Account deleted by request

I always here how bad our railways are and so many people complaining about them.

I have had to go to London 3 weekends in the last month, I always drive everywhere but decided to go on the train as I have been doing so many miles recently, haven't been on a train in 7 or 8 years!!!

I live in Shropshire so it is 35.10 return (petrol would be 45/50 in my car) and journey time to Euston is 2.30 mins (would take at least that in a car), all 3 times the train has been pretty much on time, maybe 10 or 15 mins out but I can accept that. The trains have been clean and tidy, the stations also, the staff (Virgin in particular) have been very helpful, informative and polite.

The reason I haven't used the train for so long is the amount of bad press and stories of constant delays has put me off, I am not saying this doesn't happen (and I am putting my flame suit on !!!!) but I am hugely impressed with my recent experiences and will definately continue to use them.

Not sure why I am posting this but I rarely compliment things and I am normally very quick to complain.

chopper

David Lock

Took daughter by car to start uni at Bristol recently. £45 in petrol and 3 1/2 hours from Sussex with usual coffee stop at Membury. She came back last weekend by train. £19 return and 3 hours. Still worried that she'll end up missing a connection somewhere though 'cos of a late arrival or cancellation... DL

darts_aint_sport

For me the majority of the time trains are fine, in fact they are good. However, when it goes wrong, it can go very very wrong. I think that is what people find unacceptable.

Ringpeas

I often take the train if I am going to a large town or city that I have never visited before.
It is much more relaxing than trying to figure out the route, navigate one way systems, find somewhere safe to park etc etc.

T4molie

I've been doing the daily commuting thing from Bedford to London for about 6 years now

I'd have to agree with DAS that usually the service is pretty good (well if you don't mind standing more often than not for 50 odd miles) especially considering the amount of engineering work going on at St Pancras and Kings X at the moment - I have to say that I'm not looking forward to when it does go wrong (and it will)!!!

Andy (Who's already looking forward to tmorrow's early morning seat scrap challenge )

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Unfortunately, when you compare the fares, reliabilty, destination choice and performance to countries overseas. You then appreciate how far behind the UK rail network is.

Senior_AP

When I go to France, trains are simply not late. They are all to the minute. Why?? God knows.

They're "ok" here.....

555 Markus

Last weekend travelled from Sussex To Liverpool on the Friday and returned on the Sunday. Saw both the good and bad sides of travel by train.

Took Virgin trains from Euston to Lime Street - journey time up there a pleasant 2.5 hours. Quicker, and safer than leaving the Scoob in Walton over the weekend.

Sunday I intended to return on the 13.17 train. It never arrived at Liverpool due to mechanical failure. So then had to get a coach transfer to Crewe. Arrived 14.45. Next train to London cancelled. Waited for the 15.12 which arrived, was already packed. Hundreds of people piled onto it and it was chaos. No seats available, unable to move at all, I ended up sitting on the floor for the three hour journey back to London. Got back into London at 18.25. Over 5 hours back to London!!!

Oh, and to cap it all, I'd even paid an extra £15 to upgrade the return journey to First Class, and I'm still waiting for Virgin trains to refund that!

I'm flying Gatwick / Manchester next time and my friends can come and pick me up from the airport!

Mark

Senior_AP

I find in England there is very much an attitude of "f$ck it, that will do. Lets go pub". Whereas on the continent people seem far more inclined to do the job properly.

Account deleted by request

I have used the rail system in france and it is superb.

David Lock - Very good point about missing a connection as your options are limited if this happens.

I'm surprised that this thread hasn't been more thraped by disgruntled rail uses, maybe things are improving.

Senior_AP

From what I've seen, everything on the continent is far more efficient.

Account deleted by request

Fair point, but the grass is always greener.......

Senior_AP

In this case, I think on the whole it is.

David Lock

I read that the Japanese bullet train was slightly derailed for the first time in its 40 year history - and it took the recent earthquake of 6.5 Richter to do that......... DL

Senior_AP

Went on the TGV for the first time in July. Another incredible bit of kit. You'd never think it was in fact so old!!! Fast, silent, smooth.

Come on Network South East!! Catch up!!

David Lock

Bit like me really

Senior_AP

lol. Very witty.

Account deleted by request

And me

Brit_in_Japan

Just to reinforce what you may already know about Japan, the trains are amazingly prompt and reliable. The drivers work to a timetable accuracy of 15 seconds, not just whole minutes. The only times I can remember trains being late are because of disruptions caused by typhoons, earthquakes and jumpers (the human kind).

Japanese trains are not cheap though. A two hour bullet train journey will cost you about 55 quid, that's each way.

To get a system like Japan's would require a similar scale investment over an extended period, tens of years. Hopefully the benefits of the recent billions spent are starting to come through, but it will take many years at the same level to get anywhere near the levels of Japanese and European levels of punctuality and reliability. I hope people will support the expenditure required and be patient.

ocean

The improved lines here will only be 125 mph at the end of it all which is a crawl compared to TGV/bullet.

£55 for a 2 hour bullet train trip sounds a bargain - it'll go a hell of a way in 2 hours at that speed.

Markus

As a child/teen I did a lot of travelling by train, both here and overseas (Old man worked for BR/RailTrack/Balfour Beaty/Whatever It Is Now). Couldn't really complain as I got free travel, but I would say that trains on the continent are far better than over here.

As an adult (adult? moi? hmm, I'll use the term loosely then ) i've enjoyed the somewhat dubious pleasure of our railway infrastructure. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Connect South East was my main carrier and to be honest they stunk, pure and simple. I seem to recall they lost the franchise, so I'm not sure a) who has it now, b) whether they are any better, doubt it though.

One thing I do know is this, if there is a delay during the week due to engineering works on the Hastings to London line then I know it'll probably be my dad and his crew causing the delay a few times I've stuck my head out of the slowly moving train to see him waving back at me hehehe

Account deleted by request

From the complaints that I have heard time of journeys is not the issue on the whole, the issues seem to be around reliability. I hope Network Rail are spending a lot of time and money on this as well as trying to develop quicker trains and lines.

Senior_AP

Britain:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl...l/img/1970.jpg

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/lexcie/tops/421-small.jpg



France:

http://www.photosfromfrance.co.uk/im...l%20%20tgv.jpg

http://www.onthebash.co.uk/SNCF/72043.JPG


Bekieve me, those jagged fronted french trains are fast. They are quiet, smooth and they shift!! Loads of room and very pleasant.

Really sad I know this but French tracks are wider, thus a less wobbley ride. Geek. lol.

Markus

it's bloody hard to upgrade the infrastructure, not without causing delays. Look at how long the rail link from london to Ashford for the Chunnel took. In france they just drew a straight line and paid proper compensation to the people it would effect, job done. In England, ah well, beauracracy at it's best, lots of thinking about which route to take, lots of protests, inadequate compensation, etc, etc. I *think* the link is now complete, at least ten years late.

Maybe privitisation of the rail system wasn't the best plan.

Oh, and don't get me started on the london underground *shudder* Dad's been down with a crew to do a bit of testing (he's an ultrasonics engineer), had to tripple check the equipment, as he thought it was faulty, due to it basically saying the rails were totally fubared, nope, not the equipment

Simon C

I've got a meeting in Coventry on Friday, I've just checked to see how much it would be to go by train and its £80, its not going to cost me that in petrol. Only problem is I've got a sick scoob and don't know if it will be fixed in time.

Markus

AP - awwww slam door trains in Network South East livery too, lovely, reminds me of my youth. I remember the special 1066 day years ago, when the line between tonbridge and hastings was finally electrified (dad did a bit of that too )

I have some odd feeling there are actually now a few proper trains on that line with proper sliding doors, as opposed to them all being slam doors (reminds me, where's my 'key' for the slam door trains gone. And my signal torch )

Senior_AP

I remember on the "slam door" trains. Victoria to Folkestone. It chuffed along on a terrible track. Stopping randomly and make a strange noise like a "woooooooo - wu-du-du-du-du-du-du-du-du-du". I was about 10 and said to mum that they were winding up the elastic band.

"when will we be in france mum, the trains there are nice and don't smell of poo".

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

Brit_In_Japan: Well, we must have been very unlucky then, as when we went there, the Yamanote line, which our hotel was on, was not working, so we had to make our way via a few other underground trains... not amusing when everything is in bloody Japanese (Yes, I know it was in Japan )

Also, I can't remember if it was Odabawara or Kamakura we went to on a really slow train and the ride was bumpy enough to rival that of the Silverlink Metro service...

ChrisB

Wider? In what way?

Most of Western Europe runs standard guage track. How else does Eurostar get from London to Paris?

Senior_AP

Disregarding Eurostar (purpose built track).

Wider, as in more width? The gap between the tracks, thus wheels are closer to the edge of the carriage.