How busy have your trains been?

[Andy Pacer]

Stupid local train broke down at Flixton. If anybody knows what was working that I'd be interested.

I gathered it was "a fault on a train in front of this one" although it only seemed to cost 10 mins so didn't seem like a total breakdown.

 

[trainophile]

The guidance is essential travel only in Central Belt.

And yet they are saying there's no need to cancel any booked holidays in this area. But as you say, currently it's just "guidance".

In a similar way, those living outside the central belt are being advised to avoid unnecessary travel into these areas.
This remains advice rather than a mandatory restriction, however, and the first minister said in her statement to the Scottish Parliament that no-one needs to call off a planned stay during the October holiday.
"We are not imposing mandatory travel restrictions at this stage, and specifically, we are not insisting that people cancel any half-term breaks they have planned," she said.

Covid in Scotland: Your questions answered on the new restrictions

As a 16-day period of additional Covid restrictions begins, we answer your most common questions about the new rules.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[route101]

And yet they are saying there's no need to cancel any booked holidays in this area. But as you say, currently it's just "guidance".

Covid in Scotland: Your questions answered on the new restrictions

As a 16-day period of additional Covid restrictions begins, we answer your most common questions about the new rules.

www.bbc.co.uk

I may go out this week , two minds about it.

 

[trainophile]

I may go out this week , two minds about it.

I have trips booked in Troon in two weeks, and Irvine the first week in November. As it stands they are cancellable (not the trains though, being Advances). Suppose I had better wait and see what is announced tomorrow.

 

[greyman42]

Was on the 1306 KX to Retford and on the 1641 back.
In my carriage coach L first class there were 11 on the way up and 10 on the return. There were also quite a few in K.
Most surprisingly there also was an American tourist heading to York chatting away with another passenger towards the rear.!

York is very busy with tourists/day trippers at the moment.

 

[jonnyfan]

The Hope Valley stoppers remain extremely popular on the weekends, the sunny weather this morning brought them out in droves, heading on for 200 passengers onboard leaving Piccadilly on successive morning services today. Very much full and some standing on 3 carriage 195s.

 

[route101]

York is very busy with tourists/day trippers at the moment.

That was my experience of York a month ago, it was a warm Sunday.

 

[route101]

I have trips booked in Troon in two weeks, and Irvine the first week in November. As it stands they are cancellable (not the trains though, being Advances). Suppose I had better wait and see what is announced tomorrow.
[/QUOTE)

I live just outside Glasgow so its something more local maybe as far as Edinburgh.

 

[rg177]

1858 King's Cross to Newcastle this evening is a 9 car Azuma with about 50 people initially going for it on the announcement followed by a steady trickle afterwards. I'd guess about 75 people aboard.

There's only five of us in Coach J though, and K is empty. Most went down the front.

 

[bramling]

Travelled home from London by train this evening, first time since early July. 12-car 700/1, and I'd estimate about no more than 20 on the whole train. Hard to say what's normal for a Sunday evening though, Sunday evening loadings on the GN route had always tended to be fairly variable, one week the train might be heaving, then the next week pretty empty.

Compared to what we've been reading on here about other TOCs, the journey was pretty "normal". The only alterations on the train was a poster about masks (which did mention exemptions), and labels on the doors encouraging distancing. No ticket check (also normal for a Sunday evening), and barriers open at destination. Didn't hear any announcements pertaining to distancing or masks either on the station or on the train. So a cautious well done to GTR!

 

[Jamesrob637]

Travelled home from London by train this evening, first time since early July. 12-car 700/1, and I'd estimate about no more than 20 on the whole train. Hard to say what's normal for a Sunday evening though, Sunday evening loadings on the GN route had always tended to be fairly variable, one week the train might be heaving, then the next week pretty empty.

Compared to what we've been reading on here about other TOCs, the journey was pretty "normal". The only alterations on the train was a poster about masks (which did mention exemptions), and labels on the doors encouraging distancing. No ticket check (also normal for a Sunday evening), and barriers open at destination. Didn't hear any announcements pertaining to distancing or masks either on the station or on the train. So a cautious well done to GTR!

Correct. Sunday late on was so variable pre-COVID. Thameslink is not an operator whereby many people would travel on the Sunday night for an early start on Monday in London, unlike, say EMR or LNER. Almost all of Thameslink's stations are within an hour of the core.

 

[bramling]

Correct. Sunday late on was so variable pre-COVID. Thameslink is not an operator whereby many people would travel on the Sunday night for an early start on Monday in London, unlike, say EMR or LNER. Almost all of Thameslink's stations are within an hour of the core.

Another GTR experience today. This time midday into London ex GN. 700/1 I'd say loading wasn't massively down on normal times, though at this time on a weekday normal loading is light. 1-2 people in each carriage plus a couple of small groups. What was notable was that the demographic was conspicuously more drossy than normal - no "business types" at all, instead quite a few a bit down-at-heel looking young people.

Again the only change to normal was occasional posters regarding masks, and the labels on the door windows about distancing. No ticket check, and no announcements apart from the normal ones.

Did witness some distancing rage. At St Pancras a male boarded and managed to sit in the row right behind a female, in what was otherwise an empty carriage. She went ballistic and ended up storming off. To be fair I'd probably take her side on it, on a very lightly loaded train that's not particularly judicious in the current climate.

 

[bramling]

A similar experience on GTR tonight, evening service from London to GN side. Pretty empty, although again this service would normally be fairly empty (especially on a Monday), however equally normally there would be two 365 services going north at around the same time, so even with 28 carriages worth of service on a 12-car it was still very empty.

Barrier was manned at my station, and 2x BTP there, was waiting for something to be said about masks but it wasn’t.

 

[paul1609]

Yesterday, first rail trip since March,
Marshlink Rye to Ashford 08.49 15 people on 4 car train.
HS1 09.16 to St Pancras 6 people in coach E(normally full)
Early morning Eurostar from Brussels appeared to have only 4 passengers
10.43 Euston to Edinburgh via Birmingham 5 people in coach b max to Wolverhampton.
12.47 Wolverhampton to Pwhellli busiest train of the day maybe 25% on leaving Shrewsbury, busy with schoolkids after Towyn.

 

[baz962]

Currently on a Thameslink service and have just called at at Alban's. Just counted 22 in my carriage , although can't quite see in first class . I'm in the front coach. Second coach back looks around the same and that's as far back as I can see. This is a twelve car 700.

 

[bramling]

A few more GTR experiences. Tuesday was different as the job was totally up the wall as a result of the Stevenage fatality.

However my previous experiences have continued, travelling into London during the midday period and out in the mid evening, I'd say loadings are a little down on normal, but by no means empty. A complete absence of "suit, tie and laptop" types, seen only one all week that fits into that category. No revenue activity on any trains, though station barriers functioning as normal.

The only exception was last night where I went north slightly later than normal, after 22:00. The train was a bit more loaded than others I have taken, hard to say whether this was due to shiftworkers or the curfew. However passing through Farringdon the platforms were conspicuously busier, in fact the busiest I have seen them at any time since March, which does suggest a bit of a "rush" coinciding with hospitality closing - which of course will coincide with shiftworkers as well, so not ideal. It would appear most of this lot were heading south or for the Midland side, rather than the GN side.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

I have just started commuting from Euston to Milton Keynes this week, and honestly Euston station has been depressingly quiet. On Monday I would say there may have been less than 50 people in London Euston station concourse, it was seriously depressing. Trains out of Euston in general have been so quiet. They are a little busier on the way back, but still very empty.

The tube has definetely picked up in terms of passengers, but still extremely quiet in the morning. Both the Piccadilly and Victoria Line have been quite busy in the evening though.

I will also definetely say that Monday's are the quitest day, and Wednesday evening's seem to be be the busiest time at the minute as trains were at their busiest on Wednesday evening.

 

[greyman42]

The tube has definetely picked up in terms of passengers, but still extremely quiet in the morning. Both the Piccadilly and Victoria Line have been quite busy in the evening though.

The Central Line is still quiet through central London and The City, even in the peaks.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

The Central Line is still quiet through central London and The City, even in the peaks.

I don't use the Central Line, but that sadly doesn't surprise me considering the amount of city office workers who will mainly use it in the morning are now likely working from home.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Manchester trams yesterday evening had a few aboard. In their credit there were no trams outside Trafford Bar depot, only the usual few inside undergoing maintenance, and many workings were doubles. You simply can't put doubles on every service without cutting frequencies until the new lot arrive next year. I never felt as though anything was overcrowded apart from maybe very briefly in the city centre where some people might have just been doing academic journeys such as Piccadilly to Deansgate.

 

[rg177]

On board the 0735 XC from Newcastle to Edinburgh. Coach C is empty at present but I could laugh as despite their previous desire for maximum social distancing, all of the reservations in the carriage are bunched at one end!

About a dozen people on the platform when the train arrived.

 

[Bald Rick]

Been into London this week. Morning peak on Thameslink, about 250-300 on a Bedford - Brighton from St Albans. Some people standing to avoid sitting close to other people.

These trains normally have 1200-1500 people on them, and there’s a slightly reduced peak service.

 

[bramling]

Been into London this week. Morning peak on Thameslink, about 250-300 on a Bedford - Brighton from St Albans. Some people standing to avoid sitting close to other people.

These trains normally have 1200-1500 people on them, and there’s a slightly reduced peak service.

I saw my local station busy this evening, the new 2215 Boris rush hour!

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Euston station this morning was really quiet, but this evening it was packed, utterly packed. Their had been disruption on the wcml but most of it had cleared by then.

Also in general piccadilly and Victoria lines were the busiest I've seen them since lockdown this evening. And this was just before 17:00.

 

[bramling]

Euston station this morning was really quiet, but this evening it was packed, utterly packed. Their had been disruption on the wcml but most of it had cleared by then.

Also in general piccadilly and Victoria lines were the busiest I've seen them since lockdown this evening. And this was just before 17:00.

Start of half term for some?

 

[Cletus]

On the same time train as last Saturday and it is probably half as busy , Dover Priory through Ebbsfleet.

 

[telstarbox]

Been into London this week. Morning peak on Thameslink, about 250-300 on a Bedford - Brighton from St Albans. Some people standing to avoid sitting close to other people.

These trains normally have 1200-1500 people on them, and there’s a slightly reduced peak service.

Is that the highest passenger to staff ratio in the UK (in normal times?)

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Start of half term for some?

It must have been that. There were lots of families on Euston concourse. Also my train into Euston was also by far the busiest it had been that week.

 

[bussikuski179]

Not UK but Finland. The 08:24 Helsinki-Kokkola was decently loaded, the first class I was in had about 1 passenger in each row, but not more than that. Decently loaded for a Friday morning. Today, on Saturday, the 11:16 to Pietarsaari-Pedersöre was pretty empty, about 7 people upstairs and 13 downstairs in my coach. The 12:11 back to Kokkola was totally empty, I was the only one in the carriage for a bit.

 

[yorksrob]

The trains around East Lancashire seemed quite busy, considering the lockdown by stealth.