first time ever on a train

[Stedman]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Opentraintimes+maps is good.

[Podie]

Munter said:

Podie said:

There isn't a rush hour at 5:45am.
Air conditioning - works.
Sit - yep, every morning - without fail.
Table - yep, as I did this morning.
Must admit, I don't struggle with getting the correct train - even when absolutely stfaced.

Quite happy on the train TBH.

So if you get up at the crack of dawn to beat the rush hour on the train, the train isn't too bad. But then neither is driving if you get up early enough to beat the rush.

Getting the correct train. I bet you think checking the sign on the platform is the correct destination, time and company, and then confirming it matches the info on the side of the train, means that it's the correct train. But you'd be wrong apparently.

I just live a long way out! That said, train just before 18:00 this evening - got a seat, and had the option of a table.

Can't comment on getting the right train....

[rs1952]

Munter said:

Podie said:

There isn't a rush hour at 5:45am.
Air conditioning - works.
Sit - yep, every morning - without fail.
Table - yep, as I did this morning.
Must admit, I don't struggle with getting the correct train - even when absolutely stfaced.

Quite happy on the train TBH.

So if you get up at the crack of dawn to beat the rush hour on the train, the train isn't too bad. But then neither is driving if you get up early enough to beat the rush.

Getting the correct train. I bet you think checking the sign on the platform is the correct destination, time and company, and then confirming it matches the info on the side of the train, means that it's the correct train. But you'd be wrong apparently.

Anyone with even modest observational skills should be able to get themselves onto the correct train.

1. Look at the display boards on the platform to see what they say
2. Look at what it says on the destination blind on the front
3. If al else fails, ask somebody. Even at unstaffed stations there is usually an intercom that will connect you to somebody "in the know," and, unless it is a driver only operated train, there will be a guard (sorry - non-PC) Train Manager.

Having said that, every so often even on train staff don't have correct information to hand. The Bristol to Bath line was closed all last week for engineering works and I wanted to go from Chippenham to Bristol. Because of the closure all tickets for that journey were valid via Swindon.

On my return journey my ticket was checked close to Filton Abbey Wood. Said the guard/ train manager/ whatever they're calling them this week: "you're on the wrong train mate."

Thought of Bugs Bunny sprang to mind - "He don't know me vewwy well, do he?"

I pointed out that the ticket was valid via Swindon because of the closure, and his own company information said so on Chippenham station. He said "does it?" clipped the ticket and walked off. I would have quite liked him to try to get a penalty fare out of me and, when I refused, be handed over to British Transport Plod at Swindon. The local press would have had a field day with that one, and us old retired buggers haven't got much else to do - except argue of PH of course...

blueg33 said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Me too. But it's useless at Euston, they change platforms there all the time. Obviously it also only works when there steno delays as it's not actually live platform data (don't ask me how I know!)

Realtime trains show the booked platforms. Sometimes changes have to be made locally at short notice.

[jamiebae]

Kawasicki said:

I was impressed with the ICE high speed train in Germany. Smooth, comfortable 180mph.

I'm not a massive fan of these, they make my ears pop! Having said that, they did get me home when I was stranded in Cologne and my flight was cancelled so it was preferable to staying in an airport hotel without an overnight bag that's for sure.

[Vocal Minority]

Munter said:

Podie said:

Munter said:

Train travel is nothing but stress. There are very few activities I find more stressful.

I'm quite the opposite. I can't believe people would rather drive into a city centre at rush hour.

Turn up at station, get on air conditioned train, sit at table, wait.

How did you get to the station during rush hour? I walk
Air conditioning... (If that's fitted it'd be nice if they turned it on) they do
Sit! 19 times out of 20 yes
At a table!!! usually
Wait. E.g. stress about if the train is the right train or it they put the wrong info on the boards again, while trying to decipher Charlie Brown on the tannoy system. Do you actually stress about it being the right train, seriously? Even at the busiest stations this is easy

[egor110]

Vocal Minority said:

Munter said:

Podie said:

Munter said:

Train travel is nothing but stress. There are very few activities I find more stressful.

I'm quite the opposite. I can't believe people would rather drive into a city centre at rush hour.

Turn up at station, get on air conditioned train, sit at table, wait.

How did you get to the station during rush hour? I walk
Air conditioning... (If that's fitted it'd be nice if they turned it on) they do
Sit! 19 times out of 20 yes
At a table!!! usually
Wait. E.g. stress about if the train is the right train or it they put the wrong info on the boards again, while trying to decipher Charlie Brown on the tannoy system. Do you actually stress about it being the right train, seriously? Even at the busiest stations this is easy

How does he actually function as a working adult.

If walking into a station, looking at the tv monitor to find out what platform he needs, going to that platform and reading the monitor which shows where the trains actually stopping is beyond him?

[Europa1]

egor110 said:

How does he actually function as a working adult.

If walking into a station, looking at the tv monitor to find out what platform he needs, going to that platform and reading the monitor which shows where the trains actually stopping is beyond him?

I am always surprised at the number of people who board a train and then ask one of the passengers if it's the train to [X]. I may have to change from cheerfully stating "I have no idea" (the look of confusion on their faces is often priceless) to politely suggesting they retrace their steps, back past the information screen they walked past on the platform, past the LED display on the back of the train that they walked past, past the member(s) of station staff that they walked past, and back to the gigantic information screen in the concourse that they walked past, and then work out if it's the train to [X].

[blueg33]

6.57 to Manchester from Birmingham comes to the platform attached to the Edinburgh train which de couples. Train displays are often not working and the Edinburgh train often overlaps the displays on the platform and isn't clearly on platform 9a or 9b. I do this route weekly and it is perfectly easy to get on the wrong train to the extent that the train manager always announces which train it is and that people wanting Edinburgh should leave the train and get on the one behind.

Many people get it wrong, it's not because they are stupid it's down to poor signage, train late to platform, train parked slightly too far along

[Stedman]

A lot of people are very stupid, but it is also a lot of crap information -or lack of - out there.

Meh.

[Flooble]

I have got on the wrong train at Manchester before. They have trains to Leeds and Crewe which are both flagged on the main display as "platform 1". The display at the end of the platform then lists the first one to depart and has a flashing message right at the bottom of the display "first four carriages only". Note it doesn't indicate which are the first four, nor are there separate platforms 1A and 1B.

And if you are sprinting from your late connection it is easy to glance at the display while the very slow flash is "off" and the display simply says "platform 1 : 10:05 Leeds, calling at X, Y, Z" ...

Was a nice day out though.

[egor110]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Why do you have to work out why the London trains go from both ends of the station.

The platform info or even sub platform if they divide platforms up is there on the screen , why they put a certain train on a certain is not your concern.

[alangla]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Same as Birmingham (Cheltenham bound stuff amongst others, though I've been out the Coventry end on a Wolves bound train - it was a Sunday morning), Newcastle (anything crossing the Tyne) or Southampton/Airport/Eastleigh etc (Romsey bound)

[blueg33]

Cross Country Trains generally don't even know which end of the train is the front. The number of times I have had to sprint the length of the platform because displays said "first class at the front" when its actually at the rear!

However, I now stand in the middle of the platform as I know the little clue that tells you if that end of the train is first class or not, spot the clue and walk to the relevant end just as the train is stopping.

Anyway, my point is, that if the train company doesn't even know which end is the front, its easy to see how through sheer incompetence and poor signage, they can mislead people into getting on the wrong train

[jamiebae]

I'm sure I remember there being a situation where there were two trains to Edinburgh leaving the station (Kings Cross?) at the same time but taking different routes. One took the east cost, the other up the west coast, so it would be incredibly easy to get on the wrong one.

[alangla]

jamiebae said:

I'm sure I remember there being a situation where there were two trains to Edinburgh leaving the station (Kings Cross?) at the same time but taking different routes. One took the east cost, the other up the west coast, so it would be incredibly easy to get on the wrong one.

Birmingham probably. Same thing happens at the Edinburgh end where they leave in opposite directions. Not so bad now it's two different companies operating them, but when it was all Virgin I could see how it could be confusing. IIRC, there was one point in the day, where the two left at the same time!

[jamiebae]

alangla said:

Birmingham probably. Same thing happens at the Edinburgh end where they leave in opposite directions. Not so bad now it's two different companies operating them, but when it was all Virgin I could see how it could be confusing. IIRC, there was one point in the day, where the two left at the same time!

That's what I meant, they left at the same time, from the same station and to the same destination but took different routes. I nearly got on the wrong one until I realised one of the stops was on the opposite side of the country to where I was heading.

[Stedman]

blueg33 said:

Cross Country Trains generally don't even know which end of the train is the front. The number of times I have had to sprint the length of the platform because displays said "first class at the front" when its actually at the rear!

However, I now stand in the middle of the platform as I know the little clue that tells you if that end of the train is first class or not, spot the clue and walk to the relevant end just as the train is stopping.

Anyway, my point is, that if the train company doesn't even know which end is the front, its easy to see how through sheer incompetence and poor signage, they can mislead people into getting on the wrong train

Network Rail control the screens etc AFAIK, which doesn't help.

[rs1952]

Europa1 said:

I am always surprised at the number of people who board a train and then ask one of the passengers if it's the train to [X].

I had this happen to me at Reading a couple of years ago.

A bloke got on, sat next to me and said: "Where is this train going?"

I didn't quite know how to answer. The train was actually going to Weston-Super-Mare. If I told him that, and he wanted to go to one of the intermediate stopping stations, Weston might mean nothing to him and he might think he was on the wrong train.

So I asked him a question back. "Where do you want to go?"
"Bath"
"Then you're on the right train"

We later got into conversation. Turned out he was a FGW employee

[rs1952]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

History dear boy, history

Waterloo is steeply uphill, Paddington slightly less so

[bigbob77]

I used to use the train for commuting. About 1 hour each way. Can't say I enjoyed it - hardly ever got a seat, often late, chaos whenever the weather got bad, other passengers smelled of poo, too expensive, etc.

... Then I tried the bus.

Trains are paradise






(although I now drive because it's better in literally ever way)