(bog) roll of honour

[Dennis]

From the autumn 2010 national passenger survey, best on train toilets goes to WSMR. As we are no longer able to enjoy these, for a satisfying toilet experience, Grand Central are highly thought of and they recieve this years golden pan;

% satisfied or good
89 Wrexham & Shropshire
77 Grand Central
74 Heathrow Connect
65 First Hull Trains
60 Heathrow Express
55 Virgin Trains
54 Chiltern Railways
53 CrossCountry
53 London Midland
52 First TransPennine Express
51 East Coast
49 c2c
48 East Midlands Trains
46 Arriva Trains Wales
43 First Great Western
41 Northern Rail
40 ScotRail
39 South West Trains
33 Southeastern
33 Southern
29 National Express East Anglia
23 First Capital Connect
18 London Overground
17 Merseyrail

Good to see some customer are happy with Merseyrails non-existent facilities!

 

[Ticket Man]

Looks like the 395's came in handy for SET's toilet performance as i wouldn't set foot in any of their other rolling stocks toilets.

395's, very fast and improve timetable punctuality and toilet ratings

 

[Daimler]

WSMR had Dyson airblades...

 

[d1015fan]

i am suprised crosscountry is as high as it is. They never smell the nice and I have been in a fair few unclean ones. Thats when they are not in use because they are full

 

[tbtc]

% satisfied or good
74 Heathrow Connect

First of all I'm shocked at WSMR only scoring 89% at something...

...secondly who are these people who can't manage the fifteen minute Heathrow Express journey without a toilet trip?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

i am suprised crosscountry is as high as it is. They never smell the nice and I have been in a fair few unclean ones. Thats when they are not in use because they are full

I *knew* someone would mention XC as soon as I saw the thread...

 

[fgwrich]

i am suprised crosscountry is as high as it is. They never smell the nice and I have been in a fair few unclean ones. Thats when they are not in use because they are full

Having read that - ill have to second that too! Had to take a nice & fresh voyager to work last friday - the ex Newcastle - which only had 2 out of 5 toilets fully working! (one of the non working toilets seemed to think it was fine enough to open the door...and then you where greated by the Juniper's problem of 'floor flooding')

Not good for a 5 Car on such a service!

 

[MCR247]

Well if Virgins are better than XCs I guess you can see where the problem lies....

 

[tbtc]

Well if Virgins are better than XCs I guess you can see where the problem lies....

Hmm, is it proof that the Pendolinos are wonderful trains?

 

[MCR247]

Well they are anyway! No doubt about it

But I actually meant if Virgins 221 toilets are better than XCs....

 

[fairysdad]

...secondly who are these people who can't manage the fifteen minute Heathrow Express journey without a toilet trip?

Those who can't be bothered to pay 30p to use the toilets at Paddington (and don't know that they could use the ones at the Mad Bishop and Bear)?

 

[tbtc]

Well they are anyway! No doubt about it

But I actually meant if Virgins 221 toilets are better than XCs....

Yeah, I knew where you were coming from, I just thought I'd defend the much-maligned 390s.

The fact that 17% of people are "satisfied" with Merseyrail's toilets (when Merseyrail don't have any) makes me a bit suspicious about these polls anyway. I think we know that if you've had a bad journey (e.g. delayed train, forced to stand) then you are more likely to complain about things like toilets, which you wouldn't have complained about otherwise

 

[MCR247]

.....and when you have one problem with a train *cough*voyagers*cough* everything else seems 100 times (or even 220 times?) worse

 

[Failed Unit]

FCC also low, I wonder if they surveyed the more gate branch on a Friday evening . I guess if you are on a 10 minute journey you will be happy about the toilets.

 

[GNER 91128]

FCC also low, I wonder if they surveyed the more gate branch on a Friday evening . I guess if you are on a 10 minute journey you will be happy about the toilets.

That's a very generous % that FCC have got there!!

I find there toliets disgusting whenever I use them to go to from PBO to FPK for midweek football.

 

[Failed Unit]

That's a very generous % that FCC have got there!!

I find there toliets disgusting whenever I use them to go to from PBO to FPK for midweek football.

So that rating may have come from the 313 users

 

[DarloRich]

XC toilets are terrible - often dirty, mostly stinky and rarely have water or toilet roll. Mind the ones on Virgin Pendos stink more! (But always have water/paper!

 

[Intermodal]

I find it amusing that Merseyrail have 17%! Based on what, exactly?

 

[brel york]

they just go on the floor,having worked on these recently ive witnessed the rotten plywood,tyne and wear metro s much worse ,they just go in the corner opposite the driver lol

 

[MCR247]

Well if there is no toilet facilities, there is no toilet facilities to complain about. But I suppose determined pax will find a way :roll:

 

[brel york]

the drivers door blind has a hole cut in it on the metro so the driver can observe lol

 

[tbtc]

Those who can't be bothered to pay 30p to use the toilets at Paddington (and don't know that they could use the ones at the Mad Bishop and Bear)?

True
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

.....and when you have one problem with a train *cough*voyagers*cough* everything else seems 100 times (or even 220 times?) worse

Its funny, but its true. How many people on here complain that "the windows on 170s don't line up with the seats"? Even Mk 4 coaches have some "bad" windows. But its always Voyagers that get the criticism...

 

[Failed Unit]

True
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---




Its funny, but its true. How many people on here complain that "the windows on 170s don't line up with the seats"? Even Mk 4 coaches have some "bad" windows. But its always Voyagers that get the criticism...

I prefer to pick on the easy target for cramped conditions and small windows. The voyager is a luxury compared to that. As many have said if the Voyagers were all 6 coach I am sure people wouldn't mind them at all. But you are right since the mk2 no coach had no unrestricted views (except maybe the pacer). Some are better than others and the voyager isn't bad.

 

[fgwrich]

I prefer to pick on the easy target for cramped conditions and small windows. The voyager is a luxury compared to that. As many have said if the Voyagers were all 6 coach I am sure people wouldn't mind them at all. But you are right since the mk2 no coach had no unrestricted views (except maybe the pacer). Some are better than others and the voyager isn't bad.

But, i think one of the Voyagers main problems, was the idea of having a disabled toilet in almost every coach - it takes up far too much space, and ironically, tends to be disabled itself rather to commonly on XC these days...

Strangely, Whilst i have no liking for the Voyagers at all (really, i prefer the better designed alternative 180s) But at least Virgin seem to have sorted the Toilet Smell out - thanks to the replacement of several pipes every few months, XC I Believe / Am told, that this replacement was only carried out once...But it's XC's general lack of regard for those things - The Sotton routes for example, are stabled in DB's Eastleigh depot - but Eastleigh doesn’t, as far as im aware, have the toilet emptying facilities available - so if the fails, then it’ll stay that way until it makes it way to say Central Rivers - Plus, there interior state is really letting them down...Whereas at least Virgin seem to take some care & pride in them!

SWT's Toilets are fairly clean - but in my opinion, what let's them down are the 158/159 Fleets toilets - Sometimes for example, the toilet retention tanks 'flap' between said toilet & tank seems to get stuck in the open position...Stench - Awful!

FGW's Surprises me - Unrefurbished 165/166 fleets perhaps? Ive always found the toilets on FGW to be Ok, Only sometimes let down by simple mindless vandalism...

 

[MCR247]

Pumbaa has said on another thread that Virgin rotate the seat cushions on their 221s as well at central rivers

 

[Invincibles]

Virgin topping the major franchises is a good result for them really.

I have experienced the problems of the 220/1s and Pendolinos often enough over the years but as has been noted Virgin do seem to make an effort to do something about it.

They should bring back holes in the floor with someone to clean it after each use, works OK in Thailand and Malaysia

 

[route:oxford]

Can only hope if additional coaches are ever ordered for the Voyagers that they only have a small "standard" loo in them.

I'm a bloke, I stand to micturate - give me something to lean against or grip (don't be vulgar)! Stacks of empty space is hopeless for me.

Likewise I know a few people with impairments who find the vast space of a Voyager loo unhelpful with their balance and mobility.

One thing I'd like to see in all train loos though...

Hyrdraulic Seats with Push buttons on Wall!

Raise Lid
Raise Seat
Close All and Flush

 

[The Box Photter]

I was unaware that London Overground offered any on-train toilet facilities.

So based on the fact that the two lowest-scoring TOCs operate trains with no toilets, it looks like FCC has won another "worst-of" poll. Remember the extreme cold in December last year, well this caused many of the Class 319 toilet tanks and pipes to freeze, then crack, rendering said toilets hors de combat.

Its February and there are still 319s in service with both toilets in the unit locked. As there is no corridor connection between units, it makes getting into the other unit a bit difficult, and its a long way from St Pancras to St Albans with a full bladder on a Friday night! In addition, FCC seems to delight in running four car, single unit trains at the weekend, without first checking to see if the toilet works.

Saturday night+beers+curry+train full to bursting (literally) and no functioning WC facilities makes for a poor travelling environment on Monday morning.

 

[Failed Unit]

I remember in the winter on a Scotrail 158 a notice saying use the toilets in the other set. I was thinking other coach but it had the same notice on it. The other set was a 170 so not that useful if you were caught short!

 

[WestCoast]

I have actually found Virgin Trains quite good recently on toilet facilities, especially on the Pendolinos. They are generally clean with an adequate supply of loo roll and always have working sinks and dryers.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said of Northern Rail, the toilets on the 142s are not very nice places to be!

 

[SS4]

Virgin's toilets are pretty good, especially if you can find one between two first class carriages due to the fewer people in First (especially once I'd had a couple of strongbow!)

Although I prefer to pay the 30p at New St then use the toilets on the cross city line!