How busy have your trains been?

[yorksrob]

Had a very quiet journey on a GWR Cardiff to Bristol earlier on in the day despite it having ran out of reservation quota and no tickets being available... only 3 other people in the coach (5 car turbo 2+3 formation for reference.) Return journey in the evening again on GWR 3 coach Turbo slightly busier but still only one person in a bay (of 6 facing or 4 facing.)

I was expecting the morning service to be much busier if no reservations were available at all, especially as it was the first "off peak" service from Cardiff to Portsmouth over a bank holiday. Not a hopeful sign of a rise in passenger numbers.

Or incompetent yield management !

 

[fishquinn]

TfW have confirmed in an FOI response that anyone can travel for any reason; see:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ys-allowed-or-not.206316/page-19#post-4736862

This was Scotrail, I'm assuming their policy is the same as every other TOC (and indeed I travelled on a few Scotrail services in the last few days and this was the only guard to mention anything about essential travel).

 

[yorkie]

0957 (which of course was really the 0956 as most trains seem to depart from origins early these days, and this was no exception!) Bristol to Paddington had the following loadings on departure :

Front 5 coaches (Inc 1st class): unknown
Rear 4 as follows

Coach G 39 passengers
Coach D 31 pax
Coach C 20 pax
Coach B 6 pax
Coach A 2 pax (including me!)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I've just got off a 12 car 450 at Clapham Junction from Surbiton that was completely full, the volumes at Clapham Junction look normal and I'm now on an 8 car 455 to Thornton Heath that is about half full.

This is looking good for the recovery.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Anybody have any experience of trains abroad in the last few weeks? Believe most European countries are back on a more or less normal timetable now.

 

[Richard Scott]

Anybody have any experience of trains abroad in the last few weeks? Believe most European countries are back on a more or less normal timetable now.

Yes, most timetables normal and local trains seem reasonably busy but many long distance ones can be lightly loaded (this was in Germany). Also went to Poland and Czech and loadings looked normal, trains quite busy.

 

[MrTurbostar170]

Various journeys around London and the South West the past week.

London to Portsmouth was quite full after Croydon, one journey on the Isle of Wight had standing passengers, but then it's only a two coach journey.

Most GWR services were fairly quiet, although I was out in some of the more touristy areas when there was torrential rain forecast, so I don't know how different it would be if it was scorching hot. Journey back into London was very busy I would say.

Journey out of London back home was the 18:09 GN service to Ely, 12 coach train very quiet. I feel like the avoid public transport at peak times message is unnecessary at the moment.

Final journey on the Cambridge to Norwich service was very quiet, not even many people travelling up to Ely as there usually would be.

 

[MDB1images]

Some TPE Anglo-Scots I've worked this week have seen pre Covid levels again.
Friday was by far the busiest day since March.

 

[185143]

I was on a 68 yesterday from York, early afternoon. A significant number of people alighted and were walking down from platform 4. Unless a lot boarded at York before I arrived, it must have been standing room only with a lot of standees.

I ended up getting joined at my table by three Scottish girls intent on consuming as much alcohol as they could. They asked if I minded them taking all three seats before they sat down and were more than happy to share their drinks. Felt very... normal! Plenty of passengers boarding and alighting en route too which was very encouraging. And they weren't ALL veg out for 68024.

I was on the 06:28 out of Euston to Crewe earlier in the week, it was dead throughout. No idea what it'd be like normally. The tube from Paddington wasn't busy, though it was pre-06:00.

 

[yorkie]

Anybody have any experience of trains abroad in the last few weeks? Believe most European countries are back on a more or less normal timetable now.

I was in Switzerland with other forum members last week; their approach is infinitely better to ours. The UK rail industry & Government is behaving in a disgraceful manner in comparison. I wish I was still over there!

Only about 80 passengers on the 2100 King's Cross to Newcastle just before departure from KGX.

This despite the fact there is no 2000 service in the current timetable.

Long distance operators should be very worried indeed.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I was in Switzerland with other forum members last week; their approach is infinitely better to ours. The UK rail industry & Government is behaving in a disgraceful manner in comparison. I wish I was still over there!

Only about 80 passengers on the 2100 King's Cross to Newcastle just before departure from KGX.

This despite the fact there is no 2000 service in the current timetable.

Long distance operators should be very worried indeed.

Glad you were there last week and not this week! Good to hear about over there though.

 

[S&CLER]

The 10:39 from Southport to Manchester was quite busy yesterday (Saturday); I returned by the 15:56 from Gathurst, moderately busy; there was quite a crowd waiting on platform 5 at Southport when we arrived at 16:29. Merseyrail trains I saw arriving also looked fairly busy and were formed of 6 cars. It was a sunny morning, of course, which helps on the Southport line.

 

[jonnyfan]

Travelling from Manchester Piccadilly to Chester through Altrincham yesterday, a good 100 people leaving the Northern service in Chester - thank god for the double 150 to spread everyone out. The trains arriving into Chester were very busy, platforms were packed with people leaving the station. Like a normal Saturday really

 

[yorkie]

Only about 15 people on the 0937 York to Redcar between Yarm & Thornaby. Most weren't on from York ; the only other person who was in my coach from York got off at Yarm. Edit: I didn't realise there were another 3 coaches on the rear, so actual numbers could have been a bit higher but I doubt if anyone got on the rear 3 at York.

I know it's a Sunday morning but thee numbers are very low.

Edit: now on the 1017 Middlesbrough to Newcastle (4 car 156); between Billingham and Seaton Career I counted 13 in the front coach, 26 in the second coach. The third coach looks as well loaded as the second and I didn't look into the rear coach. So not a bad loading on this train.

 

[185143]

I'm on a very busy 397 from Liverpool to Glasgow. Around 30% of seats taken in the front coach, but Coaches C and D are closer to 75% taken.

Went into Liverpool on a busy 68 ex Man Vic. Counted 33 people in coach D on departure from Newton-le-Willows. Seemed to have similar loading throughout.

 

[route101]

Quite a few on the 1049 from Glasgow to Edinburgh via Shotts , 6 car 385. A 2nd fast via Shotts would be useful right now and running later.

928 from East Kilbride to Glasgow. Fairly busy all rows of seats taken, even a group of lads drinking.
2247 from Glasgow Central to EK , Busy , 2 car 156. People were standing rather than sitting next to people. Should be a 4 car 156.

 

[biko]

Anybody have any experience of trains abroad in the last few weeks? Believe most European countries are back on a more or less normal timetable now.

Timetables are indeed back to normal, not for all buses I believe but for trains they are.

Last Thursday, I had a train where at least half of the seats were taken at the start of the journey and this was at 21:30, so a lot busier than I expected. In Germany, the 6-coach RB was also well filled with at least one or two people in every 4-seat bay, but it clearly was regional traffic as it emptied out quite a bit before reaching the Netherlands.

The week before, I went to the region around Amsterdam and trains were also reasonably busy. In Amsterdam Zuid the platforms were so busy social distancing was impossible.

 

[Huntergreed]

I’m on a Scotrail 156 to Carlisle as I type this, normally about 25-50% loaded, there’s 4 passengers today. This is getting really worrying

 

[Andy Pacer]

I’m on a Scotrail 156 to Carlisle as I type this, normally about 25-50% loaded, there’s 4 passengers today. This is getting really worrying

Would the England bank holiday usually make the service busier or quieter than a typical Monday?

 

[Huntergreed]

Would the England bank holiday usually make the service busier or quieter than a typical Monday?

As it’s cross-border, often much busier.

 

[Andy Pacer]

As it’s cross-border, often much busier.

I thought that may be the case.

 

[MDB1images]

All the TPE's on Anglo Scots had heavy/full loads for most of the daytime on Monday, passenger figures for this bank holiday have been higher than previous years.

 

[Jamesrob637]

All the TPE's on Anglo Scots had heavy/full loads for most of the daytime on Monday, passenger figures for this bank holiday have been higher than previous years.

Could have done with 8-car from the sounds of things.

 

[yorkie]

There were very few passengers on my trains from Horden to York yesterday. Despite the Durham Coast service being reduced to two hourly, the train was almost empty. There was loads of space to spread out on the empty TPE from Thornaby to York.

Then onto today...

My Northern train from York to Leeds was only reasonably busy in the rear 2 cars this morning; the front coach was empty. And don't forget there is only one Northern train per hour currently. While it was nice to be on a train that wasn't entirely empty, the loadings were not as high as they should be on a Bank Holiday Monday.

My next train from York was to Halifax and this again was not too quiet but was not as busy as it should have been.

On the return journey, I got a Northern train from Hebden Bridge to Leeds which was lightly loaded, and from Leeds to York the XC train was also lightly loaded, though not empty.

Don't be fooled by some reports of a few busy trains here and there; most trains are very lightly loaded compared to normal, and of course 'off peak' trains are generally much busier than most so-called 'peak' trains, most of which carry mostly fresh air these days, sadly.

 

[Huntergreed]

Could have done with 8-car from the sounds of things.

Bear in mind we have the 397’s now which are 5 far. I got on two yesterday, one between Penrith and Carlisle - which was reasonably well loaded, and one between Carlisle and Waverley, which was quite empty. It’s certainly not what it normally is from my own observations.

 

[Ianno87]

Did a non-stop Cambridge- Kings Cross and return trip yesterday. Deadly quiet.

12 car on the way out (1144 from Cambridge) - *nobody* in the front carriage into King's Cross, which is unheard of.

Return - 1642 from Kings Cross - maybe 30 people tops. Much busier with people joining at Cambridge for Ely/Downham Market.

 

[43066]

Anyone else noticed a significant up tick in loadings over the past week or so?

The bank holiday seemed to be encouraging a lot of long distance travel, and I’ve just stepped off the busiest commuter train I’ve ridden on since before March.

 

[BJames]

Anyone else noticed a significant up tick in loadings over the past week or so?

The bank holiday seemed to be encouraging a lot of long distance travel, and I’ve just stepped off the busiest commuter train I’ve ridden on since before March.

I definitely think the local services are starting to get busier. My London Overground West Anglia's were much busier yesterday (including one at 8pm) than I've had recently, with quite a few people standing in multiple carriages and someone sitting on the seat immediately next to me. But I don't think the hourly service to Enfield/Cheshunt on weekends/bank holiday is helping. And to be fair, not all of the services are loaded like that.

I'll be doing intercity this weekend or early next week on EMR, I've been using LNER recently so it will be good to compare.

I am still concerned by reports such as @yorkie's regular updates and @Ianno87's update yesterday, and other's reports as it does still sound like loadings are worryingly low.

 

[Halish Railway]

I saw 1P21 0954 Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle at Dewsbury and it seemed like 3/4 of all of the window seats were taken - Not bad on a five coach train. I’d imagine it will be much busier once students go back.

 

[trainophile]

Just boarded a 2-coach 175 at Hereford, the 1031 ex-Man Picc. It’s packed, people standing in the aisles and some having to ignore the do not use notices on the seats.

I expect the reason they would give is that there aren’t any 3-coach sets available, but knowing that half the seats are out of use what do they think will happen? Bit daft harping on about social distancing.

it’s going all the way to Milford Haven, thank goodness I am getting off at Newport.