Yep, travelled Derby-Sheffield-Cleethorpes and return on Saturday:
- Derby-Sheffield: EMR five-car Meridian, two in the coach I sat in both of us wearing masks, similar load throughout the train
- Sheffield-Doncaster: NOR three-car 170, four or five in each coach, one guy at the far opposite end of the coach I sat in with no mask and coughing without covering his mouth every 30 seconds or so (lovely!
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- Doncaster-Cleethorpes: TPE two x three-car 185s, three or four in the coach I sat in, all wearing masks, similar load throughout the train
- Cleethorpes-Doncaster: TPE two x three-car 185s, five or six in the coach I sat in including a family group of four, speaking foreign language (eastern-European?) loudly / shouting, playing music on phone speaker (no ear phones), none of them wearing masks
- Doncaster-Sheffield: NOR three-car 170, two in the rear coach I sat in, coaches towards the front were better loaded (15-20 each), all wearing masks but one with mask over mouth but not nose
- Sheffield-Derby: EMR five-car Meridian, only one person in the coach I sat in
Notably, EMR have no physical signage instructing people where to sit although the train manager on Sheffield-Derby said to use only the window seats and leave the aisle seats unoccupied. Northern still had a few seats marked with the yellow-and-black crime scene tape (mainly those adjacent to the doors) but were otherwise not dictatorial about where to sit. TPE still have the ridiculous red or green tags in the seat reservations slots, restricting use of the majority of seats - indeed the conductor said that trains from Cleethorpes later in the day were likely to be busy and they could only take a maximum of 45 people on a three-car 185 (15 per coach). So in terms of making capacity available, TPE was by far the worst with only one seat at a bay of four available and airline seats restricted to one in each block of four at best. A few LNER trains passing Doncaster looked well loaded with at least one person in each row, although some coaches were more lightly loaded. EMR announcement said no reservations were being honoured during the virus, no mention of reservations on Northern, and no reservations tickets out on TPE and the subject was not mentioned in announcements. TPE conductor on Cleethorpes-Doncaster said if anyone needed anything he could be found in the rear cab (not sure how much use that would be for anyone sat in the front set), otherwise no staff passed through or said where there were on located any of the other workings. Signage on Doncaster station saying LNER was reservation-only but no one policing it when passengers boarded. LNER signage also saying "no alcohol on trains" but none of the other operators mentioned the subject in signs or announcements.
All announcements on all operators said masks were mandatory (no mention of exceptions). There were no ticket checks on any of the trains, or at Sheffield, Doncaster or Cleethorpes stations - Derby station had barriers operational for both entry and exit. On Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster and Cleethorpes station I did not use a mask (only put it on just before boarding the trains) and on no occasion was I accosted / questioned / challenged, although I did have occasion to talk to staff at both Sheffield and Doncaster - I estimate mask wearing on platforms and concourses was maybe 50% among customers, 25% among train crew. Every other seat on benches at Sheffield and Doncaster station marked out of use, didn't notice at Derby. Toilets closed at Cleethorpes, didn't notice elsewhere. Didn't notice any hand sanitiser facilities on any station or train.
No shops / cafes / coffee shops were open at Derby station, only Superdrug and The Tap open at Sheffield, Subway open at Doncaster (sadly the Draughtsman was not open!), although the pubs were open on Cleethorpes station. Lesson to learn: if you want reading material such as newspapers, drinks, snacks etc, or even tissues / sanitisers stock up elsewhere.
Excellent fish and chips from Ernie Becketts in Cleethorpes (no sitting in, but no need to pre-order, no one allowed in the shop except staff, orders taken at the door) followed by a pleasant couple of ales. Beach fairly busy above high water mark but deserted elsewhere, donkeys doing good business, amusement arcades open (didn't check to see how busy), seafront paths by roadside busy but not so much as to prevent social distancing, pubs not particularly busy, some cafes open and a few fish and chip shops with queues of up to four or five people waiting outside. Very very few people wearing masks in open spaces.
Thoughts: I absolutely loathed wearing a mask on the trains. Is it enough to discourage me from travelling by train again? Not sure.
if you would like to discuss this further there is a separate thread on the wearing of masks under Coronavirus.