Trivia; which is the EASIEST morning commute by train?!!

[stut]

Biggleswade-Hitchin is pretty decent. You're going with a heavy peak flow, but the bulk of London-bound passengers from all stations but Sandy and Arlesey are on non-stops, so it's pretty quiet until Arlesey. The only difficult part can be barging off the train at Hitchin.

The return is similarly OK. Half the train empties at Hitchin, so you always get a seat. The journey's also unrestricted for bikes, which is extremely handy too.

 

[CardiffKid]

I commute from Cardiff Queen Street to Penarth.

Regular service every 15 minutes and the journey takes a little over 20.

In almost eighteen months, the train I aim to catch has been cancelled twice and is usually onetime or at most 4-5 minutes late.

The train is busy from Queen St - Central, but I always get a seat and then almost empty from Cardiff Central to Penarth.

Working 5 days a week and buying an annual season ticket costs a little under £1 each way too.

 

[RJ]

Folkestone to St Pancras doesn't pass the bank manager test but it's a lovely easy journey that still gives you a seat every day (although getting fuller).

Similarly Canterbury West to St Pancras was lovely - I'd get the same seat on the 07:25 every morning, even leaving Ashford there was enough space for everyone. Very reliable too.

Loughborough to St Pancras was also a decent commute. EMT mainline services were very reliable. The Ivanhoe service let me down a few times though.

 

[matchmaker]

And cheaper than the bus still?

Yes, I think so.

 

[satisnek]

I see a few comments in favour of Birmingham's Snow Hill lines, and I can only agree: I commuted consecutively from Olton, Acocks Green and Wythall five days a week over a three year period and found the services to be reliable, dependable and comfortable, and very rarely did I fail to get a a seat. My Dad, visiting once from the north east, was astonished to see a local train that was modern, carpeted and had more than two carriages!

I would have been much less impressed with my commute based on my experiences of the routes before the rolling stock was modernised, when they were operated by basic 150s - still in use with Northern today largely unchanged.

Oh no, it was ace! The 150s had a softer ride and squashier seats, which CT re-covered during my time commuting. They also installed things on the bulkheads which squirted out a vanilla-type scent, for whatever reason. But best of all, 150s would run flat-out south of Stourbridge (or very close - by this time drivers were adhering to the 75mph limit very strictly and so would throttle back on the fastest bits) which, combined with the noise (and yes, they were noisy!) really gave the impression of getting there as quickly as possible. The 100mph 172s just crawl along by comparison.

 

[Envy123]

My commute to school from Golders Green to Chalk Farm was the easiest. Just a couple of stops on the Northern Line.

 

[mikey9]

Highland Line - Dingwall, Conon Bridge, Muir Of Ord or Beauly to Inverness!!!

(For Muir Of Ord)
Choice of three at 7:30, 8:00 and 8:30 inbound to Inverness - (from Muir of Ord) - returns at 17:15, 18:00 and 18:30.

Costs £1.50 each way (10 ticket carnet) - 14 miles - following the Beauly Firth (Ospreys, Mountains, Geese, views, Telford Engineering - what is there not to like). Generally have 4 seats (inc table) to myself - in the First Class (out of Service) on the way in - always get a seat on the way back and generally (other than the 17:15) not crowded.

Occasional cancellation - usually efficiently replaced by a bus or two. occasional delay due to single line delays - but works most of the time - and is pretty unstressful.......(sorry to gloat!!)

And this morning - a whole 3 of us in my nicely refurbished (but alas no longer 1st class) 158 carriage. Never mind a table and 4 to myself - I could have chosen from 7 tables.....!!

Credit too to the Network Rail guys who ALWAYS have the platforms, paths and approaches salted and cleared when the winter arrives- before the first strain of the day either way.

 

[cuccir]

Durham to Newcastle is an excellent half-commute on the 0824. It's only come from Leeds, so it's at most 2 minutes late, always get a pair of seats to myself, Durham's an 8 minute walk from front door to platform, followed by a leisurely 20 min walk from Newcastle to work. The way back on the 1804 is a little less pleasant though. A 3 car 185 is not enough for the last Chester-Le-Street of the evening peak, although it's pretty empty from Durham (not that that helps, but.......).

Agreed - I was going to post on here how good Durham-Newcastle is as a commute compared to what I hear from across the country, particularly if you avoid the busier and more-delay-prone TPE trains. Cost is pretty reasonable too, and it's nice to have a commute which leaves a very useful ticket for weekend travel to Newcastle too.

The punctuality of the 08:18 and 08:24 are impressive, and comfortable seating is guaranteed on both, usually getting a pair - and while the 08:18 goes over the High Level Bridge and therefore sometimes arrives a minute or two after 08:24, I find that if I target arriving for the earlier train then I sometimes get the late-running 08:01 (TPE of course!) or that I can be a few minutes late in my morning and not stress!

Coming back is good too if you can make the three trains 17:25, 17:32 or 17:41 - a bit busier than the morning trains but again you're almost guaranteed a seat. That 18:04 TPE is the only return service to regularly have many people standing.

 

[47271]

They also installed things on the bulkheads which squirted out a vanilla-type scent, for whatever reason.

Going by the last rush hour rammed Northern 150 I travelled on between Manchester and Wigan, the reason would be to mask the following sorts of odours:

1. Takeaway curry being consumed by the man to the left of me.

2. Stale fag ash smell coming from the man sitting behind me.

3. A general smell of damp consistent with a leaky roof somewhere.

4. The unmistakable whiff of antifreeze, presumably coming from a dodgy hose connection in the engine below.

So not what I'd call the easiest commute.

On the bright side, there were no obvious personal hygiene issues or anyone around me stinking of booze. Maybe antifreeze is good at cancelling those ones out.

It was magical.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Years ago, Seven Kings to Liverpool Street; up to 3 - 4 years ago: New Beckenham to Ladywell

 

[KTHV]

I commuted between Kidderminster and Droitwich Spa from 2004-2008 and it was generally no hassle at all. Can't remember what the fare was but I do remember being told initially that there was no Kidderminster-Droitwich season, only Worcester. Turned out that there was but by then I had come to appreciate the unfettered and effectively free access to Worcester so I considered that the (quite small) saving wasn't worth it.

In the mornings I could get the earlier train and walk the other end or take my bike on the later one. The earlier train was busy with the kids going to the fee-paying schools in Worcester but there were still seats available if you wanted one.

There were from memory three mornings when things were screwed up with emergency replacement road transport. On the first two the coach driver happily dropped me closer to my place of work prior to arriving at Droitwich station, the third time (and by far the most delayed) he refused. Don't know who was right and wrong (bearing in mind it wasn't a scheduled replacement) but I had a right old ding-dong with him. That was the only bit of aggro I ever had in those four years.

Coming back nothing mattered. One evening it was one of those ex-Anglia 150/2s which Central Trains had acquired. The driver had difficulty releasing the brakes at Droitwich but at the Hartlebury stop it stuck fast. I didn't have the bike with me on this occasion and although I could have walked it in the hour and a bit waiting for the road transport to turn up I couldn't be bothered. So after watching sunset over Hartlebury I completed the journey in a very posh modern coach.

Great times from a travelling point of view, shame about the job though.

I have been doing Worcester - Droitwich for just over the last two years now - and barring the complete shutdown disastrous days - I quite enjoy it.

I normally have a 5/10 minute walk from home up to Shrub Hill - and from there I have the choice of about 5 services in the morning. Some days when I need to be in between 8:15am and 8:45am I hop on a FGW from London at S.H. which then takes me down to Foregate in 90 seconds-ish where I cross platforms to pick up any of the Birmingham-bound Services the one stop up the line.

On other days - it'll be from Shrub Hill (if I need to be in before 8:15am) - and then a 10 minute walk the other end into the office.

I can leave home at 8:35am and be behind the desk at just after 9am - which is a pretty good deal tbh.

In winter it's a nice journey to look out at the frosty fields between Worcester and Droitwich.

Coming back - most services end up at Foregate Street (right in the centre of Worcester) so I have a few beers around the town before either a 30 minute walk home or (if I'm lucky and time it right) - hop on the train at Foregate to take me back up across the city to Shrub Hill

 

[TrainfanBen]

Coventry to Birmingham, 1st class season.

I take it that the first class ticket is for the access to the lounges and the complimentary food rather than travelling such a short distance in a 'bit more comfort'?

I should think any combination of stations between Rugby and Wolverhampton wouldn't be too bad for commuting.

 

[urpert]

I used to do Shortlands - Sevenoaks at about 7am and regularly had an entire 465 carriage to myself.

Though actually the Orpington - Victoria line (which I rely on now) isn't bad at all. 4tph and tends not to fall over very often. Given the demand and lack of tube in the areas it serves, it's certainly hard to believe it was only 2ph a decade ago (though I've been using it since the days of the EPBs).

 

[ValleyLines142]

8+ tph each way (usually to time).
Plenty of seats.
11 min journey time on faster services.
Good bus and tram connections each end.
GMPTE travel cards valid.
Only issue is many services use platforms 13/14 at Piccadilly which can sometimes be a real hassle to get off the train due to platform crowding and also a long walk / travellator to main station entrance.

If you catch a Middlesbrough, Cleethorpes or a York service these generally tend to use the mainline platforms. Blackpool, Liverpool and Southport services will of course use 13/14 as they all go through to Oxford Road.

 

[wimbledonpete]

What's the bank manager test?

It's a reference to the OP's parameters.

 

[pitdiver]

if it's okay I would like to add my LUL commute. A number of years ago I would commute from Arnos Grove to Cockfosters. I lived about 300 yards from Arnos Grove and my office was more or less above Cockfosters Station.

 

[takno]

I have been doing Worcester - Droitwich for just over the last two years now - and barring the complete shutdown disastrous days - I quite enjoy it.

I normally have a 5/10 minute walk from home up to Shrub Hill - and from there I have the choice of about 5 services in the morning. Some days when I need to be in between 8:15am and 8:45am I hop on a FGW from London at S.H. which then takes me down to Foregate in 90 seconds-ish where I cross platforms to pick up any of the Birmingham-bound Services the one stop up the line.

On other days - it'll be from Shrub Hill (if I need to be in before 8:15am) - and then a 10 minute walk the other end into the office.

I can leave home at 8:35am and be behind the desk at just after 9am - which is a pretty good deal tbh.

In winter it's a nice journey to look out at the frosty fields between Worcester and Droitwich.

Coming back - most services end up at Foregate Street (right in the centre of Worcester) so I have a few beers around the town before either a 30 minute walk home or (if I'm lucky and time it right) - hop on the train at Foregate to take me back up across the city to Shrub Hill

Also nice that it's a bus ride / bike / walkable if all else fails.

 

[Kite159]

One of my nextdoor neighbours commutes daily to Basingstoke.

Half an hour each way, normally boards before the trains get busy (one advantage of being the first station after Salisbury) and there is normally a large passenger flow alighting from the DMUs in the evenings at Basingstoke so most days he gets a seat.

 

[sprinterguy]

Oh no, it was ace! The 150s had a softer ride and squashier seats, which CT re-covered during my time commuting.

Nah, I wouldn't have fancied it on a regular basis. Cramped, low down 3+2 seating with limited leg room, little circulation space or standing room for those that need it, dated interiors, only partially effective hopper vents during the summer, and while I appreciate the familiar sound of the Cummins NTA855R5 engine the 150s make an awful racket.

Didn't stop me going on the West Midlands 150 farewell tour, mind, the units being such an integral part of the West Midlands rail scene for so long, though I was surprised to then end up on one of the few remaining 150s in normal passenger service on the way back from Stratford immediately after the tour!