I wish I was on that fast train ?

[notadriver]

Have you ever been waiting on a platform for your slow all stations train to London which is 10 minutes late and then you see a London bound express blasting it's way through the platform and thought I really wish I was on that train ... ?

 

[IanXC]

My location for that thought is Doncaster, when a non stop EC or GC flies through. (That said since that thread about a discussion in the Lords on the lack of retention tanks I'm usually then occupied getting out of the way!!)

 

[ess]

I wish there were more / earlier fast trains on outer commuter routes at off-peak

 

[trentside]

I've had that thought a few times at Hitchin, waiting for a stopping GN service and watching the EC fasts fly through towards Peterborough. I don't normally mind stopping services - but on these occasions, it has been times I've wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

 

[GodAtum]

Been standing in the cold at Maidenhead waiting for a train back into London missing the fast one by 1 min.

 

[Trog]

I travel twenty odd miles in the wrong direction each morning to catch an express.
End up going through the station I started from fifty minutes after I left it, but still get to work earlier than if I had travelled in a direct line.

 

[bILLOO]

I travel twenty odd miles in the wrong direction each morning to catch an express.
End up going through the station I started from fifty minutes after I left it, but still get to work earlier than if I had travelled in a direct line.

I use to do this from Northampton to the north via Milton Keynes. Wish more expresses called at Rugby...

 

[talltim]

When I was commuting to school from Harpenden-St Albans I did once wish I was on the slow train!
A timetable change had introduced a fast Harpenden-KX TL service, I caught it without thinking once. Unfortunately it was on an exam day...
I did actually managed to jump back on fast train at KX and get to school in time for my exam, although I did do it on the wrong room. Luckily it was the right exam. Thank goodness for TL's frequent service and going to school early!

 

[Searle]

When I was commuting to school from Harpenden-St Albans I did once wish I was on the slow train!
A timetable change had introduced a fast Harpenden-KX TL service, I caught it without thinking once. Unfortunately it was on an exam day...
I did actually managed to jump back on fast train at KX and get to school in time for my exam, although I did do it on the wrong room. Luckily it was the right exam. Thank goodness for TL's frequent service and going to school early!

That can't have been stressful at all!

I just wish we actually had fast services into London from Hertford North (outside the peaks)

 

[Harlesden]

I wonder if FCC GN drivers drivers ever think
"I wish I was driving that fast train."
as an EC, FHT or GC service flashes by

 

[tsr]

I do get this feeling at Balham (which could be a far more useful interchange if there was some way of stopping some Up/Down Fast services, although it would get crowded and journey times often aren't abysmal at present) - and generally when watching things get cancelled on the Up Main at Redhill, whilst listening in the background to the noise of the trains when Southern Control and the signallers put them on the Up Quarry... never mind the lack of stops on some Southbound Brighton/FCC TL services... grrrrr!

 

[W230]

I wonder if FCC GN drivers drivers ever think
"I wish I was driving that fast train."
as an EC, FHT or GC service flashes by

Well, FCC TL drivers do, as an EMT flashes by...

 

[Johnny_w]

[Smug Bar Steward Mode]

As I live in Stowmarket towards the northern end of the GEML I'm quiet lucky that, even without reservations, Getting a seat is not a problem and it is the express! [/Smug]

It's happened too me though. On the central line at Leytonstone, my train from Newbury parks runs into one platform, the train from Epping gets in almost the same time....

Everyone legs it from my train to the other train and then the one from Epping left first!

I felt like a right pillock!

JW

 

[MK Tom]

I travel twenty odd miles in the wrong direction each morning to catch an express.
End up going through the station I started from fifty minutes after I left it, but still get to work earlier than if I had travelled in a direct line.

From where to where?

I'm fairly lucky here in MK, but it's annoying being restricted to slow, stopping London Midland services during the morning peak. Most of the bypassed stations on the WCML have fairly fast services though - Leighton Buzzard having a non-stop Euston service for example.

 

[D1009]

I travel twenty odd miles in the wrong direction each morning to catch an express.
End up going through the station I started from fifty minutes after I left it, but still get to work earlier than if I had travelled in a direct line.

That would make a good quiz question, what is my commute?

 

[jopsuk]

I'm on that fast train, if I'm headed to/from London... got to love the Cambridge Express

 

[GodAtum]

Im lucky that I can avoid small stations most of the time. For example if my closest station was Selhurst I'd go back to east Croydon and catch a fast train!

 

[CNash]

A reverse scenario, of sorts: I travel on a fast service every morning. Occasionally the preceding service (a stopper) will be cancelled or delayed, and so my train fills up with passengers from that service. Inevitably, several people will rise from their seats in anticipation of getting off at London Bridge, only to find - to their dismay - that we sail straight past it and on to Waterloo.

 

[cle]

That would make a good quiz question, what is my commute?

Maybe somewhere like Hassocks/Wivelsfield, going to Brighton to get a fast?

20 miles is quite a lot though. Huntingdon?

 

[notadriver]

Doesn't it cost extra if you travel further out (that far) to come back in again ?

 

[jon0844]

I wonder if FCC GN drivers drivers ever think
"I wish I was driving that fast train."
as an EC, FHT or GC service flashes by

Maybe that's why every now and then a GN train skips a stop. Perhaps the driver has thought 'to hell with this.. I'm going to catch up with that train!'

 

[notadriver]

Maybe that's why every now and then a GN train skips a stop. Perhaps the driver has thought 'to hell with this.. I'm going to catch up with that train!'

How fast do the FCC trains go between stops on an all stations stopping service ?

 

[jon0844]

How fast do the FCC trains go between stops on an all stations stopping service ?

I'm not sure that needs an answer given I wasn't seriously suggesting a driver would race a train or explains why there have been occasional fail to stops at stations (and that's even before you consider the fact that the slows have a 75mph limit anyway).

 

[TheGrew]

Maybe somewhere like Hassocks/Wivelsfield, going to Brighton to get a fast?

20 miles is quite a lot though. Huntingdon?

I was thinking it would probably be somewhere 20 miles out of London to go back into a Terminus before shooting back out. In this case it could easily be any of the mainlines...

 

[PeterY]

Sometimes on the Met line from Harrow on the Hill, if I miss the Watford all stations, I can sometimes get the fast, during peak times to Amersham or Chesham. Once it arrives at Moor Park dive under the subway and it's caught up with the Watford all stations.

Doesn't always work, mind you.:roll:

 

[notadriver]

I'm not sure that needs an answer given I wasn't seriously suggesting a driver would race a train or explains why there have been occasional fail to stops at stations (and that's even before you consider the fact that the slows have a 75mph limit anyway).

I seriously didn't know what the limit on the slow lines was; I'm unfamiliar with the area. Where I am the limits on slow and fast lines are the same.

 

[fowler9]

Depending on the time of day and if there are delays I will often get one of the four fast trains an hour from Lime Street to South Parkway and then get a train or bus back to where I live.

 

[SWT_USER]

Often I'm waiting for the Heathrow Connect service or a FGW Greenford service which are always the first things to be cancelled when things go wrong on the GWML, incredibly frustrating to then see a Heathrow express go through non stop carting fresh air.

 

[Hebden Bridger]

I've had that thought a few times at Hitchin, waiting for a stopping GN service and watching the EC fasts fly through towards Peterborough. I don't normally mind stopping services - but on these occasions, it has been times I've wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

My worst experience at Hitchin was when commuting to London in the days of the electrified service to Royston and 125s on the mainline. There was a problem with the overhead lines, no local trains running and an extremely crowded platform, with all the 125s steaming through on the mainline as normal. There was an announcement that the next 125 would be stopping. Sure enough it was switched from the mainline just north of the station, slowed down at the platform, but then carried straight on as the signals changed and switched straight back onto the main line.

Fortunately on the next attempt, someone thought to get a get a message through to the driver to stop.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I've had that thought a few times at Hitchin, waiting for a stopping GN service and watching the EC fasts fly through towards Peterborough. I don't normally mind stopping services - but on these occasions, it has been times I've wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

My worst experience at Hitchin was when commuting to London in the days of the electrified service to Royston and 125s on the mainline. There was a problem with the overhead lines, no local trains running and an extremely crowded platform, with all the 125s steaming through on the mainline as normal. There was an announcement that the next 125 would be stopping. Sure enough it was switched from the mainline just north of the station, slowed down at the platform, but then carried straight on as the signals changed and switched straight back onto the main line.

Fortunately on the next attempt, someone thought to get a get a message through to the driver to stop.

 

[A-driver]

I wonder if FCC GN drivers drivers ever think
"I wish I was driving that fast train."
as an EC, FHT or GC service flashes by

To be honest, they are welcome to their long distance fast work. Given the choice of spending 2 hours watching a speedo sit above 100 as green signals fly by whilst trying to stay awake or plodding about in a commuter train stopping every few minutes and getting out after an hour or so to have a leg stretch, quick wee and refresh my tea mug I know which I'd prefer! I am much happier hopping station to station in a 313 than spending 45mins running non stop to Cambridge.

As for speeds on the FCC stoppers, max line speed on the Hertford loop and slow mains south of digswell is 75. 313s will get that on some stretches of line, especially on rush hour semi fasts. Most of the time you are doing 45-65 between stations though, especially closer to London on the Hertford line. North of woolmer green max speed on the slows is 80, 90 on the Cambridge branch and stoppers from hitchin to Cambs will easily do 90 between baldock and ashwell, Royston and meldreth and Foxton and Cambs, even 317s and 321s.