ticket and no First Class seats are available (or where a First Class carriage was advertised but not available), then you will be able to claim through the Train Company for the difference in fare between your fare and a walk-up Standard class fare for the same service. Please note that occasionally a promotional or Advance First Class fare can be cheaper than the walk-up Standard Class fare and in these cases you may not be entitled to any money back.

It's about time they scrapped 1st Class which is a relic from a bygone age.

Hell no!
I like my free drinks and nibbles, 1st class lounge or arrival, and bigger seats.
Also, it keeps me away from the plebs

 

[stefanovic]

Why ? It allows people who are happy to pay more to be able to travel in a bit more quiet , comfort which could potentially help them work

I've been on many trains where there are just a few people in 1st class and people are standing in 2nd, and some are still paying eye watering fares.
There are also passengers standing in aisles, sitting on top of luggage racks and squatting below them, some are squashed in vestibules without air, even sitting in toilets.
Train 'managers' then make themselves scarce.
Some operators have already scrapped 1st class, like Anglia.

Should they also get rid of all the different levels on a plane as well ?

Flying is often much cheaper than trains, that's the price for travelling in cattle class.

 

[bobmac]

I once travelled from Edinburgh to Kings Cross. Just over 4 hours.
Plenty of room, left on time and arrived on time.
At one point the driver announced over the tannoy system that ''we are now traveling at 125 mph''
That was in 1978
How far we've come.