Rail passengers are a strange bunch ;-)

[Failed Unit]

I was travelling today on the 1645 Glasgow QS - Edinburgh service today, the previous one the the 1630 had been cancelled.

Just after we set off from Glasgow the gaurd apologied for the severe overcrowding of the train, which made a few of us in the front coach look at each other as everyone in this coach had a seat to themselves.

On arrival at Edinburgh a friend who was in the rear set said that it was crammed in like Sardines. Anyone who wants to do an interesting study into why the pax didn't move to the front 3 coaches where it was nearly empty? I wonder if it was a case that the saw the first 3 and thought the entire train would be that full, or maybe a case of they couldn't walk forward due to the lack of corridor connections. But whatever it was very strange. Didn't get my ticket checked either (as normal dig dig)

 

[tony_mac]

I was on a Virgin Train last week, I managed to get on in the unreserved coach, and had two seats to myself.

A short while later, the guard announced 'to those standing up, there are seats in coach E'.....

...absolutely nobody turned up!

 

[TDK]

I was travelling today on the 1645 Glasgow QS - Edinburgh service today, the previous one the the 1630 had been cancelled.

Just after we set off from Glasgow the gaurd apologied for the severe overcrowding of the train, which made a few of us in the front coach look at each other as everyone in this coach had a seat to themselves.

On arrival at Edinburgh a friend who was in the rear set said that it was crammed in like Sardines. Anyone who wants to do an interesting study into why the pax didn't move to the front 3 coaches where it was nearly empty? I wonder if it was a case that the saw the first 3 and thought the entire train would be that full, or maybe a case of they couldn't walk forward due to the lack of corridor connections. But whatever it was very strange. Didn't get my ticket checked either (as normal dig dig)

Are the exits at the rear of the train at stations by any chance

 

[schenker]

Talking of packed trains, Do they not have a maximum limit on passengers they can carry?

It's just that last year or the year before I don't remember exactly,
I was travelling from Plymouth to Axminster, Change at Exeter SD.
Got Exeter SD and there had been a massive power failure at Newbury I think
it was, All FGW HST's were terminating at Exeter SD for some reason :-?

There was a south west train class 159 3 car to Waterloo, I've never
seen so many people try to get on single train, They then got one more 159 3 car and added it.
The train was filled till they could not get any more people on it,
People sitting on the tables, the floor, bags everywhere.

I thought if there was ever a accident, Derailment or anything with that amount of people on broad it would have been carnage.

 

[90019]

I was travelling today on the 1645 Glasgow QS - Edinburgh service today, the previous one the the 1630 had been cancelled.

I did that journey recently, almost the same train, and the rear 170 was packed, unlike the front, which was pretty empty. I had a table to myself becausae there were about 7 of us in the coach.
It's because people go into the first coach they get to, the train on the back will be really full, and because there aren't corridor connections, most won't go up to the next train.

 

[philjo]

I have found some FCC 8-coach evening peak hour trains at Kings Cross are full & standing at the back, but walk down the platform, I have had the front coach almost to myself - with about 8 people in it! Not sure how the loading is on the 12-coach trains that now run... They are 365 units, so no corridor conneciton between units. Therefore, I always get in the front unit out of London as the people getting on at the last minute cram into the back one.
Most people do tend to get in to the coach nearest to the exit at their destination - I often do this myself if needing to cacth a bus or a tight connection over the bridge at Stevenage or WGC (even knowing which door on a 3/4/6/8 coach combination to use for certain stations to get a quick getaway up the stairs.... MK4 stock it is coach D/E doors at Stevenage) but if getting on at London & a choice between the sardine special or a nearly empty coach (on the same train), I know which I would choose

 

[Reddog785]

I was on a SouthWest Trains departure from Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier. I got on the train at Lymington Town,and two people ran onto the platform. A man and a woman,and the woman said "Why did you drag me to the station in such a hurry? The train isn't here yet!"

 

[yorkie]

Talking of packed trains, Do they not have a maximum limit on passengers they can carry?

Not really. Unlike a coach, no-one will turn you away, but if you feel it is too crowded you can make that decision yourself.

Personally I'd far rather have the ability to choose for myself than go with the coach-style model of enforcing strict limits. How would you enforce it on a train anyway?

Unfortunately "guaranteed to get a seat" is a bizarre selling point that coaches use, yet what they really mean is "Unlike the railways, we'll turn you away if we're full" but the latter, which is more truthful doesn't sound so good!

 

[tony_mac]

It was always my experience on National Express that if there were too many people with reserved seats then they would put on an extra service.

 

[Dennis]

I thought if there was ever a accident, Derailment or anything with that amount of people on broad it would have been carnage.

A study published a few years ago suggested it is safer to be jammed into a train as passengers won't be thrown around in an accident, minimising the possibility of impact injury.

 

[Oswyntail]

I used to chortle at the morning trains from Peckham Rye to London Bridge in the good old 4-sub era. Front four coaches sardined, sometimes doors bursting open, usually bodies squashed against windows. Rear 4 coaches, seats all round. Then, on arrival, those in the rear were not entangled, so could swiftly nip off and out through the barrier before the tangled masses had sorted themselves out.

 

[Tom B]

ISTR this was mentioned in the report into the collision at Cannon Street in 1991 - passengers had rammed into the front coaches whilst the back ones were almost empty.

It is particularly noticeable on commuter lines - LU is a prime example.

 

[Failed Unit]

Are the exits at the rear of the train at stations by any chance

For Falkirk and Polmont yes, Linlithgow is at the Middle of the train but Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley the exit is at the front so you must walk down the entire train at those stations and they are the busiest too on the line. Maybe it is a case of people just try to get on at the nearest door for the fear of missing the train should they walk forward. In this case it was late boarding, BUT announce well before the train arrived on the platform.

 

[stut]

The distribution on FCC peak trains leaving KX is odd (I do this journey daily). Generally, people pile on at the London end (it's the end of the
working day, you've made it to the station, just get on and sort it out), leaving the country end half-empty. Occasionally, though, you get the
Huntingdon phenomenon. This is when an earlier fast-to-St-Neots has been short-formed, or there are delays on the Tube, and you get a glut of
Huntingdon commuters who all head for the front carriage. It then fills up, while the three behind stay half-empty (the back 4 are still as full as
usual). So, just before you leave, you get people rushing back down the train at the same time as people are rushing up.

I suspect the bridge at KX will change all of this. Which is a pity, I enjoy the comfort and oddness of getting a double-seat to myself on a busy
commuter train!

 

[mathmo]

In the other direction, from Cambridge at least, distribution seems to be more even: there's a balance between people getting on at the front (nearest the exit at KX) and those who just get on the closest door. That said, when two units are joining at Cambridge the one that's first to arrive tends to get substantially more passengers than the other!

 

[philjo]

Going into KX in the peak I generally go to the back of the train - several of the stations have entrances to the platforms mid-train or towards the front & other people go to the front as less walking needed at Kings Cross. the trains that start at Royston are generally fairly empty at the back but full at the front when I get on (the whole train is full after Stevenage)
If the train has come from Kings Lynn then sometimes the front coach is best, as it is furthest from the entrance at Cambridge (assuming it went form platform 1 rather than 4 !) & the rear portion would have come from KL/Ely

 

[me123]

On the North Clydes, people jump for the front carriage because it's nearer the main exit and thus closer to the barriers. However, on a 6 car train, towards the rear can be very quiet. It balances better some trains though, with some people going to Charing Cross and Partick towards the rear. But the ones arriving for shop opening at 08:30 are ludicrously front-loaded (as most shops are near Queen Street).

Edinburgh to Glasgow is always like that. People tend to avoid the front most carriage for some reason, I'm not quite sure why as it is the best for an exit at either end of the line. That said, the Glasgow-Edinburgh lot in the morning (and, hence, the Edinburgh-Glasgow lot in the evening) do seem a bit better at spreading themselves through the train.

 

[jopsuk]

The best I've experienced was a Bakerloo train one Saturday. Was getting on at Baker Street. No idea why, but I'd postioned myself towards the rear end on the platform. Train pulled in, first couple of carriages were almost at weekday commuter packing. Got in the last carriage, where there was one other person. Madness. Pity it is only the Sub-Surface (and Overground) getting wide-connector sets, the tubes would really benefit from them, but I guess track geometry/smoothness of ride rather precludes it.

 

[tbtc]

Edinburgh to Glasgow is always like that. People tend to avoid the front most carriage for some reason, I'm not quite sure why as it is the best for an exit at either end of the line

I think one reason eastbound is that, since the train/ platform is only announced at the very last moment at Queen Street, people don't have long between the platform being announced and the train departing (plus time needed to get through barriers etc).

Due to the rush, people tended to just jump in the first door - they may think that they don't have time to walk right to the front of the train

(just my hypothesis)

 

[37401]

Today I heard a woman talking about a young rail enthusiast and she said about the dad too, she said "he had a newborn child too I felt so sorry fo him"
eh?, this woman is commenting on someone she knows nothing about, the mother could be at work so he had to take the baby with him? I hate when people pass remarks on something/someone they dont know

 

[the sniper]

Today I heard a woman talking about a young rail enthusiast and she said about the dad too, she said "he had a newborn child too I felt so sorry fo him"

I don't get what she was insinuating. She felt sorry for the farther or the newborn child? If she meant the child, what's she saying, that newborn babies can't be in train stations?

 

[Aussie_Rail]

Passengers crowding at one end of the platform and all getting on in the same few carriages is no new phenomenon and it's certainly not restricted to the UK.

Some reasons for this can attributed to the weather, one case that I know off is a particular station in Melbourne called 'North Melbourne' which is a large junction station with about 6 or so platforms and is a main station for that side of the city. Well passengers boarding trains there usually and always bunch up at one end, because that end has the shelter and not the other end, so if the first 2 or three carriages off the train are full, people will still try to get on even when the last 3 carriages are almost empty.

But usually it is due to laziness and people can't be bothered to walk all the way down the platform so that they spread the load when the train pulls in.

Another reason is, people are creatures of habit. A passenger who catches a particular train to work everyday will in most cases try and get that seat by the window etc.

And another is, that people who have traveled the train long enough know where to get on the train, so that when they get off at their destination, they will simply be able to get off the train and walk straight out the station exit knowing the doors will open right in front or near abouts.

This can also be said for when getting on the train. In the Melbourne City Loop stations, people know where to stand along the platform so that when the train pulls in they will be right in front of the door and hope to be the first to get on and might be lucky enough to get one of the few seats left. Although these people are often fooled as not all trains in Melbourne have the same door alignment, but the chances of them being right are on their side though.

If bunching along station platforms is such an issue, creating entrances or exits to the platforms in more than one location can help spread the load, or simple announcements at stations is another option.

 

[37401]

I don't get what she was insinuating. She felt sorry for the farther or the newborn child? If she meant the child, what's she saying, that newborn babies can't be in train stations?

she said she felt sorry for the child, as if to say he was forced into going trainspotting, trainspotting is very popular with the very young from what ive seen many children go out with their dad`s, she was your typical chav mom however...

 

[jon0844]

I don't personally see the fun in spotting trains and writing down numbers, possibly because most TOCs have limited fleets and you're seeing the same train over and over (but with a different number). I guess if you're into trains then going to a train station where you'll see a large mix of stock will be of interest, and I can appreciate this whether we're talking about trains, planes, cars, motorbikes or whatever.

Nevertheless, it's always good to have a hobby and I don't see why anyone should look down on such people. Most people now probably think a hobby is checking out friends (or strangers) on Facebook and telling everyone what you're doing every 30 seconds on Twitter.

 

[Oswyntail]

...... I hate when people pass remarks on something/someone they dont know

....., she was your typical chav mom however...

Er...:roll:

 

[tony_mac]

But usually it is due to laziness and people can't be bothered to walk all the way down the platform so that they spread the load when the train pulls in.

It's probably different for commuters, but a lot of people obviously don't know where on the platform to wait, so they stick with everyone else.

You don't want to be at one end of the platform and see the train stop at the other and have to try and rush down the platform while all the disembarking passengers are heading your way (Platform 14 at Piccadilly comes to mind!)

The coloured 'zones' they have on some platforms, I think, are a good idea - but they don't seem to be used enough on the displays. They also don't necessarily get it the right way round.

 

[the sniper]

This can also be said for when getting on the train. In the Melbourne City Loop stations, people know where to stand along the platform so that when the train pulls in they will be right in front of the door and hope to be the first to get on and might be lucky enough to get one of the few seats left.

I do this, my friends think it's some kind of witchcraft knowing where the train will stop . It's easy on most commuter routes with 'X car stop' signs, though has anyone else ever had a driver deliberately overrun one of the recommended stopping points a little so your not in front of the door? I have! It became a bizarre running joke for me and one London Midland driver at Erdington on the down line of the North Cross City line in Birmingham.

she said she felt sorry for the child, as if to say he was forced into going trainspotting, trainspotting is very popular with the very young from what ive seen many children go out with their dad`s, she was your typical chav mom however...

Ahh, no surprises... though in my experience snobby middle class women are just as bad, though if you over hear them you can confront them and they feel embarrassed, unlike 'chav' women who are more likely to knock you out if you say anything!

 

[jopsuk]

I. It's easy on most commuter routes with 'X car stop' signs, though has anyone else ever had a driver deliberately overrun one of the recommended stopping points a little so your not in front of the door? I have! It became a bizarre running joke for me and one London Midland driver at Erdington on the down line of the North Cross City line in Birmingham.

That sort of thing though could cause problems on Driver Only Operation, if they overun the mirrors/monitors (if not a "look back" station)!

On the Underground, the scuffed parts of the yellow line are often a pretty good clue. But then, there's nothing annoys me more than trying to get off to be faced by a wall of people gathered at the door. Really annoys at Cambridge, when I use the train to get home- surely the regular commuters by now KNOW that there's bikes (often two) getting off at every door of that particular train? Unless the train company suddenly bans (and enforces it) the bikes, they're not going to magically not be there one day.