Cross Country hell

[Mogz]

Standing in the middle of a 4 coach train again. 18:15 Reading to Manchester. Barely room to breathe.

Usual issues. Seats already tightly packed in. Not enough luggage space. People having hushed verbal altercations over reservations. No point having catering as trolly can’t get through and no-one can get to it anyway.

Please tell me:

Why this is OK.

Why I shouldn’t expect any improvement.

Why the problem is mine, not XC’s.

Which passengers should not be using the train.

Which trains I can use as an alternative.

 

[fishtastic]

All the XC trains on that down south to Manchester route (thru Reading, Bristol Parkway etc.) are awful especially at morning and evening peak. I got so frustrated I looked at buying a 1st class ticket rather than the steerage one supplied by my client but it was ridiculously price at £210 or so for first class return with an advance return (nearly a month in advance) being £203 or something stupid. £7 difference...

 

[yorkie]

All the XC trains on that down south to Manchester route (thru Reading, Bristol Parkway etc.) are awful especially at morning and evening peak. I got so frustrated I looked at buying a 1st class ticket rather than the steerage one supplied by my client but it was ridiculously price at £210 or so for first class return with an advance return (nearly a month in advance) being £203 or something stupid. £7 difference...

book through an accredited ticket splitting site if you want to get a hefty discount on XC services.

I generally stick to the 7 car HSTs where possible, and will alter my travel plans accordingly. Unfortunately this option isn't available between Reading & Birmingham.

 

[Mogz]

At least the on board host made light of the situation with the following (edited highlights)


“I’ll be making my way through the train... no, I won’t, I really really won’t. I’m only joking....

But if you want to try and fight your way through, crowd surf, maybe get married given how close you’ll have been to some people, you’ll probably need a drink by the time you get to me [lists them]. There’s a special offer - three for ten pound, or as I like to call it “tanked up for a tenner”.

For the chocoholics on board I’ve also got chocolate. About 22lb of chocolate. Enough to put you in a diabetic coma!

I apologise to anyone in First Class who can’t get through. Standard’s a little bit full.


Thanks for listening and take care.

 

[Mogz]

And the reservations are showing for a journey from, not to Manchester.

Overheard a passenger with a reservation very indignant that someone was in his seat. Seated passenger very apologetic but still getting grief from passenger with reservation...

 

[yorkie]

And the reservations are showing for a journey from, not to Manchester.

Overheard a passenger with a reservation very indignant that someone was in his seat. Seated passenger very apologetic but still getting grief from passenger with reservation...

Most TOCs make it clear that if there are no reservations showing (or they are wrong) then there are no reservations

In fact all half decent TOCs do that. Naturally that excludes XC. Some good TMs may do this but the majority do not, this leading to conflict and confusion. It's just another part of the miserable XC experience.

To give LNER and TPE credit where it's due, their policy is to make the lack of reservations clear. Nearly all LNER Guards do make this clear. Most TPE Guards do.

Currently I'm on a Northern train , it's very busy and it's delayed. But it's not as bad as being on XC and at least people aren't encouraged to argue about seats by the company.

 

[greatvoyager]

Does Arriva not have any motivation to look after their customers? Granted that the passenger shouldn't be given grief by another passenger but it seems like they aren't being proactive in preventing this sort of thing.

 

[Mogz]

Most TOCs make it clear that if there are no reservations showing (or they are wrong) then there are no reservations

In fact all half decent TOCs do that. Naturally that excludes XC. Some good TMs may do this but the majority do not, this leading to conflict and confusion. It's just another part of the miserable XC experience.

To give LNER and TPE credit where it's due, their policy is to make the lack of reservations clear. Nearly all LNER Guards do make this clear. Most TPE Guards do.

Currently I'm on a Northern train , it's very busy and it's delayed. But it's not as bad as being on XC and at least people aren't encouraged to argue about seats by the company.

That’s just the thing, Yorkie. If I had no experience of other TOCs I’d probably just suck it up and accept it as my lot, but as the job takes me all over the UK from time to time (almost exclusively Standard Class!) quite often I see just how much better it could be.

It just so happens that the usual journey is by XC.

 

[crablab]

To give LNER and TPE credit where it's due, their policy is to make the lack of reservations clear.

I wonder how much money XC would lose if they adopted the LNER Seat Guarantee policy too

 

[Merle Haggard]

Regarding reservations. I was travelling 1st in a XC 220; as it happens, the only passenger in the coach. (I had chosen one of only two single seats that are facing forward when the 1st is leading). The reservation indicators were unlit (blank). We made a station call, and the steward approached, followed by a passenger. The steward said 'move, you're sitting in this women's seat!' in an abrupt manner without any introduction or prior enquiry. I asked where I should sit to avoid the same problem recurring at the next station, but he wouldn't answer directly, just waved an arm and said 'anywhere'.
But, to be fair, there are some very friendly, helpful stewards on XC (particularly on the HSTs - they seem to be on a separate rota) and they do suffer abuse.

 

[Viperboy34]

My elderly father and brother are traveling to Bristol on Glastonbury weekend, I saw a advert for easyJet , they were offering Newcastle to Bristol for £20 each, I thought that would be slighty better than a overcrowded voyager.

 

[Mag_seven]

Standing in the middle of a 4 coach train again. 18:15 Reading to Manchester. Barely room to breathe.

Not helped by Reading to Oxford commuters being forced to use XC trains because certain peak GWR Padd - Oxford (and beyond) services no longer call at Reading.

 

[221129]

particularly on the HSTs - they seem to be on a separate rota)

There is no separate roster for the HST services.

 

[221129]

Standing in the middle of a 4 coach train again. 18:15 Reading to Manchester. Barely room to breathe

Travels on a rush hour train on a Friday evening and complains that it is busy.

 

[yorkie]

I don't think the complaint is that it is busy!

The complaint is that it is so crowded there is barely room to breathe and that the company is acting on a way that is causing people to get into unnecessary arguments, which wouldn't happen with a more professional and pragmatic train company, such as LNER.

 

[221129]

I don't think the complaint is that it is busy!

The complaint is that it is so crowded there is barely room to breathe and that the company is acting on a way that is causing people to get into unnecessary arguments, which wouldn't happen with a more professional and pragmatic train company, such as LNER.

Really? Such arguments I see frequently on LNER.

 

[yorkie]

Really? Such arguments I see frequently on LNER.

Never seen any arguments myself; of course some people will argue even if the position is made clear, but it's very minimal on LNER compared to XC, where I see arguments or confusion on a much more regular basis. At least with LNER people know where they stand.

I don't really see how anyone could argue that XC are a patch on LNER as a TOC for aspects such as professionalism. I am not saying LNER are perfect, but they are vastly superior to XC. There is no comparison!

 

[jfollows]

Which trains I can use as an alternative.

I always go via London. Off-peak London-Manchester tickets are valid on any train on a Friday also, which probably distributes the passenger load.

 

[221129]

Never seen any arguments myself; of course some people will argue even if the position is made clear, but it's very minimal on LNER compared to XC, where I see arguments or confusion on a much more regular basis. At least with LNER people know where they stand.

I don't really see how anyone could argue that XC are a patch on LNER as a TOC for aspects such as professionalism. I am not saying LNER are perfect, but they are vastly superior to XC. There is no comparison!

That's like comparing apples and oranges though.

 

[fishquinn]

That's like comparing apples and oranges though.

Why? Both are long distance TOCs that operate many trains over a daily basis. The only difference I can see is that LNER are competent as an operator with their policies whereas XC fail at pretty much every possible point.

 

[Bletchleyite]

For the record, Virgin Trains (who I didn't consider a bad TOC) also had this stupid policy with regard to reservations. I suspect it relates to operating Voyagers, because they are so unreliable on those.

 

[221129]

Why? Both are long distance TOCs that operate many trains over a daily basis. The only difference I can see is that LNER are competent as an operator with their policies whereas XC fail at pretty much every possible point.

One is a true intercity long distance operator and the other is a regional long distance operator. You might as well be comparing British Airways with EasyJet.

 

[cactustwirly]

Travels on a rush hour train on a Friday evening and complains that it is busy.

It's not that they're busy, they are consistently crush loaded throughout the day, which is frankly unacceptable for such a long journey, like Reading to Birmingham.

 

[cactustwirly]

One is a true intercity long distance operator and the other is a regional long distance operator. You might as well be comparing British Airways with EasyJet.

At least easyJet is a pleasant travelling experience, with a guaranteed seat, clean aircraft, good cabin crew and cheap fares!
None of which apply to XC

 

[Bletchleyite]

One is a true intercity long distance operator and the other is a regional long distance operator. You might as well be comparing British Airways with EasyJet.

With XC being BA, one assumes? Sleazy for me if there's a choice of those two at the same price.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

book through an accredited ticket splitting site if you want to get a hefty discount on XC services.

I generally stick to the 7 car HSTs where possible, and will alter my travel plans accordingly. Unfortunately this option isn't available between Reading & Birmingham.

Same here Yorkie - I have a flexible ticket from Oxford to Edinburgh for the 16/04/20. I catch a Voyager at 13:10 from Oxford to Birmingham New Street then on an HST on the 15:03 from there to Edinburgh (I've a Quiet Coach seat booked in there). If the 15:03 is a Voyager then I'll wait for the next HST at 16:03 HST !

 

[Mogz]

Travels on a rush hour train on a Friday evening and complains that it is busy.

Err... I think you’ll find it’s the same every single day.