Trivia/Nonsense - what 'inside knowledge' do you use to 'beat the crowds?'

[NeilCr]

Does that work for the Sutton, Dartford (well, Dartford-avoiding) and Kingston / Richmond loops as well?

No idea

Don’t use those stations

And Ramsgate turn arounds generally aren’t that busy

Nevertheless nice to be able to find your own little quiet spot

 

[Magdalia]

Does that work for the Sutton, Dartford (well, Dartford-avoiding) and Kingston / Richmond loops as well?

Thameslink trains at Sutton are effectively through workings, and a few people use them as such, for example between Wimbledon and Carshalton.

I think the same happens with the Kingston loop, for example with journeys between Wimbledon and Twickenham or Richmond, though it is a while since I've done that.

 

[Horizon22]

Does that work for the Sutton, Dartford (well, Dartford-avoiding) and Kingston / Richmond loops as well?

It works at almost any terminus if you can track your inbound / outbound service via RTT or if you know that all trains call at your destination.

 

[Falcon1200]

At Paddington Hammersmith & City Underground station, when there are hordes waiting to head east board the first Hammersmith-bound train and cross the platform at Royal Oak for an eastbound.

 

[kacper]

The lift at Farringdon goes directly between the Elizabeth line and the southbound Thameslink. The escalators go directly to the northbound Thameslink

 

[Class 170101]

Quite simple one would be boarding at the front of the train at Manchester Airport. Everybody piles in the back coach so it's full and standing, with fresh air at the front

Use the same trick at Stansted Airport as people board at the back but there is plenty of space at the front of the train.

Tends to also work leaving Liverpool Street for Stansted Airport as well.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Going to the north end of New St to leave via the fire escape bridge towards Navigation Street.

I take it you mean the Victoria Square exit. Would hardly describe it as the fire escape as it's publicly accessable and sometimes unstaffed

 

[GLC]

A couple I have learnt over the years:

If you hold down the exterior door open button on a Pendolino, it will open the door before the steps have deployed (this is part of the service mode)

A HST set will have stronger air conditioning on the rear most coach, as the rear coach provides the ETS and voltage drop means the rear coach has the most juice

For reasons I’ve never understood, the way the sockets are wired on Coach C of Class 180’s provide full 230v 13amp power

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Having a Cross Country trains seating plan stored on your phone and knowing which seats are unreservable. Though of course this can frequently change.

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

One I've been using for ages is getting on the last first class door on a Voyager and turning towards standard. You often get to the vestibule before all the passengers have alighted and can therefore be the first in the carriage.

The classic was when I sent my toddler through people's legs and he found a pair of seats. Never been more proud of him!

 

[En]

The lifts provide a much quicker exit at Covent Garden than the escalators at Leicester Square.

if you can get straight into a lift

 

[Harpo]

I take it you mean the Victoria Square exit. Would hardly describe it as the fire escape as it's publicly accessable and sometimes unstaffed

I didn’t know if it has an official name just the reason it was built. It’s also far quicker for platform changes than fighting your way up/down single escalators. When they work.

 

[TUC]

A couple I have learnt over the years:

If you hold down the exterior door open button on a Pendolino, it will open the door before the steps have deployed (this is part of the service mode)

Isn't that unhelpful to anyone behind you who may need the steps, or finds them deploying as they are disembarking?

 

[Harpo]

In London, avoid the circle line.
- Euston to Fenchurch Street use Northern line to Bank & walk
- Euston to Paddington use Vic to Oxford Circus then Bakerloo
- Paddington to Fenchurch St walk to Lancaster Gate Central line & walk from Bank. (Is there a faster Liz line hack?)

 

[SCDR_WMR]

I didn’t know if it has an official name just the reason it was built. It’s also far quicker for platform changes than fighting your way up/down single escalators. When they work.

Absolutely, during busy periods I deliberately make sure I'm at that end even when I have a connection to make. Similarly can exit from there onto Hill St which is good for China Town/Arcadian part of the city centre.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

In London, avoid the circle line.
- Euston to Paddington use Vic to Oxford Circus then Bakerloo

Is this particular journey that bad? If travelling from Euston (Square) to Paddington, wouldn't you normally just catch whichever is the first Westbound tube train on the Circle line (or indeed the Hammersmith & City line), no changes needed and giving Oxford Circus the swerve?

 

[A S Leib]

Is this particular journey that bad? If travelling from Euston (Square) to Paddington, wouldn't you normally just catch whichever is the first Westbound tube train on the Circle line (or indeed the Hammersmith & City line), no changes needed and giving Oxford Circus the swerve?

No, as all non-Metropolitan westbound trains from Euston Square go to Hammersmith.

 

[Harpo]

Is this particular journey that bad? If travelling from Euston (Square) to Paddington, wouldn't you normally just catch whichever is the first Westbound tube train on the Circle line (or indeed the Hammersmith & City line), no changes needed and giving Oxford Circus the swerve?

Reliability, speed and the convenience of going concourse to concourse.

The circle these days is, er, improved. But, if there’s a train missing the gap will be around 10 minutes.

The Bakerloo has 20 tph the Victoria has 100 second peak headways.

Walking outside Euston is slow and congested. Circle Line at Paddington (for through services) is a couple of hundred metres from the concourse. You can go from the Praed Street station at Paddington but only go one stop to Edgeware Road where it terminates, you cross to wait for a train from Hammersmith, and hope there isn’t a gap…..

Give me the swift change at Oxford Street any day!

 

[Farigiraf]

In London, avoid the circle line.
- Euston to Fenchurch Street use Northern line to Bank & walk
- Euston to Paddington use Vic to Oxford Circus then Bakerloo
- Paddington to Fenchurch St walk to Lancaster Gate Central line & walk from Bank. (Is there a faster Liz line hack?)

Additionally, unless the station is on the District Line, it's often easier to skip Tower Hill / Fenchurch St / Tower Gateway entirely and change at Bank for DLR to Limehouse where you can change for c2c and Beckton services.

- Paddington to Fenchurch St walk to Lancaster Gate Central line & walk from Bank. (Is there a faster Liz line hack?)

Liz to Whitechapel, then District/H&C to West Ham or Barking which accesses the entire c2c network.

 

[AM9]

If you hold down the exterior door open button on a Pendolino, it will open the door before the steps have deployed (this is part of the service mode)

I would say that is poor advice as there would be those that don't ensure the step is fully extended. Expect to find that trick disabled in some way.

 

[Thornaby 37]

In London, avoid the circle line.
- Euston to Fenchurch Street use Northern line to Bank & walk
- Euston to Paddington use Vic to Oxford Circus then Bakerloo
- Paddington to Fenchurch St walk to Lancaster Gate Central line & walk from Bank. (Is there a faster Liz line hack?)

Euston to Paddington avoiding the crowded tunnels and stairways at Oxford Circus
Southbound Victoria Line to Green Park
Northbound Victoria Line back to Oxford Circus
Bakerloo Line to Paddington

Both changes are cross-platform

 

[bramling]

Is this particular journey that bad? If travelling from Euston (Square) to Paddington, wouldn't you normally just catch whichever is the first Westbound tube train on the Circle line (or indeed the Hammersmith & City line), no changes needed and giving Oxford Circus the swerve?

Yes I’d say it can be bad. It probably isn’t so much nowadays, but not too many years ago the typical experience might be waiting 10 minutes or more on the H&C platform at Paddington, or use the other platforms to find nothing but Edgware Road trains. Then it’s also not untypical to take ages getting through Edgware Road, and sometimes Baker Street as well. To make things worse, probably pretty crowded as well.

Going via Oxford Circus might take slightly longer on paper, but is likely to be a lot more dependable.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Yes I’d say it can be bad. It probably isn’t so much nowadays, but not too many years ago the typical experience might be waiting 10 minutes or more on the H&C platform at Paddington.

Wasn't the journey from Euston (Square) to Paddington?

 

[yorksrob]

I used to enjoy lounging in the downgraded first class carriage of GC's HST until the Normals cottoned on.

Talking of normals, most of them don't seem to have twigged that a lot of TPE corr services are more than three carriages now, so waiting away from the crowds at Leeds or Sheffield can often result in a nice uncrowded journey.

 

[Harpo]

Euston to Paddington avoiding the crowded tunnels and stairways at Oxford Circus
Southbound Victoria Line to Green Park
Northbound Victoria Line back to Oxford Circus
Bakerloo Line to Paddington

Both changes are cross-platform

Hack on a hack! Cheers!

 

[Statto]

When getting the Met at Wembley Park after a major event at Wembley Stadium, if you have the time get the Westbound Met & change at Harrow (basically double back on yourself) instead of going direct to Central London, more chance of getting & seat, & might be just as quick as waiting in the ques for the Central London service.

 

[Statto]

Another trick i used, going to Euston a few months ago, i changed from the Met at Kings Cross for the Victoria Line, instead of getting off at Euston Square

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Paddington has an overbridge at the country end of the platforms, in times of disruption you can get a better run at a seat as you’re already halfway up the train.

If going to or from the H&C platforms, i think that's a shorter route than via The Lawn. For platforms 12 & 14 you can get right to the front of the train.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

In London, avoid the circle line.
- Euston to Paddington use Vic to Oxford Circus then Bakerloo

That also works for Paddington to Victoria and vv with cross platform at Oxford Circus. From Marylebone you would probably take that route anyway.

 

[rower40]

Conversely - what I did WRONG...
On a normal weekday, I needed to get from Kings Cross (arrived 0804) to Paddington (wanting to catch the 0903 to Newquay), and an information board showed that the Circle and Hammersmith&City were out-of-action because of a broken-down train. The gateline staff at KX/StP Circle-line barriers said "Victoria Line to Oxford Circus, then Bakerloo to Paddington". Crush-loaded - not really appropriate for a family of 2 adults and 2 children (ages 9 and 11). We did catch the train (*), but it was all a bit fraught.

Next time, it'll be Thameslink to Farringdon, then Elizabeth Line. It's even better on the return journey, as the escalator up from the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon leads straight to the Northbound Thameslink platform.

(*) Only for it to be cancelled at Plymouth because of Goss Moor bridge being hit again.