Famous people on trains

[VauxhallandI]

I was on the same train as John Stapleton two Saturday's on the trot.

I had to have a word the second time.

 

[Phil.]

Seen Lord John Prescott travelling from Hull to Doncaster on a rail replacement coach to join his train at Doncaster, he didn,t look very pleased before getting on and when on the coach. He made sure no one sat next to him by plonking his bag down on the seat next to him there by stopping anyone else sitting there, pity the coach was not full as that would have been interesting.Bet he was glad to get to Doncaster and onto Hull Trains and into First Class away from the standard class passengers.
Lady Prescott always seems to like to travel First Class too when I have seen her at Kings Cross.

Proper socialists that pair.

 

[168lover]

I once saw Steve Backshaw on a 165 heading to London. Oh yeah I once was on the same train as the Man in Seat 61 but he's a family friend so it doesn't count as much.

 

[ScotTrains]

A couple of years ago I was sitting in the 1st class lounge in Euston station when Hulk Hogan and entourage walked in and sat on the sofa opposite me.

 

[work-traveller]

I saw Jack Dromey MP on the platform at Birmingham Moor Street about a month ago. No aids etc - very low key. I resisted the temptation to ask if he could give a date for the inevitable implosion of the Labour Party.

 

[saracen43]

Managed to get Ted Kennedy's (brother of JFK) autograph about 25 year's ago on a Holyhead to Euston service, that's when it was loco hauled. Apparently he was travelling back to London from a funeral in north Wales.

 

[Beebman]

Back in the 1980s I sat opposite former West Ham goalkeeper Phil Parkes on a 4-CIG from Reading to Waterloo (he got on at Wokingham where I recall he was living at the time). A few years later I spotted Bamber Gascoigne (ex-University Challenge) on the same line.

Sometime in the mid-1990s on a Man Pic-Euston train I spotted cricketer Michael Atherton and rather more recently I noticed John Barnes on a Pendolino from Liverpool.

On the Birmingham-Reading line I recently saw TV historian Simon Schama and some years earlier I noticed actor Hilary Minster ('General Von Klinkerhoffen' in 'Allo Allo').

On my once regular commute into Paddington I once saw Tony Benn there smoking his pipe on the platform when that was allowed. However the most famous politician who I spotted several times at her and my local station of Twyford was a certain Theresa May MP...

 

[SAPhil]

Jeremy Corbyn from St Pancras to Luton going to a meeting before his first leadership election! Thing is he hadn't got a clue how long the journey would take and had to ask the lady sitting next to him what time it arrived in Luton!

 

[CyrusWuff]

Let's see...Roy Hattersley, Tony Benn, Frank Dobson, Josephine Tewson, Sylvester McCoy, James Nesbitt (being dealt with by Revenue Protection), Alistair Darling, Chris Green, Moira Stuart, Fern Britton, Sue Nicholls and Paul Ross (not all at the same time) spring to mind.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Ex Prime Minister Cameron ...

(who ignored the staff line up at Euston as he strode off - a nod and a thank you might be in order you might think..) ...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I thought I'd seen someone who looked just like Henry Winkler getting onto a TPE service to Manchester Airport at Dewsbury the other week... Turns out it might well have been the Fonz himself, as he's been filming a series for CBBC at an old school in Dewsbury, according to tonight's Look North!

Wonder if he's frequented the West Riding?

 

[Beebman]

I've been thinking back to my commuting days of the 1990s and 2000s and here are a few more famous names I saw at Paddington:

Tony Robinson (actor)
Rudolph Walker (actor)
Linda Robson (actress)
Jilly Cooper (author)
Peter Tinniswood (playwright)
Christian Wolmar (y'all know him lol)

And finally, although she wasn't there to catch a train - Diana Ross! One winter's morning in the mid-90s, Heart FM was doing a very loud live broadcast from the station. It seems that the ex-Supremes member was in town and willing to be dragged onto a freezing cold Lawn to perform a couple of songs. If only smartphones had been around in those days...

 

[jj1314]

I keep meeting comedians on trains. A few years back, I (literally) ran into Julian Barrett (Mighty Boosh) and Julia Davis.

A couple of years later, Chris Morris (The Day Today, Brass Eye, many more).

Nearly tripped-up Neil Morrissey at Manchester Piccadilly once.

 

[Bullfield WEst]

I've sold Simon Farnaby a 1st class upgrade between Ipswich and London Liverpool Street and had Deidre and "Dear Deidre" on my train last week. One colleague had Cameron on his train last week while another had Boris.

A few years ago when I was a Station Adopter at Horwich Parkway I'd just finished a visit when Boris came onto the station. He caught a 150 to Manchester Pic where he ran up the steps from P13 waving a trailing shirtlap to catch a Pendolino south. Of course he was a lowly "Spectator Editor" in those days.

 

[Busaholic]

Shared a (second class) compartment with Patrick Cargill, then a well-known 'comic actor' from Euston to Preston, c 1973.

 

[IanXC]

Only celeb I've knowingly been in the same train as is Portillo on a diverted TPE service.

I can't believe this thread went for so long without this coming up! To add some more detail, this was a forum meet, I can't quite remember the exact diversion, but it involved a through service at Edinburgh and a circular route via the Northern ECML. Mr Portillo was surprised to discover quite how long we'd been on board, but somewhat unhappy to discover that he and his film crew had boarded the wrong train!

 

[Stonesourscotty]

Some rugby ones I've seen Andy Gregory on a Northern Pacer to Wigan and Former Nrl Star and Current fox sports pundit Braith Anasta on a Train to Circular Quay in Sydney last week i also saw one of the Wigan athletic players Roger Espinoza on a Tram in Manchester days after they beat City in the Fa Cup Final

 

[A0wen]

Seen Lord John Prescott travelling from Hull to Doncaster on a rail replacement coach to join his train at Doncaster, he didn,t look very pleased before getting on and when on the coach. He made sure no one sat next to him by plonking his bag down on the seat next to him there by stopping anyone else sitting there, pity the coach was not full as that would have been interesting.Bet he was glad to get to Doncaster and onto Hull Trains and into First Class away from the standard class passengers.
Lady Prescott always seems to like to travel First Class too when I have seen her at Kings Cross.

I believe old "2-shags" once got on a train at Scarborough rather ostentatiously in the full media glare (presume it was the Labour conference or somesuch) to head back to London - his train journey apparently lasted to Seamer (the next station for the uninitiated) where he alighted and settled into the Jag for the journey to London.

 

[mike57]

Many years ago in the early 80's, in the dining car of the evening London - Harrogate train, Denis Healey. Didnt get to speak to him, he was at another table, there didnt appear to be a minder or anything.

 

[Crossover]

I can't believe this thread went for so long without this coming up! To add some more detail, this was a forum meet, I can't quite remember the exact diversion, but it involved a through service at Edinburgh and a circular route via the Northern ECML. Mr Portillo was surprised to discover quite how long we'd been on board, but somewhat unhappy to discover that he and his film crew had boarded the wrong train!

There were 2 diversions, both to Edinburgh. One was going up to Carlisle and then doing a tour of the suburbs to get over to Edinburgh (I forget the exact route) with the other half diverting via the ECML. It was on the second half, via the ECML, where we bumped into Mr Portillo and entourage. The service by this time (early evening) had a number of drunks already onboard, one of whom I recall voicing his displeasure to Portillo about none of the toilets on that unit working (after said bloke had tried to get into the cab!)

 

[Jamesb1974]

Deleted

 

[156443]

Kim Woodburn just got on the train I’m on from Carlisle to Newcastle


Sent from my iPhone 7+ using Tapatalk

 

[maire23]

The only famous person I've ever seen on a train was years ago when the late David Gest got on the train I was on at Darlington although I have seen Lewis Moody (ex rugby player for Bath, Leicester and England- he was lovely, my mate was chatting to him but I was hiding in embarrassment and he was taking the mickey out of me as me and mate had been at a rugby do the night before- I had got horrendously drunk and fallen off my high heels) at Leicester train station; also Mark Selby (the Jester from Leicester) was ahead of me in the ticket queue at Leicester station with his missus.

 

[Welshman]

A Bishop of Somewhere around Bradford-Leeds off to a House of Lords debate about something socially concerning! Huge Crucifix and Dog Collar gave the game away.

Well, it wouldn't have been the late Eric Treacy, bishop of Wakefield [1968-1976].
He was usually found on the footplate.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Alastair Stewart is apparently a regular at Waterloo and is always tweeting about SWT and delays to his service.

He takes my dad's train

Every mentions Portillo, my mother, my sister and I were on a 159 from Salisbury around a table when I was a youngish child (about 10) I knew who he was even at that age, being a fan of Great British Railway Journeys- he sat on the spare seat and chatted to us between Woking and Waterloo, and told my mum my sister and I were the politest people he had met!

 

[Scotrail84]

Loads, off the top of my head:

Kirsty Wark

Duke of Edinburgh 2 days in a row, compete with armed security and personal butler

Sir Alex Ferguson (gent)

Ian Murray (former Hibernian and The Rangers player)

Ally McCoist (sound as ****)

Alan Hanson (erse)

Gordon Brown

Roy Walker

Alex Salmond

Various Lords to/from London, they are regulars

Princess Anne

David Dimbleby

Lorraine Kelly

Stephen Jardine (stv news)

Tam Cowan (Scottish comedian, radio/tv presenter and Motherwell Fc fan)

Steven Presssley former Hearts and Leicester (booooo)

Alan Shearer

There are more but I can't remember at the moment. Usually a weekly occurrence that I'll see a famous face on my services.

 

[Clansman]

Steven Presssley former Hearts and Leicester (booooo)

Something tells me that Terry Butcher wouldn't be welcome on one of your trains

 

[185143]

I've been on Merseyrail with Geoff Marshall and Vicki Pipe on their quest to visit All the Stations-and seen Mr. Portillo filming outside Oxford Road.

Seen the Man United squad alighting a Pendo at Stockport after (IIRC) a bad defeat to a London club. Also seen London Broncos RL team alighting at Piccadilly (their sport has a ball which is the right shape!)

I'll try and think of some more. My Dad swears he sat next to Clarkson on Concorde!

 

[tspaul26]

Off the top of my head, I have encountered David Dimbleby and Richard E Grant. In both cases they were occupying seats that I had reserved, which is probably why I remember them.

Richard E Grant was very pleasant, but quiet; we sat elsewhere.

Dimbleby came across as pompous and arrogant, so I asked the stewards to remove him and his entourage. He spent the remainder of the journey complaining about various things, including the Lord Carlile and Marks and Spencer.

 

[DuncanS]

Frank Dobson back when being Frank Dobson was worthwhile.

The Archbishop of Canterbury (the one with the beard!)

-- have been on trains at the same time as me

and the following I've sat next to on trains,

A reeking of booze Ken Stott.
Actress Jacqueline Leonard - of EastEnders and Peak Practice "fame", she was reading a script on her way to Preston. She was in River City at the time and I'm not a fan so wasn't trying to read over her shoulder.
Jack Charlton, this was circa 2000 and there were lots of trains cancelled so it was a free for all at Euston and Wor Jack spent about 2 hours complaining about the service as we made our way to Leeds.