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Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

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Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#151

Post by alias_neo »

claxo wrote: post #99
alias_neo wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having spent the past ~10 years living in London, I disagree. Rush hour Tokyo trains were a dream, people are polite and queue, but they queue so that they're not in the way, the carriages are surprisingly head-roomy for 6'4 me, unlike the shit show of the central line, they're cooled properly, like the circle/district and the stations were almost universally clean and spacious unlike our tube platforms which are oft…

Wait, wait- Any rule you can spell in a few words or a link?

Stand on the right on escalators, let people off of the carriages before you barge on, don't stop suddenly without checking who's about to walk into you, don't run into tube trains as the doors are closing only to get stuck and hold up the train, DON'T HOLD THE DOORS OPEN, go up and down stairs on the left, corridors etc, stay on the left and don't fuck around at the barriers. Have your card ready, your contactless ready, take your kids, cases, whatever through the wide gate. Don't play whatever shitty video you're watching to the whole train and certainly don't subject others to your music taste.

DO ask people for directions or for help, people may look tired, they may look grumpy they may even be those things, but most will be more than willing to help you.

EDIT: Others covered a few important ones I missed too; backpacks off, walking N-abreast so as to be blocking others from passing are a big no-no; you may be having a leisurely stroll, commuters have places to be, whether at work or at home with their families and their feet up after a long day.

Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#152

Post by SassyThrowaway »

SilverBirch wrote: post #44

>1. Train stations across the UK are gorgeous Yes, strategically we basically stopped investing Rail Infrastructure in the late Victorian era. So yes, everythin is very picturesque. >In my experience, looking up schedules, booking tickets, reserving seats and travelling by train was all as straightforward as can be. You clearly haven't ever bought a ticket . £30 please, unless you want to travel after 10am, then it'l…

> You clearly haven't ever bought a ticket. £30 please, unless you want to travel after 10am, then it'll be 25, oh wait you want to go via Reading that'll be 40. Haha, you got through the barrier tapping your oyster card? That doesn't work out here!

That statement surprised me as well. Isn't "Off Peak" lingo confusing for foreign visitors? I know I used to find it annoying to have to care about that, and how there are different kinds of "Anytime" tickets that do or do not cover multiple rail networks.

Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#153

Post by iggldiggl »

ClumsyPilot wrote: post #90
chrisseaton wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> people at the lower end of the wage scale I don't think anyone commutes from the Home Counties to a job at Pret. People on lower income still live in London, just in not as great housing. People on the train are people who can afford the choice of a luxury of a home in a village or the countryside instead of London.

> People on the train are people who can afford the choice of a luxury of a home in a village or the countryside instead of London And spend 3 hours a day on a hellish commute 5 days a week? Thats not luxury, that's torture. I do know folls on lower end salaries that commute far, its not rare.

The "Stockbroker Belt" is a thing, and Sir Humphrey used to commute in from Haslemere (if only fictionally, but I'm sure he was based on real examples).

Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#155

Post by matt-p »

pjc50 wrote: post #125
matt-p wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, I don't think that's a very fair comparison time:distance wise. Cambridge is infamously time consuming to get to by train and that's a very good route in Spain, they are not all that quick. For example Peterborough which is quite some miles north of Cambridge runs trains to London in 51 mins. What about Milton Keynes > London in 34 mins, Reading > London in 30 mins and so on.

> Cambridge is infamously time consuming to get to by train Why is this? I know the story about the University insisting that the station be far from the center of town to make it inconvenient for students, and that Peterborough is on the ECML, but I don't see good reasons for Cambridge being hard to get to. There are direct express trains! It's not the North where everyone's trundling around in Pacers.

I suppose it depends on what your definition of express is, what you're used to and so on. I think most people in that part of the country equate express to 125mph trains, that are either direct or 'more or less' direct.. which places like Milton Keynes and Peterborough do have.

I think the reasons are mix of the two above you mention. No ecml which for what can only be described as a decent economic hub is a missed opportunity. Train station a bit of a pain to get to which extends real life journey times, although they are clearly trying to improve that and Cambridge North isn't bad.

Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#156

Post by matt-p »

heurisko wrote: post #144
matt-p wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, I don't think that's a very fair comparison time:distance wise. Cambridge is infamously time consuming to get to by train and that's a very good route in Spain, they are not all that quick. For example Peterborough which is quite some miles north of Cambridge runs trains to London in 51 mins. What about Milton Keynes > London in 34 mins, Reading > London in 30 mins and so on.

> Cambridge is infamously time consuming to get to by train Says who?

In my experience: Most people who have ever lived around Cambridge or had need to travel to it regularly..

Do you feel it's not?

Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#157

Post by drcongo »

alias_neo wrote: post #151
claxo wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, wait- Any rule you can spell in a few words or a link?

Stand on the right on escalators, let people off of the carriages before you barge on, don't stop suddenly without checking who's about to walk into you, don't run into tube trains as the doors are closing only to get stuck and hold up the train, DON'T HOLD THE DOORS OPEN, go up and down stairs on the left, corridors etc, stay on the left and don't fuck around at the barriers. Have your card ready, your contactless r…

Please run for Mayor of London.

edit: Rule to add - don't just stand still when you step off an escalator.

Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#158

Post by iggldiggl »

Mordisquitos wrote: post #33

As someone with significant experience of using the rail networks in both the UK and Spain, I strongly agree with the last point regarding the hybrid reservation model. In addition, there's one further point which I don't think he mentions: the fact that in the UK you can buy a ticket at any station to go to any arbitrary station A from any arbitrary station B (notwithstanding the complexity of determining the best p…

Very much this. In Germany the law regulating railway demands that all train companies work together in creating through-fares, but in practice as far as long distance trains are concerned that obligation seems to have been forgotten and we're only saved by the fact that only a small minority of those trains are operated by TOCs other than DB.

Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#159

Post by matt-p »

maxwell86 wrote: post #126
koyote wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- Stand on the right of escalators - Have your ticket/oyster/card ready BEFORE getting to the gates (and move to the side and out of the way if you need to take time to find it) - Move inside the carriages - Don't start conversations with commuters (especially during morning rush hour) - Take your rucksack off and put it by your feet if it's crowded - Don't walk 3+ abreast - Don't run for the train and especially don…

> Stand on the right of escalators This surprised me when visiting the UK. I actually expected people to stand on the "left" of the scalators - just like how they drive on the left and overtake on the right - but they didn't. They stood on the right. I was left puzzled ???

Walk on the left, which is enabled by people standing on the right. Quite simple IMO, but maybe that's just because it's ever been thus!

Re: Train Travel in the UK: A Foreigner’s Perspective

#160

Post by masklinn »

kochikame wrote: post #114
4dregress wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

JR Pass is the answer for this! The JR Pass is awesome! https://www.jrpass.com/

No, the existence of the JR pass exactly proves their point. It only works on JR lines, so in Tokyo you still need to buy tickets for all the private train lines and metro lines (city run and private run). Try getting around Tokyo on the daily using only JR lines; it won't be too much fun for you. JR pass is only really useful for long-haul, intercity type journeys, primarily by shinkansen

If you’re in Tokyo you get a suica. It works on all lines, and can also be used as a payment card at various vending machines and shops (including I think all the big combini brands and many marts).
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