Recent content by tornado

Thanks for all the interesting and varied stories! Yes this occurred to me too. It was middle of the day. I guess for that particular train the conductor/driver may have known +2 extra wasn't critical. I've just checked and the next departing southbound train is well past the time our train...

Had a lovely experience the other day from a Southern Conductor and Driver on a sunny summer's day. Redhill to Tonbridge from Platform 1A. Had forgotten that A is the far end of the platform. Also with my mum who cannot run. All doors except the conductor's were closed. I got there 5 seconds...

I didn't. Was quite tired by that point. Just wondering what rail policy is on this in case it happens again.

The other week I followed an official itinerary involving Thameslink+Underground (contactless) + Avanti (advance purchase) from a south London station to Euston to Glasgow. It was the last Scotland-bound train of the day. Thameslink made me so late that I missed the Avanti. After getting a...

Lumo have now started selling this route. £33 Glasgow London - 5 hr 52 mins for the evening service. Whereas the 5 hr Avanti train around the same time is £36 in advance. But as pointed out it's the £10 Glasgow Newcastle that people might go for.

How many people are actually using standard premium on the 6.40pm Avanti though? My point was that last service of the day travellers are not high spenders. Lumo can't compete with Avanti on speed or comfort, so as far as I can make out the only way they could make this work for Glasgow-London...

Taking the southbound 6.18pm-11.59pm, Avanti also have a 6.40pm-11.40pm train. Having taken this several times it is not very busy, has good punctuality. On a Friday night it costs £45 in advance, rising to £75 very close to the date. So to entice punters onto a train that takes 40 mins...

is that 12 mins London to York, or to Edinburgh?

So 64% of the WCML and 61% of the ECML. I guess the 'feel' of speed is a combination of the things people described above (tilting into corners, tunnels etc.), and also how slow the slowest sections are. I remember when Carstairs was 15mph it made the entire journey feel a bit slower, despite...

I would say that the "feels slow" parts were also quite far into the journey, and based on previous experience, also certain sections all the way up to Edinburgh. Would it be fair to say the WCML is fairly speed optimised given the terrain, and the ECML is held back by pathing issues?

Interesting. Is there somewhere I could find what % overall is 125mph for the fast timetabled WCML London to Glasgow compared to the fast timetabled ECML London to Edinburgh? (perhaps excluding the flying scotsman)

I recently had the fortune/misfortune of using the ECML while the WCML was shut for engineering works. I noticed that my 1hr52 minute nonstop LNER from Kings Cross to York did not reach 125mph until nearly half an hour after leaving Kings Cross, however it was exactly on time at every location...

Cheers. Thanks for the quick and clear reply. Also happy not to (hopefully) hang around Waverley late at night. Can get a bit cold there!

Hi, I have a "Specified LNER trains & connecting services" advance purchase ticket from York to Glasgow, changing at Edinburgh. Seats assigned on LNER, seats unassigned on Scotrail. The York train pulls in to Edinburgh at 2206. The fast Scotrail trains leave at .15 and .45 past the hour. My...

Just to follow up on this I ended up avoiding the Sunday strike day. I booked one journey by train, using the via Bham train to Crewe, and then changing to the Liverpool train to Euston. At certain times of day the total journey time is only 5 hrs. I paid a reasonable £60. The other journey on...