Passengers who spread over two seats

[HowardGWR]

Excellent post. I'm not alone.

The mistake you made was even contemplating using Cross Country. I have cause to travel from Lancashire to Cornwall three times a year. When the HST's were running I always undertook that journey by rail. It got a bit busy a various points but it was by and large a fairly pleasant trip, particularly when travelling first. Then the Voyagers replaced the HST's and I've driven there ever since. I don't particularly enjoy the drive but for me its far better than being crammed into a Cross Country train for hours.

I must say, whilst I appreciate your points about XC Voyagers, I find it difficult to believe that the car is more relaxing, over such a distance, especially if you do not need to change. Last time we took one (1513 from BRI to Exeter) we sat in table window seats and it was comfortable. Admittedly the train was not rammed. I think this may be the clue. It seems to me that Voyagers are always worse when full and seem so cramped.

 

[Deerfold]

I must say, whilst I appreciate your points about XC Voyagers, I find it difficult to believe that the car is more relaxing, over such a distance, especially if you do not need to change. Last time we took one (1513 from BRI to Exeter) we sat in table window seats and it was comfortable. Admittedly the train was not rammed. I think this may be the clue. It seems to me that Voyagers are always worse when full and seem so cramped.

Yes. If you can find a quiet one they're quite pleasant - I've caught early Sunday ones between Birmigham and Leeds which have been fine - but then they've started at Birmingham and I've had a table to myself (without any nefarious ways of stopping anyone else joining me).

I've my fingers crossed for the first afternoon one from Leeds to Birmingham this Sunday...

 

[Greenback]

I've had pleasant Voyager rides in Devon and Cornwall and between Reading and Southampton. As said, these were quieter trains than the nightmare journeys I've experienced between such places as Doncaster and Cheltenham, Birmingham and Bristol, and Bristol to Exeter.

 

[HowardGWR]

I've had pleasant Voyager rides in Devon and Cornwall and between Reading and Southampton. As said, these were quieter trains than the nightmare journeys I've experienced between such places as Doncaster and Cheltenham, Birmingham and Bristol, and Bristol to Exeter.

Are they not victims of their own success? After all, their advance tickets are dearer than other firms (I read), and presumably the capacity was decided back in Chris Green days when marketing information suggested that the service would not be overcrowded? This subject is perhaps worth a new thread.

 

[Flamingo]

I remember back in the good old days (1984) I travelled from Plymouth to Bristol with my motorbike which was placed in the guards van.

Motorbikes (or anything else with a petrol engine) are prohibited. I wonder what muppet allowed that!

 

[SWTCommuter]

Motorbikes (or anything else with a petrol engine) are prohibited. I wonder what muppet allowed that!

If I remember correctly, they used to be permitted if the petrol tank was drained. I don't know when the rules changed.

 

[Aldaniti]

I must say, whilst I appreciate your points about XC Voyagers, I find it difficult to believe that the car is more relaxing, over such a distance, especially if you do not need to change. Last time we took one (1513 from BRI to Exeter) we sat in table window seats and it was comfortable. Admittedly the train was not rammed. I think this may be the clue. It seems to me that Voyagers are always worse when full and seem so cramped.

I find my car far more comfortable than a Voyager but I accept your point about relaxing. What makes the road journey less pleasant is the concentration required over a long distance and the inevitable traffic problems, which I've minimised by starting the journey in the early hours and making a service station stop every hour or two.

I really would prefer to make the journey by rail (I've tried the 'via London' option as well to avoid Cross Country trains) but even with the problems associated with a long distance road journey, I find I now prefer the car and I wouldn't even consider Cross Country Trains these days, not even if they were selling tickets for a fiver!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I remember back in the good old days (1984) I travelled from Plymouth to Bristol with my motorbike which was placed in the guards van.

I cannot recall what year it was when a family member used the Newton-le-Willows Motorail loading point for a long journey when they wanted to take their car on holiday to use to visit a number of locations that did not have good public transport links.

 

[158747]

Motorbikes (or anything else with a petrol engine) are prohibited. I wonder what muppet allowed that!

They maybe prohibited now but this was 30 years ago and things were different back then, I don't remember the full details but I believe I may have pre booked it.

 

[Hyphen]

I had the misfortune to travel on the 16.28 cross country train from Derby to Tamworth

Assuming you weren't in a rush (or travelling on an advance), you should have waited 8 minutes for the Cardiff Central train behind. The seat pitch on the Turbostars isn't much better, but the seats are more back-friendly and it'd have been a lot less packed.

I myself now refuse to travel on Voyagers on the XC 'core' between Leeds and Bristol, because I've never found a time of the day when they're quiet enough to not be stressful.

The shorter Voyagers runs that go to the 'SW arm' from the 'NW arm', or to the NE from the SE (and reverse), I'll admit tend to be quiet enough most of the day to get a seat out of Birmingham - but my usual journeys only pass through Brum between the NE and the SW (mostly on to Wales).

 

[Flamingo]

They maybe prohibited now but this was 30 years ago and things were different back then, I don't remember the full details but I believe I may have pre booked it.

Fair enough, before my time

 

[contrex]

Motorbikes (or anything else with a petrol engine) are prohibited. I wonder what muppet allowed that!

In 1969 when I lived in South London, the bloke in the local paper shop offered me his son's old BSA Bantam which was in his garage at St Helier (on the Wall Of Death between Sutton and Wimbledon). I got there & it wouldn't start so I pushed it round the corner to St Helier station and was told I didn't need a ticket for the Bantam. A train bound for Holborn Viaduct came in and the friendly guard helped me get it up in his brake compartment, and helped me get it down at Herne Hill. He let me ride in the brake with him and chatted to me about motorbikes. At Herne Hill a member of staff showed me how to use the lift from platform to ground level, and I pushed it home from there. At no point did anyone ask about petrol (it had about a gallon of two stroke mix). After cleaning the plug and points it started and ran, and I rode it for 2 years before flogging it for £15. Another time I took a Maicoletta scooter from London Bridge to Tulse Hill the same way.

 

[andythebrave]

In 1969 when I lived in South London, the bloke in the local paper shop offered me his son's old BSA Bantam which was in his garage at St Helier (on the Wall Of Death between Sutton and Wimbledon). I got there & it wouldn't start so I pushed it round the corner to St Helier station and was told I didn't need a ticket for the Bantam. A train bound for Holborn Viaduct came in and the friendly guard helped me get it up in his brake compartment, and helped me get it down at Herne Hill. He let me ride in the brake with him and chatted to me about motorbikes. At Herne Hill a member of staff showed me how to use the lift from platform to ground level, and I pushed it home from there. At no point did anyone ask about petrol (it had about a gallon of two stroke mix). After cleaning the plug and points it started and ran, and I rode it for 2 years before flogging it for £15. Another time I took a Maicoletta scooter from London Bridge to Tulse Hill the same way.

Late 70s, crash my Yamaha RS100 on black ice near home, walk it down to Bearsden station, buy myself a ticket (bike free), heave it up into parcels area on a 303 Blue train, heave it off at Barnhill, walk it round the corner to dealer, get it fixed in half an hour and ride it to work. Today I'd have to take the whole day off.

 

[Class 170101]

I'll 'spread' over two seats if its a Voyager or Pendolino as the 2+2 seating is so cramped. I need the recess of the window to place my arm on to feel even moderately comfortable and not cramped in, and I am not large either.