What do you (dis-)like most about train travel within the UK?

tsr said:

Though I am a railway worker, hopefully the following is not too biased.

To put it briefly, when it goes well and you have enough space, train travel is pretty civilised. Realistically speaking, you don't have to worry about controlling it, refuelling it, making an investment in a vehicle, turning up hours in advance of travel, or what other drivers are doing. Train travel in the UK in particular is extraordinarily safe for the normal passenger, and though delays do occur, a very good number of those delays are actually the price we pay for safety. And we all know that there is now a pretty good frequency of service on many London/South-East/Midlands/Intercity routes. Not all, granted, but many.

However, obviously fares are either high or feel very high for many, sometimes out of proportion with desired flexibility (and I think that's often the crux - paying hundreds of pounds more for the choice of one or two more trains, maybe), and the system of purchasing tickets and choosing operators is fairly fragmented. The latter is actually more confusing and/or the cause of the former two in many cases. And of course investment in information for each and every type of journey and passenger has not kept up in accordance with the boom in demand. Because of this demand we all have our little personal niggles as well, like interchange opportunities between lines in major cities which somehow haven't ever been built, or fluctuations in when the first/last trains are on some lines, and so on.

So many things, so few words I can reasonably write. Whilst a leisure journey that goes well is often quite civilised, a commute in bedlam at Clapham Junction is often not. The demand is extremely hard to keep up with and hopefully there will be more and more will to do so. Integration of lines and modes of transport is surely what needs to be done; it's something I like greatly when it is done well. And of course it will be crucial to develop skills in predicting passenger information needs before they know it. Again, I love it when you have somebody skilled who can predict what goes on CIS/Tyrell emails/websites before or as you need it, rather than having to ask. Sorting this out is key.

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This morning the 6.40 was 2 minutes late leaving Brighton due to a signal failure. It said so above the train o the online departure board.

In advance of that I saw that the 6.19 Brighton service just said delayed whilst at Gatwick Airport and the 6.30 Brighton service may have done as well.

So I out two and two together and decided they must all be delayed by a signalling fault so it obviously just happened.

But I was actually wrong. Eventually the first Brighton train left Gatwick 1 minutes late and the note about a problem under investigation was put up. This then changed to disruptive passengers. The following train had no note but was 8 minutes late. Which means that the 6.40 train from Brighton, which was the least of the delayed trains, was actually delayed by a minor singalong fault around Brighton way.

What this shows is that a little information to passengers can lead to them making incorrect assumptions. Now clearly it's very difficult to get information out quickly enough as you have to verify it and make sure it's accurate. The information may not even be known about as the people holding the information may be dealing with the incident itself. Saying that the driver has to let the signalman know they are being delayed.

Back to the question, my dislikes:

- AGA's cynical display of departure times outside London. You don't get the departure time , just "due in X minutes". Difficult to tell if it's on time and also whether it's the right train in the peak with trains only a few minutes apart.

- not enough seats/space in our 3+2 carriages

- no aircon on the majority of GEML commuter trains.

Likes

• Still the most civilised way to travel
• Someone else does the driving
• The dedication and professionalism of most of the people in the railway industry
• Stalybridge station buffet bar (except on Saturdays)

Dislikes

• A small minority of conductors who can’t be bothered to come round the train selling tickets and instead expect you to queue at your destination to buy tickets
• The fare between Marsden and Greenfield
• Ale trailers, tanked up on cheap lager
• The four most depressing words in the English language – “Rail Replacement Bus Service”

What do I really like about train travel?

It's not the office

infobleep said:

This morning the 6.40 was 2 minutes late leaving Brighton due to a signal failure. It said so above the train o the online departure board.

In advance of that I saw that the 6.19 Brighton service just said delayed whilst at Gatwick Airport and the 6.30 Brighton service may have done as well.

So I out two and two together and decided they must all be delayed by a signalling fault so it obviously just happened.

But I was actually wrong. Eventually the first Brighton train left Gatwick 1 minutes late and the note about a problem under investigation was put up. This then changed to disruptive passengers. The following train had no note but was 8 minutes late. Which means that the 6.40 train from Brighton, which was the least of the delayed trains, was actually delayed by a minor singalong fault around Brighton way.

What this shows is that a little information to passengers can lead to them making incorrect assumptions. Now clearly it's very difficult to get information out quickly enough as you have to verify it and make sure it's accurate. The information may not even be known about as the people holding the information may be dealing with the incident itself. Saying that the driver has to let the signalman know they are being delayed.

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Thats a new one on me. Train delayed by bad karaoke

Like:
- Most trains I travel on now seem to run pretty much to time.
- HSTs
- Letting someone else drive so I can have a drink or two before I go home!
- A good first class service when it's available
- Scenery (sometimes!)
- The convenience of a regular service
- Guards who walk through the train

Dislikes:
- Fares are FAR too complicated and in some cases, far too expensive. It's often much cheaper to drive, even when taking into account insurance, maintenance, etc.
- The constant downgrading of first class (Southern I'm looking at you) and of on-board facilities in general; comfort is being removed and doesn't even seem to be a consideration on some refurbs or new builds.
- 3+2 seating
- "Daylight" lighting, far too harsh on the eyes
- Blame shifting between TOCs/DfT/NR/etc
- Inefficiencies caused by fragmentation
- Screaming or loud kids. Drunks. Anyone being loud or yelling down their phone.

Minilad said:

Thats a new one on me. Train delayed by bad karaoke

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Lol. I actually do karaoke. The worst train karaoke I experienced was in 1992 in former East Germany. The screeching was something else. I'm not as bad as that myself thankfully.

Good. Relaxing journey, no be there two hours before departure, no stripping down shoes and belts. Sitting in reasonable comfort, drinks brought to table, read book, surf the net, no queuing for toilets.

Bad. Working out best price is a chore, too expensive compared to other countries.

Dislikes; the completely barmy ticketing situation, and having multiple carriers (especially when they can't compete on the same line)
Likes; the cheap advance tickets if available, getting better information on stations.

Postives. In the last 15 months only one service I was due to use has been cancelled.
Female guards. It is very unusual for them not to sell tickets.

Negatives. The antiquated system of still needing a piece of paper as a ticket.
The barrier systems which still need 2 members of staff to allow people through who don't have tickets which work with the barriers.
Male guards who can't be bothered to sell tickets!

Some of my dislikes are things that have to happen so I'm not looking for them to be scraped, I just try to avoid them.

Like
* Fresh cooking on trains

* Trains that run slowly or are delayed but moving when I'm on a leisure trip with no connections - I use the time to try and spot former railway stations and lines going off.

* Trains are newel always Kate Hut by some rare luck actually arrive and depart on time. I know how difficult it is to achieve for these services.

* Tables

* Plug sockets

* Declassified first class on routes where first class not provided but the train had some - Guildford to Ascot line on a Saturday I'm thinking of you.

* Free WiFi

* Being able to log into remote visual computer and work on the train using free WiFi

* Travelling on steam trains

* Space for luggage

* Good communication during disruption

* Guards with a sense of humor as it brings a smile to my face - I do appreciate though not everyone has the gift to be humorous

* Saving money through split ticketing or any other means - it's like a game of cat and mouse

* The 0.50 Waterloo to Portsmouth train that runs on a Sunday (aka early Monday morning) - makes it less stressful trying to get back from the O2 or Wembley after gigs.

Dislike
* Free WiFi not working - well it is free

* Not being able to work using free WiFi

* Short formations with no seats free during disruption - I understand it can't be avoided at times

* Formations to short for number of passengers due to rolling stock contracts - I have no understanding for this. It shouldn't happen. Either that or they should run an advertising campaign promoting why this is the only way to run the service or the best way compared to the alternatives.

* Lack of infrastructure modernisation when trains are getting busier

* Poor or no communication during disruption (I don't count guard or driver saying I don't know what's happening as poor communication as at least they are honest)

* No apologies for short formation. Tonight guard announced he was unable to walk through due to high volume of passengers. Well it's no higher than I imagine next Friday will be, just that next Friday there will be 12 carriages instead of 8.

* Trains late when I'm commuting.

* No loos on the trains - 455 / 456s

* No loos, including disabled loo or waiting rooms open when station ticket office closed and ticket office closed for lost of the day

* No waiting rooms open at night when it's cold and you have a 10+ minute wait for the next train

* The 0.50 Waterloo to Portsmouth train only running on a Sunday (aka early Monday morning) - makes it stressful trying to get back from the O2 or Wembley after gigs.

* Slower trains to and from Clapham Junction on a Sunday and less of them - I understand why less trains as not so popular that day but not sure about slower running as I'm not travelling between Clapham Junction and Waterloo, which is where they allow for less tracks being open on Sundays

* The trains from Guildford to Woking departing close together on a Sunday and then a long gap . Until next one

* No fast mainline trains during peak rush hour to it from Clapham Junction - I understand why this is but it goes back to my dislike for infrastructure modernisation not happening soon enough.

* Rail replacement buses - I understand they are required but try to avoid them

* Someone using the luggage space on a Southern service during the morning rush hour when no seats exist. I would have sat there if they hadn't done that. Now inconsiderate! Lol. (I'm joking about the last part but I do sit on them if unused)

* Complicated fates system

* Long distance trains with no hot food

* No fast train to Portsmouth from Guildford until 8.04 and no fast trains from Portsmouth in the mid afternoon

* No fast or semi-fast trains from Surbiton to Alton between 16.41 and 19.59 inclusive.

* No fast or semi-fast services between Woking and Surbiton 6.30 and 8.58 and no fast or semi-fast services between Surbiton and Woking between 18.41 and 19.59.

I'm sure there are others but I can't think of them now.

Excessive fares. I found a return fare from Manchester to Euston that cost more than a return flight from Manchester to New York JFK via London Heathrow.

phil8715 said:

Excessive fares. I found a return fare from Manchester to Euston that cost more than a return flight from Manchester to New York JFK via London Heathrow.

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Was the flight a full cost flight and was the train ticket a full cost train ticket and we're they both for travel on the precise same day you wished to travel?

EssexGonzo said:

Back to the question, my dislikes:

- AGA's cynical display of departure times outside London. You don't get the departure time , just "due in X minutes". Difficult to tell if it's on time and also whether it's the right train in the peak with trains only a few minutes apart.

- not enough seats/space in our 3+2 carriages

- no aircon on the majority of GEML commuter trains.

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The PIS screens through the Thameslink Core do this. It is simply an attempt to hide how late the train is. They're also usually inaccurate as you regularly see a train "Due in 3 mins" jump to "Due in 6" then "Due in 2". No-one trusts them.

This leads to my personal dislikes, which are:

Information screens badly placed along platforms so that they're obscured by the station structure, or too few PIS along the platforms.

Passengers who casually stroll past others who have been patiently waiting to get on the train and push their way to the doors so they can get on first.

Passengers who stand next to the doors when there's space/seats available.

Passengers who try to get on the train before others have alighted.

Short-formed trains without warning.

Defective signallers who put fast trains onto the slow line behind stoppers.

Defective signallers who put northbound trains into platform 2 at Blackfriars 4-5mins early when there's a slightly delayed faster train just behind.

As a tourist/foreigner: the complexity of the whole companies/ticketing system is really something awful.

Likes:

GWR Pullman - I miss the East Coast restaurants, but now as people have an expectation of food as part of the first class service I doubt they'll return.

VTEC Evening Meal menu - that's the one with the chef on certain evening northbound services. Not as good as the restaurant but decent for a complimentary offering.

Hop on Board - I didn't like it when GNER stopped selling guest ales so it was nice to see VTEC work with a brewery.

On train catering in general - if the operator has made an effort and a decent selection is available.

The views and relaxing.

Dislikes:

Greater Anglia - only travel them about once a month but always something seems to go wrong whether it's delays or dirty carriages.

Weekend First - this is a dated concept going back to the BR days when first class was primarily business travellers during the week and would have been almost empty on weekends if it wasn't for these cheap upgrades. Now first class is more popular than ever with leisure travellers and most of them but their tickets in advance. The cheap upgrades of often given as the reason there's a substantially reduced service on-board so why not make the service the same as during the week and abolish the upgrades. It would surely increase the sales of first advance tickets on weekends and make those who have a full fare first class ticket not feel ripped off.

WiFi - rarely works at an acceptable level to do any work.

richieb1971 said:

And nobody has designed a train with a front window seat

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Well there is the DLR

trash80 said:

Well there is the DLR

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The Tyne and Wear Metro too (just to show it isn't just driverless light rail that has this).

A recent dislike: I have just used a virgin train to get to Manchester and back over the weekend and used a walk-on ticket (advances are hard to get for Sunday), which meant sitting in the unreserved section, coach F. On both the outward and return portion of the journey when I needed to use the toilet I had to walk all the way up to coach A to find a toilet that was either vacant or not broken. I seem to have this problem at my workplace with synchronised bladders.:roll:

I don't like the lack of information screens on some commuter routes, particularly the GN locals. I can tell when it is my stop when I see the huge blue SafeStorage building, but announcing the next station would be best.

As only on occasional visitor to the UK now, I'm always wondering if I've got the right ticket and its validity for a given service etc, especially in cases where you've got a ticket for a specific train and finding yourself stuck somewhere, eg: waiting for bags at an airport (esp, that big one just west of London...no names)

t.

Ian

SaveECRewards said:

Weekend First - this is a dated concept going back to the BR days when first class was primarily business travellers during the week and would have been almost empty on weekends if it wasn't for these cheap upgrades. Now first class is more popular than ever with leisure travellers and most of them but their tickets in advance. The cheap upgrades of often given as the reason there's a substantially reduced service on-board so why not make the service the same as during the week and abolish the upgrades. It would surely increase the sales of first advance tickets on weekends and make those who have a full fare first class ticket not feel ripped off.

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Acceptable to me if, and only if, First (Super) Off Peak tickets are added at approx 1.6 times the Standard (Super) Off Peak fare with no additional restrictions over the standard fare. I do use Weekend First; often Advances are not an option so I would just revert to Standard, or the car.

Neil Williams said:

Acceptable to me if, and only if, First (Super) Off Peak tickets are added at approx 1.6 times the Standard (Super) Off Peak fare with no additional restrictions over the standard fare. I do use Weekend First; often Advances are not an option so I would just revert to Standard, or the car.

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I agree with that. We need to have off-peak and super off-peak first class tickets at appropriate prices on all InterCity routes.

If they keep weekend first VTEC need to at least allow you to order items from the Foodbar at seat, after all standard class can buy at seat on the trolley.