How busy have your trains been?

[Jamesrob637]

The 08:02 Hazel Grove to Blackpool North is definitely busier than the 06:29 Stoke-on-Trent to Blackpool North, but not by much and, being school holidays it might not be the fairest comparison.

 

[skyhigh]

Leeds was pretty mobbed on Saturday night. I worked 4 trains, 3 of which genuinely had no free seats and people standing for the majority of the journey. The Leeds-Skipton services were rammed. Mine had approx 350 passengers out of Leeds from my headcount. It felt like the most normal Saturday I've seen in about 12 months.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Yesterday ( Thursday ) the 10.55 from Dundee to Glasgow ( Inter7City from Aberdeen ) - nobody standing, but something like 95% to 98% of all seats taken...

 

[westv]

Anybody care to comment how the Met/Jubilee line are getting on with regards loadings peak time?
Come September (when I go back to London during the week) I'll need to decide whether to go back to a Willesden Green - Aldgate journey (although only 3 days a week this time) or whether to stay in a Premier Inn/Travelodge close to work for 2 nights.

 

[LowLevel]

173 people on the 1734 Notts to Lincoln today (2 car 158).

 

[Ianno87]

On transport around Manchester today. Generally heaving, not far off a pre-Covid Saturday (helped by Man Utd having a home friendly against Everton). TPE and Avanti particularly busy.

 

[LowLevel]

Thousands of Leicester fans packing out trains from London tonight - 10 car trains full and standing and looking like a rubbish bomb had gone off.

 

[cactustwirly]

Saw a WLL LO train at Kensington Olympia yesterday afternoon, it was properly crammed. Not just full and standing but like the Central line at rush hour sort of busy. Needless to say I let that one go and got the Southern 10 minutes later, which was still busy, almost every seat taken on an 8 car train

 

[Jamesrob637]

On transport around Manchester today. Generally heaving, not far off a pre-Covid Saturday (helped by Man Utd having a home friendly against Everton). TPE and Avanti particularly busy.

The 18:02 Hazel Grove to Blackpool North was quiet though, as was the 23:01 Manchester Piccadilly to Alderley Edge. The latter was actually almost empty compared to pre-COVID. However, the city was busy during the day. I was out at various places all day yesterday by a mixture of train, car and some walking. I think "out by day" was more popular than "out by evening/night", possibly due to the weather.

 

[Segedunum]

1205 Leeds to King's Cross (ex Harrogate) is a full and standing (from Leeds) five car 800/2.

Suffice to say we're returning to the point where a 5 car service from Leeds to London on a Sunday afternoon is severely inadequate.

TM comically just announced that passengers should stick to allocated seats to aid social distancing...!

 

[Peregrine 4903]

11:20 London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly was full and standing on departure from Euston today.

 

[Jamesrob637]

11:20 London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly was full and standing on departure from Euston today.

Ah, but I don't think Avanti have been 3 per hour much if at all since March 2020. The question there is "would that have been as full had pax the choice of three trains per hour?"

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Ah, but I don't think Avanti have been 3 per hour much if at all since March 2020. The question there is "would that have been as full had pax the choice of three trains per hour?"

I know that. It shows that Avanti cannot survive long term with 1tph to Mancherster if an off peak 11:20 departure on a Monday is full and standing.

 

[Ianno87]

Just been on a well loaded 1638 Manchester Oxford Road to Ely. 4 car as far as Nottingham, at least two-thirds of seats taken (lighter after Nottingham)

 

[trainophile]

Every Avanti I‘ve been on recently has had platform announcements to the effect that the next train “is expected to be very busy, and passengers with a flexible ticket may prefer to wait for another service”, although what the point of that would be escapes me.

Despite the announcements there’s always been a few “available if unoccupied” seats in every standard class coach I’ve been in, usually the ones with no window but at least you’re not standing.

Regarding Leeds to Skipton as mentioned above, every time I have used that line in either direction it has been rammed. It’s about time they increased provision on that route.

 

[Ianno87]

Every Avanti I‘ve been on recently has had platform announcements to the effect that the next train “is expected to be very busy, and passengers with a flexible ticket may prefer to wait for another service”, although what the point of that would be escapes me.

It's amazing how many people don't seem to realise that, if a train is busy, you might have a better journey by waiting half an hour for the next one which could be quieter. You don't have to get on the first train that come!

 

[trainophile]

Yes but isn’t the likelihood that the next one will also be busy? These are hourly inter-city services not every five minutes as per the London Underground.

Personally I’m almost always on an Advance ticket, or if I’m not I’m generally connecting to a service with an Advance ticket, so don’t have the flexibility to wait for another train.

 

[westv]

Or the next one could be delayed or cancelled.

 

[trainophile]

Or the next one could be delayed or cancelled.

Quite.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes but isn’t the likelihood that the next one will also be busy? These are hourly inter-city services not every five minutes as per the London Underground.

3tph to Manchester and Brum in normal times, and it could be a section of line like Preston-Lancaster where there are plenty of services.

Personally I’m almost always on an Advance ticket, or if I’m not I’m generally connecting to a service with an Advance ticket, so don’t have the flexibility to wait for another train.

Then it isn't aimed at you as you have a reserved seat.

 

[Ianno87]

Or the next one could be delayed or cancelled.

That's what live information is for (even RealTimeTrains that plenty of 'normal' passengers use); these days even tells you if the next one is an 11-car (for example)

 

[D6130]

Regarding Leeds to Skipton as mentioned above, every time I have used that line in either direction it has been rammed. It’s about time they increased provision on that route.

Northern plan to replace the 4 car 331s on that route with pairs of 3 car 331s, which would necessitate selective door operation at the stations with shorter platforms (Shipley, Saltaire, Crossflatts, Steeton and Cononley on the Up).

 

[trainophile]

That’s

Northern plan to replace the 4 car 331s on that route with pairs of 3 car 331s, which would necessitate selective door operation at the stations with shorter platforms (Shipley, Saltaire, Crossflatts, Steeton and Cononley on the Up).

That’s good news. Hope they get around to it soon.

 

[infobleep]

I've travelled on various trains lately but not had time to record the numbers.

The 12:39 Eastbourne to Brighton was busy in the back 2 coaches at Eastbourne.

I found a seat so doesn't go further

Tonight the 18:12 Haywards Heath to Gatwick Airport didn't seem so busy in the carriage I got in. However, the back carriage on the 18:27 Gatwick Airport to Reading service was busy. It was just a cross-platform change so the 10-minute official connection is way too much time.

A lot of people got out at Dorkijg Doeedene and the train quieter, save the person on their mobile. Not that they were excessively loud.

 

[jamieintercity]

My family and I are currently on holiday in southport right now, so today we went to liverpool.

The train was the 0947 southport to liverpool Central which was about 80% full when we left the train. Even liverpool was busy itself down by the docks along with the open top bus tours.

Returned on the 1835 liverpool Central to southport, which was busy but soon emptied, about 20 people including my family and I disembark at southport.

Going to Manchester tomorrow, so interested to see if the trains are busy along with Manchester itself

 

[Ianno87]

Was on the 0557 Cambridge-Birmingham New Street (arrive 0845), and 1652 return.

Loads of spare seats the whole way (50%+). Alot of traditional 9-5 commuting demand still absent.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

0946 Watford to Blackpool to New St - 10% max on a double Voyager. 1255 Moor St - Marylebone 3 car 168 say 80%.

Met line from Baker St busy indeed and a fast Bedford 8 car which became all stations , showed a heavy loading index on the screen. A first since COVID time.....

 

[Bishopstone]

Off peak and weekends, the Seaford branch is as busy as it ever has been.

My shoulder peak 12-car Up Brighton Thameslink this morning had someone in every bay of seats after East Croydon, including plenty of families which surprised me as this was before Cheap Day Return availability.

There are a lot of bags ‘reserving’ adjacent seats, even when others are standing, and with social distancing now binned I think the railway should run an expectation-setting campaign, to alert travellers to the fact that it won’t be possible to provide bubbles of vacant seats: ie, put your bag on the rack, please!

 

[jamieintercity]

So, went to Manchester today and used the 0931 southport to Manchester Victoria (class 769) which was busy from Wigan. Face coverings were about 50%

Returned on the 1651 Manchester Victoria to southport (class 150/156 combo) which was busy until Wigan. Face coverings were about 50%

Manchester itself was busy along with the trams, despite engineering works on the eccles line

 

[scotrail158713]

I was on the last off-peak service on the Borders line yesterday (1620 off Edinburgh) and it was full and standing on departure. I was quite late getting on so ended up standing for the first time on a train in around 18 months - I was only going to Newcraighall anyway so it wasn't an issue though.