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

[gg1]

At Euston, rather than joining the scrum for the main escalator down to the Underground, walk out the main entrance and turn right until you reach the far quieter alternate entrance.

EDIT - this was a few year ago though, I used to travel to London for work once or twice a month between 2014 and 2020.

 

[Royston Vasey]

From GN or Thameslink heading to Paddington, I cottoned onto changing one stop further south at Farringdon instead of King's Cross for the Circle line.

Five steps platform to platform from declassified first on the Southbound TL to westbound Circle instead of the labyrinth of Kings Cross St Pancras. Far faster even than the hack way via the Euston Road exits at KGX!

Even since the Elizabeth Line opened, I still prefer this way to Paddington

 

[12LDA28C]

At London Marylebone near Platform 1 there is a TMIS screen which shows a diagrammatical plan of the station with train headcodes displayed (looks similar to Open Train Times) so I can find my train well before it gets posted on the concourse / platform information screens. Means I'm often the first person to board.

 

[Royston Vasey]

The other thing I do routinely is being aware of the stop boards and train lengths from RTT and make sure I'm at whatever extremity of the train is furthest from the platform entrance.

The obvious on is walking to the front at terminal stations of course.

 

[Taunton]

Finally resolved, it appears, but for some years the hourly Sheffield to St Pancras 5-car 222, often insufferably overcrowded, was followed a block behind by the more capacious full HST from Nottingham. It was a hard task getting colleagues returning from EM Parkway or Leicester to let the first train go, to have a table to ourselves in the Nottingham. One who couldn't accept my suggestion (they were the same with other aspects at the office!) ended up standing from Leicester to London, and we rolled in while they were still queued to exit the barriers. At least once I could see the HST standing at the Leicester Home signal while everyone squashed round the 222's doors.

 

[12LDA28C]

I used to regularly use the subway at Birmingham New Street (circa late 1990s) to change platforms to avoid the crowds on the main overbridge, especially in the event of a late-notice platform change. Does the subway still exist?

 

[signed]

Boarding from the Paris Montparnasse 2 hall (escalators in the middle of platform 24) as opposed to the crushload of the main hall, especially when on the lead TGV set

Also there is a secret underpass near the Platform 24 McDonalds that lead you down to the metro platforms without basically any crowds

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I used to regularly use the subway at Birmingham New Street (circa late 1990s) to change platforms to avoid the crowds on the main overbridge, especially in the event of a late-notice platform change. Does the subway still exist?

I've never heard of one, as far as I'm aware, the only way between platforms avoiding barriers is the bridge at the "B" end of the platforms.

 

[nw1]

If travelling from the North towards Reading, walk from New Street to Moor Street and board a Chiltern as far as Banbury, avoiding the overcrowded XC. Timescale for this was around 2010 and the years either side, so not sure if it's the same today.

Worked particularly well if one of the hauled sets.

 

[gg1]

I used to regularly use the subway at Birmingham New Street (circa late 1990s) to change platforms to avoid the crowds on the main overbridge, especially in the event of a late-notice platform change. Does the subway still exist?

Do you mean the one which used to be used by the little electric tugs/tractors to move trains of BRUTEs around the station? I didn't know it was ever open for public use.

It's definitely not there now in any case, or at least the access ramps from the platforms aren't.

 

[Egg Centric]

Bit of a stretch to call this a hack, but if leaving an event at the O2 with Jubilee line (and heading west) you're best off going to platform 2 at North Greenwich. Trains are roughly ten minutely and you probably won't have to share!

 

[duffield]

One I'll be using tonight. When returning from Blackpool Pleasure Beach get on the train in the wrong direction and stay on when it reverses at South, can get any seat you want then.

Unless you've got some sort of rover or pass, revenue protection might take a dim view of this, since a normal ticket would not be valid for the extra travel from Pleasure Beach to Blackpool South and back. We don't want another thread adding to the "Disputes & Prosecutions" section.

 

[mangyiscute]

If travelling from the North towards Reading, walk from New Street to Moor Street and board a Chiltern as far as Banbury, avoiding the overcrowded XC. Timescale for this was around 2010 and the years either side, so not sure if it's the same today.

Worked particularly well if one of the hauled sets.

it works, but often costs you an extra hour of travel time, so imo isn't really worth it

 

[mangyiscute]

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

I find that doing lizzie line to bond street, then jubilee to green park finally victoria to victoria (or vauxhall if you're heading there) is often the fastest way from paddington to these stations, but it does require knowing what part of each tube to wait at and also the ability to transfer through the stations quickly since especially at bond street it is quite a long walk.

I will finally add that doing euston to paddington via Oxford Circus is an awful idea, the bakerloo isn't much more reliable than the circle/h&c (often 3-4 min waits) and doing this route has often caused me to miss trains at paddington that i would easily make otherwise. Ultimately, just check the tfl status updates before getting into London and also google maps mostly shows live tube times so you can also check on there when the next circle/h&c is to figure out if you need to speedwalk or not.

 

[duffield]

it works, but often costs you an extra hour of travel time, so imo isn't really worth it

XC reliability is poor at best, with frequent cancellations and short terminations, particularly on Sundays, so you might still get there sooner with Chiltern!

 

[SteveHFC]

Going back to Thameslink, my regular journey is Leagrave to Blackfriars and return. Coming home particularly, if there are delays and two Bedford trains (which stop at Leagrave) are close together, I'll usually wait for the second one having watched everyone bundle on to the first one. Usually plenty of space, and with everyone doing the same through the core, often depart St Pancras still with plenty of space.

 

[jfollows]

Unless you've got some sort of rover or pass, revenue protection might take a dim view of this, since a normal ticket would not be valid for the extra travel from Pleasure Beach to Blackpool South and back. We don't want another thread adding to the "Disputes & Prosecutions" section.

Buy the original ticket to Blackpool South (which may cost the same) and you’re breaking your journey and all is good. With the right sort of ticket of course.

 

[duffield]

If you've got a very tight change, studying Google/Bing maps satellite views to find the exact location of the footbridge/s (or other relevant features) can help. The National rail station diagrams don't necessarily reflect reality, for example Luton Airport parkway on National Rail appears to show the two footbridges spaced out at about 1/4 and 3/4 of the platform length - i.e. one for the north end, one for the south (presumably because they've just cut off the north ends of the platforms beyond the canopies, where there are no facilities). The reality is that both footbridges are on the south half of the platform, so getting off where the "north" footbridge appears to be on national rail will mean a long trek down the platform.

This information was very useful a few weeks ago, I couldn't have made the two minute connection from Thameslink to EMR Connect if I hadn't been in a coach right by the more central footbridge.

Of course, you do need a reasonable idea of how long your train will be and where it's likely to stop, but with Thameslink 12 car trains it's pretty obvious it will use most of the platform.

 

[duffield]

Buy the original ticket to Blackpool South (which may cost the same) and you’re breaking your journey and all is good. With the right sort of ticket of course.

Advances from Blackpool South to Preston, which don't allow break of journey, seem to be about half the price of the flexible tickets which do, so you're paying quite a premium!

 

[Egg Centric]

If you've got a very tight change, studying Google/Bing maps satellite views to find the exact location of the footbridge/s (or other relevant features) can help. The National rail station diagrams don't necessarily reflect reality, for example Luton Airport parkway on National Rail appear to show the two footbridges spaced out at about 1/4 and 3/4 of the platform length - i.e. one for the north end, one for the south (presumably because they've just cut off the north ends of the platforms beyond the canopies, where there are no facilities). The reality is that both footbridges are on the south half of the platform, so getting off where the "north" footbridge appears to be on national rail will mean a long trek down the platform.

This information was very useful a few weeks ago, I couldn't have made the two minute connection from Thameslink to EMR connect if I hadn't been in a coach right by the more central footbridge.

Of course, you do need a reasonable idea of how long your train will be and where it's likely to stop, but with Thameslink 12 car trains it's pretty obvious it will use most of the platform.

Surely any self respecting thameslink travelling enthusiast will be in the rearmost compartment anyway (or is this just Sutton loop?)

 

[12LDA28C]

Do you mean the one which used to be used by the little electric tugs/tractors to move trains of BRUTEs around the station? I didn't know it was ever open for public use.

It's definitely not there now in any case, or at least the access ramps from the platforms aren't.

That's the one. It wasn't for public use officially but I never got challenged when using it.

 

[mangyiscute]

XC reliability is poor at best, with frequent cancellations and short terminations, particularly on Sundays, so you might still get there sooner with Chiltern!

I mean I'm not sure what that plan from Banbury is except get on a cross country train there anyway!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Not quite “beating the crowds”, but I’ve learned to check RTT for inbound services running late into Worcester Foregate Street. In case of late-running, GWR very often turn services short at Shrub Hill. Knowing this in advance gives you the option of (a) walking across to Shrub Hill in time, (b) spending an hour in the Dragon Inn on the Tything.

 

[cool110]

Unless you've got some sort of rover or pass, revenue protection might take a dim view of this, since a normal ticket would not be valid for the extra travel from Pleasure Beach to Blackpool South and back. We don't want another thread adding to the "Disputes & Prosecutions" section.

They're the same price, so I'm just taking a BoJ on the outward then immediately starting the return.

 

[norbitonflyer]

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.

But the overbridge at the country end of Paddington gives access to all platforms anyway, so unless you need to go to the concourse, why bother exploring the labyrinth at Euston at all?

 

[urbophile]

Inward Merseyrail Wirral Line trains change the destination at James Street you might be quick to spot the destination change before boarding, but using the likes of Traksy (Merseyrail Underground Stations have there own separate free WIFI) is more useful.

Merseyrail, i often use Moorfields when changing from Northern Line to Wirral Line, Moorfields is more quieter than Liverpool Central, however the final set of eculators down to the Wirral Line platform are broken & out of use at the moment.

Also Merseyrail: if you are travelling to Liverpool Central on the Northern Line, make sure you are at the front (if heading north) or the back (if heading south) of the train, and make for the lesser-used escalator at the north end of the platform. It amuses and baffles me how the majority of passengers make for the usually rammed-to-capacity one in the middle of the platform, even if they get off the train nearer the other one.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Advances from Blackpool South to Preston, which don't allow break of journey, seem to be about half the price of the flexible tickets which do, so you're paying quite a premium!

Or buy a Pleasure Beach to South return, £3.40 in exchange for a seat for 40 minutes may well be worth the cost.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Advances from Blackpool South to Preston, which don't allow break of journey, seem to be about half the price of the flexible tickets which do, so you're paying quite a premium!

If it's a day return trip you're making from Preston, won't you be coming back later? Meaning 2 x Advance Singles, one for getting there and another for the return trip?

 

[duffield]

They're the same price, so I'm just taking a BoJ on the outward then immediately starting the return.

But as per my other post, you're potentially paying double the price of an advance to get a ticket which allows break of journey in order to do this.

Advance singles to Preston for example are £4, flexible tickets are more than £8. As someone else pointed out, it would be cheaper to do something like just buy a single from Pleasure Beach to Blackpool South, then use an advance for the journey starting from there (as you say, that ticket would cost the same as one from Pleasure Beach).

Of course, *if* you were always going to get a flexible ticket anyhow, for other reasons, then yes, BoJ allows you to get this seat grabbing tactic "for free".

 

[Mr. SW]

Some London Underground ones.
Don't change at Green Park, the corridors are so long.
At Leicester Square, use the interchange passages at the south end of the platforms on the Northern Line to the west end of the Piccadilly Line.
Change at Barons Court not Hammersmith.
Avoid Victoria. Just Avoid it. Just - just...
And most of all:
Walk. Don't run. Being there two seconds earlier on the platform than you would otherwise have been is no advantage. Easy, Now!