Evening Peak. Why don't FCC...

[jon0844]

And I think they should be given that option as an alternative to paying the surcharge in the peak. It's not as FCC is losing the money, as the passenger(s) may simply opt to wait.

I think FCC has also strengthened some of the services after 7pm too, which is about time. I have been on the 1906 service which has been rammed because it's the first service some people can use - but there are still some commuters (like me) who missed the 1857 that is relatively empty!

 

[philjo]

I think they are, at the end of the day, interested in stopping people using the fast trains, that's why they have the area B to D. In other words, people on the fast KGX/FPK to Stevenage/Hitchin/Letchworth non-stop trains that are extremely crowded.

The suburban services that are crowded within Zone 6 but then empty out, have to allow cheap tickets by definition of the Travelcard, and I hardly think RPIs are going to check these trains when they become empty beyond Zone 6 for people taking a really long journey to get round the peak fares rule.

Tha daft thing is that since last year's timetable change, some of the new Royston (first stop after Kings Cross is Stevenage then Letchworth & stations to Royston) services are practically empty at the front of the train, especially the 17:23. It is 8 coaches (365s). When I used it a couple of weeks ago, there were 8 people in the front coach ! (the rear unit is full, then in the front unit it gets emptier as you go towards the front.)
On the other hand, some of the stoppers that call at FPK, Hatfield, WGC etc (stations which are not restricted) are only 4 coaches (317) & are very full.

 

[jon0844]

Between around 5 and 7pm, there are the semi-fast services to WGC that stop at FPK, HAT, WGC and a few others between. This is to allow more services to go beyond WGC without being held up. These are normally 6-car but may occasionally be replaced with a 4-car (and then it will be declassified).

The 1857 is always a 4-car but declassified. I think there's one other between the evening peak that is too.

It's only after 7pm that services get back to normal, namely xx06 and xx36 and a mix of 4 or 8 car.

If FCC opts to replace all the 313s with 321s into King's Cross (to strengthen services into Moorgate, making them ALL 6-car) then I wonder if they'll be dropping all of the peak services to 4-car (instead of 6) or making them all 8-car.

As for people not walking down the platform to board the front set, that's just silly - but doesn't surprise me! Every morning I see the same people at Finsbury Park waiting for a train to Moorgate and every morning it's 3-car (and advertised as such), yet they all wait further up platform 1 perhaps hoping that one day the train will have more coaches, or stop early for them!

Then you have the flip side with the (sad) commuters, like me, who know exactly where to go and often get the same seat and sit with the same like minded people!

 

[Failed Unit]

As for people not walking down the platform to board the front set, that's just silly - but doesn't surprise me! Every morning I see the same people at Finsbury Park waiting for a train to Moorgate and every morning it's 3-car (and advertised as such), yet they all wait further up platform 1 perhaps hoping that one day the train will have more coaches, or stop early for them!

Then you have the flip side with the (sad) commuters, like me, who know exactly where to go and often get the same seat and sit with the same like minded people!

Very common, I guess the think if people if the set closest the barrier is full and standing people think there is little point in moving forward. Some prefer to stand closest to their exit even if it means standing for 15 minutes. If I am personally cutting it fine I often dive in the rear set when the off signal is up as I don't want to risk missing the train heading to the front set (If only they had corridor connections ). I tend to head to the front set myself in these circumstances as it often quiter, let people cram into the front! May people do miss the corridor connections on that route, I know the 365's have been on the route a long time but the 317's at least you did have the ability to move forward. I have also heard phone conversations. "where are you", "in the front coach", "OK meet you at xxx"

 

[jon0844]

I've been on many 317s where people close the interconnecting doors (possibly because of the noise or the draught?), which you can't then reopen from the outside without a key!

I nearly always walk down the end and board, even though it means the longest walk possible when I get to Hatfield. I get a seat and can walk behind the mass crowd to cross the bridge. Sometimes when the train has cleared out, I'll walk through the train to be at the right end.

I see little reason to sit or stand in discomfort because I am too lazy to walk. Maybe all these people are the same ones who moan about it taking ages to find a parking space in a supermarket or multi-storey car park because they can't be bothered to go more than 10 metres from the front door? I just park further away and walk while they're still queuing, but hey ho - it takes all sorts.