Most surprising things to railway newbies

[whole diary]

[grahame]

What things about our railway system would most surprise someone who's new to trains?  I'm just imagining explaining how things work on the trains to such a visitor who arrives on our doorstep.

Here's what I came up with (and with much thanks to previous contribuors who have given me some of the ideas):

* Sometime passengers have to open the window, lean out of the window and operator a lever to get out, ignoring the sign that says "do not lean out of the window"

* Until their 16th birthday, young people can travel by train at about half price, even though they occupy just as many seats  as do the same number of people who have passed their 16th birthday

* Some trains still carry their own power generation plants, which burn non-sustainable fossil fuel that will run out in the forseeable future if it carries on like this.

* Many trains and buses are run by the same companies, and most people who use the train change at least at one of their journey into something like a bus or car.  But even when trains and buses are run by the same company, the bus somethimes leaves a minute before the train is due, and almost empty.

* Some trains are designated as "offpeak" and "superoffpeak" but they can be full and standing (no, you may have bought a ticket but you are not guaranteed a seat, or even to be able to actually get on).  Some trains which are designated "peak" and can be very expensive indeed to use can be nearly empty.

* You can buy a ticket electronically to travel from Melksham to Chippenham tomorrow morning, but you'll have to go to Chippenham to collect it before you start your journey.

* You're allowed to burn poison sticks (called cigarretes) just outside the entrance to stations, making all the people who want to use the train walk through the dangerous smokey haze.

* There are villages of 60 houses that are served by 2 trains every hour, all day ... and less then ten miles away is a town of over 20,000 people that only has only 2 trains each way a day

* There are 2 direct trains a day from Swindon and Chippenham to Salisbury, but none direct the other way (yet ;-) )

* There are a lot of trains on which you can't get a drink of fresh water - even on some longish journeys.

* You can choose any one of over 50 different tickets if you want to travel from Melksham to London on the 19:47 next Thursday.  And that's before you start looking at railcards, buying your ticket in two stages (which may be cheaper if you buy on the way and know where to 'split'), or group discounts.

[super tm]

* if a train goes 6 inches past a red light it will be terminated at the next station and the driver sent for retraining

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

*BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) no longer exists

[Phil]

* There is no longer any such thing as a station porter, or indeed anyone at all to help you with your luggage

[Maxwell P]

* There is no longer any such thing as a station porter, or indeed anyone at all to help you with your luggage

*That in this day and age, some passengers consider it an enshrined right to be 'helped' with their mountains of luggage, much of which is completely unnecessary.   

IMO^▸ (in my opinion), time to start charging for 'excess baggage.'

BTW^▸ (by the way), has anyone noted that surf 'longboards' now attact a fee?.   

[eightf48544]

Searching for informtion at unmanned station regarding destinations directly served by the station, possible destinations with one change. Direction of travel ie which platform. The new CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) is OK but it only gives you actual trains and their stops for instance off peak trains from Taplow do not stop at Langley (large FE college and lots of industry) and Iver you have to change at Slough. To find this out you ahve to go half way along Platform 4 to see the full timetabel, however if you want to check your trains back to taplow you ahve to go over the steps to paltform 3.

Then finally the real killer finding the right FARE or one that's not a rip off and doesn't inccur  a penalty fare. Then there's the little matter getting a ticket!

We have checked this information at Taplow and you have to look at at least 5 posters on different platforms to find the info then you have to puzzle out the TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) and find it doesn't take cash.

It really encourages people to travel by train especialy as the penalty fare notice is usually one of the few prominnet ones.

I think before TOCS charge penalty fares from unmanned stations they should look to the motes in their own eyes and not blame the passengers.

It's no wonder XX% (can some one fill in please I know it's pretty high) of citizens never use the railway

[grahame]

Searching for informtion at unmanned station regarding destinations directly served by the station, possible destinations with one change. Direction of travel ie which platform. ....

Can we summarise as

* How incredibly hard it can be to find out the information you need about train times, fares, and how to buy your ticket

[Phil]

*That in this day and age, some passengers consider it an enshrined right to be 'helped' with their mountains of luggage, much of which is completely unnecessary.  

I'm not entirely sure a railway newbie would think like that though, to be honest. I think most have an impression gained not so much from collective memory but especially amongst younger people, including students off to Uni for the first time who I'd imagine make up a large proportion of train travelling newbies at this time of year, from watching old films and programmes about rail travel overseas, that railway stations are (a) manned, and (b) manned by people who are there to help.

The same people probably think that trains have luggage vans (which quite frankly, I think the long-haul ones actually should - many other aspects of train travel today emulates the air-flight industry, so why not baggage check-in, with a charge for anything over a certain size?) and that there are guards on board to preserve order and protect them should any unruly behaviour occur.

[devon_metro]

* There is no longer any such thing as a station porter, or indeed anyone at all to help you with your luggage

Various stations in Devon have some part time Summer staff that assist with loading the trains and closing doors. Exeter, Dawlish and Teignmouth come to mind. Probably as close to a station porter as you can get since they all seem to be quite young so obviously not permenant staff.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Searching for informtion at unmanned station regarding destinations directly served by the station, possible destinations with one change. Direction of travel ie which platform. ....

Can we summarise as

* How incredibly hard it can be to find out the information you need about train times, fares, and how to buy your ticket

timetables/contact info/area map/special offers



current running/contact with an assistant



onward travel :-)



you may struggle here when unmanned tho ......

[Maxwell P]

*That in this day and age, some passengers consider it an enshrined right to be 'helped' with their mountains of luggage, much of which is completely unnecessary.  

I'm not entirely sure a railway newbie would think like that though, to be honest. I think most have an impression gained not so much from collective memory but especially amongst younger people, including students off to Uni for the first time who I'd imagine make up a large proportion of train travelling newbies at this time of year, from watching old films and programmes about rail travel overseas, that railway stations are (a) manned, and (b) manned by people who are there to help.

The same people probably think that trains have luggage vans (which quite frankly, I think the long-haul ones actually should - many other aspects of train travel today emulates the air-flight industry, so why not baggage check-in, with a charge for anything over a certain size?) and that there are guards on board to preserve order and protect them should any unruly behaviour occur.

Too bad that some of them also think that it is perfectly OK to board a train and attempt to defraud the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) by not tendering the correct fare or attempting to avoid it all together. That wouldn't happen in the airline industry either, or even on a bus.

HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) have luggage vans, AKA^▸ (also known as) power cars, which are used for bulky items and BRUTE^▸ (British Rail Universal Trolley Equipment) luggage trolleys. The problem is that power cars must be platformed to access the van section.  Not always possible in the Wild West.

_{Edited to fix quote. i_b}

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Usefull links on a more serious note:

Guidelines on luggage aswell as details on carry my luggage service
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=4105

Assisted travel booking form and information
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/AssistedTravel.aspx

Information and advice on taking a bike with you
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=80

modified :just noticed we are in the lighter side .... face palm

[inspector_blakey]

I tend to side with Maxwell on the luggage issue, I really don't understand why people seem to think it's perfectly fine for them to bring far more than they could ever reasonably carry then simply expect someone else to deal with it for them. I overheard a conversation between a mother and daughter travelling on a 153 in west Wales with an unfeasible mountain of luggage (filling the luggage area and blocking the gangway) that the staff had to help them carry it from one train to another. They also got a bit p*ssy when I asked them to move some of it so I could actually dive off the train as soon as possible when we arrived in Swansea (several minutes late) so I could jump onto the connecting train...

Regarding checked baggage - bit of a red herring IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion). I've been on several Amtrak trains which have a free checked baggage service, and nobody uses it ever. They'd much rather just drag all their bags on board where they have instant access to the contents and don't have to wait to retrieve them at their destination. The same increasingly applies on aircraft - even on flights where checked baggage is free (a bit of a rarity these days on domestic flights in the US, but Southwest is an honourable exception and allows two free checked bags per person) people still think they're much too important to wait five minutes at a baggage carousel to collect their stuff, so drag it all on board, fill up all the lockers and then complain when the cabin staff have to 'gate check' the bags because there's physically no more room! Moral of the story - lots of people don't like being separated from their bags. I must be a bit unusual in that when I'm flying I'm more than happy to get shot of my suitcase at the earliest opportunity and let someone else carry it around until I collect it when I get to the other end.

And as relex just rightly pointed out, there are limitations on the amount you can carry and specified fees for excess bags on the railways, as part of the 'Accompanied Animals and Articles' section in the conditions of carriage. Whether they're ever enforced to the letter I'm not too sure though.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

it really needs enforcing, but in reality would need a huge pos campaign at all stations with penalty fairs applicable, not just due to lack of space on board but also for revenue .. should be (and this isn't what it is but i think would be fair and would solve problems) one suitcase and one backpack/hand bag per person free of charge and the AAA fair for each additional item 

[JayMac]

I must be a bit unusual in that when I'm flying I'm more than happy to get shot of my suitcase at the earliest opportunity and let someone else carry it around until I collect it when I get to the other end.

Hoping, of course, that your baggage isn't at Dallas/Fort Worth whilst you are patiently waiting by the carousel at JFK....