Trains

[SkyBlueFlux]

Right to clarify, the comment about ruining the world with my carbon footprint was me making the point that TCIB said. The government try to make us use public transport. They aren't making it easy for me are they?

They would make a lot of money back if they ticketed people properly instead of allowing so many people to hop on and journey round for free.

Secondly, I chose Edinburgh because I wanted to pick the best university I could get into. The uni I'm at doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to the train service between the two cities. I go to and from Edinburgh in a variety of ways, I try to give this train service the best possible chance to win me over though.

Lastly, as I said, I tried to reserve a seat a week in advance. What more can be expected of me? The reservation system I've just been told was actually experiencing technical difficulties.

I don't ask for a lot. All I ask is value for money which I don't think I'm receiving. Is that really so bad? Some of you need to stop assuming this negative stance on students. That fact alone has nothing to do with this argument.

As a side note, it isn't only virgin trains I've had trouble with and it's only long distance trains that I dislike, the short hops are generally fine and often on time.

 

[Manchestercitychorlton]

Get a bus to Stockport. Plenty of trains from there into town.

its not getting into town thats easy. its the train from manchester to salford. there is only 1 a hour. and it is always FULL of students. would make sense to run 2 a hour or even a bus?

get the bus from shudehill/deansgate. They only take about 20mins

 

[117 M34]

Get a bus to Stockport. Plenty of trains from there into town.

its not getting into town thats easy. its the train from manchester to salford. there is only 1 a hour. and it is always FULL of students. would make sense to run 2 a hour or even a bus?

A bus like the M10 that goes from town to the uni you mean?

I travelled to uni in Sheffield everyday from here and never got up at any time near to 5:30 and was always in to have my breakfast down there and be ready for a 9 o'clock start.

 

[wayne71]

Right to clarify, the comment about ruining the world with my carbon footprint was me making the point that TCIB said. The government try to make us use public transport. They aren't making it easy for me are they?

They would make a lot of money back if they ticketed people properly instead of allowing so many people to hop on and journey round for free.

Secondly, I chose Edinburgh because I wanted to pick the best university I could get into. The uni I'm at doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to the train service between the two cities. I go to and from Edinburgh in a variety of ways, I try to give this train service the best possible chance to win me over though.

Lastly, as I said, I tried to reserve a seat a week in advance. What more can be expected of me? The reservation system I've just been told was actually experiencing technical difficulties.

I don't ask for a lot. All I ask is value for money which I don't think I'm receiving. Is that really so bad? Some of you need to stop assuming this negative stance on students. That fact alone has nothing to do with this argument.

As a side note, it isn't only virgin trains I've had trouble with and it's only long distance trains that I dislike, the short hops are generally fine and often on time.

Lots of problems exist that do not make it an easy solution. A couple of examples.

Make trains longer? With more carriages trains wouldn't fit many platforms, plus it would mean train operating companies investing in more trains (or renting them as they do) and the fact they are on fairly short term franchises means it isn't financially viable.

Run double decker trains like they do on the continent? The whole infrastructure would need rebuilding, every overhead line stanchion and lots of overbridges would need to be replaced. This would cost the taxpayer millions and years of delays and misery to the travelling public whilst the work was completed.

Run more trains, the line capacity isn't there, at peak times there are no more train paths. It is literally rammed and it only takes one minor problem at say Crewe for the knock on effects to be felt in Glasgow and London. You cannot steer around a failed train, infrastructure fault or an act of vandalism or the biggest problem the railway faces which is cable theft.

Without major rebuilding of the railway infrastructure the problems will not go away and the money simply isn't there but rest assured it is 100 times better than it was under BR.

 

[Fitton]

Well I don't get the train often, in fact up until last week I probably hadn't been on one for 5 years or something!

Travelled down to see my cousin in Leicester last week via train and got to say it was much better than other methods of public transport i.e bus.

The trains actually turned up on the dot and got me to where I was going in the time they said they would.

Only thing that I experienced is that my second train (Sheffield - Leicester) had train failure before arriving at Sheffield and only turned up with 5 carriages instead of 10 so it was busy on the train and some people had to stand,but they stopped at Derby and connected the other 5 carriages on and then all was good.

Got to say the way it was handled was great aswell they let us know what was going on all the time and apologised and was only delayed around 13 minutes in total but other than that I'd say they ran like clockwork.

I was impressed with the service but I can't really comment because I don't catch them regularly but they seem alot more efficient than busses!

 

[welcometomanchester]

Get a bus to Stockport. Plenty of trains from there into town.

its not getting into town thats easy. its the train from manchester to salford. there is only 1 a hour. and it is always FULL of students. would make sense to run 2 a hour or even a bus?

A bus like the M10 that goes from town to the uni you mean?

I travelled to uni in Sheffield everyday from here and never got up at any time near to 5:30 and was always in to have my breakfast down there and be ready for a 9 o'clock start.

well that is down to what time the trains is surly? nothing to do with location it is down to the train stopping etc

 

[Fitton]

its not getting into town thats easy. its the train from manchester to salford. there is only 1 a hour. and it is always FULL of students. would make sense to run 2 a hour or even a bus?

A bus like the M10 that goes from town to the uni you mean?

I travelled to uni in Sheffield everyday from here and never got up at any time near to 5:30 and was always in to have my breakfast down there and be ready for a 9 o'clock start.

well that is down to what time the trains is surly? nothing to do with location it is down to the train stopping etc

Think it took me 50 minutes from Man Pic to Sheffield.

 

[welcometomanchester]

A bus like the M10 that goes from town to the uni you mean?

I travelled to uni in Sheffield everyday from here and never got up at any time near to 5:30 and was always in to have my breakfast down there and be ready for a 9 o'clock start.

well that is down to what time the trains is surly? nothing to do with location it is down to the train stopping etc

Think it took me 50 minutes from Man Pic to Sheffield.

takes me half n hour to get from bramhall to manchester. then i have to wait 40 mins to get a ten min train up to uni. so point proved distance doesn't mean anything.

 

[Fitton]

well that is down to what time the trains is surly? nothing to do with location it is down to the train stopping etc

Think it took me 50 minutes from Man Pic to Sheffield.

takes me half n hour to get from bramhall to manchester. then i have to wait 40 mins to get a ten min train up to uni. so point proved distance doesn't mean anything.

Like I said, I can't really comment as it's not a regular method of transport for me.

All I can say is that when I've used them they've been fine but that may not be the case for regular users of the rail system.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Surely it is trans pennine express to Edinburgh not virgin?
Unless you don't live in Manchester.