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How busy have your trains been?

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dk1

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Commuting by rail was apparently at 33% a few weeks ago but is steadily climbing. Services seem very busy indeed into Liverpool St this week & the (almost) full peak timetable being introduced next week will be very welcome indeed.
 
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Killingworth

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Perhaps EMR have deliberately priced certain services up in anticipation of short formation, and in accordance with their reduced timetable. Ir is the 0635 from Nottingham booked with two coaches?

It's supposed to be booked as 4 coach 158. It used to be and currently seems to be, but operational issues of any kind can cause one unit to be missing and 156s may substitute. 153s often strengthened trains but they haven't appeared for quite some time. Last time I used that train it had 2 coaches, it was standing room only and most passengers were unmasked.

I'd agree, pricing is a factor. Why offer cheap deals when you're filling the trains? Even with 4 coaches that one tends to be busy.
 

Starmill

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It's supposed to be booked as 4 coach 158. It used to be and currently seems to be, but operational issues of any kind can cause one unit to be missing and 156s may substitute. 153s often strengthened trains but they haven't appeared for quite some time. Last time I used that train it had 2 coaches, it was standing room only and most passengers were unmasked.

I'd agree, pricing is a factor. Why offer cheap deals when you're filling the trains? Even with 4 coaches that one tends to be busy.
Has it actually run as a four car any day this week? Today again it is a two car.
 

Killingworth

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Has it actually run as a four car any day this week? Today again it is a two car.

It would be helpful if EMR added their details to RTT. Their seat finder on their website gives 276 as the number of seats on all Nottingham - Liverpool services and predicts this one will be quiet. (Friday is a day TPE used to run 3 cars on services that were 6 the rest of the week. Now we can see what's coming and 6 is the normal number 7 days a week.)

I live near the line and all the EMR Norwich - Liverpool services through Sheffield I've seen this week have been 4 car. But I'm rarely watching as early as 7.30 unless using a train! Currently I'd avoid that one unless going to Liverpool.
 

westv

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Just looking at the seat reservations map on LNER now and it looks like my 17:18 Kings X to Hull service is going to be almost full up to Doncaster.
 

trainophile

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Several TfWs full & standing on the Marches again today. Fridays seem particularly bad. 20x 2-coaches out on 3-coach runs. 1531 MAN-Carmarthen started from Crewe as the inbound terminated there ”due to overcrowding“. Far worse than pre-pandemic these days.
 

squizzler

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Several TfWs full & standing on the Marches again today. Fridays seem particularly bad. 20x 2-coaches out on 3-coach runs. 1531 MAN-Carmarthen started from Crewe as the inbound terminated there ”due to overcrowding“. Far worse than pre-pandemic these days.
Perhaps that is due to working-from-home upsizing Londoners all buying houses in the Marches and bringing their train reliant lifestyle with them?
 

yorksrob

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It was quite cheering to see hoards of people sweeping off of trains from all directions at Carlisle Citadel yesterday.
 

LowLevel

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4-500 on board 1003 Liverpool to Peterborough leaving Newton le Willows. 4 car 158+156 full front to back. Lots of festival goers and football fans it seems.
 

Ianno87

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Yesterday:

0747 Cambridge to Liverpool Street (0855). 5-car 720. Lightly loaded - typically 1-2 people per bay of seats.

Watched the 0739 King's Cross fast depart - about 75% of seats occupied.


Went for 1837 back from Liv St (8-car 379) that was then cancelled. Most passengers went for the 1843 (also 8-car 379) which could accommodate both train loads pretty much fully seated. I hung back for the 1907 (4 car), maybe 50% od seats taken.

Also saw the 1900 Norwich loading - 12 car 745, pretty much every seat taken in standard along the length of the train. Liverpool St - Norwich seems to be consistently well-loaded.
 

Mike395

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Currently on a Nottingham-Luton EMR service which is about half-loaded (writing this approaching Leicester) - but first time I've seen a trolley service in Standard since the pandemic started so demand is seemingly returning enough for them to bother with it!

Saw a Birmingham-bound CrossCountry service at Derby at about half 8 this morning that looked very cosy inside!
 

trainophile

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It was quite cheering to see hoards of people sweeping off of trains from all directions at Carlisle Citadel yesterday.
Wonder how many of them had been standing from Glasgow or Edinburgh. I can't go along with this enthusiasm for packed trains. Even before the pandemic more capacity was obviously needed on many lines.
 

infobleep

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Just missed the 6:39 service from Guildford to Waterloo so ended up on the 6:54 stopping service which runs fast to Woking. Starts from platform 4 to. Nice to head north from platform 4. Don't happen so often, save obviously this train.

This train had few people on it but mostly empty. So grateful this stopping service starts from Guildford as the next train to Woking isn't until 07:35.

I was going to miss the 06:58 to Weymouth but thanks to a late-running train to Haslemere, it was held up. So I wasn't 55 minutes late.

Train was'nt pack but not empty either.
Probably 5-10 people in the front coach of this 5 car train. Busier in other carriages.

Every table was taken but I recently got a table after Bournemouth.

Interestingly the train was 8-minutes late departing Woking but on time from Southampton. Shoes how much padding there is in the timetable.

I'm visiting a friend for a birthday BBQ but as I have a free train travel ticket, decided to visit Weymouth for breakfast first.
 

yorksrob

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Wonder how many of them had been standing from Glasgow or Edinburgh. I can't go along with this enthusiasm for packed trains. Even before the pandemic more capacity was obviously needed on many lines.

Very few as they were from the S&C and Cumbrian coast routes :lol:

The three carriage 158 I had arrived on was well loaded but comfortably so.
 

Ianno87

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Very few as they were from the S&C and Cumbrian coast routes :lol:

The three carriage 158 I had arrived on was well loaded but comfortably so.

So "hoardes" is about 5 or 6 carriages worth of seated passengers?
 

PHILIPE

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TFW Tweets building again today especially regarding 2 Carriages along the Coast on a Chester Race day. Also Swansea to Cardiff corridor (always busy) aggravated by two GWR London cancellations due to traincrew shortage
 
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Bikeman78

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Yesterday:

0747 Cambridge to Liverpool Street (0855). 5-car 720. Lightly loaded - typically 1-2 people per bay of seats.

Watched the 0739 King's Cross fast depart - about 75% of seats occupied.


Went for 1837 back from Liv St (8-car 379) that was then cancelled. Most passengers went for the 1843 (also 8-car 379) which could accommodate both train loads pretty much fully seated. I hung back for the 1907 (4 car), maybe 50% od seats taken.

Also saw the 1900 Norwich loading - 12 car 745, pretty much every seat taken in standard along the length of the train. Liverpool St - Norwich seems to be consistently well-loaded.
The GEML is much busier than the West Anglia line. The Hertford trains do fill up in the peaks again. The only really wedged 317 I have been on since March last year was a single set on Stansted express. Glad I did it though. It went round most of the curves on 16 wheels with an impressive early arrival at Harlow.
 

CC 72100

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Commuting by rail was apparently at 33% a few weeks ago but is steadily climbing. Services seem very busy indeed into Liverpool St this week & the (almost) full peak timetable being introduced next week will be very welcome indeed.
As you're the 'man on the ground' for all things AGA/Liverpool Street related, do you know if there will be any increase to Stansted Express frequencies as part of this?

From what I can gather it's 2 trains an hour at present for most of the day, whereas it used to be every 15 minutes (obviously I can understand the reasons why!)

I'm off to France next week (flying from Stansted), don't think I've ever been so excited to get on a likely boring 737 as I am for this trip!
 

yorksrob

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An extremely busy Leeds - Morecambe service today (two carriage, 158). All double seats taken all the way to Lancaster.
 

LowLevel

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It would be helpful if EMR added their details to RTT. Their seat finder on their website gives 276 as the number of seats on all Nottingham - Liverpool services and predicts this one will be quiet. (Friday is a day TPE used to run 3 cars on services that were 6 the rest of the week. Now we can see what's coming and 6 is the normal number 7 days a week.)

I live near the line and all the EMR Norwich - Liverpool services through Sheffield I've seen this week have been 4 car. But I'm rarely watching as early as 7.30 unless using a train! Currently I'd avoid that one unless going to Liverpool.
The 0635 ish Nottingham to Liverpool is currently booked for a 2 car 158. The reason is that the 0520 ish Nottingham to Liverpool sits there for an hour (it saves a pass up there, drive back entire driver diagram) and then couples up snd returns as a 4 car on 1L09.
 

VideozVideoz

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07:54 Sheff-Cleethorpes started off fairly quiet but picked up passengers along the way. Almost full by the end of the line. 2-car 150

21:14 Sheff-Manchester. Very busy on departure. Incoming service looked pretty full when passengers disembarked (it was 30mins late). There was drunken singing too.
 

Bald Rick

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As you're the 'man on the ground' for all things AGA/Liverpool Street related, do you know if there will be any increase to Stansted Express frequencies as part of this?

From what I can gather it's 2 trains an hour at present for most of the day, whereas it used to be every 15 minutes (obviously I can understand the reasons why!)

I'm off to France next week (flying from Stansted), don't think I've ever been so excited to get on a likely boring 737 as I am for this trip!

It’s a half hourly frequency for the foreseeable future.
 

VideozVideoz

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7/9/21 - 09:20 LDS-CAR. Busy from Leeds, almost full by Skipton. Standing room only from Settle

8/9/21 - 10:19 MBR-WTB. Almost full leaving Middlesbrough. Standing only from approx Great Ayton. Weather had brought everyone out. Next day, not as many on the platform wanting the same train as it was raining
 

Bikeman78

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It’s a half hourly frequency for the foreseeable future.
Any idea why the times change every two hours or so rather than sticking to XX10/XX40 throughout the day? Some randomly miss out Harlow which nearly caught a member of Greater Anglia staff going home! As already noted they're all lightly loaded.
 

dk1

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As you're the 'man on the ground' for all things AGA/Liverpool Street related, do you know if there will be any increase to Stansted Express frequencies as part of this?

From what I can gather it's 2 trains an hour at present for most of the day, whereas it used to be every 15 minutes (obviously I can understand the reasons why!)

I'm off to France next week (flying from Stansted), don't think I've ever been so excited to get on a likely boring 737 as I am for this trip!
Evening, sorry for the delayed reply. We’ve only been told that due to the ongoing lull in airport passengers & the uplift in capacity offered on the 745s that the half-hourly frequency is likely to remain in place until at least May of next year.

Even the 737 will be an worthy of a celebration. Have a good flight & trip away.
 

westv

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Kings X seemed almost normal on Friday at 17:00 although it seemed like mostly leisure travellers.
Do GN services still call at platorms 0-7? Seemed to be just Azumas.
 

dk1

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Kings X seemed almost normal on Friday at 17:00 although it seemed like mostly leisure travellers.
Do GN services still call at platorms 0-7? Seemed to be just Azumas.
Yes I caught the 10:42 Thameslink this morning from platform 8 to Cambridge on that side. The concourse was very busy indeed with three Edinburgh departures between 11:00-11:30 & a Hull Trains service boarding. The upper mezzanine level was buzzing with queues at all station catering outlets. All very back to normal.
 

87015

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Yes I caught the 10:42 Thameslink this morning from platform 8 to Cambridge on that side. The concourse was very busy indeed with three Edinburgh departures between 11:00-11:30 & a Hull Trains service boarding. The upper mezzanine level was buzzing with queues at all station catering outlets. All very back to normal.
Plenty of nice and half full IETs York-KX this evening, feared worst after Great North Run but only the presumably cheaper GC was approaching full. Nonsense of a pair of 5-cars on LNER and everyone reserved on one and empty coaches in other persists...
 
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