How busy have your trains been?

[Jamesrob637]

I took exactly the same trains today as I did yesterday and loadings were if anything a little down and Manchester a little bit quieter. Let's see what tomorrow and Friday bring. I'm not sure yet whether I'm watching the England vs Scotland match at home or in town.

 

[davews]

It is Ascot week..... When I came back on the train tonight I expected hoards to be waiting to get on at Ascot, like they have in previous years. I know the capacity is limited and they have to do LFT tests etc to get in. Yes, there were a few waiting but only half a dozen or so in my carriage (including three young kids who seemed to be stoned out of their mind..) but that was it. Plus a few in fancy hats at Waterloo when I arrived this morning. But way way down on what we would have expected. It looks like the capacity limit at the races has hugely affected the attendance by Joe public.
Trains up and back on Reading line busy but far from packed. Tube though definitely busy.

 

[Bald Rick]

Royal Ascot has 12,000 people each day this year vs 70,000 normally.

 

[infobleep]

I boarded the slightly late running 20:12 Haywards Heath to London Victoria.

In coach one four ladies boarded.

I boarded coach 3 and counted 6 people. I then moved to coach 4 where there was 2 people in standard class and 1 in first class. My previous comments about why would anyone buy a first-class ticket still apply. More money than sense, assuming they purchased a ticket.

Coach 5 was also three people, including myself. I thought this might be closest to the stairs at Gatwick Airport vut actually coach 3 was also close to the stairs at Gatwick Airport.

Once at Gatwick Airport I walked around for the 8:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading service.

As I got onto the platform the service to form it was pulling in. It was a minute early. I mention this because officially I should have got the 19:53 from Hayward a Heath as the 20:12 isn't an official connection.

Hey happily allow 4 minutes for the train to arrive and depart Gatwick Airport but insist I should allow 10 minutes. I should really contact them and ask them to shorten the minimum connection time but I can't imagine they would listen. Maybe I do them a disservice.

Anyway, I'm happy to forgo my delay repay opportunities and incur less hanging around at Gatwick Airport every time I wish to catch a train. It would be an additional 18-minute wait, on top of the 6 minutes I allowed

I got on carriage 2 on the 20:29 with one other person. I decided it was messy and if try another. The next carriage had maybe 1 person on it vut again a little messy.

So I opted for the back carriage which maybe had 1 to 3 other people on it.

By the time we left Reshull my carriage, now the first carriage, had 8 people on it.

Redhill more popular station at this time it seems.

No idea if a certain match between two countries is keeping people away from the trains.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Spent the past couple of days travelling around the Cardiff Valleys and some well loaded services, although some frequencies are lower than pre Covid I believe.

 

[MDB1images]

The afternoon Glasgow to Liverpool and teatime Liverpool to Glasgow was at pre Covid loadings today.

 

[HST274]

Got the 1726 University to Hereford yesterday, a 2 car 172/0. Very well loaded for covid with no pairs of seats empty.

 

[trainophile]

Boarded the 0931 Man Picc to Carmarthen at Shrewsbury yesterday - a two coacher again (shame on me I can't remember if it was a 175 or 158, and I know they are very different but I'm not one for noticing such things unless it's pointed out to me ). It was pretty packed coming into Shrewsbury, a few people got off there, but nowhere near as many as got on, and by Leominster there were people standing and everyone had a partner or a stranger sat next to them. I got off at Hereford, wonder what it was like by Newport and Cardiff.

Still I understand TfW are at last buying some larger capacity stock, bring it on.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

09.42 King's Cross - King's Lynn: About 80% of all seats taken, although quite a high proportion bailed out at Cambridge still a decent volume on board at the destination.

16.44 King's Lynn - King's Cross: Fairly quiet upon departure but most seats taken from Cambridge. Possibly distorted a bit by three additional stops being inserted ( Royston, Letchworth and Hitchin ) owing to other trains being cancelled.

 

[infobleep]

8Earlier I got the slightly late running 13:49 Guildford to Woking. It was a class 444. Some people got off and more good on. I didn't count the numbers but seemed to be reasonable amount of space and in coach 5 I got a table seat.

I then switched to the 13:59 Woking to Surbiton service, a class 450. I wasn't paying attention to passenger numbers but it wasn't packed. Not empty either.

In the evening I opted for the late-running 17:18 Surbiton to Guildford, which departed 17:29. At least 18 got off the carriage I got on., carriage 6 of 8. K then moved to coach 5. I could have boarded the 17:27 but as that has no loo so I decided to see what this train was like. This being a class 450, that one being a class 455.

The 17:18 may have gained extra people due to the delay from Waterloo. They were awaiting a member of the train crew.

There were people on board but still plenty of space to sit. There was a ticket check and we came to a standard between Surbiton and Esher for no given reason.

From doing my own investigative research I could see that the fast train to Portsmouth was pathed down the Guildford New Lone and the stopping service is timed to take an extra 3 minutes to reach Hinchley Wood, hence we got stuck in a queue.

As we went down the line the train thinned out. The guard apologied for the delay and said if over 15 minutes late could claim delay repay. I doubt the train will be 15 minutes late.

Correct, it was only 9 minutes late in. It departed Woling 12 minutes late and was at times 15 to 16 minutes late at earlier stations. Gods to show how much padding or waiting around for a platform to be available there is on this service.


Still we got in before 17:27.

As for the train it certainly isn't busy like it use to be. No idea what the 17:48 Surbtion to Guildford is like these days. I think less got kn the 17:27 at Surbtion than the 17:18 but more stayed on board compared to the 17:18.

 

[Ianno87]

On 1939 King's Cross-King's Lynn.

Pre-Covid, I'd have expected maybe 50% loading. Right now, 3 or 4 passengers per carriage.

This is where the railway is missing its passengers.

 

[Jamesrob637]

17:24 Manchester to Buxton yesterday. A fair few seats taken, but nowhere near how it would've been pre-COVID. 4-car though.

 

[james60059]

SATURDAY 19th JUNE:

10:09 Nuneaton - Birmingham New Street - 170620. 21 passengers in front coach.
10:50 Birmingham New Street - Worcester Foregate Street - 172216. Full to SD capacity by Bromsgrove.
12:02 Worcester Foregate Street - Hereford - 800021. Third coach had 2 others in, but they bailed at Ledbury.
13:18 Hereford - Worcester Foregate Street - 800021. Fourth coach, every pair of seats taken on departing Hereford.
14:24 Worcester Foregate Street - Bromsgrove - 172007. First coach had 6 passengers. Everyone seemed to go for the second unit (a 172/2).
14:48 Bromsgrove - Longbridge - 323210. First coach had 4 pax (this was a 6-car train).
15:08 Longbridge - Redditch - 323208. Third coach also had 4 pax on. (Again, this was a 6-car train).
15:32 Redditch - Birmingham New Street - 323243 (same pair as going in). First coach to myself as far as Kings Norton.
16:22 Birmingham New Street - Crewe - 350410. First coach had 11 pax. Most passengers went into the rear 2 carriages
17:51 Crewe - Birmingham New Street - 350130. 8th coach (2x350), just myself.
19:04 Birmingham New Street - Coventry - 221141. Full to SD capacity in the 6th coach (coach 1-5 was 211138).
19:37 Coventry - Leamington Spa - 172343. First coach had 2 passengers.
20:02 Leamington Spa - Nuneaton - 172343. 18 boarded at Leamington Spa, and about 8 boarded at Kenilworth - most got off in Coventry for another fresh load to board.

Seems 3 coach trains are becoming the norm on a Saturday from Nuneaton to Coventry and Leamington - last time I seen a 3-coach train was back in Central Trains Days

 

[LowLevel]

Monday 21st June
1150 Leicester to Nuneaton - 3 car 170. Not busy but far from empty either. Maybe 50 or so on board.

1217 Nuneaton to Coventry - 2 car 172. Quite busy - most seating bays occupied.

1249 Coventry to Bletchley - 8 car 350
Front coach or two quiet. The rest of the train (particularly the lower density 350/1 on the back) were well filled with 4 to a table etc. I hid in the declassified first class area with 4 other travellers.

1416 Bletchley to Bedford - 2 car 230
About 10 on board from Bletchley with a few getting on and off en route until Stewartby was reached whereby the train became full and standing with students.

1526 Bedford to Wellingborough - 8 car 360
3rd coach had me with 1 other in it, quite a few got off at Bedford though. Several waiting to board at Wellingborough.
1638 Wellingborough to Kettering - 4 car 360
Busier than the train an hour before but still plenty of room. A healthy number of people got off at Kettering.
1652 Kettering to Nottingham - 4 car 222
Most rows taken in standard class.

 

[pnepaul]

First decent trip in a while

10.02 Chester to Manchester Picadilly via Knutsford. Very few at Chester, gradually filled up en route, a few alighted at Altrincham. About 1/3 full overall
12.27 Picadilly to Birmingham New St. Just me in 1st Class lol. Train manager said just 20 in the 5 car portion of the 9 car set. I got off at New Street. Quite a lot got on for the onward to journey to Reading
14.25 TFW New St to Shrewbury full but not standing
15.56 TFW Shrewsbury to Crewe full but not standing.

 

[S&CLER]

My NW Rover, 1st day of 4 today: 09:17 Southport-Wigan, 4 -car 769, about 20% full; 10:26 Wigan-Carlisle, 11 car Pendolino, about half full with someone (or more than one) in every seating bay; 13:40 Carlisle-Leeds, 3-car 158, about 25 boarded at Carlisle; 16:15 Leeds-Lime Street, not too busy after Huddersfield; 18:14 Liverpool Central to Southport (6-car) nearly as busy as a normal weekday evening. Other trains observed: 10:11 Wigan-London seemed busy, 10:21 Wigan-Barrow not so well loaded; 13:32 Carlisle-Morpeth (2-car) had a fair crowd waiting at Carlisle.

 

[pnepaul]

Yesterday (23rs)

9.30 Avanti Crewe to Euston. Standard well filled. Same for my 1st Class carriage
12.02 EMT St Pancras to Sheffield. Again, well filled, as was my 1st Class carriage - until Derby after which I was alone lol.
15.15 TPE Sheffield to Stockport. Six car set filled to Safe Distancing capacity.

 

[infobleep]

Today I boarded the 7:07 Guildford to Reading service. Coach 1: 3 people, coach 2: 6 people and coach 3: 6 people, including myself, one of whom was in first class. Not me I must add.

Maybe they have a much longer journey. To be fair first class is nicer than standard class on these services. Can't say that about all the train services in the southeast.

The train did start at Shalford so I imagine most got on at Guildford.

No wonder I got a £5 advanced purchase ticket last week to Oxford. I didn't check the prices to Reading but as this service isn't reservable, maybe there is no advanced purchase ticket.

If they want to encourage people back, they could make this service at a cheaper price.

Not sure if anyone got on at Wanborough, one of the few times of the day when there is a direct train service to Reading. Some did get on at Ash. Maybe it will liven up as we go along

Once we got to Reading 15 people got off coach 3, including myself. There had been sine lighting aling the route. So not a packed additional peak service. It is a Friday

On the 8:19 Reading to Oxford, I count about 12 people in coach C. The trolley came through. They had hot porridge but no sandwiches. I decided to just get some water, to support the onboard catering and get a full English elsewhere. I imagine up to 10 people got off lost carriages at Reading.

I almost could have missed the train as I didn't hear it come in. I was on my phone and on a platform a few platforms. Ehund me was a diesel service making a racket. These electric trains see fairly quiet. With the platform being wide and one looking at their phone, reading this very forum!, it's easy to nit notice the trains arrival.

Still I did and I made it onboard.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Let's hear it for a minor service off the radar - 1415 Beckenham Junction to London Bridge via the exotic route of Crystal Palace , Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye. 8 car 455.

Light on departure , but did good intermittent business with a good 100+ on arrival. Other observed Southern metro services loading nicely. Not bad at all for off peak.

London Bridge as a station decently busy , pretty much back to normal I would say. Well , what used to be normal.

 

[yorksrob]

TPE seems to be struggling today.

Seen a 6 carriage 185 go by at Leeds with the back 3 carriages out of use, followed by a cosy single 185.

A bit too much like 'classic' TPE for my taste.

 

[davews]

Today, Martins Heron to Waterloo and back for the protest march. Trains pretty busy both ways. Coming back our coach was effectively full and standing but thinned out to half full at Twickenham - seems there was a match on today.

 

[NoMorePacers]

The concourse at Liverpool Street was rather busy this afternoon I noted - plus the c2c services coming into Liverpool Street from my observation all looked well loaded.

 

[Kite159]

Some busy trains from Bargoed/Rhymmey towards Cardiff yesterday. I dread to think how wedged out they would have been come Caerphilly.

 

[route101]

0737 from Glasgow to Lancaster. Service fairly busy, was shown as sold out on Avanti website. Though I had a day return to Lancaster.

 

[infobleep]

Travelling back Friday evening on the 22:32 Oxford to London Paddington I found the train to be quiet.

What was odd was that I was travelling to Guildford and to save money, Trainsplit told me to alight at Didcot. I didn't get home any later by doing so, just split my waiting time across two stations.

However, it transpired my journey between Didcot and Reading, was not a compulsory reservation, so why don't they just leave me on the previous train? Is that because I must have a reservation and no reservations existed for that service? The train was fairly empty.

I only figured this out once I'd got off though.

Still, I got to have a brief look around Didcot. I was probably last at that station in 1999 (minus passing through on a train).

The next train to Reading seemed busier oddly enough, given it was the one I was told to catch.

The train to Gatwick, the 23:34, was the last one of the night so had a few heading home after a night out. For example a group of young people who'd been out drinking

What is it about ladies who go to use the train loos in groups? Not something I've ever done since I was too young to go alone. I only noticed this as I was sat opposite the loo.

Today I got on a late running 12:40 Guildford to Gatwick Airport. Quite a few for off at Guildford. Easily 20.

The next train, the 13:32 to Brighton also had a group of young people on it. Less busy towards the back I felt.

 

[FrodshamJnct]

Everywhere I’ve been today around the North West has been much busier than my last NW rover. Manchester Piccadilly almost feels almost right for 13:10 on a weekday, still not quite as busy as it used to feel.

 

[bramling]

Everywhere I’ve been today around the North West has been much busier than my last NW rover. Manchester Piccadilly almost feels almost right for 13:10 on a weekday, still not quite as busy as it used to feel.

Similar around the London area - most off-peak trains are back to roughly normal loadings I'd say. It's really just the high peak which is suppressed in places - 0800 is still very quiet, quieter than the off-peak in some (not all) places. Even that is picking up though.

I think the worries about empty trains forever are quickly turning out to be unfounded. There will come a point when the roads become too congested to absorb any more - certainly locally we're back to the days of road journeys being an assault course, something pleasantly absent at times over the last year.

 

[Bald Rick]

The Thameslink peak services to / from the MML are much the same as they have been since April. Probably about 25% of pre Covid. Off peak is much better.

London is definitely getting busier overall though.

 

[Killingworth]

I think the worries about empty trains forever are quickly turning out to be unfounded. There will come a point when the roads become too congested to absorb any more - certainly locally we're back to the days of road journeys being an assault course, something pleasantly absent at times over the last year.

Perhaps not empty trains, but it's far too early to tell how it will all settle down. It's certainly too early to say worries are quickly turning out to be unfounded.

My local experience, both on trains and speaking to former rail users, is that very many commuters have adapted very well to working from home and will not be returning 4 or 5 days a week as before, and many won't return one day a week. They won't be travelling to as many business meetings either. However, if the TOCs can make their trains more welcoming (masks, seat booking, costs) leisure may soon exceed pre-Covid on some routes. On some services it possibly already has.

Clearly there are going to be some very big variations, regional, local and times of day and week. Over the next 3 or 4 years it will settle down to a new normal. And yes, having travelled about 1500 miles by road in the last fortnight I get the point about congestion, but that's likely to encourage more to WFH than to use trains.

 

[Ianno87]

Perhaps not empty trains, but it's far too early to tell how it will all settle down. It's certainly too early to say worries are quickly turning out to be unfounded.

I'll repeat my example from last week. Went to pub in London, back on 19xx train. Pre-Covid would have expected at least half full. Last week was 5-10 passengers per carriage.

There is still a long way to go at certain times of day, particularly the 9-5 office workers, and whether or not they'll ever return in the same numbers again.