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How busy were your services this weekend?

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samj

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With the recent good weather I noticed trains were a hell of a lot more busier this weekend. Trains to Blackpool were leaving people behind at Preston, and were full to the brim before heading out of Manchester area.

Also Southern were not letting cycles on to their coastal services because of the packed out trains.

Anyone else notice anything?
 
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ChiefPlanner

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FCC Saturday St Albans to London were 8 cars and very healthily loaded, as indeed they were on Sunday. Services announced as 4 cars were turning up as 8 , indicating "on the day" strengthening. Good result.

Only used the District line in London , and that was very busy indeed - more so than the normal Saturday. Chelsea Flower show helped in that respect.
 

Eeveevolve

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My usual 17:25 TPE from Leeds to HUD was half as empty as usual last saturday. Thats usually the case though. people are happier to stay in Leeds longer when it's nice.
 

calc7

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London Bridge to Brighton and back was rammed. Luckily, knowing train lengths and stop boards meant a table of 4 was found for my party. :)
 

PR1Berske

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The Blackpool platforms at Preston were stuffed at all the times I saw them

I was on the way to/from Freshfield which was similarly crowded
 

Robinson

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London Marylebone-Birmingham Moor Street yesterday morning was very busy (no doubt a lot of the passengers would also have been using the 50p promo!); the return was slightly quieter (and despite being handed an extra stop at Wembley Stadium, there was absolutely no football traffic at all when we got there!).

The 2235 back from Waterloo was as busy as I've ever seen it, although half the train seemed to leave at Woking.
 

Failed Unit

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Scotrail service to / from Edinburgh were very over crowded yesterday (but not strengthened) maybe the marathon not helping. Annoying when you are in a sardine train to pass Haymarket to see all those lovely trains doing nothing.
 

glenbogle

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Scotrail service to / from Edinburgh were very over crowded yesterday (but not strengthened) maybe the marathon not helping. Annoying when you are in a sardine train to pass Haymarket to see all those lovely trains doing nothing.

Usual scenario on a Sunday, poor service from Edb - Abd with not one direct service between 14:27 (East Coast) and 17:05 (Scotrail)
 

philjo

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The St Pancras-Margate train I used on saturday morning was very busy. for once a lot of people got on at Stratford International & the platform was packed at Ashford & Canterbury West (where I got off)

My KX-Cambridge service coming home seemed to be less busy than normal but there were also a few large plants on there obviously coming from the Saturday 4pm Chelsea plant sell off.
 

317666

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All the public service trains I went on (Cambridge - Liv St, Liv St - Shenfield, Shenfield - Stratford, Stratford - Cambridge) weren't noticeably busier or emptier.
 

142094

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Darlington - Saltburn line was particularly busy on Saturday, with most people going to the beach at Redcar. Still didn't stop a lot of 'yoofs' with their BMXs etc trying to get on at some of the stations, even though anyone with a bit of common sense would have realised that the trains would be packed and therefore little room for one bicycle, never mind five of them.
 

ainsworth74

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I was on a Doncaster - Bridlington service on Sunday afternoon (the 1556) which was formed of a two car 158 and a pair of 153s and between Doncaster and Hull it definitely needed the extra capacity as it was noticeably busier than normal on that route.
 

Ivo

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I dread to think what it would have been like going to Southend. Hot and clear conditions mixed with the small matter of the annual airshow :|
 

jonb

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Went to Blackpool this weekend (for a stag party though rather than to soak up the sun!). Caught the 07:27 Peterborough - Manchester, formed of 2 158's which wasn't too busy throughout.

It was then onto the 10:46 FTPE service and we somehow got a table seat! This must have been one of the busiest trains I've been on outside of London. All aisles and vestibule areas were full of people/prams/luggage and many were left behind. The guard did a good job of apologising for the overcrowding and de-classified first class.

Coming back we got the 10:44 from Blackpool North, FTPE again and not overly busy until we reached Bolton where it was standing room only.

Final home bound train was to be the 12:44 Manchester - Peterborough, a late arrival due to problems near Sheffield with the ECS and a two car 158 duly arrived. How East Midlands Trains can justify running two carriages on the first train from the North West to Anglia really does puzzle me. Train was very busy most of the way to Nottingham where it seemed to tip out.

Overall I think EMT need to rethink diagramming, even adding extra capacity for the Manchester - Nottingham stretch would have been suitable.
 

MCR247

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All trains between Liverpool and Nottingham are booked four car on Mondays to Saturdays. I'm not sure about Sundays though
 

CC 72100

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Unsurprisingly, there were a lot more on the 8:57 PLY - NQY and it's return working the 11:21 NQY - PAD this weekend with the good weather. Trains into Paignton were'nt particularly busy, nor going out - one of the XC staff proudly informed me that there I was one of just 27 on the 16:36 PGN - LDS, although a good 50 or so got on at Dawlish at Teignmouth, definately as a result of the weather - it was distinctly quieter the week before!
 

Pen Mill

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25/5 09:41 2 car 150 FGW Yeovil Pen Mill-Bristol ; quite busy
25/5 12:00 5 car 221 XC Bristol - Manchester ; half full
25/5 17:07 3 car 185 TPE Manchester - Birchwood ; half full
26/5 08:50 3 car 185 TPE Birchwood - Manchester ; quiet
26/50 11:04 3 car 323 Northern Man Picc - Crewe ; very quiet
26/5 15:28 3 car 175 ATW Crewe- Man Picc; Quiet
26/5 17:07 3 car 185 TPE Man Picc - Birchwood; half full
27/5 11:06 2 car 142 Northern Birchwood-Man Oxford Rd , Mad busy !
27/5 11:37 3 car 175 ATW Man Ox-Man Picc ; busy
27/5 13:42 5 car 221 XC Man Picc-Bristol ; half full
27/5 17:44 3 car 150 FGW Bristol-Westbury ; 3/4 full ; train was terminated due to absent driver on crew change.
 
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howittpie

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Friday 19:02 Nottingham-St Pancras so full not everyone got on due to cricket same at Loughborough where myself and lots of other got off but still some left behind not helped by the train arriveing in Nottingham as a 10 car and leaving a 5 car train with 11 carriges of passengers. usual cock up by EMT
Sat 10:05 Solihull-Marylebone got some of the last seats anyone boarding further south had to stand so rammed
19:30 return busy but seats available
 

iphone76

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I dread to think what it would have been like going to Southend. Hot and clear conditions mixed with the small matter of the annual airshow :|

The trains I saw passing Wickford to and from Southend seemed fine. I think the fact they were 12 cars all weekend running at least every 10/15 minutes on Saturday and 15 mins for most of the day on Sunday must have helped. Not sure about the air-conditioned c2c line, although I know they were all 8 cars with extra trains running from Laindon and Grays to Southend Central.
 
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