OMG TRAIN LOLZ!

[New POD]

I work away during the week, and this week, my wife decided that rather than I leave the house alone at 5 am Monday Morning, she would come with me at 5pm on Sunday Evening, (after watching Liverpool loose to arse nal...that put her in a bad mood).  2 hours and some 100 miles later we arrive at my little rented cottage, and she stays 2 days.

 

She suggests that rather than we drive back on Tuesday evening, she could get the train. 

 

Well yes, she could but last time, I was forced to do it, it required a taxi, to get to derby station £12, a train to Chesterfield, a train to Liverpool, a walk across Liverpool, a train to Formby, (£48 one way) and a taxi £3.  And the journey time was a total of 4 and a half fucking hours. So I drove her home, stayed the night, got up and drove back.  In total I spent about £30 on Diesel , and drove for a total of 4 hours.  I think that rather than inflict pubic transport on my wife, I'd actually rather drive her.

[Felly Magic]

I shall be sampling the trains for the first time in ages as I'm off to that there London Town for a day out, Greater Angular peasant class, oh dear...

[320touring]

Nearly done 2nd week of train based commuting, so far:

 

Always got a seat, and often a table

Only one train delayed, then ony by 5 mins(signal got stuck at station)

Much less tired when I get home as me brain has had time to relax on the journey home.

No arrests so far.

 

However my ankle is still sore, and I've got a blister that looks like loch ness..

 

Magic

[Grundig]

Disaster!

 

I made the train this morn no bother, worked all day (9meetings!) Then caught the train home.

 

About 0.5miles from home, I suffered a lower track rod end failure, resulting in contact between the ankle CV joint and roadway.

 

Repair under way using tried and tested ice and sympathy method

 

Fit this universal repair part 

 

[320touring]

Fit this universal repair part

 

Sorry, only lemforder for me! No qh crap here:-)

[320touring]

Next exciting* update..

 

Got a lift into the big smoke avec les burd this morn, along with a pikture of mah smiling* face..

 

Long story short, a weekly from the big smoke to work is the total of £3 a week more than hoose to work. A single from hoose to big smoke is £3.10..

 

Ergo i'm now in possession of a ticket what allows for the boozin:) reckon its time to set up a weekly pint with me mate who works in the city.

 

Oh, also, train just left on time, and I'm posting via the WiFi.steam locos have come on a bit!

[lisbon_road]

I had to use trains and buses for six months last year due to a leg problem and was on crutches or in a wheelchair.  I can't praise the staff of both enough.  I found getting tickets cheap is a bit of an art.  Sometimes the trains got so busy that it was all a bit claustrophobic.  Came across the statistics for stations in Hampshire and many have had a 50% increase in use in the last ten years so investment in rolling stock and everything is needed.  Generally a good experience; buses can be a bit expensive but I just got used to it.  Wanted to try and continue using them but it isn't easy, always seems to be a reason why not.

[Junkman]

British train ticket prices explained

 

 

Advance

Advance tickets must be purchased before you travel. They are so limited in availability that you best buy them when you are still in your mother's womb and usually get more expensive than a first class ticket roughly 13 years to the day of travel. You must travel on the train and date specified on your ticket, but you can change the date / time of travel in advance for a fee hefty enough that it would buy you some surprisingly nice Autoshite, plus the petrol for the journey. These tickets cannot be refunded even if you expire or the train line is closed down between the ticket purchase and the actual day of travel. Completely inexplicably, there are no Advance return tickets, so if you want to do a return journey, you must buy two Advance tickets for the price of three. Advance tickets always include seat reservations on journeys where no seats are available.

 

Off-Peak

Off-Peak tickets are flexible tickets that are valid at 'off-peak' times of the day, which are 10 minute time slots between shit, shave, and shower, but they will vary depending on where and when you want to travel and this is carefully designed so that you will never buy an Off-Peak ticket in our lifetime. They are also valid when Mondays are on Wednesdays, Thursdays are on Fridays, and Bank Holidays are on Saturdays, but only if you travel after 14:14 but before 09:28 on Sundays when Easter is on New Year's. They are not valid on some evening services, which commence at 8am, unless you are under 27 but older than 63.

 

Anytime

Anytime tickets are fully flexible tickets that are valid on all trains on every day of the week, with no time restrictions, except on the trains of the particular operator you have to use.

If your travel plans are likely to change, and you know you need to travel at peak times, then an Anytime ticket may well be your best choice, if you are willing to remortgage your house, max out your credit card and overdraft, and sell your children into a pedophile ring. Anytime return tickets are valid for five days on trains on your outward journey and for up to one calendar month for your return journey, unless they are only valid on the day without notice. Terms and conditions apply. Good luck.

[CortinaDave]

Mixed experiences with the trains. East Coast I find to be pretty good. 1st class is great value when you can get a cheap advance ticket. Free food, free vodka, comfy seat, wi fi etc. Great!

 

ScotRail are knobs. had a few bad experiences with them... Most irritating was buying an advance ticket online and specifying the station I wanted to collect at.

 

At the time I got to said station it was shut. 99% of stations now have automatic collection machines  but as I found when I arrived - Not this one.

 

asked the guard before I got on, he told me I had to have a physical ticket, but company policy in this situation was that I buy a ticket on the train, then when I arrived at my destination to take my advance confirmation plus the extra ticket I'd had to buy to the service desk and I'd be refunded for the ticket I'd had to buy on the train.

 

Got to the customer service desk at Dundee and was told this was a load of crap and that "the ticket collectors do this all the time to get the commission"

 

Complained in writing to Scotrail and was told it was my tough titty that there was no way to collect the ticket at the station and that I should have known this.

 

Shocking.

[320touring]

End of week 3 on the trains (is there a tv series in there somewhere?)

 

All bar 1 train been on time, always a seat-so far, much better than the m8

 

Last night I rode the iron horse into the city centre and spent an evening of well lubricated joviality avec mah mate Dave.

 

Smashing

[Pillock]

Here's an odd spot today.

 

Leicestershire countryside, but across the rolling fields I spotted what appeared to be Tube trains. Took a bit of a detour (we were only on the way to register our intention to marry at the Register Office, nothing pressing) and turned out to be brand new underground stock, sandwiched on one end by a rusty old tanker and then a couple of Class 20s, and on the other end by another pair of 20s. All locos in different livery including bright scarlet red this end, and "large logo" BR the other.

[320touring]

Your soon to be missus is a lucky one..such romanticism!

[Pillock]

She offered the detour and was quite apologetic she couldn't get closer.... I've got a feeling these badboys are built somewhere in Leics although this particular branch line joins up barren wasteland to absolutely fuck all so perhaps it was just for storage. And I'd be really surprised if any Class 20s were still in regular mainline use so to couple them up to some tube trains that are at least 100 miles north of the nearest Jellied Eels is odd.

 

Editz: A Google suggests that since 2012 these trains have been hauled up to the Old Dalby trest track on completion. I must admit seeing one of those over the A46 would spin me out a bit first thing in the morning and make me think I turned the wrong way at the end of the road to get to work.

[costadelglosta]

The class 20s are on hire from Harry Needle railroad company I think and are being used to deliver the new tube rolling stock. Wikipedia is a beautiful thing.

[320touring]

First cancelled train today- signalling failure. caught the later one (28 mins of a wait) in work by 09.10.

 

still better than a tailback on the m8.

 

Still got a seat too:)

[320touring]

I'm now in receipt of an annual season ticket:)

 

Total cost?the same as 6months of petrol commuting in the e30. Happy days.

 

 

Plus I also extended it to Glasgow, so I can get into town free of additional charge, with no parking worries

[320touring]

Got up early with the burd today.meant I got a lift into town, and my choice of trains to work:) I'm on the 7.10, and enjoying the fact that the sunrise is a sight to behold, rather than a hinderence to seeing whilst driving.

 

the view from the station bridge should be stunning today-i'll maybe grab a pic later.