How busy have your trains been?

[Kite159]

Mix bag today, the 165 from Guildford towards Dorking was reasonably loaded this morning (Gatwick train), but a Redhill starter was dead.

Quite a few boarding a Waterloo train at Guildford this evening, but might be down to the timetable reducing Guildford - Woking to 3tph.

The 377s south of Dorking were quiet, but I wasn't expecting anything else for that rural backwater line (however I suspect by the time they reached London, a 5 coach might have been busier)

 

[JonathanH]

Mix bag today, the 165 from Guildford towards Dorking was reasonably loaded this morning (Gatwick train), but a Redhill starter was dead.

Off-peak / weekend Redhill starters tend to be dead even in normal times east of Guildford, certainly relative to the Gatwick trains. I did see a early evening Gatwick-bound train come through Reigate earlier which was quite well loaded (to the extent I wasn't easily able to count the passengers from the outside).

 

[The exile]

14 aboard yesterday's 09.04 Shrewsbury - Swansea (Single 153) somewhere around Llanbister Road (can't remember where I counted), of whom 11 appeared to be "normal" passengers. Numbers slowly picking up according to the guard.
My normal Bristol area commute is certainly getting busier - 16.22 ex Bristol was quite cosy on the day it was a single 165 - not helped by having the end sections "locked" out for staff use only which must cut out about 1/3 of the seating capacity. Not quite sure of the rationale behind this as it doesn't seem to apply to other unit classes.

 

[Bald Rick]

14 aboard yesterday's 09.04 Shrewsbury - Swansea (Single 153) somewhere around Llanbister Road (can't remember where I counted), of whom 11 appeared to be "normal" passengers.

Which begs the tantalising question - what were the other 3?

 

[infobleep]

Off-peak / weekend Redhill starters tend to be dead even in normal times east of Guildford, certainly relative to the Gatwick trains. I did see a early evening Gatwick-bound train come through Reigate earlier which was quite well loaded (to the extent I wasn't easily able to count the passengers from the outside).

How do the Reshill starters fair during the week? I guess they would be picking up passengers in lieu of the fasts not running during parts of the off-peak but otherwise?

 

[route101]

Edinburgh Waverley was busy yesterday. The LNER services heading south were busy though were heavily delayed. My service to Tweedbank was well loaded.

 

[Trackman]

Been on EUS-MAN Avanti’s the last few weeks.
I would say loadings are at 30% if that, but not been on a 9 car yet.
It can be a bit deceiving with the social distancing going on, but I was behind a ‘Euston scrum’ and there was less than 50. Makes you laugh, one train per hour and a 6 minutes boarding time with Avanti gate line staff who are just not really bothered.. but I’m sure there’s a thread for that.

I guess when social distancing is abolished they could still get away with 1tph off-peak and 2 peak for a few months.

 

[Watershed]

Been on EUS-MAN Avanti’s the last few weeks.
I would say loadings are at 30% if that, but not been on a 9 car yet.
It can be a bit deceiving with the social distancing going on, but I was behind a ‘Euston scrum’ and there was less than 50. Makes you laugh, one train per hour and a 6 minutes boarding time with Avanti gate line staff who are just not really bothered.. but I’m sure there’s a thread for that.

I guess when social distancing is abolished they could still get away with 1tph off-peak and 2 peak for a few months.

I think it's highly likely that there is a "build it and they'll come" issue here - 1 train per hour isn't a particularly attractive train service unless you're planning your journey long in advance.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I think it's highly likely that there is a "build it and they'll come" issue here - 1 train per hour isn't a particularly attractive train service unless you're planning your journey long in advance.

Euston to Manchester goes back to 2tph all day from the 17th anyway. Brum likewise I think.

 

[Kite159]

Some quite busy trains on the Overground from Liverpool Street today, doesn't help that everything is 4 coaches

 

[Jamesrob637]

Some quite busy trains on the Overground from Liverpool Street today, doesn't help that everything is 4 coaches

Northern-esque train lengths!

 

[Kite159]

Northern-esque train lengths!

At least northern trains have more seats!

 

[Ianno87]

Just had a ride Cambridge North-Ely and back:

Outward on an Ely terminating service, which was pretty lightly loaded (fairly normal anyway). Back on an ex-King's Lynn (8-car), which was loaded to a level that would have been pretty 'snug' on a 4-car.

Couple of Norwich-Stansted services were pretty well loaded (over 50% seat, easily)

 

[NorthWestRover]

Northern-esque train lengths!

If we're lucky

 

[Jamesrob637]

Just had a ride Cambridge North-Ely and back:

Outward on an Ely terminating service, which was pretty lightly loaded (fairly normal anyway). Back on an ex-King's Lynn (8-car), which was loaded to a level that would have been pretty 'snug' on a 4-car.

Couple of Norwich-Stansted services were pretty well loaded (over 50% seat, easily)

You probably haven't got the rain over there yet. Or at least not when you travelled. It's yucky in Western parts today.

 

[Ianno87]

You probably haven't got the rain over there yet. Or at least not when you travelled. It's yucky in Western parts today.

It started to come down after we got back.

The Riverside around Ely was deadly quiet (I'd usually expect busier on a Bank Holiday). The kids near enough had the playground to themselves!

 

[Tracked]

Did Doncaster-Sheffield and back yesterday, looked fairly quiet down the front on the TPE (I was towards the rear of the train, and on my own in the carriage). Not busy at Sheffield, maybe 3/4 in the carriage, but another 8/9 got on at Meadowhall (this was mid-afternoon though).

 

[infobleep]

I wasn't much attention as to how busy my train was from Haywards Heath this evening. I got two seats to myself near the luggage rack. There were others around but plenty of space. Not sure how busy it out after that It was the 17;42, which I made with just over 10 seconds before the doors closed. Phew as I was wishing to travel back via Clapham Junction.

On the 18:24 from Clapham Junction to Haslemere, which of course left a minute late, quite a few seemed to get on but after they did, I still only counted 13 people in coach 3 and I got a whole 6 seats to myself.

My next trip will be the 5:14 Guildford to Waterloo via Woking, along with a change at Woking for a faster non-stop service to Surbiton.

I only usually do this journey once a year or twice at most and it's never busy, so I look forward to finding out tomorrow what it is like.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Whilst collecting tickets for travel w/c 17th May, I observed a relatively full TfW 158 pass Heaton Chapel at 12:40.

Who knows how full it would've been with a 3-car 175 though.

 

[SurreyCommuter]

Tuesday I went on a train for the first time since February last year. Wasn't too horrific but still wouldn't want to have to commute with a face covering for more than a couple of days in a row.

In the morning I took the 06:58 from Godalming into Waterloo and it built up from about 20% full when I got on to just over 50% full upon leaving Woking. It was a Cl444 hence how it was easy to work out it was around 50% full. In the evening I took the 18:00 from Waterloo and it was around 50% full leaving Waterloo but down to around 20% by the time I got off. No-one on either journey seemed willing to want to sit right next to someone and preferred to stand. Will be interested how long that lasts although I'm unlikely to be getting on a train again till the end of June when the face covering/distancing guidance could well have changed.

 

[pnepaul]

Today 11.06 Workington to Carlise about 1/3 full. 12.09 Carlisle to Preston . Standard class abt 50% very few in 1st Class

15.41 Preston to Carlisle - just about full capacity for social distancing in both standard and 1st Class. 17.07 Carlisle to Workington very busy full to capacity.

 

[infobleep]

The 5:14 Guildford to Waterloo had 4 people in coach 2. It departed from platform 4. I'm sure that's what I'd have expected ore covid-19 if that. The next coach down, 3 looked empty, however. It is a 455.

Unusually it arrives into Woking on platform 4. A Balfour Batty light engine was passing through platform 1 heading south, shortly after arrival. It was 2 minutes late into Woking too but as it waits, it doesn't matter. It also officially broke my connection onto the 5:30 cut as it enabled a cross-platform change it didn't matter.

To my surprise coach 1 of the 444 stock, 5:30 had 16 people in coach 1, 3 of whom were in first-class no less.

Coach 2 also had 16 people including myself. I wasn't expecting the train to be this busy. I got a table seat at least.

As I got off at Surbiton, 2 minutes late, 6 people got into coach 2 and at least 3 into coach 1. Totally surprised by the number.

This evening I boarded the 22:57 Surbiton to Guildford. Over 10 people got off at Surbiton. Many from carriage 5. When I boarded carriage 5 I counted 8 people. In carriage 6 aaa just 2, including myself.

So busy in some carriages is how id describe it but even then not that busy.

By the time we reach Guildford, I am expecting it to be dead but that was the case pre-covid.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

07.15 Epsom - London Bridge on Tuesday and today, about 80% to 90% seat occupancy on arrival at London Bridge; 10 car class 377 rake.

 

[Hadders]

Definitely much busier today in London which was good to see.

Victoria Line was standing room only between Warren Street and Finsbury Park this afternoon.

 

[davews]

Yesterday Reading-Waterloo line around 6-8 per carriage. But District line from Richmond was packed, central London looked almost normal.

 

[zero]

EMR Skegness branch on Friday afternoon, varied between 10% to 30% full.

 

[Andy Pacer]

On the 1015 Sheffield to Leeds, most seats taken, I'd say more than 50% of the double seats have a pair of passengers on them.
I guess a "normal" Saturday would have seen people standing but this is the busiest train I've been on for a long time.

 

[yorksrob]

On the 1015 Sheffield to Leeds, most seats taken, I'd say more than 50% of the double seats have a pair of passengers on them.
I guess a "normal" Saturday would have seen people standing but this is the busiest train I've been on for a long time.

Is that the Hallam line ?

 

[Andy Pacer]

Is that the Hallam line ?

Realtime Trains - 2N11 1015 Sheffield to Leeds

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[nat67]

The other week I was at Stratford (London) and noted the 1530 Liverpool Street-Norwich was pretty much full and standing from Stratford. Of course it was a Friday so people heading home to family or second homes.