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Who actively prefers the "slow" train?
- Thread starter nitten_travell
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For me, price is generally the sticking point; I'm willing to spend ~£20 return more for Avanti between Watford / Milton Keynes and Crewe / Manchester / Liverpool, but if the difference is £30 one way then I'd get LNR instead.
There's also cases where I don't necessarily know what the quickest route is until I get to the station, like Clapham Junction – Watford Junction (hourly Southern service vs going via Vauxhall, Waterloo or Victoria), from Paddington to Hemel Hempstead (sometimes dependent on delays getting into Paddington for whether the Bakerloo or via Euston's quicker) or Rickmansworth (due to some evening peak Chiltern services not stopping), in which case I do try to find the quickest route, but only if it looks feasible. Generally, I prefer being on the right train leaving Baker Street than missing one at Marylebone by a few minutes and the next Aylesbury train being nonstop to Great Missenden.
I used to take the IC 125 from St Pancras to Wakefield quite regularly, even though the route was an hour + longer than via the ECML.
1st class was cheaper, the seats were comfier, the train was generally less crowded.
It was a no brainer really.
1st class was cheaper, the seats were comfier, the train was generally less crowded.
It was a no brainer really.
nitten_travell
Member
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- 191
Still, if you’d boarded at Oxford where it starts you’d have a seat, sorted all the way to London. Not necessarily true of the fast service.
I tend to take the route with the least walking (interchanges, distance to platform etc) and total journey length is only a minor consideration unless I need to be somewhere at a certain time. If I want to go on a long walk I prefer to do it in the countryside
Killingworth
Established Member
You'll find a few choosing the slow train between Sheffield and Manchester later this morning. With those price differentials what's 20 more minutes? .
When doing the Hope Valley from Manchester to Sheffield, I always aim for the Northern stopper over the TPE or EMT fast services, stopping at all the small, rural stations really adds to the atmosphere...
I do miss the Pacers though, the big windows and low seating really amplified the view.
I do miss the Pacers though, the big windows and low seating really amplified the view.
I am this. I was struggling to come up with anywhere I’ll deliberately go on a stopper, unless it’s just sooner I don’t really need to, but from Manchester to Leeds the Calder Valley is just easier from here, because you can board the 158 at Salford Crescent, which is the stopper, or Todmorden on Sundays, but how about a 185 on diversion?
What I will do is go a completely different way like changing at Newport for anywhere south of Bristol instead of using CrossCountry. The last time I went to Carlisle I came back via Ribblehead, to board the new 156 service to Bolton and I’ve been from York to Leeds via Harrogate, but won’t be doing so today.
Going towards London I’ll try to take the opportunity to go on lines I wouldn’t otherwise get to do, such as EMR either on a 180 or via Melton Mowbray, but always get the Pendolino back. I’ve never been on a 350 south of Rugby, but I want to go on a 165 from Banbury to Didcot.
On one occasion to get from Manchester to Birmingham, I got the fastest Pendolino to Stoke-on-Trent, not calling at Macclesfield, then boarded the then direct but slower service to Tame Bridge Parkway followed by the even slower service via Aston, which was a way of doing it entirely on electric trains as opposed to a Voyager.
I’ve ever done the stopper to Stoke-on-Trent, or the Hope Valley stopper.
Falcon1200
Established Member
Travelling fairly regularly between Paddington and Euston, I have given up using the Underground altogether and take the 205 bus instead; Slower, but more scenically interesting, more convenient; and cheaper!
Not when they're all Merseyrail ones in succession !
ChrisC
Established Member
If I’m going away for a few days, and not in a great hurry to get there, I sometimes plan my journey around using trains where there will be space to store my small case close to where I am sitting. I try to avoid Voyagers as much as possible for this reason. Even a train as basic as a 150 has an overhead rack where my case can be stored.
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Those express services are persistently busy, through all hours of the day in both directions. It also doesn't help when heading into London if the train is already filled with those from up to King's Lynn.
The added benefit of the Thameslink trains is that they start/finish at Cambridge, so you are pretty much guaranteed a seat anyway.
Yes, agreed, they were truly awful, I don't know what Merseyrail were thinking.
Retribution for fare dodgers perhaps !
In certain situations....
I often visit Paignton, and journey planners will often suggest changing to faster Cross Country or GWR London services to get there and back quicker.
I prefer local services though, since Im rarely in a hurry, and they are usually less crowded (unless students get on. but at least they dont all have 35 suitcases each....)
I often visit Paignton, and journey planners will often suggest changing to faster Cross Country or GWR London services to get there and back quicker.
I prefer local services though, since Im rarely in a hurry, and they are usually less crowded (unless students get on. but at least they dont all have 35 suitcases each....)
Killingworth
Established Member
This mornings TPE's 9.11 out of Sheffield was 3 car. It must have been full and standing. The following Northern 9.14 was 2 car 150106 and very full on arriving at Dore. The guard got another 30 or more aboard but any recent Capacity Scheme benefits for passengers are totally hidden by lack of rolling stock snd crews.
Later my wife and I caught the 4 car 13.14 and stood all the way to Hope. A large number, at least half, were going from Sheffield to Manchester. Very clearly the cheaper price more than makes up for the slower journey. There's a very convivial atmosphere on the stopping trains!
There's definitely something to be said for not being surrounded by people who have an over inflated sense of their own self importance. People whose time is so valuable that not only do they have to take the fastest train, they have to work on it too. Eating olives and going barefoot while reviewing a spreadsheet. We all use spreadsheets mate, even us dirt poor warehouse monkeys.
It also often seems to result in a better standard of customer service, presumably because the staff prefer being around ordinary people who appreciate they have a pretty hard job, but who also probably have a miserable life themselves, unable to afford the fast train, so aren't too up themselves to have a laugh.
I suspect I might be even be lucky in being on one of the few lines where the slower 2000s era long distance stock is actually nicer, cleaner and has more leg room than the best the network supposedly has to offer currently.
It also often seems to result in a better standard of customer service, presumably because the staff prefer being around ordinary people who appreciate they have a pretty hard job, but who also probably have a miserable life themselves, unable to afford the fast train, so aren't too up themselves to have a laugh.
I suspect I might be even be lucky in being on one of the few lines where the slower 2000s era long distance stock is actually nicer, cleaner and has more leg room than the best the network supposedly has to offer currently.
From Kidderminster to Bristol I'd always use the "slow" GWR route via Worcester Shrub Hill, rather than the "fast" route via Birmingham. Any train that GWR provides from Worcester (158, 165, or 800) is preferable to an XC Voyager. Did it once on a pacer, which seemed very fast on the mainline though I doubt it went over 60mph!!
boiledbeans2
Member
When the slow train is more fun/has more thrash
I.e. London to Edinburgh. The right way is a Class 91 from London to Leeds (which is usually half empty), then changing onto other trains to complete the journey.
Or Manchester to Liverpool. The right way is a Northern Class 319 or 323, not a TPE Nova.
I.e. London to Edinburgh. The right way is a Class 91 from London to Leeds (which is usually half empty), then changing onto other trains to complete the journey.
Or Manchester to Liverpool. The right way is a Northern Class 319 or 323, not a TPE Nova.
birchesgreen
Established Member
Well we all have different opinions, one man's meh is another man's magic.
Personally i find the WCML dreary and much prefer the Chiltern. The low rolling hills and farmland of Warwickshire and Oxfordshire, the views of the Oxford Canal at various locations, the Pevsner approved spire of Kings Sutton, the chance to see some heritage traction at Princes Risborough, the lavender fields near Saunderton then the amazing steep slopes of High Wycombe.
The only way to travel between Brum and London.
All good shouts. It's also worth a look from the line from Oxford as well (towards Banbury), when you come 'round the corner' after Heyford, there's a clearing in the trees and you see the viaduct appear for a good mile or so before you hit Aynho jcn.
nitten_travell
Member
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There's a direct bus from the end of my street to Carlisle (takes 3h though!) - if I had all day I'd definitely go London-Leeds-Carlisle and then bus!When the slow train is more fun/has more thrash
I.e. London to Edinburgh. The right way is a Class 91 from London to Leeds (which is usually half empty), then changing onto other trains to complete the journey.
Or Manchester to Liverpool. The right way is a Northern Class 319 or 323, not a TPE Nova.
I was wondering how long Newcastle – Edinburgh by bus would take when on a rail replacement bus to Berwick yesterday; I suppose that with the 685 is one answer (with going via Berwick being the alternative by bus).
The last time I actually used the Hope Valley was late evening over the Summer, I got the 1840 off Hope back into Sheffield, it was fairly empty and watching the sun go down over the Derbyshire hills created a lovely atmosphere.
miklcct
On Moderation
I prefer the slow route if it runs on a more direct route (i.e. shorter in route distance) then a fast train, if everything else is equal.
I can't think of an example in the UK yet without incurring additional changes, but in Hong Kong I usually use the slow rural bus which travels for 6 km less than the motorway bus which takes half of the time of the slow bus between Yuen Long and Tai Po.
If the choice is between a direct slow train and changes between fast trains on a longer route, unless there is price difference overriding my decision, I generally choose the slow and direct route. For example, if I am at Brentwood wanting to travel to London, I'll only get on the stopping train at least until Romford to see if a fast train will come, or go all the way on the stopping train in peak hours when no fast trains call at Romford.
I can't think of an example in the UK yet without incurring additional changes, but in Hong Kong I usually use the slow rural bus which travels for 6 km less than the motorway bus which takes half of the time of the slow bus between Yuen Long and Tai Po.
If the choice is between a direct slow train and changes between fast trains on a longer route, unless there is price difference overriding my decision, I generally choose the slow and direct route. For example, if I am at Brentwood wanting to travel to London, I'll only get on the stopping train at least until Romford to see if a fast train will come, or go all the way on the stopping train in peak hours when no fast trains call at Romford.
Egg Centric
Established Member
It's usually quicker for me (door to door) to drive, sometimes considerably, even if taking the "fast" train so by default using the train I'm sacrificing speed.
I feel some of the examples above on the WCML but also feel a need to shout out the tyne & wear metro here - I'll make all sorts of (pathetic) excuses to take that over more sensible options so I can sit at the front (which for those unfamiliar means you can see where you're going). An option that is soon to disappear!
I feel some of the examples above on the WCML but also feel a need to shout out the tyne & wear metro here - I'll make all sorts of (pathetic) excuses to take that over more sensible options so I can sit at the front (which for those unfamiliar means you can see where you're going). An option that is soon to disappear!
Egg Centric
Established Member
Another similar thing occurred to me - when it comes to preserved railways in the UK, ceteris paribus I'd rather take the "slow railway", that is I actively prefer narrow gauge and/or industrial ones. Why? Due to the pernicious effects of the ubiquitous 25mph speed limit! I want the locos to be worked hard. Highlight of my Saturday this weekend was behind the oldest (arguably) diesel electric still running, all 130 horse power (or whatever it is) of it, working two coaches up a relatively steep grade.
Hanging around in 6 Mark 1s being pulled by Flying Scotsman or Britannia at 15mph (I'm exaggerating for effect but I bet this has happened) is fine as far as it goes but it's a bit like buying a Veyron and driving it around Knightsbridge imo. Let's either do 230mph or drive around in a trabant!
Hanging around in 6 Mark 1s being pulled by Flying Scotsman or Britannia at 15mph (I'm exaggerating for effect but I bet this has happened) is fine as far as it goes but it's a bit like buying a Veyron and driving it around Knightsbridge imo. Let's either do 230mph or drive around in a trabant!
25mph on a narrow gauge line feels much faster than 25mph on a standard gauge line!
nitten_travell
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Assuming you don’t cheat and take the Megabus or National Express? Yes I think service bus to Berwick from Edinburgh then a £2 flyer from Berwick to Newcastle. No idea how the timetables line up though!
For me the Borders X95 goes from my street to Carlisle twice per day. Not sure it would be the most comfortable ride.