Trivia/Nonsense - what 'inside knowledge' do you use to 'beat the crowds?'

[Howardh]

If you need to get to Fairfield St (mainly for the taxis) at Piccadilly, you used to avoid the scrums at the gates by using the lift tucked away by the 13/14 waiting area. However since re-development (I haven't been yet) not sure if this is still available?

If you are at Bolton Trinity St, and fancy a brew, leave the station and either use the walkway to the bus station where there's a Greggs, or pop over the road to Piggy Banks' bar or Station Cafe (on Newport Street, facing the entrance) for a much cheaper brew! (£1 in Piggy's as I write). Much cheaper than the actual station buffet!!

 

[En]

This is a good tip; anyone know how LNER bookings fill up by coach?

i think LNER (poredecessor) were the first to open up the choose your own reservation system rather than the system filling carriages from a point the TOC set so it might be a little different
another 'beat the crowd' knowledge is tube related - Leicester Square instead of Covent Garden as it;s less packed in and has escalators rather than just the lifts CG has

 

[Three-Nine]

When travelling back from Exeter on the WoE line, sometimes walking to St. Davids instead of Central and boarding there.

 

[jbqfc]

This is a good tip; anyone know how LNER bookings fill up by coach?

Coach C has the unreserved seats

 

[yorksrob]

When travelling back from Exeter on the WoE line, sometimes walking to St. Davids instead of Central and boarding there.

Also, using the WoE mainline to access the West Country rather than Paddington usually works (emphasis on the word "usually" ).

 

[cool110]

One I'll be using tonight. When returning from Blackpool Pleasure Beach get on the train in the wrong direction and stay on when it reverses at South, can get any seat you want then.

 

[65477]

There can be an element of missing the crowds when getting off, so a knowledge of where platform exits are is useful. There used to be a booklet you could purchase that showed which door aligned with exits and interchanges.

One the does not now exist was when the overground ran south of Stratford my connect meant I could go to West Ham and come back I always then got a seatcand avoided the crush at Stratford.

 

[Statto]

One often used on Merseyrail at james st during peak is to board trains on the inward rather than the outband platform. This gets you a seat before the crowds get on round the loop.

You do need a knowledge of the timetable to do this though as the inward trains still display Liverpool at that point!

Inward Merseyrail Wirral Line trains change the destination at James Street you might be quick to spot the destination change before boarding, but using the likes of Traksy (Merseyrail Underground Stations have there own separate free WIFI) is more useful.

Merseyrail, i often use Moorfields when changing from Northern Line to Wirral Line, Moorfields is more quieter than Liverpool Central, however the final set of eculators down to the Wirral Line platform are broken & out of use at the moment.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Few stations on tube when doing an interchange, there are short cuts if you don't follow the signs

 

[CaptainHaddock]

If travelling alone on an overcrowded Northern 195, few people tend to spot the pull down seats adjacent to each set of doors. If you can bag one not only do you avoid having anyone sat next to you, you can also be first off the train.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Travelling from Levenshulme to Oxford I head into Piccadilly to be one of the first to board the 4-car Voyager, rather than going to Stockport only to find it's too full to get on, even with a reserved seat!

 

[CaptainHaddock]

When travelling from Manchester towards Sheffield using EMR or TPE get on the train at Oxford Road to get a seat before the crowds board at Piccadilly. I almost always do this when travelling from Manchester to Nottingham.

Likewise boarding a TPE at Meadowhall instead of Sheffield if travelling the other way.

 

[Bald Rick]

Let the 0757 from St Albans to London go, crush loaded 12 car, and wait for the 0803 directly behind it. Always more space, and the 0757 has a habit of arriving a couple of minutes late at St P around 0822. But the 0803 tends to arrive 90 seconds behind it. So a much more comfy journey, for the price of 90 seconds later arrival. Even if the 0803 is officially Britain’s most Overcrowded service. (It patently isn’t).

 

[Western 52]

At many stations I go by the platform car stop signs to work out where the front door of the train will be. Everyone else crowds round the platform entrance. I get a seat, many of them don't.

 

[riceuten]

Using realtimetrains (not always 100% correct) to suss out the platform for commuter services from Kings X.

 

[Trainman40083]

Coach C has the unreserved seats

Those traffic lights above the seats make it so much easier.

 

[liamf656]

One I'll be using tonight. When returning from Blackpool Pleasure Beach get on the train in the wrong direction and stay on when it reverses at South, can get any seat you want then.

This also works when Matlock Bath is busy. A few people have clocked onto the fact that although its 10 minutes longer they can board the train towards Matlock and stay on back to Derby and guarantee seats

Another one of mine was when East Midlands Trains charged for WiFi in the 222s, so I sat in the composite coach as I could connect to the (free of charge) firet class WiFi

 

[greyman42]

another 'beat the crowd' knowledge is tube related - Leicester Square instead of Covent Garden as it;s less packed in and has escalators rather than just the lifts CG has

The lifts provide a much quicker exit at Covent Garden than the escalators at Leicester Square.

 

[A S Leib]

Let the 0757 from St Albans to London go, crush loaded 12 car, and wait for the 0803 directly behind it. Always more space, and the 0757 has a habit of arriving a couple of minutes late at St P around 0822. But the 0803 tends to arrive 90 seconds behind it. So a much more comfy journey, for the price of 90 seconds later arrival. Even if the 0803 is officially Britain’s most Overcrowded service. (It patently isn’t).

Similarly, the 07:59 from Hemel Hempstead to Euston gets there around five minutes after the 07:50, and both start from Tring rather than Milton Keynes.

 

[AM9]

Let the 0757 from St Albans to London go, crush loaded 12 car, and wait for the 0803 directly behind it. Always more space, and the 0757 has a habit of arriving a couple of minutes late at St P around 0822. But the 0803 tends to arrive 90 seconds behind it. So a much more comfy journey, for the price of 90 seconds later arrival. Even if the 0803 is officially Britain’s most Overcrowded service. (It patently isn’t).

Probably well known to regulars:
When travelling into the Thameslink core to change to another core train (travelling in the same N>S or S>N direction), alight at the first core station to change as even if the train you are boarding is full, seats will vacate over the next 3 stops which can be snapped up before boarding passengers. So travelling southbound, change at St Pancras, and at northbound Blackfriars (or London Bridge if entering the core that way, but at Blackfriars, the Metro/slows can be a convenient back up in times of disruption).
It helps to stand between the seats midway between doors as well so that seats can be taken as people leave for the doors.

 

[Horizon22]

Probably well known to regulars:
When travelling into the Thameslink core to change to another core train (travelling in the same N>S or S>N direction), alight at the first core station to change as even if the train you are boarding is full, seats will vacate over the next 3 stops which can be snapped up before boarding passengers. So travelling southbound, change at St Pancras, and at northbound Blackfriars (or London Bridge if entering the core that way, but at Blackfriars, the Metro/slows can be a convenient back up in times of disruption).
It helps to stand between the seats midway between doors as well so that seats can be taken as people leave for the doors.

Same with the Elizabeth line - if coming from the GWML stations don't alight at Whitechapel but change at Paddington where you will probably get an empty train.

 

[mrcheek]

One I'll be using tonight. When returning from Blackpool Pleasure Beach get on the train in the wrong direction and stay on when it reverses at South, can get any seat you want then.

some places they wont let you do that.

But it seems to be commonplace and accepted to travel the wrong way from Dovercourt, and I once saw a conductor tell someone to do it at Matlock Bath

 

[PeterY]

Similarly, the 07:59 from Hemel Hempstead to Euston gets there around five minutes after the 07:50, and both start from Tring rather than Milton Keynes.

If I can, the first off peak from Hemel Hempstead towards Euston, I've more chance of finding a seat if I board right at the back . Also if it's busy at Euston in the evening and it's an 8 or 12 car train, from platform 8 or 11, again walk to the back of the train.

 

[Iskra]

Yellow coupling bars on TP (and I think XC) units indicate first class is at that end, so walk to the other end when the train is approaching for more chance of a STD class seat...

 

[aar0]

They certainly are. Three occasions in the past fortnight for me. Have you thought about joining at Penzance or Plymouth (as applicable)?

This really made me laugh!

Paddington has an overbridge at the country end of the platforms, in times of disruption you can get a better run at a seat as you’re already halfway up the train. They can be slow to unlock the barriers though.

 

[YorksLad12]

Ignoring the signs at King's Cross for the deep tubes and turning left for the much shorter original route (signed for the Met, Circle, H&C), avoiding the long trek to the Northern ticket hall.

That is a useful hack; otherwise you're walking down the length of P8, down an escalator and doubling back on yourself. The other is if you're running late for a train from KX and coming off the Underground is to aim for that same (subsurface) exit as it's closest to the platforms.

At Leeds I get the 0811 XC to Sheffield, which is currently a double set heading off P12. Instead of following the crowd up and over via the western footbridge, turn left and take the eastern one. That drops you down at the rear of the train, which is always quieter (because everyone is gathered near the front half). doesn't work if you have large luggage as there's no lift access, but works for me.

Also: if catching the Nottingham-Leeds service from P1A, walk down as far as the "Sheffield" sign on P2. That's roughly where the rear doors on a class 195 will be. Most people hang around nearer the doors from the concourse, which is roughly where the signal is.

 

[NeilCr]

Simply

As Ramsgate is a turning point for some services (Victoria, Charing X, HS1 via Dover) knowing what time the inbound arrives so you can “bag” your favourite seat

 

[A S Leib]

Simply

As Ramsgate is a turning point for some services (Victoria, Charing X, HS1 via Dover) knowing what time the inbound arrives so you can “bag” your favourite seat

Does that work for the Sutton, Dartford (well, Dartford-avoiding) and Kingston / Richmond loops as well?

 

[D6975]

Similarly, using Signalmaps or some other live map site to determine which platform your train is sitting at when at Kings X before they announce it on the departure board. You can just saunter through to the platform and get on as soon as the doors open so you can get a seat.

You don't need to at KGX, just go take a look at the staff monitor showing the station and all the services. It's roughly opposite the entrance to P5 IIRC.

 

[RGM654]

Changing from the Met to Thameslink at Farringdon southbound, go up the stairs, turn right, down the stairs to the northbound Met platform, double back under the bridge and down a short flight of stairs to the southbound Thameslink platform.