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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 19:29:50 GMT
I am a believer in public transport. Not a fanatic, so I use it when appropriate and the time/costs make more sense than car or plane.
In Manchester I use the very effective Metrolink tram system, although at rush hour it is rammed. However it is not part of my daily routine
Travel to London is almost exclusively by train unless three or more of us are travelling.
Today I had an all day seminar in Birmingham. 0705 train down was fine. Mainly business people, getting fuller with commuters from Stoke, Stafford and Wolverhampton. The 1857 train home is a different kettle of fish. Very full, hot and sweaty and a delightful family of Mancunians (not), loud, bad language, children out of control (it's not half term so why are they even on the train). Not sure who is who but certainly about eight of them; everyone else looking at each other, rolling eyes.
It's at times like this I wish I'd bought first class or taken the car..... Add in the £90 ticket price.
Anyway only 55 minutes to go.
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Post by Humph on Nov 12, 2018 19:35:31 GMT
The main problem with public transport is that they let the public use it. Ironically though, if even more of them did so, the roads would be much less congested so I suppose they should be encouraged really. It’s a tricky one in truth. 😉
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Nov 12, 2018 19:39:56 GMT
I use the trams a lot too. Rail services here are poorer this year since Northern Rail messed up (they blame National Rail). On a Sunday the tram is a lot better for frequency and the difference in price is minimal.
Only train journeys I make are either local into Manchester or from here to London. Occasionally for work and had some nightmare journeys, e.g.
- No aircon on the train and packed in the middle of summer - Train never arrives at Oxford (for my connection). Could have got others but not direct to Manchester. They eventually say the train never left Bournemouth.... well that would have been hours earlier so it was never delayed - it didn't exist.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 21:59:12 GMT
I had to use a local train from Birmingham New Street to the University Station after the seminar to visit a friend in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant. The distance is equivalent to a few stops on the tram in Manchester. The train was late and ridiculously slow. And don't get me started on New Street Station. No signs, no information, but a shiny shopping centre attached - so that's OK then.
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Post by Humph on Nov 13, 2018 7:24:04 GMT
Well, I suppose you could have driven, but I imagine that thirsty old 6 cylinder would have been a bit of a disincentive to that? 😉
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2018 12:34:21 GMT
None whatsoever. If you have to drive, do it properly in a quiet, smooth and comfortable car with no four cylinder rattle....
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Alanović
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Post by Alanović on Nov 13, 2018 12:49:02 GMT
I very rarely use public transport but Mrs A makes up for that using the appalling commuter service on the Paddington line. Season ticket just renewed for £5k, the trains are usually late and overcrowded and often fail to exist at all.
We live close enough to the town centre to render waiting for a bus to get there a pointless exercise. Might as well just walk, especially as the bus stop is in the opposite direction from our house. The way back is a bit uphill though, so a taxi home does the trick if I can't be harrised, and that only costs the same as a return bus ticket for two. There is no journey I regularly do which could be done more cheaply, more quickly or more comfortably by public transport than I can in my Leaf. Only on the rare occasions that I have a social engagement in another town/city involving consumption of alcohol do I ever get on a train.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2018 14:20:39 GMT
I rather enjoy the train, but then I rarely if ever have to catch Great Western. The Chiltern line is great. It can get busy in rush hour, but rarely unbearably so. Though, it's been three years since the last time I realise.
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Post by Humph on Nov 13, 2018 14:31:22 GMT
None whatsoever. If you have to drive, do it properly in a quiet, smooth and comfortable car with no four cylinder rattle.... I’m still not very sure how or why all those green stars appeared next to my name here, but I think it might be safe to assume that I have more rights to be right as a result? Just saying...no smoke without fire and so on eh? 😎
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Alanović
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Post by Alanović on Nov 13, 2018 14:52:04 GMT
I rather enjoy the train, but then I rarely if ever have to catch Great Western. The Chiltern line is great. It can get busy in rush hour, but rarely unbearably so. Though, it's been three years since the last time I realise. Had to go and rescue the trouble and strife from High Wycombe once this year when Worst Great Western failed totally one day, along with South West trains from Waterloo. Also once from Swindon, but that was because someone had failed to read the departure board and got on the one train which doesn't stop at Reading...Friday night, engineering works looming, no more trains running west to east until Monday...
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Nov 13, 2018 15:36:28 GMT
Some stupid planning with upcoming works with an England game at Wembley with no trains. Network Rail avoided the Armistice weekend but FA should have checked before scheduling that game.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 7:54:23 GMT
None whatsoever. If you have to drive, do it properly in a quiet, smooth and comfortable car with no four cylinder rattle.... I’m still not very sure how or why all those green stars appeared next to my name here, but I think it might be safe to assume that I have more rights to be right as a result? Just saying...no smoke without fire and so on eh? 😎 Shades of Kim Jong Humph, Humph??
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Post by bromptonaut on Nov 14, 2018 22:11:11 GMT
Buses here are useless. One an hour each way Northampton to Daventry and vv. Round the houses either direction. Quicker by bike though in practice I drive.
OTOH trains to London or Birmingham are are pretty good and, if you choose carefully, not ridiculously expensive. While I can recall multiple major delays from when I was daily commuter they're vastly outnumbered by days I was waiting in almost exactly same place in queue for traffic lights on way home when financial bit of R4 6 O'clock news came on.
Fellow rail user group member in habit of listening to same playlist every day reckoned stop at Euston was nearly always during Paint it Black....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2018 22:47:38 GMT
How very depressing..
To listen to the same Playlist every day..
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Post by crankcase on Nov 15, 2018 18:18:22 GMT
For the first time in many many years I went on a train last week. Mrs C had to explain at length about ticket machines (was a man in a ticket booth last time I used one), and how there wouldn't be anyone checking the ticket (there was) and how there aren't even porters any more! Blimey.
I explained how EVERY SINGLE TIME I use public transport, an "odd" person of some description attaches themselves to me. Once in London someone suddenly wailed and threw her head on my shoulder weeping, for no apparent reason. I mean, what can one do? I was told I was exaggerating.
On arrival Mrs C popped into the ladies, and in less than a second a Strange Old Lady asked if I was all right, dearie, and then told me all about her back, Universal Credit, how her Joe wouldn't work, and started to cry. I just sighed, really, until it was time to move along.
Anyway, went from Waterbeach to Ely, a journey time of about eight minutes. It cost us nine pounds.
The point was to then walk back, about eleven miles, along the Fen Rivers Way, which turned out to be an absolutely excellent walk, and well worth the tenner. Nice picnic too, who'd have thought it in November.
Won't be rushing to use a train again though.
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