Travelling on Crosscountry?

[Starmill]

It seems to me that the soloution would be to plan a timetable where they can realiablly deliver the planned train lengths, even if that means a smaller number of services total so they can keep spare units on hand.

Given the number of services which CrossCountry have withdrawn through to December, and are not currently announced as coming back, you would think this might be the case already.

 

[Haywain]

The real problem with the way XC are doing this is that they seem to have decided to plan only for the worst case scenario, rather than having a fall back plan for the worst case should it arise.

they do sit next to each other on aircraft - so why not trains or buses?

Blah, blah... high quality air circulation on planes, and other such nonsense. The railways seem to be expected to impose 2 metre social distancing alongside mask wearing - with masks being compulsory it would make sense to at least use every window seat where airline seating layout is used.

 

[Hadders]

It's a good job CrossCountry don't operate services out of Kings Cross.

With the ECML disruption today the only trains running were the Moorgate services. The train I travelled on from Finsbury Park to Stevenage was full and standing with all seats taken. Passengers were being pragmatic, in the seats generally the window side passenger was facing forwards with the aisle passenger facing into the aisle.

I've certainly seen these trains far busier during the pre-Covid peak but it was also quite reassuring to see people just getting on with things and being sensible.

I dread to think what CrossCountry or TfW would have done. I'd probably still be queueing in Kings Cross square....

 

[317 forever]

A problem could arise if someone has a through ticket from a feeder station to a destination involving a longer-distance Cross Country journey but the feeder train is delayed or cancelled. An example is Alsager - Stoke-on-Trent - Oxford. Supposing they arrive late at Stoke due to a delay or cancellation on the train from Alsager, I wonder whether they will be allowed on the Cross Country train to Oxford an hour later or be told Too bad it's full.

 

[Howardh]

A problem could arise if someone has a through ticket from a feeder station to a destination involving a longer-distance Cross Country journey but the feeder train is delayed or cancelled. An example is Alsager - Stoke-on-Trent - Oxford. Supposing they arrive late at Stoke due to a delay or cancellation on the train from Alsager, I wonder whether they will be allowed on the Cross Country train to Oxford an hour later or be told Too bad it's full.

If it were the last train, and that happened, shouldn't the TOC provide a taxi or hotel?
Anyhow, what determines whether a train is "full", an actual figure or a bit of a stab-in-the-dark? And what if two pax were not let on, and one was a minor? That wouldn't make a good headline!

 

[SoccerHQ]

Took XC from Southampton to Bournemouth few days ago. No check before getting onboard or onboard and service quiet, 9 car double.

I'm planning a day trip to Winchester/Bournemouth on Sat 19th September, will probably use South West Trains from Winchester onwards due to the cheap fares and them usually having 9 carriage trains in normal times coming from London Waterloo so social distancing isn't an issue on them.

Probably drive down to Banbury to cut down on the time spent in the actual train but what's the deal, will the 18 quid Banbury-Basingstoke ticket still be sold by the ticket machine and allowed to use on XC? Don't really fancy having to take the GWR shuttle to Didcot, then change there and get to Reading and then take the stopper to Basingtoke.

Just had a look on the cross country website and it says from Monday 7th September you will need a seat reservation so not sure if that's different to what they were advising during July or August as haven't actually travelled on XC since early March so would like to give them some custom back after the hiatus to my travels on them since 2007 when I went to uni.

 

[yorkie]

I'm planning a day trip to Winchester/Bournemouth on Sat 19th September, will probably use South West Trains from Winchester onwards due to the cheap fares and them usually having 9 carriage trains in normal times coming from London Waterloo so social distancing isn't an issue on them.

Probably drive down to Banbury to cut down on the time spent in the actual train but what's the deal, will the 18 quid Banbury-Basingstoke ticket still be sold by the ticket machine and allowed to use on XC? Don't really fancy having to take the GWR shuttle to Didcot, then change there and get to Reading and then take the stopper to Basingtoke.

Just had a look on the cross country website and it says from Monday 7th September you will need a seat reservation so not sure if that's different to what they were advising during July or August as haven't actually travelled on XC since early March so would like to give them some custom back after the hiatus to my travels on them since 2007 when I went to uni.

You can search for Banbury to Winchester on Trainsplit, click Advanced Options and choose changing at: Basingstoke. If the XC train isn't full, you will be able to select it. I'm not sure if XC have enabled seat selection by then, but if they have, you can pick your choice of seat.

If the XC train is already sold out, you'll be offered alternative options as appropriate.

 

[Mainline421]

I'm planning a day trip to Winchester/Bournemouth on Sat 19th September, will probably use South West Trains from Winchester onwards due to the cheap fares and them usually having 9 carriage trains in normal times coming from London Waterloo so social distancing isn't an issue on them.

Probably drive down to Banbury to cut down on the time spent in the actual train but what's the deal, will the 18 quid Banbury-Basingstoke ticket still be sold by the ticket machine and allowed to use on XC? Don't really fancy having to take the GWR shuttle to Didcot, then change there and get to Reading and then take the stopper to Basingtoke.

Just had a look on the cross country website and it says from Monday 7th September you will need a seat reservation so not sure if that's different to what they were advising during July or August as haven't actually travelled on XC since early March so would like to give them some custom back after the hiatus to my travels on them since 2007 when I went to uni.

Yes this is available and allowed on CrossCountry as usual. I've done a couple of journeys ecompassing this and know someone who's done Banbury to Bournemouth returns a few times all purchased at station with no reservations. As has been established on this thread many times they're not actually mandatory. There are currently rarely any checks (and when there was I wasn't questioned about a reservation). From Monday TMs have been told to direct passengers without reservations to the unreserved coach or the rear unit on a double voyager.

I appreciate that the the language from XC has become a little more assertive now but I still don't get why I look at this thread and people keep suggesting that pax will be refused travel, that doesn't even happen on LNER afaik and it's certainly not happening on CrossCountry!

 

[cactustwirly]

The seat reservations are counted place so I don't see how it can be enforced?
Anyway the TMs don't care, they just ask you to distance and wear a face covering etc.

 

[yorkie]

The seat reservations are counted place so I don't see how it can be enforced?
Anyway the TMs don't care, they just ask you to distance and wear a face covering etc.

They've changed from counted places to a specific seat; I just tried it on Trainsplit and was able to select a seat.

 

[Howardh]

If you have a reservation on Cross-country, does that mean the seat next to you will be unoccupied due to distancing?

 

[alistairlees]

If you have a reservation on Cross-country, does that mean the seat next to you will be unoccupied due to distancing?

Correct. It's not reservable.

 

[Howardh]

Correct. It's not reservable.

Thanks, that's good news. Not so good for the company who can only run half-empty trains; although on saying that if two or more are in the same family/bubble then they can sit together, increasing capacity? Thinking coming back from London there was a group of four people around a table - clearly all family or friends. However at the start of the journey they were all separated and then two moved to the tabel where theo other two were. So can't a pax book tickets as a group and sit togehter? What if a parent is taking a child?

 

[yorkie]

If you have a reservation on Cross-country, does that mean the seat next to you will be unoccupied due to distancing?

Unless disruption occurs it will be free; it cannot be reserved.

Thanks, that's good news. Not so good for the company who can only run half-empty trains; although on saying that if two or more are in the same family/bubble then they can sit together, increasing capacity? Thinking coming back from London there was a group of four people around a table - clearly all family or friends. However at the start of the journey they were all separated and then two moved to the tabel where theo other two were. So can't a pax book tickets as a group and sit togehter? What if a parent is taking a child?

Some XC staff were trying to split people up who are travelling together but I think they have given that up now.

I was on a train where a couple got told to sit at window seats at opposite sides of the coach; they couldn't believe the train manager was behaving this way and we had a chat about how ridiculous it was. Some XC Guards are very authoritarian and appear to be on a bit of a power trip at the moment.

In contrast many XC TMs don't walk through the train and people are left to their own devices.

My last XC journey was great (it was just Leeds to York); none of the usual spiel I've come to expect, just a brief announcement, and no sign of any staff walking through the train. I usually like to see a visible staff presence but if it's a choice between someone acting overly authoritarian or seeing no-one, I'll plump for the latter!

 

[alistairlees]

Thanks, that's good news. Not so good for the company who can only run half-empty trains; although on saying that if two or more are in the same family/bubble then they can sit together, increasing capacity? Thinking coming back from London there was a group of four people around a table - clearly all family or friends. However at the start of the journey they were all separated and then two moved to the tabel where theo other two were. So can't a pax book tickets as a group and sit togehter? What if a parent is taking a child?

No, you can’t book together. All seats are separated as they could be booked by groups of any size. After that it’s reasonable to allow family groups / bubbles to sit together, utilising the unreservable seats.

 

[Haywain]

So can't a pax book tickets as a group and sit togehter?

No, the reservation system is not clever enough to allow this.

 

[Hadders]

Just to confirm that although seat reservations cannot be booked together you allowed to sit together if travelling as a family group.

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I’m travelling with my family. Do we have to reserve individual seats or can we travel together?
You should still try to reserve, as on busier trains we could need to restrict travel if too many people attempt to board. However, if you are travelling as a family group then you may sit together if you wish instead of following social distancing. Only window seats are reservable so the seat next to you should always be free for a household member to sit next to you.

 

[SuspectUsual]

My parents travelled Manchester to Birmingham on XC last night, and according to my mum staff were checking tickets and reservations before allowing passengers onto the platform at Piccadilly

 

[Howardh]

My parents travelled Manchester to Birmingham on XC last night, and according to my mum staff were checking tickets and reservations before allowing passengers onto the platform at Piccadilly

That's interesting as anyone arriving from platforms 13, 14 could avoid those checks!

 

[Haywain]

That's interesting as anyone arriving from platforms 13, 14 could avoid those checks!

Are you assuming that the only checks were at the ticket barriers? Checks could also have been made at the footbridge stairs.

 

[Pete 1981]

Are you assuming that the only checks were at the ticket barriers? Checks could also have been made at the footbridge stairs.

There's not been any footbridge checks since March.

 

[Howardh]

There's not been any footbridge checks since March.

And in such an enclosed area, I doubt there will be checks for some time yet.

 

[185143]

My parents travelled Manchester to Birmingham on XC last night, and according to my mum staff were checking tickets and reservations before allowing passengers onto the platform at Piccadilly

Was this XC staff checking or the usual Northern revenue?

 

[SuspectUsual]

Sorry, no idea. My mum wouldn’t have had a clue, it was just “they checked both the ticket and the reservation and they were turning people away if they didn’t have a reservation”

 

[SoccerHQ]

Sorry, no idea. My mum wouldn’t have had a clue, it was just “they checked both the ticket and the reservation and they were turning people away if they didn’t have a reservation”

The mandatory thing only came in today didn't it so last Saturday it was still just a request so surprised if they really were turning people back unless there were large numbers at the gates and it was 4/5 carriage train.

Would be interested from any XC commuters this week if there's more ticket checks on board and what happens if several people just have "normal" tickets rather than reserved ones and what happens after.

 

[Howardh]

The mandatory thing only came in today didn't it so last Saturday it was still just a request so surprised if they really were turning people back unless there were large numbers at the gates and it was 4/5 carriage train.

Would be interested from any XC commuters this week if there's more ticket checks on board and what happens if several people just have "normal" tickets rather than reserved ones and what happens after.

I'm one, I will let you know!!

 

[gray1404]

Sorry, no idea. My mum wouldn’t have had a clue, it was just “they checked both the ticket and the reservation and they were turning people away if they didn’t have a reservation”

That is interesting that fact they really were turning people away without a reservation.

 

[Mainline421]

The mandatory thing only came in today didn't it so last Saturday it was still just a request so surprised if they really were turning people back unless there were large numbers at the gates and it was 4/5 carriage train.

Would be interested from any XC commuters this week if there's more ticket checks on board and what happens if several people just have "normal" tickets rather than reserved ones and what happens after.

There is no mandatory reservation thing. I suspect this is either a garbled third hand account of them checking what trains advances are booked on, the limit on non-reserved capacity was reached, or absolute worst case scenario someone at Northern noticing that XC services are listed as reservation mandatory and trying to enforce it.

You should still try to reserve, as on busier trains we could need to restrict travel if too many people attempt to board....
We ask that you avoid moving around and if you haven’t reserved, then to use any available window seat to maintain social distancing guidelines and use our TMR service to make a reservation on that train.

I know someone who commutes on XC multiple times a week, will report back in the extremely unlikely event I hear they notice anything from this.

 

[_toommm_]

I've not had any ticket checks on XC, and I've been using them fairly regularly recently for long-ish distance commutes (Leeds to Brum).

 

[stevetay3]

Traveled on Cross Country yesterday. 4 Car + 5 Car. Both almost empty on arrival at Oxford at 18.15. Myself and just a few others boarded and traveled to Reading, no ticket inspection, no reservations asked for, in fact no visible staff to be seen at all. Everything closed at Oxford station but Reading almost back to normal. E tickets not working at either station causing staff to come and hover right over you at the barriers.