Challenges of travelling by train

Evening all. I just need to share this with you.

I commute to and from work and am currently on a fairly crowded train. My line have just introduced new carriages where the seats are closer together so if you don’t know the person next to you it’s fairly intense. I struggle with this most days and often want to scream, but instead develop a banging headache. And why is that as people get off the train and there are more seats, the person next to you doesn’t move? I find this so unbearable some evenings that I say excuse me and am ready to head to a clear set of seats I can see and then the person I was sat next to moves there anyway - long sigh.

Anyway, thanks for letting me share this with you. Does anyone have similar experiences with public transport?

  • Honestly I don't think a different party in charge in Cardiff would make any difference to what happens up here, we'd be differently ignored and put upon at best and totally dumped on at worst. Partly it's to do with geography, the mountains that seperate us from the rest of Wales and partly its to do with ancient rivalries that are still going strong after centuries. North Walian dialects are different from those in the south and yet are taught across Wales as standard which pee's everyone else off when they're told they don't speak proper Welsh. Gwynedd still see's itself as a different country to the rest of Wales and you find all sorts of absurdities, like Age UK isn't Uk wide it only covers England, Age Cymru cover most of Wales except up here in the North where theres Age Gwynedd.

    I'm not sure an undersea tunnel is a good idea in an active earthquake zone, I know we don't have big earthquakes but you don't a big one to make an undersea tunnel unsafe and the very idea gives me total heebie jeebies. The other thing about a rail tunnel is the effect it would have on the port and the jobs provided by the ferries. They keep talking about a new bridge over the Menai Straits too, but where it would go no one agrees on. Personally I think it would be better to have a ferry from Liverpool docks to Holyhead, it would take a lot of traffic off the roads and allow foot passengers to have a day out here or in Liverpool, I think it would be a lot quicker too.

  • I wish they would bring back the old idea of private compartments on trains - with so many young girls travelling on thier own and being hassled by men, it makes them feel very unsafe - I’d also like to see armed police travelling on trains as well, especially late at night - we saw armed police on trains enforcing Covid rules so we should see the same here, as things like luggage theft is a huge issue 

  • I once arrived from Manchester at Chester about to catch the Holyhead train (6 mins to change trains at opposite ends of the station) and it was packed with students who had just got off the train from Liverpool , all tiny sardine can trains - not acceptable, TfW needs to do better - and if coming from Manchester there needs to be more direct trains to Holyhead, I’m not bothered about first class or express, but they do need to be direct - I hate changing trains at Chester, there is no need for it 

  • The lack of luggage space and not enough carraiges is a huge issue on both lega of a SailRail journey between Manchester/Chester and Chester/Holyhead and vice versa - coming back from Dublin, at Chester, I often just jump on a Northern Train to Manchester Victoria, as I would jump on an Avanti Train from Chester to Holyhead or a TfW loco-hauled train from Cardiff to Holyhead at Lladnuo, as most TfW trains are like sardine cans 

  • I’ve stayed in that awful Travelodge in Holyhead when I eventually found it - and then they keep shelving the plans for a high-speed rail tunnel under the Irish Sea from Holyhead to Dublin which has been going on for decades - the Labour Welsh Assembly is a complete joke with their “regeneration” plans (straight out of the communist playbook) and it’s very clear that the people of North Wales are totally fed up of the situation and are totally disillusioned and disheartened at being totally ignored - I know that many of the beautiful listed station buildings on the North Wales line have to be preserved, but this must not be at the expense of the local people - I went into the local ASDA in Holyhead, totally dog-tired, totally charming and homely little store and the staff there were so warm and welcoming - the people of North Wales deserve far better than the abuse and neglect they are getting from the idiots of the Labour Welsh Assembly in Cardiff - even the train station and ferry terminal in Holyhead needs a massive upgrade as it’s stuck in a 1960’s time warp 

  • What the Labour Welsh Assembly have done to Rhyl is totally disgraceful 

  • If i go to Chester for the day, the train is bearable until it gets to Rhyl then the tourists pack onto the train on their way home ,   cans of lager in their hands at 10am in the morning lol

  • Completely agree about the noise. The introduction of mobile phones without a headphone jack (ie that require Bluetooth)has caused absolute mayhem in public areas. And on my trains it’s not just young people, the other day an old man was happily watching the football in his phone at high volume - why do the rest of us have to put up with this? Drives me nuts

  • Sorry I forgot Deganwy, I don't go to Llanddudo very often and never by train.

    There's never enough luggsge space in trains either, it seems that the more holiday destinations and links to sea ports and airports the less luggage space there is.

  • you forgot about  Deganwy station between  Llanddudno Junction and Llandudno  , What gets me about the trains in north wales is that they only put about 3 carriages on the trains because the platforms are so small,  The trains are always unbearably packed. 

  • IIM

    Your story dosen't surprise me, we don't count up here in North Wales, everybody seems to forget about us, every train stops at every rural station with seemingly random exemptions. It's slow and expensive, to get to Llanddudno itself where all the big shops are, is two train journeys, the first from wherever your'e travelling from to Llanddudno Junction, which is an industrial estate and some houses, then another train to actually get into Llanddudno itself, a journey of about 4-5 miles.

    To be honest I can't see much diference between TfW and Avanti, possibly because our infrastructure is so poor, we are one of the few areas that aren't electrified and palns to do so are constantly put on hold or cancelled. The line itself is vulnerable to storms and flooding.

    I'm always amazed that Holyhead has no hotels near the port, the ones that there are seem to be more like flop houses, there's one travelodge in Holyhead, but if you didnt know it was there you'd never find it. Holyhead is getting a load of levelling up money and is being done up, or the high st is anyway, I doubt if the "improvements" will go more than 1 or 2 streets back and all the problems will be swept furhter up the hill. We're supposed to be becoming a freeport, it's supposed to bring investment, jobs and all manner of wonderful things, cruise liners in the port, more tourists who get off the liner and get bused to places around the island and mainland. I don't think it will do much for local people, who won't get improved transport links or be able to afford to rent the "improved" shops. It's all just another con, doing something for the sake of being seen to be doing something.

  • In my 23 years of living in the U.K. the U.K. rail system is a complete disgrace and there is no excuse for it - as an alternative to flying and air travel, I use SailRail (train and ferry) services from Manchester Piccadilly (platform 13) via Chester (change trains) to Holyhead for the ferry to Dublin and it’s a complete joke - coming back from Dublin overnight off the 20.55 sailing (arriving in Holyhead at 00.20) the earliest train to Manchester via Chester departs Holyhead at 04.25 - in October 2022, despite my best efforts to avoid it, I was stranded in Holyhead for 2 days due to a train strike and to add insult to injury, I had to pay extra for a single ticket from Holyhead to Manchester as my original SailRail ticket had expired, but the train only went as far as Lladnuo Junction and we went in a packed coach to Chester, stopping at every Rural Welsh village enroute where no one could get on, not even standing room on the coach, leaving a lot of disgruntled locals in thier wake - TfW have totally mismanaged this route compared to Avanti and they never have enough carriages for the passengers needing to travel - re nationalisation of the railways will not help this situation, the only thing that will work is for an external company to come in from the Far East, possibly Japan, Taiwan or even the CCP and for them to take complete and direct control of the railways with the relevant laws being passed in Parliament, no interference being allowed and all other existing U.K. rail bodies being abolished - any limited funding would be strictly performance related after a small initial investment was put in by the government and that would be it 

  • I love the luxury of havng a car and having the space to myself, I have plenty of leg room and don't have my knees jammed into the seat in front of me. The other luxury is not having to listen to other people, why when they have a quiet carriage where people aren't supposed to use mobiles, do you always get someobdy who insists on having a loud conversation? I hate all the biddly biddly sounds from peoples headphones and thier stinking food, in what universe is it a good thing to eat a banana and leave the stinking skin?

  • Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience.  I know what you mean about the noise and I find the lights too bright on some of my trains which just reduces my tolerance for the rest of it. It’s good that you can sometimes benefit from the priority seating option - there isn’t this on my trains, so I tend to opt for really early trains to beat the crowds in the morning, which helps, but the evening is like the ‘Wild West’ - all passengers for themselves. I’ll survive, but it’s just so good to talk about it with like-minded people

  • Thank you for sharing your experiences and it’s heartening to know it’s not just me. Hope you continue to survive those frustrating journeys. I will do so also - especially knowing there are others out there and possibly on the same train feeling the same as me.

  • Hello.

    Really sorry you're struggling with this but I totally understand how you feel—commuting can sometimes feel like a test of patience, especially in crowded trains. It's tough when personal space is invaded like this. I've also found myself in similar situations where I’m squished up against a stranger, and it feels too close for comfort.

    I think it's even more annoying when seats become available, yet people choose to stay put. Maybe it’s a mix of social norms and a reluctance to make a scene? Lol I don't know.

    I’ve had days where I feel like I’m holding my breath just to make it through the ride without a headache. I’ve also experienced the frustration of wanting to move to a less crowded area only to have someone follow me! It’s like a game of musical chairs, but without any fun involved.

    Lstening to music or a podcast helps distract me during those tight commutes. It’s a little trick I use to create my own bubble of space, even when it feels physically crowded. Have you tried any strategies to cope with the situation?

    I use the train 2-3 times a month and every time it's a big sensory overload for me. That's why I'm learning to drive so I no longer have to use the train as it's too stressful.

    I think sharing these experiences can help us feel less isolated in them, so thanks for bringing it up!

  • I try to avoid trains whenever possible. And when I do take the I get first class so I can have a seat to myself. 

  • Hello,

    I do travel by train to London and can find it hard. I sit in Standard Premium where it can be quieter and I have had a carriage to myself on one early morning service. I find the return trips hard as I have been seated near some very noisy people so had to wear my ear defenders. I do find the underground hard to use at times but they do have priority seats which are useful. I have experienced people sitting right opposite and being noisy but as soon as I move they move away! Have you looked in priority seating on your train? If you are using a Great Western service then they do offer a free, travel pack with fidget toys and squeeze toy as well as a communication card.