How busy is the 1107 XC service from Oxford to Newcastle?

[6862]

This is my first post on this forum, so sorry if it's in the wrong place - and also I know it's not necessarily great to join a forum and ask questions immediately - sorry!

I will be travelling on the 1107 XC service to Newcastle from Oxford on Saturday with a fair amount of luggage and I was wondering whether anyone has any idea how busy this train is likely to be at this time of year? My guess is very busy - hopefully I'll be proved wrong!

Thanks.

 

[Greenback]

In my experience, all XC trains during the day time are very busy in the central core from York to Bristol or Reading. Some can be rammed before York and after Bristol and Reading, too.

I haven't travelled at that time on that particular day, but I'd assume that the 1107 will be pretty busy but not completely full when it leaves Newcastle.

 

[RailAleFan]

That particular XC service to Newcastle originates at Southampton, and the Southampton > Reading > Northbound services are, in my experience of travelling that route regularly, always much busier than the Newcastle services that originate at Reading.

The service that is one hour later, departing Oxford at 12:07 originates at Reading and I am sure will be much less crowded than the 11:07, if that may be of some use in future planning!

 

[yorkie]

Welcome to the forum

Unfortunately 4-car Voyagers are very likely on this route. Presumably your luggage is no more than allowed by the NRCoC? Have you booked a seat near a luggage rack?

....I'd assume that the 1107 will be pretty busy but not completely full when it leaves Newcastle.

It's a northbound train.

I do wish people would say from before to, as I also get confused too! I think it's just automatic for your our brains to read the first place you see as the departing location!

 

[6862]

Thanks for all the replies.

Firstly:

I wish people would say from before to, as I also get confused too!

Yes I realise it is confusing , the reason it is that way round is that I realised that I missed out the destination and went back to edit it and put it in the wrong way round.

Presumably your luggage is no more than allowed by the NRCoC?

I have one medium suitcase, a rucksack and a laptop bag.

Have you booked a seat near a luggage rack?

Yes, but it is one of the small ones (within the seating area, not near a luggage area in the vestibule) so I'm not expecting to be able to fit my luggage onto it.

So it isn't unreasonable to think that I might struggle to get onto the service/find somewhere to put my luggage?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just to add, my main reason for asking this question is that the last time I travelled from Oxford to Newcastle the service was absolutely packed and people were left behind because the train was so full. Admittedly it was the 1707 on a weekday evening, but I was wondering if this were to happen again, and I was unable to board, what would my rights be if I was using an Advance Ticket with compulsory reservation? Would I be allowed to use a later service or would I have to pay the £100 or so for a walk-on fare?

 

[Ash Bridge]

You could always send your suitcase using Carrymyluggage. Go to the Crosscountry Trains website, click on customer services look for the section on luggage. If you book it this way you get a 15% discount, it's about £30 one way for a 25kg case, collected from your door & delivered to your destination. It's a great service, used it personally for the past few years and very reliable, the more you send, the more cost effective it becomes. Thought it might help if travelling a bit lighter!

 

[6862]

Thanks for the tip - I had looked into it previously but unfortunately I don't think it would work this time for me as I won't be around during working hours for the next two days. I guess I will just have to hope for the best and be prepared to stand with my case most of the way.

 

[RailAleFan]

Thanks for the tip - I had looked into it previously but unfortunately I don't think it would work this time for me as I won't be around during working hours for the next two days. I guess I will just have to hope for the best and be prepared to stand with my case most of the way.

Worst case scenario is standing to Birmingham New Street. If you do find yourself standing (pretty sure you'll be OK TBH) position yourself strategically ready to grab a seat when the train empties out at Birmingham!

 

[Diplodicus]

When I've travelled Basingstoke to B'ham on Saturdays, it is always packed all the way although quite a lt of changeover at Reading and Oxford

 

[6862]

When I've travelled Basingstoke to B'ham on Saturdays, it is always packed all the way although quite a lt of changeover at Reading and Oxford

I'm expecting the worst.

 

[30907]

It's the end of Full Term too which I presume won't help any.

 

[6862]

It's the end of Full Term too which I presume won't help any.

That's why I'm catching that train. Yet another reason not to look forward to my first time going between Oxford and Birmingham in daylight.

 

[FQ]

I have seen that Service at Leamington a lot and always the same. Full and standing.

Sorry!

 

[6862]

What are my rights if I'm unable to board?

 

[RailAleFan]

Don't forget weekend first upgrade!

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/tickets-timetables/upgrades-discounts/weekend-upgrades

Not sure what it would be all the way through Oxford > Newcastle. It's only a tenner Reading > Stafford so shouldn't be too much if you didn't mind splashing out a little more for a bit of breathing space and an inclusive tea and biccy or two

 

[Greenback]

Apologies for misreading the direction of travel previously! A northbound train from Oxford at 1107 on a Saturday would be very busy in my view, having seen the number of passengers from Reading on a regular basis and knowing one of the TM's who works the route.

I'd agree that the Reading starters are likely to be a bit less busy than the Southampton starters.

 

[RailAleFan]

I'd agree that the Reading starters are likely to be a bit less busy than the Southampton starters.

My apologies too - the 11:07 from Oxford to Newcastle on Saturday _is_ a Reading starter! I'd searched tomorrow, yesterday, instead of Saturday...

 

[Greenback]

In that case, the OP should be able to get a seat, unless the service is exceptionally busy.

 

[6862]

In that case, the OP should be able to get a seat, unless the service is exceptionally busy.

Hopefully.

I suppose I can only wait and see. Thanks for all the replies.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Apologies for misreading the direction of travel previously!

It was my fault really - I didn't make it very clear.

 

[RailAleFan]

Looking forward to the live update ~11:15 on Saturday!

Be quick - mobile coverage goes AWOL between Oxford and Leamington Spa, with a brief window at Banbury...

 

[6862]

Looking forward to the live update ~11:15 on Saturday!

Be quick - mobile coverage goes AWOL between Oxford and Leamington Spa, with a brief window at Banbury...

Unlikely that I will post a 'live update' as my phone isn't much good for posting on forums as it's really slow. However I will try and remember to let you know how I go on when I get home.

 

[Kite159]

Remember if you haven't already reserved a seat via an advance ticket, you can try and use that wonderful reserve on route feature.

 

[6862]

Remember if you haven't already reserved a seat via an advance ticket, you can try and use that wonderful reserve on route feature.

I have booked a seat, but from past experience that is no guarantee of getting it if the service is very busy.

 

[Greenback]

I have booked a seat, but from past experience that is no guarantee of getting it if the service is very busy.

On a number of occasions I've booked seats on services that have been so busy that I couldn't get down the aisle to try and claim my seat. Sorry to be so negative, I don't think that'll be the case on your service, and even if it does, like me you'll have a good chance at reaching it at the next stop or the one after when people alight.

 

[RailAleFan]

Remember if you haven't already reserved a seat via an advance ticket, you can try and use that wonderful reserve on route feature.

I gave up using that ages ago (kinda felt like I was actually the _only_ person who used it!). It only ever seemed to work on trains that were practically empty anyway.

I'm not totally comfortable with the potentially awkward social situation that could arise (although never did whenever I used it for the aforementioned reason) but the overhead displays read something like "may be reserved en route.." so somebody could have potentially settled in to the seat, maybe even drifted off into dream land and then you come along and ask them to move.

I've no problem asking someone to move if it was known to the occupier that the seat was reserved from XYZ but just don't feel it's particularly fair to ask somebody to move who has settled in and cannot be expected to keep getting up every 5 minutes to check if the overhead display has changed.

 

[Tetchytyke]

It says "this seat may be reserved" so I have no moral problems with it at all!

 

[6862]

Update: I got on the train OK - it was busy but not too busy (only a few people had to stand), so I needn't have worried - thanks for the replies though. The train was delayed by about 15 minutes due to the knock-on effects of a signal failure at Slough earlier on - but arrival into Newcastle was still pretty much on time, the long stop at New Street was shortened significantly, making up some time.

 

[Greenback]

Sounds like a typical XC journey. On my last one we were late arriving into New Street but left pretty much on time. There were also people standing even though it was a HST rather than a Voyager. There were no spare seats in my carriage at several points, one of them being between Leeds and Sheffield, but there may have been some elsewhere.

 

[Bevan Price]

It says "this seat may be reserved" so I have no moral problems with it at all!

You might have no problem - but the person occupying such a seat could have a problem, and tell you and/or the conductor "where to go". And I suspect that some conductors might well retreat if the passenger looked "difficult", or was a "fragile" pensioner.

Personally I think that reservation "after departure" is a silly idea, and liable to cause a lot of arguments. On busy services, it is hard enough to find a vacant seat without adding further complications like "might be reserved". Was it XC who dreamed up this idea, or some buffoon at DfT ?

 

[thenorthern]

Personally I think that reservation "after departure" is a silly idea, and liable to cause a lot of arguments. On busy services, it is hard enough to find a vacant seat without adding further complications like "might be reserved". Was it XC who dreamed up this idea, or some buffoon at DfT ?

I think it was CrossCountry who came up with it as no other operator uses 10 Minute reservations.

I can see some benefit of it as many regular CrossCountry services are very long such as 06:01 Glasgow Central to Plymouth which takes 9 H 14 M and at 7 AM someone might want to get a reservation at 14:26 from Tiverton Parkway to Plymouth but can't because the train has already departed Glasgow Central. 10 Min is far too short though I think the cut off time should be at least an hour possibly 2.

Whenever I travel CrossCountry I normally get a 10 Min reservation if I can although I haven't had any problems yet with angry passengers when I ask them to move.

With other operators I normally just send them tweet asking for a reservation which they are more than happy to assist with.