As an example of the current passenger experience at the minute, my leisure trip to London from Sheffield and back next weekend now probably looks like:
Train Sheffield to London cancelled due to strike
Tube strikes Friday and Saturday night
Booked return via Tamworth as engineering means no through service on MML and reduced service with hour diversion on ECML
1st class HST now a 4 car Voyager where 1st could be declassified and God knows we might get left on the platform
I have been thoroughly committed to making long distance trips via train wherever possible. Barring a miracle mitigating all the above I now have no intention of doing so again for the foreseeable future. Being stuck in road traffic gives me a guarantee of a seat and takes the pandemic out of the equation.
Train Sheffield to London cancelled due to strike
Tube strikes Friday and Saturday night
Booked return via Tamworth as engineering means no through service on MML and reduced service with hour diversion on ECML
1st class HST now a 4 car Voyager where 1st could be declassified and God knows we might get left on the platform
I have been thoroughly committed to making long distance trips via train wherever possible. Barring a miracle mitigating all the above I now have no intention of doing so again for the foreseeable future. Being stuck in road traffic gives me a guarantee of a seat and takes the pandemic out of the equation.