How late is irritating?

[dcsprior]

If my train is 59 late I'm really annoyed. If it's 60 late I'm pleased.

Especially if it isn't 60mins so don't get delay repay.

Yeah, I must say that Delay-Repay affects how I feel about delays too. For my weekly trip of Edinburgh-Kings Cross, my normal thresholds are:

• <10 mins: I don't even consider to be a delay
• 10-20 mins: Enough that I'd notice, and think about mailing colleagues or texting the other half (depending on the direction), but wouldn't stress about it
• 20-30 mins: Feel a bit put-out, as I'd be inconvenienced but wouldn't get anything back for it. Worse if its a train on which I would've caught last bus but am now out of pocket for a taxi
• 30-45 mins: Happy!
• 45-60 mins: Less happy, but still better than 20-30 mins. Even if this makes me miss last bus, the 50% compensation will pay for taxi
• 60-75 mins: Happy!

(I've never had >75 mins)​

I wonder whether it'd be better for the delay-repay percentage to not have big jumps - e.g. have Compensation = (DelayMins*5/3 - 25) %

For local journeys (typically East Croydon - Victoria) I don't think the delay alone has ever been enough to be annoying. What is annoying is when there are delays resulting in reduced capacity, and I see train after train leave containing other passengers who got to the platform after me and pushed ahead to get on.

 

[londiscape]

As most of rail travel is for work (and is on expenses) and I try to leave 30 mins buffer time between expected RT arrival and actual appointment time, delays of less than 15-20 mins don't generally bother me, unless:

- no info is provided. Will echo previous poster about PIS boards showing 'on time' and then continuously incrementing the expected time. Used to p!ss me off something chronic until I discovered realtimetrains.co.uk at which I can usually expect to discover the truth rather than a public display of fiction

- a connection is missed by under 30 seconds. If I get off a late train, rush over to the connecting train platform only to see the doors get locked and the train pulls away I tend to suffer from a bout of platform Tourette's. Not blaming the staff, obviously the connecting train also has a timetable to keep, but it is still frustrating.

 

[Hyphen]

^^^ this

Curiously, I do find Sheffield one of the worst stations for this. The PIS there is seemingly unable to understand anything that happens outside of the station area unless manually told so by a human. It only seems to know a train is arriving when it physically passes the signal into the station.

Sheffield's PIS also seems one of the worst for adding minutes on until something happens, and it's usually bad even at doing that - it'll say "Expected 14:28" when it's already 14:31, at 14:33 it'll say "Expected 14:30"...

... and when the board says a train has 'Arrived' and it is still not visible down 400yds of straight track.

And IMO I find Cardiff Central worst for this. Occasionally I see it mark a late westbound train approaching platforms 3/4 as "Arrived", then change its mind shortly afterwards when it realises the train's still a few minutes away yet.

 

[Roverman]

When the overhead information board on the platform says On Time and it's three minutes after my train should have arrived.

Totally and utterly agree with this statement, I have the NR app on my phone and many times now I've been seeing on the screen a delay of say 8 minutes to my train, announcements on the PA system and yet the Overhead Information Board is STILL saying 'On Time' when it can no longer be that!

The best one was when the 17:40 from Glasgow Central to Euston arrived into Glasgow 20+ minutes late. It showed on the Arrivals Board as being 20+ minutes late but still showed as 'On Time' under the Departures board. There isn't a 20 minute turn around time for this train....

 

[90019]

When the overhead information board on the platform says On Time and it's three minutes after my train should have arrived.

Standing on the platform at Pitlochry seven minutes after my train was due, with the boards still telling me that it's on time.

 

[bb21]

Sheffield's PIS also seems one of the worst for adding minutes on until something happens, and it's usually bad even at doing that - it'll say "Expected 14:28" when it's already 14:31, at 14:33 it'll say "Expected 14:30"...

Sheffield is absolutely terrible. The system appears to automatically increment delays in 3-minute chunks if it doesn't know any better, even if a fitter is attending some sort of train fault in the platform in full view of intending passengers and clearly shaking his head.

Standing on the platform at Pitlochry seven minutes after my train was due, with the boards still telling me that it's on time.

... at which point you must be wondering whether in fact it had already gone, just that no one had bothered to enter that into the system.

 

[alwaystouchout]

Depends on various factors: having connections to make, catching the train from a station with infrequent/irregular services, whether a station has adequate facilities to entertain you on a long-ish delay..

Usually I'm catching a train from a station with frequent services and have no connections to make, so I'd say around 15 mins or more I'd fine irritating.

In some cases a platform alteration is probably more frustrating than a delay.

 

[Domh245]

Being someone who uses LU primarily, I find I only get annoyed when the train is sat between stations for extended periods of time, when the service gets suspended, when the frequency of the service is considerably less than what it should be (17 minute wait as opposed to a 2 minute wait), or in the mornings, when the general public (read pesky school children) take their merry time going up the stairs, creating massive congestion and meaning that I miss the service I was going to get

 

[Essexman]

I find it more irritating to have to listen to repeated apologies for the 'delay and inconvenience caused', when a train is 3 minutes late.

 

[ScottishIain]

That varies from person to person as some staff actually do that and it is always very helpful. Our Cross Country woman the other day was very good at Westgate, northbound we were waiting for a GBRF 66 and its full coal rake to go into Wrenthorpe sidings and it was taking michael and we were sat in westgate for 10 minutes she kept coming on and saying it is because of a slow moving freight train infront.

I had a similar experience with Cross Country when stuck behind a broken down train at Law Junction. The TM kept the passengers up to date with what was going on and informing us what would likely happen etc.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The most angry I've ever been is when the train managed to leave the station eleven minutes early, when I arrived eleven minutes early to watch the damn thing pull off.

(I'm not going to say where this happened, but the TOC response was whelming at best too).

Irritation depends on context for me. I don't get too annoyed at 10-15 minutes on long distance journeys. Five minutes on a commuter journey is annoying though, and it is infuriating on the Tube when you know you're probably going to have to watch three full trains go without you because of the delay.

What really annoys me is when the station monitors show "on time" when it clearly isn't going to be. It seems to happen a lot at Newcastle. The 0833 train isn't going to be on time when it's 0831 and the train is still at Morpeth, is it?

 

[Johnny_w]

This may vary when travelling for other purposes, but when leisure travelling (as an enthusiast - usually wanting to do something in particular but other than that relatively laid back) here's what happens:

Without doubt the most accurate delay-chart I've ever seen! But as Muzer I'm just an enthusiast and leasure traveller.

On the 22nd when I got for my first steam-tour I've left.....4hrs to get from LST to Clapham, so I think I've given myself enough wiggle-room

JW

 

[WelshBluebird]

Quite simply it depends. A ten minute delay on a 3 hour journey is fine, but a ten minute delay on a 5 minute journey is annoying. Anything that causes me to miss a connection is the worst, or when plans (drinks with friends, a meal, whatever) have to be shelved because of the delay.

To add to that, consistent delays are frustrating. My train to and from work is near enough always a few minutes late. The delay itself doesn't bother me, but the fact it happens all the time does!

If I am on a journey when the time I arrive doesn't matter as much, then as others have said, when the delay goes over the threshold for claiming money back I don't mind as much!

 

[CNash]

My connections are fairly tight (less than ten minutes) so a delay of five minutes or more can extend my overall journey time by more than fifteen minutes. Nonetheless, these minor delays are so routine that I've come to accept them, and work are fairly lenient as regards to punctuality, so I only start to get annoyed when the delay is of fifteen minutes or more.

As has been said, a delay of over 30 minutes can be a good thing overall, but only if it's on the SET leg of my journey rather than the SWT one.

 

[fowler9]

I really don't mind as mind as long as I'm kept informed and our local station staff on the Northern network are really good at that. I'd I'm going to work or something else important I always get an earlier train than the last possible one that gets me there in time. Most of my mates who moan about Northern normally get a train scheduled to get them to work 10 seconds before their start time.

 

[Chrisgr31]

All my rail travel is for work or commuting. Generally speaking delays on the way home are more irritaing as thats my time!

Delays of just under a delay repay cutoff point are irritating as are numerous announcements tellings us nothing new. Just missing connections so you see them pull out is particularaly irritating.

Announcements that delays are caused by "congestion" are ver very irritating and used to be a favourite of South Eastern. Fortunately they have now changed them to say congestion caused by x, y and z.

 

[JackClare]

I quite rarely take trains these days, the only service I do ever get often is the 7:30 ATW Manchester Piccadilly - Carmarthen service on a Saturday, and one back in the evening, and these generally run quite well. On Saturday night coming back from Hereford to Manchester, approaching Wem the train slowly came to a halt just before the level crossing. I heard the driver's door open and then close and we set off but we must have been sat there about 7 minutes. No announcement. I'm generally okay with delayed trains but when there's no announcement about it, I must admit I do get a tad wound up

 

[EM2]

I think that I am a) incredibly lucky, because I can't remember the last time I had a delay of more than fifteen minutes and b) incredibly tolerant, because when I have had a delay, I just don't mind.
I use either GA or LO at least once a day, and LU at least twice a day, and yet I just don't get delayed.

There is an anti-FCC tweeter who proclaims that 155 trains home have been late this year, meaning they've suffered 25 hours of delays. That averages out at less than ten minutes per delayed train. Big deal.

 

[fowler9]

I think that I am a) incredibly lucky, because I can't remember the last time I had a delay of more than fifteen minutes and b) incredibly tolerant, because when I have had a delay, I just don't mind.
I use either GA or LO at least once a day, and LU at least twice a day, and yet I just don't get delayed.

There is an anti-FCC tweeter who proclaims that 155 trains home have been late this year, meaning they've suffered 25 hours of delays. That averages out at less than ten minutes per delayed train. Big deal.

A mate of mine uses the same Northern route as me to get to work. Pretty much every day he is on Facebook moaning he has been late for work again and Northern are terrible. In eight months in my job I wasn't late for work once and the train was severely delayed or cancelled about 10 times. Some of these people get trains that will only get them to work on time if the train is bang on time and they use hover boots to get from the station to the office. It is the only explanation I can think of.

 

[Tetchytyke]

There is an anti-FCC tweeter who proclaims that 155 trains home have been late this year, meaning they've suffered 25 hours of delays. That averages out at less than ten minutes per delayed train. Big deal.

Now, I think that is a big deal. Individually maybe not, but over the course of a year it adds up to something wholly unacceptable.

 

[GodAtum]

Im quite complicated. In the summer Im more relaxed but at this time of year anything that makes me stand in the cold for a few more secs in annoying. I watching the seconds on the display boards which some people find odd as I guess most of you only count down the mins.

 

[EM2]

There is an anti-FCC tweeter who proclaims that 155 trains home have been late this year, meaning they've suffered 25 hours of delays. That averages out at less than ten minutes per delayed train. Big deal.

Now, I think that is a big deal. Individually maybe not, but over the course of a year it adds up to something wholly unacceptable.

Personally, I really can't see the point in getting that annoyed. I'm pretty sure that if I was driving a similar distance (this person does Farringdon to Haywards Heath) I'd be more than ten minutes late every day.
If it meant I missed a bus or another train every time, and had to wait twenty minutes or more, that might be a different matter (although this is never mentioned by the person tweeting).

 

[fowler9]

Personally, I really can't see the point in getting that annoyed. I'm pretty sure that if I was driving a similar distance (this person does Farringdon to Haywards Heath) I'd be more than ten minutes late every day.
If it meant I missed a bus or another train every time, and had to wait twenty minutes or more, that might be a different matter (although this is never mentioned by the person tweeting).

Yeah, I worked with a girl in my last job who drove every day. She was also late every day. Apparently she had timed the journey and it should have taken 10 minutes, I think she timed it on a Sunday night, not a Monday morning. I remember the boss asking her if she could possibly leave the house earlier and she said "But then I'd be early for work". The boss told her, and he was the most laid back boss in the world, "I really don't mind if you are early".

As I've said before I think the people who moan about the train being late every day are the ones who get the train that doesn't get them where they want when they want anyway, I know, I used to do it.

 

[Bantamzen]

Well for me (noob here btw, so hello all!!) I try not to get too irritated by delays. They are what they are, and as long as I can get information on the delay from the boards, station staff or on-line I'm usually fine with it.

I must admit though a few years ago when I lived in South Elmsall, I once got stuck at Leeds station for over 6 hours due to high winds & Northern weren't able to give us waiting passengers any info for whatever reason, until when I was about to give up & head for the Queens Hotel around the corner there came a train crew who booted up a 321 ready to head to Doncaster. You've never seen so many people move so quickly!!

 

[fowler9]

Well for me (noob here btw, so hello all!!) I try not to get too irritated by delays. They are what they are, and as long as I can get information on the delay from the boards, station staff or on-line I'm usually fine with it.

I must admit though a few years ago when I lived in South Elmsall, I once got stuck at Leeds station for over 6 hours due to high winds & Northern weren't able to give us waiting passengers any info for whatever reason, until when I was about to give up & head for the Queens Hotel around the corner there came a train crew who booted up a 321 ready to head to Doncaster. You've never seen so many people move so quickly!!

Greetings, I'm fairly new myself. I was at a pre wedding do in Elmsall not too long ago! By pre I mean night before, we were all a mess. Ha ha.

 

[TSR :D]

A while back then, I would frequently see people on all over Twitter complaining about trains being late. I've never understood why they would complain if it happens rarely.

At that time, I commuted on Snow Hill line, trains on that line was rarely late or cancelled. If it's late, it's only few minutes late. During the heavy snow, my train was only 10 minutes late.

I started commuting between New Street/International to Coventry. Trains are frequently late, and up to 20 minutes late is expected from XC on that line. Trains are frequently cancelled.

Now I realise it gets irritating after a while even if it doesn't directly affect your commute. In my case, I had to leave home 10-15 minutes early so I could have one or two "back up" trains just in case if the first one is late/cancelled to prevent me being late.

It irritates me greatly if the train is 10 minutes or more late.

 

[monty9120]

A while back then, I would frequently see people on all over Twitter complaining about trains being late. I've never understood why they would complain if it happens rarely.

At that time, I commuted on Snow Hill line, trains on that line was rarely late or cancelled. If it's late, it's only few minutes late. During the heavy snow, my train was only 10 minutes late.

I started commuting between New Street/International to Coventry. Trains are frequently late, and up to 20 minutes late is expected from XC on that line. Trains are frequently cancelled.

Now I realise it gets irritating after a while even if it doesn't directly affect your commute. In my case, I had to leave home 10-15 minutes early so I could have one or two "back up" trains just in case if the first one is late/cancelled to prevent me being late.

It irritates me greatly if the train is 10 minutes or more late.

the 2 lines are totally different. the line from new street is one of the busiest in the country.

part of it is double track so if theres any issues the knock back is huge

 

[trainophile]

I quite rarely take trains these days, the only service I do ever get often is the 7:30 ATW Manchester Piccadilly - Carmarthen service on a Saturday, and one back in the evening, and these generally run quite well. On Saturday night coming back from Hereford to Manchester, approaching Wem the train slowly came to a halt just before the level crossing. I heard the driver's door open and then close and we set off but we must have been sat there about 7 minutes. No announcement. I'm generally okay with delayed trains but when there's no announcement about it, I must admit I do get a tad wound up

Call of nature? I don't suppose the driver would want to have that announced!

 

[LBSCR Times]

Personally, I really can't see the point in getting that annoyed. I'm pretty sure that if I was driving a similar distance (this person does Farringdon to Haywards Heath) I'd be more than ten minutes late every day.
If it meant I missed a bus or another train every time, and had to wait twenty minutes or more, that might be a different matter (although this is never mentioned by the person tweeting).

If this is the person who travels home on 2T59 17.07 Bedford to Brighton (yes, there is one who travels on this train and regularly complains), then yes, he does have some justification.
BUT (and it is a big BUT), this service normally leaves Blackfriars on time, but is then subject to how South Eastern are running, so leaves London Bridge late, and then is held to follow an on time Southern service, that calls at Norwood Jct, so 2T59 often arrives East Croydon anything up to 10' late. Then because it is this late it gets regulated even further, on one occasion having departed Blackfriars on time and arrived Brighton 28' late, through no fault of FCC!!

 

[507 001]

When the train is so late that it starts to pick up the next trains passengers, therefore becoming stupidly busy.