Trains seem much busier in 2012?

[ValleyLines142]

Wow, that is really bad. Never seen a 143 on the Aberdare service before either. Though i'd imagine the train did empty out quite a bit after Central and Queen Street.

It was! Really bad :P actually a few Pacers are booked for Aberdare services, the Vale of Glamorgan and Rhondda Lines aren't all booked for 150s. I know the 1711 from Cardiff (2A46 1640 ex-Barry Island) is booked for a pair of Pacers.

 

[RichmondCommu]

If the figures are up yet again then clearly this shows a continued need for investment in the railway, and that it is getting ever more urgent?

Sent from my HTC Desire S

Firstly lets see if they continue to rise after the fare increases kick in. Secondly, who is going to pay for all this investment? I'm fed up of year on year increases in the cost of my ST without any improvements to the service offered! I'm being fleeced because SWT / the Government realise that as a commuter in the SE I have no other choice but to use their trains to travel into London.

 

[iphone76]

I'm sure a lot of the trains from Wickford into Liverpool Street have been busier this year. I'm sure it is to do with everyone finding their new best train now that everything stops at Stratford.

Fingers crossed things settle down in the next few weeks.

Still - good to see people on the railways. (Except on the 803 to LST!)

 

[YorkshireRider]

Firstly lets see if they continue to rise after the fare increases kick in.

Theres been similar rises every January and it hasnt stopped passenger numbers rising, simple demand and supply says that if a business keeps increasing its prices yet demand continues to increase it will just keep increasing its prices. Im not saying its right and can see why your completely ****ed off by it but you can see why any business would do it.

 

[jon0844]

Well, I'm no longer travelling in to Old Street or King's Cross every day - so that's one extra seat free! I am also £3,500 a year better off as a result! So far this month, I've been in London just two times!

 

[dk1]

Now on board 11.06 from Dundee to Edinburgh. EC 125. Not more than a dozen people in front two standard coaches.

Used that service on December 16th & it was full & standing from Leuchers.

 

[mountainmike]

Used that service on December 16th & it was full & standing from Leuchers.

Not that surprising as it was a Friday in the run up to Christmas! As others have said January is always a quieter month for leisure travel and I think that is what we are seeing especially on the longer distance trains. Local and commuter journeys are less variable IMO. Anyhow I'm just off to get a TPEX from Edinburgh to Oxenholme and then Burneside so I'll let you know how busy it is (or isn't)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
On board now. I do this particular service (0951 Edinburgh to Manc Airport ) maybe a dozen times a year. This is the first time there have been no seat reservations in the middle coach and there are only very few in the end standard one. As we get ready to leave there are 5 other people in my coach. Never seen it this quiet. Mind you it will be fuller by Lancaster and almost certainly standing only at Bolton. Which might back up the long distance vs local theory.

 

[Sun!]

It was! Really bad :P actually a few Pacers are booked for Aberdare services, the Vale of Glamorgan and Rhondda Lines aren't all booked for 150s. I know the 1711 from Cardiff (2A46 1640 ex-Barry Island) is booked for a pair of Pacers.

Dont know what I was thinking, but a 153 came into my head instead of a 143. Ive never seen a single carriage to Aberdare, now that would have been incredibly bad!

I know Pacers work the Aberdare line, though luckily it seems to get Sprinters more than often, which are far superior IMO. Though the 2 car units do get very busy at peak times.

 

[burns20]

I get the 0714 from Preston to Carlisle and 1734 return and apart frm last night there can be very few people compared with before xmas.

 

[Badger]

Firstly lets see if they continue to rise after the fare increases kick in. Secondly, who is going to pay for all this investment?

Surely if usership is going up there naturally needs to be investment, which comes from the increased revenue gained by usership going up. o.O

If there were more users but the same or lower price then sure I'd understand, but what other business would not invest in growth because... uh... there customers are increasing?

 

[samj]

Most trains I have been on have been a tad quieter, but is January not the quietest month of the year for rail travel? Sunday's seem to be dead at the moment.

 

[jon0844]

I always found the end of December and start of January to be quiet, as people took long holidays. Perhaps there will be another lull before the end of March, if you have people having to use up leave.

 

[Urban Gateline]

I always found the end of December and start of January to be quiet, as people took long holidays. Perhaps there will be another lull before the end of March, if you have people having to use up leave.

Yes I agree, a majority of office workers seem to take time off around Xmas and the new year, hence trains were empty the week before and after Xmas and even the week after New Years day!

I found this boring because there was no real "peak" period during that time, hardly any early risers so you wonder why the early start on some days!

 

[dk1]

Happens every year. Exactly same as every one says Fridays are always busy!! Well not on Friday mornings. This has always been one of the quietest days for commuting & business. After lunch, well that is a whole different story...

 

[martinsh]

Not only are there fewer passengers, there also appear to be fewer tickets checks. I haven't had my ticket looked at all week ! [ can't ever remember that happening before ]

 

[dk1]

Not only are there fewer passengers, there also appear to be fewer tickets checks. I haven't had my ticket looked at all week ! [ can't ever remember that happening before ]

Probably just a coincidence. Nothing has changed.

 

[Johnny Lewis]

There are fewer OAPs in West Yorkshire, now that they can no longer travel between any two 'Metro' stations for 50p single or £1 return. The looks of horror on their faces when you tell them that the fare has gone up to a whopping £2.50 return for a Dewsbury to Leeds ticket! :roll:

 

[dk1]

There are fewer OAPs in West Yorkshire, now that they can no longer travel between any two 'Metro' stations for 50p single or £1 return. The looks of horror on their faces when you tell them that the fare has gone up to a whopping £2.50 return for a Dewsbury to Leeds ticket! :roll:

Do they still accept them in South Yorks? Last time i travelled through Barnsley to Meadowhall it was the first train of the day for pensioners with no need to go at that time & they invaded the train then proceeded to whinge about crowding. Was just like the queues you used to see a the post office on pension day at 9am as if they might run out of cash :roll:

 

[Johnny Lewis]

Do they still accept them in South Yorks? Last time i travelled through Barnsley to Meadowhall it was the first train of the day for pensioners with no need to go at that time & they invaded the train then proceeded to whinge about crowding. Was just like the queues you used to see a the post office on pension day at 9am as if they might run out of cash :roll:

I'm not sure what the situation is in South Yorkshire. I know in Greater Manchester, the "twirlies" still travel for free off-peak, so this may well be the case in S Yorks too. When the grumpy ones stomp off to catch the bus, you can casually remind them that the bus takes about an hour, on a good day, to reach Leeds, so £2.50 return for a 15 minute journey into Leeds isn't actually such a bad deal after all!

 

[dk1]

I'm not sure what the situation is in South Yorkshire. I know in Greater Manchester, the "twirlies" still travel for free off-peak, so this may well be the case in S Yorks too. When the grumpy ones stomp off to catch the bus, you can casually remind them that the bus takes about an hour, on a good day, to reach Leeds, so £2.50 return for a 15 minute journey into Leeds isn't actually such a bad deal after all!

Excellent

I wind my Mum up about this sort of thing a lot. Especially on a recent trip to Scotland. I kept laughing at the look on her face when she had to pay her way on the bus like the rest of us.

 

[jaigee]

Not only are there fewer passengers, there also appear to be fewer tickets checks. I haven't had my ticket looked at all week ! [ can't ever remember that happening before ]

I travel very regularly from Nuneaton to Liverpool using London Midland outward (Nun-Sta, Sta-Liv) and have not had a single ticket check since Christmas on either leg of the journey. This is in about 12 to 15 journeys in total.

Considering the number of open stations on these services, the loss in revenue must be fairly substantial.

Have L.M. discontinued ticket checks?

 

[jon0844]

More likely there are a lot of RPIs off on holiday, or sick leave?

Or perhaps the RPIs have been called away from some stations and trains to do some stings? FCC do these once or twice a year (and they're usually VERY successful, from detecting fraud to - with the police - catching criminals on warrant etc).

As an aside, given the success of such stings, I have no idea why they aren't done more frequently. I suspect cost, but from the point of view of the police, what better way to catch criminals who are handed to you on a plate!

 

[jaigee]

On the L.M. Euston to Crewe and Birmingham to Liverpool services the ticket inspections and sales were always carried out by the train guard themselves and done on virtually every train. Since Christmas they have just stopped competely?

 

[trentside]

On the L.M. Euston to Crewe and Birmingham to Liverpool services the ticket inspections and sales were always carried out by the train guard themselves and done on virtually every train. Since Christmas they have just stopped competely?

I travelled Milton Keynes to Nuneaton the other day with LM and had a ticket check after the train had departed Northampton. Looks like you've just been lucky/unlucky (dependent on viewpoint).

 

[martinsh]

I travel very regularly from Nuneaton to Liverpool using London Midland outward (Nun-Sta, Sta-Liv) and have not had a single ticket check since Christmas on either leg of the journey. This is in about 12 to 15 journeys in total.

Considering the number of open stations on these services, the loss in revenue must be fairly substantial.

Have L.M. discontinued ticket checks?

Well there were some ticket checks the previous week. But you're right, 90% of my journeys this week were by LM.