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Who has nicest commuting trains

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Dudes

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I come into Waterloo on sw trains. They suck ass. They are 5 seats across and packed. I do get a seat at Camberley tho.

I then get the Waterloo east to London bridge, often those trains are lovely.

For those of you who come in to London bridge.

1.where are you from?
2.do you get a seat?
3.what are the trains like?

I am probably moving to burgess hill, perhaps tumbridge wells. Looking forward to leaving strains behind:). Not Camberley though I have grown to love it.:(
 
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34D

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I come into Waterloo on sw trains. They suck ass. They are 5 seats across and packed. I do get a seat at Camberley tho.

I then get the Waterloo east to London bridge, often those trains are lovely.

For those of you who come in to London bridge.

1.where are you from?
2.do you get a seat?
3.what are the trains like?

I am probably moving to burgess hill, perhaps tumbridge wells. Looking forward to leaving strains behind:). Not Camberley though I have grown to love it.:(

This is going to be very subjective..... And will largely depend upon how early in the journey one boards. I actually think the SWT class 450 are a nice train to travel on, as are their (and southern) refurbished class 455s.

I will however propose the class 158 (former express sprinter, now downgraded to local stopping work up north) as one proposition for the nicest commuter train. Big comfy 2+2 seats, many with tables.
 

DownSouth

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1.where are you from?
2.do you get a seat?
3.what are the trains like?
1. Adelaide, South Australia.

2. Most of the time, there are no tables because journeys are all less than an hour and so that seated capacity is maximised. I have to stand (or lean against the wall/window in the bike/wheelchair area) only if I'm going with the peak flow into the city in the morning, out of the city in the evening or out of the city after a big cricket match. Only ever experienced it being packed once - on the way home from the Australia vs India day/night 50 over match a few months ago when they really needed to add one more railcar onto the consist.

3. Spacious enough to have 3+2 with decent-sized seats! Seats are good quality for suburban usage, the trains are kept very clean and they are not too loud for a diesel railcar. On a packed train I prefer the refurbished units with airline-style rows on the two seat side of the aisle to the facing rows of three because of the better leg room.
 
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starrymarkb

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I stopped commuting by rail about 5 years ago (moved into the city and now walk about 1/2 mile to work) but this was my experience

1: Car from Budleigh Salterton to Exmouth then train to Exeter.
2: Always, often the ex-first class area of a ex-TransPennine 158.
3. Was often a 158 or Wessex refurbished 150 (2x2 with tables), occasionally you would get a putrid 153...

I stopped commuting just as FGW started their refurbishment programme and a couple of months before the 142s arrived. As for there being plenty of seats - I was on the first train of the day (05:55) and returned before the evening peak. The 8:20 was usually 4 coaches and would be rammed)
 

jopsuk

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The FCC Class 365s are pretty good- 2+2 seating, mix of airline and bays. The bays have mini-tables. The seats are (subjectively) quite comfortable, and leg room in the airline seats is reasonable.
 

oversteer

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I'd like to nominate the Class 168 which commute for my 25-ish minute journey each day.
Wifi, mix of airline seats and tables, power at seat. Nobody stands.
Shame I'm moving soon :(
 
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Helsby to Man Picc. Usually a nice 175 with plenty of seats. By the time it leaves NLW is it standing only. Recently we have also had a 158 instead of the 175. Seats are more cramped and far noisier. The run itself follows countryside and suburban and urban landscapes. All in all it is not a bad run.
 

philjo

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Mornings: FCC 8 car 317 (has previously been 6 car 313s then 8 car 321 but is now 317 since last timetable change - I preferred the 321s for confort).
Always get a seat as the train starts out of the sidings at my station (even on the occasions when we had a 3 car 313 - had a job getting off at Potters bar though!).

Evenings if lucky 8 car 317 direct service. normally can get a seat - sometimes have to stand until next stop
otherwise 6 car 313 stopper (always plenty of seats available) & change at WGC onto 4 car 317 (seats available & many get off the rear coach at Welwyn North)

Only issue is the heat in the 317s in hot weather during the summer with the non-existent opening windows - though not really a problem last year!
 

calc7

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I'd like to nominate the Class 168 which commute for my 25-ish minute journey each day.
Wifi, mix of airline seats and tables, power at seat. Nobody stands.
Shame I'm moving soon :(

I'll second this.
I've done the morning commute to London from Leamington Spa before and the 168 is perfect for this sort of run.
 

tsr

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For those of you who come in to London bridge.

1.where are you from?
2.do you get a seat?
3.what are the trains like?

1. I won't say exactly, but it's a station between Gatwick Airport and Purley. I travel to London Bridge less frequently than Victoria, but more frequently than any other London terminals.
2. I am much more likely to (75% chance) if I travel out before 0800hrs or after 1030hrs, and don't return between 1630hrs and 1930hrs. During these hours, I would say there is only a 50% chance (if the train has come from Horsham, for example, or I board at its starting station only a minute or two before departure, the chances are even lower).
3. They're 377s of various sub-classes. These are reasonably quiet EMUs with toilets of both varieties, commuter door layouts, a few luggage racks and overhead racks. They have large vestibules with grab handles in those and on seat backs for standing customers. Seats are either 3+2 (no armrests) - with the "3" side having small tables, and the "2" side having what would be loosely described as airline seats or table seats - or 2+2 - with both airline seats and table seats. Airline seats have small and occasionally VERY squeaky fold-down tables. There are a few other interesting seat layouts at carriage ends around the luggage racks. The vestibules are large and will accommodate approximately 10 passengers. There are areas for bikes and wheelchairs, but these are often full of luggage or standing passengers. These units are heavily used and a refurbishment is in place, but there are still some units that are quite grubby and have worn-out fabrics, etc. In addition, there are plenty of areas for litter to accumulate around the seats and tables, and in the deep luggage racks.
 
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ainsworth74

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My commute is pretty nice:

  • Roll out of bed
  • Turn on laptop
  • Grab nearby book/notes
  • Commence dissertation writing

;)
 

WestCoast

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I commute on a Northern Rail 142 Pacer (occasionally a 150 turns up or a 156 once in a blue moon), no it's not particularly comfy, but I can usually squeeze on a bench of 3. :lol:

Yeah, the SWT units are quite luxurious in comparison....
 
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ex-railwayman

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My commute is pretty nice:

  • Roll out of bed
  • Turn on laptop
  • Grab nearby book/notes
  • Commence dissertation writing

;)


* Roll up sleeping bag
* Get bacon on under the grill
* Butter bread
* Turn on Tower PC
* Rescue burnt offering
* Commence reading railforums whilst eating breakfast.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman. :D
 

DaveNewcastle

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My commute is pretty nice:

  • Roll out of bed
  • Turn on laptop
  • Grab nearby book/notes
  • Commence dissertation writing
* Roll up sleeping bag
* Get bacon on under the grill
* Butter bread
* Turn on Tower PC
* Rescue burnt offering
* Commence reading railforums whilst eating breakfast.
There's a distressing lack of coffee in these two reports.

Where my commute involves train travel, then I'd expect on-board coffee or I'm not going anywhere.
 

tsr

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There's a distressing lack of coffee in these two reports.

Where my commute involves train travel, then I'd expect on-board coffee or I'm not going anywhere.

Is it permitted to be a) sourced from the station of journey commencement or b) sourced from the rare RailGourmet trolley that bothers to appear during the peak?

I normally buy coffee mid-afternoon, which can be the time that I'm on my way home if I'm commuting (due to the slightly unconventional times at which I travel), but there we are. Negotiating the trains of the South-East early-ish in the morning wakes you up sufficiently, I can assure you. :D
 
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If I take the train instead of car, the class 158 is comfortable from Dingwall to Inverness in the morning, but the single 158 is packed full on the 1715 return.

Think the conclussive best commuting location was Dunbar to Edinburgh, choice of ScotRail, East Coast of XC depending on when you travel. The latest Rolling Stock on the network in the 380, or slum it on 125 or 225 set, if you wanted cattle class there is the voyager.

All for a reasonable sum to the capital of the country. Try this from Luton to London, same distance on 319's.

Dunbar to Edinburgh ATR £15.70 FOR £24.00
Luton to London ATR £32.50 FOR £52.00
 

Ivo

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My commute involves a <10 minute walk - and that's assuming it's a normal day and everything hasn't been cancelled...

The main commute from here though is on HSTs. I know some don't like FGW HST layouts, but in 1st they're pretty good :p

Adults functioning without coffee inside them? :shock: Maybe they are allergic and drink plenty of tea instead.

You no function well coffee without? :shock:

I don't drink coffee and only rarely drink tea. No problem at all :p
 
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wintonian

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In my opinion the most well kept London commuting stock (cleanness/ general condition etc·) is SWT's with LM not far behind. The tattiest would Southerns Electostars, I rearly get travel on any other Southern stock so can't comment about the rest. Followed by the rare times I have been unlucky enough to go towards Brighton with FCC.
 

ert47

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In my opinion the must well kept London commuting stock (cleanness/ general condition etc·) is SWT's with LM not far behind. The tattiest would Southerns Electostars, I rearly get travel on any other Southern stock so can't comment about the rest. Followed by the rare times I have been unlucky enough to go towards Brighton with FCC.

I have to commute into Charing Cross usually via London Bridge, but whenever theres engineering works, I go via Clapham Junction and Waterloo.

I generally prefer SWT units to Southerns and Southeasterns because the lighting is way brighter and the units look cleaner. In particular, with the 455s, the ones with southern are dim and make the whole train look grubby at night also the seats on SWT trains are a hell of a lot cleaner than any unit Southern has that isnt a 171.

As for Southeastern, their 375s smell bad and have an irritating high pitched buzzing noise
 

caliwag

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Don't commute now, but when I worked for BR I did commute from York to the Cross. The finest was FC 125 by a country mile. Post BR when GNER employed a New York interior designer, whose name escapes me, to completely redo the 125s, the FC was like a Pullman, with subdued lighting, Walnut Formica tables with real timber trim and leather trimmed seats...luxury.

Of course, the clowns at that bloody bus company ripped the lot out...fools.

I guess if I was commuting now, TPE 180s are good with trolleys etc on the core section. Even the 150/153/155 combos on Harrogate line are good, for Northern...shame they got such poor stock (except those electrics on Wharf line) I'm sure their heart is in the right place! I do have a mate who commutes York/Halifax and cannot wait to change to a 180 at Leeds despite Blackpool/Yorks 158s...so I guess you cannot please everyone.
 

ainsworth74

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There's a distressing lack of coffee in these two reports.

Ahh well if it's of any comfort I do like a cup of tea in the morning when I get up...

I guess if I was commuting now, TPE 180s are good with trolleys etc on the core section. I do have a mate who commutes York/Halifax and cannot wait to change to a 180 at Leeds despite Blackpool/Yorks 158s...so I guess you cannot please everyone.

I think you mean 185s ;)
 

caliwag

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Thank you Ainsworth74...I do indeed mean 185...gosh! Just as well I'm not the rostering clerk. Mind in the old days I did wonder if someone was having a grey moment, puting a dubdee on a Summer saturday excursion, or Clayton on it's own...woohoo, risky!

My commute now is similar, but does involve some porridge in the mix, oh and copious mugs of quality tea...nobody does a decent cuppa like your own: everything from water temp to timing and amount of milk! Sorry bit off topic!
 

Schnellzug

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The only time I ever came anywhere near to commuting, I enjoyed the comfort of class 321s provided by the fondly remembered Sivlerlink Train Services from Watford Jct to Euston, and I would venture to suggest that a 450 is probably superior in seating comfort (they may be thinly padded, it is true, but they're not deliberately designed to be just the wrong shape, like in 321s). The main problem with 450s, I think, other than the narrow and thinly padded Seats, is that there's too few toilets and the ordinary one is way too cramped, while the doors of the disabled one, i've noticed, are beginning to get rather unreliable. The other day, the disabled toilets in both trains (one 444 and one 450) were out of order. (This may not be such an important issue for relatively short commuter runs, but is a different matter when they're used on journeys of nearly 3 hours).
 

GNERman

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I haven't done a great deal of commuting, and most wasn't over a long distance...

I've used 333's from Skipton to Leeds. They're modern, comfortable (despite being 3+2) and nice when commuting.

Elsewhere i've used 158's, 185's and Voyagers between Leeds and York, neither of which bothers me. 158's are fine for the services they operate, and you get a table a lot of the time...
 
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