Famous people on trains

RichSwitch · 3 Oct 2018

I saw Tommy Boyd on a platform at Waterloo. I was on a train to PMH. Michael Melia (who played Eddie Royle) - I got on a train from Strawberry Hill to Waterloo and he was already sat on there with others. Alistair McGowan sat at the very front of a rounder to Waterloo. He was wearing a baseball cap pulled down over his face. Craig Revil-Horwood outside Waterloo station waiting for a lift. I saw the actor who played Reg Hollis in The Bill pulling a case along the platform at Exeter St Davids. Brian Walden (back in the ‘80s) on a train from Waterloo to Woking. Terry Scott on a train from Portsmouth to Godalming.

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gtis · 3 Oct 2018

I’ve seen Paul Shane from hi de hi
Ainsley harriot and one of the milleband brothers at Doncaster some years ago
Only ainsley harriot came over to talk to us
Neil

bramling · 3 Oct 2018

backontrack said:
According to Laura Kuenssberg, Tom Watson is currently 'on a train back from Glastonbury'. So if you're heading to London and your train called at Westbury or Castle Cary, then there's a good chance that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is on board (though don't go searching for him).

But has anyone on here seen someone famous on a train yet? Urban transport networks like the Tube and the Glasgow Subway count too.

David Cameron used the Northern Line during his time as PM. The management made a fuss about it, although of course no one knew exactly when the journey was to occur so they couldn’t plan a specific train, just a thing came through from on high for managers to discreetly float about in the general area and “make sure the drivers do all their announcements” (like the prime minister would notice or care!).

Unfortunately him and his group turned up rather sharpish and pretty much came straight into the station and down to the platform, promptly making a dash for the nearest set of doors which promptly closed, followed soon after by a particularly bolshy driver making a series of sarcastic and belittling PAs aimed at the man holding the doors at the back of the train. Naturally the driver was later taken on one side and his reaction was priceless when made aware just who his announcements had been directed towards!

nlogax · 3 Oct 2018

Richard E Grant at Waterloo station a couple of years back. Alistair McGowan at Hammersmith waiting for a Piccadilly line service. Ken Livingstone on a District Line service about twenty years ago...seeing KL on the tube once seemed to be a rite of passage for Londoners.
Also I once sat across from a very grumpy-looking Pete Townshend on a tube. Didn't dare speak to him, I fear he'd have bitten my head off.

TheEdge · 3 Oct 2018

Ben Miller sat accross from me and a FGW HST leaving Swindon once.

lincolnshire · 3 Oct 2018

Sir Trevor McDonald the ex newsreader got off Hull trains last week at Retford Station

Mikey C · 3 Oct 2018

Seeing this thread reminds me that I saw Feargal Sharkey on the tube (Northern Line) a couple of weeks ago.

ArchieWoodbine · 3 Oct 2018

I sat opposite John Hurt on a train from Norwich a few years back.

I suppose they're not notable outside of the industry, but I've seen Peter Hendy a few times out and about. Likewise, GWR director Mark Hopwood used to be pretty frequently seen on the network. Funnily enough, as the myriad of issues caused by the new trains start to pile up, he's becoming a rarer sight in public!

Journeyman · 3 Oct 2018

I used to sell tickets to Sebastian Coe on a regular basis when he was a Tory MP - and he treated me like the proverbial on his shoe. Utterly horrible man. Also used to sell tickets Max Clifford on occasion, and he was far from pleasant too, usually gleefully telling us how much money he was making out of some story he was flogging.

Saw David Mitchell on the Tube once, asked for his autograph and got it. One of my favourite comedians - I'm a huge fan of Peep Show. He was really nice.

Journeyman · 3 Oct 2018

nlogax said:
Richard E Grant at Waterloo station a couple of years back. Alistair McGowan at Hammersmith waiting for a Piccadilly line service. Ken Livingstone on a District Line service about twenty years ago...seeing KL on the tube once seemed to be a rite of passage for Londoners.
Also I once sat across from a very grumpy-looking Pete Townshend on a tube. Didn't dare speak to him, I fear he'd have bitten my head off.

I've seen Richard E Grant on a bus in Richmond, think he lived around there at the time.

The Prisoner · 3 Oct 2018

Shared a 1st class table of 2 with Aggie from How Clean is Your House a few years ago from London to Chester - she was going to a house in Birkenhead to film and was very pleasant.

Start of September Rupert Everett got on the GWR service I was on at Pewsey with two great big paper bags that contained lampshades. First I knew was him calling someone a F****** C*** at the other end of the coach as their bags were blocking the way into the carriage. He probably had a point.

And last Thursday Tim Rice was on the 1203 Paddington to Penzance (IET). He came into the dining coach twice. Second time he was very amusing complaining that he couldn't get the water in the toilet to work. Stayed and chatted to us for five minutes just after Plymouth - we were talking to the 1st class host and she went and showed him how to get it working. The GWR girl was only around 22 or so and didn't know who he was - the site of her waving her hands around showing him how to get the sensor working was comical. Once we explained who he was she plucked up the courage to go ask for a selfie with him, but he had got off by then (Truro-ish). Lovely girl whose Mum also worked for GWR as a 1st host - she showed us pics her mum had sent her with Will Young and Carol from EastEnders (don't watch EE, so not sure how famous that is!)

Journeyman · 3 Oct 2018

I used to work at Charing Cross tube station, and met quite a few people involved in filming there. Best thing I ever saw was a time when I was standing next to the doors that lead into the disused Jubilee line area. A guy in a suit came out, looked at me and said "it's been a really long day" before getting on the escalator to leave the station.

He had an enormous fake wound from the base of his spine to his neck, with fake blood aplenty oozing all over the place. The looks from other people on the station were priceless. I recognised him immediately when I saw the film "Creep" in the cinema!

Mikey C · 3 Oct 2018

Journeyman said:
I used to sell tickets to Sebastian Coe on a regular basis when he was a Tory MP - and he treated me like the proverbial on his shoe. Utterly horrible man. Also used to sell tickets Max Clifford on occasion, and he was far from pleasant too, usually gleefully telling us how much money he was making out of some story he was flogging.

Saw David Mitchell on the Tube once, asked for his autograph and got it. One of my favourite comedians - I'm a huge fan of Peep Show. He was really nice.

I'll look out for that story on "Would I lie to you"

gordonthemoron · 3 Oct 2018

Nigel Lawson on an IC XC from York to Doncaster in the 1980s
Frank Carson at Peterborough Station with 15 suitcases in the 1990s

GWRjake · 3 Oct 2018

Russell Howard, The Man in Seat 61, and Paul's Trip Reports (of YouTube fame) on the inaugural London - Amsterdam Eurostar.
Nick Robinson at Oxford Parkway on the opening day of the Chiltern line to Marylebone.
Michael Portillo at Oxford once the above extension had been completed.
Ex-cricketer Neil Burns on the Cathedrals Express from London to Minehead this summer.
Oxford United goalkeeper Simon Eastwood on a train from Barnsley towards Huddersfield after we'd been beaten 4-0 there on the opening day of this season!

Away from trains, Seb Coe and Roy Hodgson were on the same flight from Heathrow to Munich as me as my school's German exchange coincided with the Champions League final being played there in 2012 - on arrival back in London a week later we passed through passport control at the same time as Jessie J!

Scotrail84 · 3 Oct 2018

Betty Boothroyd very recently.

Surreytraveller · 3 Oct 2018

I saw Devina McCall before she was famous (or when she was just starting out)
I also saw those twins with the funny hair (Jaywoo or whoever they were?)

robk23oxf · 3 Oct 2018

I've seen Nick Grimshaw on the Northern Line.

87electric · 3 Oct 2018

Katy Manning fell on to me as she jumped off a tube train years a few years back.

ijmad · 3 Oct 2018

I sat opposite Naomie Harris on the Eurostar a few months ago. In first class, naturellement.

Calderfornian · 3 Oct 2018

Bobby Ball - Euston
Richard Ayoade - Euston
Tony Benn - Crewe
Aled Jones - North Wales coast
The son of one of someone from Dexys - Great Northern train
Flock of Sky TV newshounds - ECML
Steph off of BBC Breakfast - Man Vic

6Gman · 3 Oct 2018

bramling said:
David Cameron used the Northern Line during his time as PM. The management made a fuss about it, although of course no one knew exactly when the journey was to occur so they couldn’t plan a specific train, just a thing came through from on high for managers to discreetly float about in the general area and “make sure the drivers do all their announcements” (like the prime minister would notice or care!).

Unfortunately him and his group turned up rather sharpish and pretty much came straight into the station and down to the platform, promptly making a dash for the nearest set of doors which promptly closed, followed soon after by a particularly bolshy driver making a series of sarcastic and belittling PAs aimed at the man holding the doors at the back of the train. Naturally the driver was later taken on one side and his reaction was priceless when made aware just who his announcements had been directed towards!

Really don't like the idea that there are different standards for different people.

6Gman · 3 Oct 2018

The Prisoner said:
Start of September Rupert Everett got on the GWR service I was on at Pewsey with two great big paper bags that contained lampshades. First I knew was him calling someone a F****** C*** at the other end of the coach as their bags were blocking the way into the carriage. He probably had a point.

He may have had a point - he also appears to have a potty mouth. Foul language on public transport [the clue is in the name] is a pet hate of mine.

morrisobrien · 3 Oct 2018

The late great John Charles.Swansea-Cardiff many,many years ago,

SoccerHQ · 3 Oct 2018

Yvette Cooper on the tube was opposite me about a year ago.

Only clocked here when it was a stop away from Westminster. Thought she looked familar (around the time Ed Balls was on Strictly so her public profile was higher than normal) and then she got off at the Westminster spot so figured she was an MP and semi recognised here.

Also seen Peter Crouch outside Euston on a few occasions. I think he's based in London and commutes regularly to Stoke to train so would imagine a few have probably seen him as he's not exactly hard to miss!

bramling · 3 Oct 2018

6Gman said:
Really don't like the idea that there are different standards for different people.

To be fair I don’t think anything was actually done about it.

MotCO · 3 Oct 2018

Surreytraveller said:
I also saw those twins with the funny hair (Jaywoo or whoever they were?)

I think you mean Jedwood!! :lol:

(Not that I'm a fan or anything)

maire23 · 3 Oct 2018

I can honestly say I’m not one of those jammy people who spot famous people on public transport

The one and only time I’ve ever seen anyone remotely famous on a train was when the late David Gest got on a train I was on at Darlington about five years ago.

Scotrail84 · 3 Oct 2018

MotCO said:
I think you mean Jedwood!!
(Not that I'm a fan or anything)

Or Jedward even?

HH · 4 Oct 2018

Scotrail84 said:
Or Jedward even?

Clearly not famous at all, seeing that most people can't even remember their name...

Famous people on trains

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