Busy trains, to use the 1st class compartment or not?

Ahleckz

Ahleckz

Ahleckz

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Glasgow
I was on the train today (Haymarket - Glasgow Queen Street) and it was extremely busy due to it only having 3 carriages rather than the usual six.

On these occasions, would you stand like a sardine in the normal, and very hot, part of the carriage or would you wonder into the nicely air conditioned 1st class compartment where there is a lot more standing room.

I went into the first class compartment where I had a decent amount of standing room, though pretty much everyone else stayed shoulder to shoulder in the rest of the train.

What would you do?
 
RomanNose said:
I would go to the first class area, I don't believe you need a first class ticket if you are standing.
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You do.

If you are prepared to pay the First Class fare then move to First Class, otherwise don't. Pretty much that simple - sadly you pay not for a seat but from travel from A to B. If you wish to guarantee a seat, make a seat reservation.
 
I've heard announcements occasionally saying it's OK for customers to use first class compartments on specific, busy trains.
 
Wander into 1st class until the train manager turfs you out, complain about lack of seats and usually get to sit back down in 1st class.
 
[TW]Fox;22173087 said:
You do.

If you are prepared to pay the First Class fare then move to First Class, otherwise don't. Pretty much that simple - sadly you pay not for a seat but from travel from A to B. If you wish to guarantee a seat, make a seat reservation.
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Last time I commuted it was fine, the inspector didn't care. But I was standing next to the doors.


Skillmister said:
Yes you do. Been there tried that :(
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Even if you stand at the doors?
 
scorza said:
I've heard announcements occasionally saying it's OK for customers to use first class compartments on specific, busy trains.
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This is the only time when its acceptable - at the descretion of the train manager. If you go and ask him first you may find him more likely to be accomdating than simply walking into First Class because you cant find a seat..
 
RomanNose said:
I would go to the first class area, I don't believe you need a first class ticket if you are standing.
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You can guarantee it will be the day there are ticket inspectors and they usually kick you out. They will try and fine you if you're sitting down in there, I've seen it happen.
 
People who do not pay for first class and sit there really do my nut in. If you want to sit in first class then pay for first class. If there are no seats then you should have pre-booked, that is what it is there for.
 
One of the reasons people pay more for first class is to avoid the crowds and have somewhere quiet to travel. Kinda defeats the object if every Tom, Dick and Harry then scramble into the first class compartment because the rest of the train is crowded...
 
It really does depend on the staff on the train at the time. I have a staff travel pass, and some of them let me sit in 1st and some of them are pretty strict on it.
 
Interesting responses, I didn't see the conductor once (he wasn't able to pass through the train for the majority of the journey). Also, whilst I did eventually sit down in 1st class I made sure that those who were in there standing before I entered had a seat first.

On this particular train, there was a message telling passengers to use the first class compartment (missed that out originally to get a more general feeling on the issue) - but no one actually made the move into the compartment.
 
Ahleckz said:
On this particular train, there was a message telling passengers to use the first class compartment (missed that out originally to get a more general feeling on the issue) - but no one actually made the move into the compartment.
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That changes everything!

I think if it was really packed and there'd been no announcement, my behaviour would vary on how fed up I was. If I was really getting sick of it and no one else had done it, I think I'd eventually do it if I was certain I wouldn't get caught.

c2c don't have first class though.
 
My train does not even bother with first class carriage, in the 1970s when the train was made they didn't think of first class carriage. I am trying not to moan as much, but the trains today realy ****** me off. I ended up taking my anger out on the barrier by kicking it, disturbing other passengers. :(

It is a joke though, if i could only catch a train without feeling violated. national express east Anglia the worst train company in europe. The trains are always filthy on the inside and on the outside. The floor is sticky from uncleaned up drinks that were spilled and they are so slow. There are no arm rests, just one big seat so if you sit next to a fat person you lose half your seat, that is if you are lucky enough to get a seat. Then they charge £240 a month to go 17 miles in these conditions. The signally sucks as well.

Come to think of it there is nothing good about national express east Anglia. :D
 
Yea i just read that on wikipedia, so it looks like they just handed over the fascist franchise to a dutch owned company for 15 years. Must be nice for them to sit back and meet some bogus targets while they rip off passengers. All they realy did was change the name of the company. Still the same staff/trains/poor service.
 
[TW]Fox;22173087 said:
If you wish to guarantee a seat, make a seat reservation.
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no one cares if someone else sits in your seats...

made a reservation once for seats from newcastle to manchester , we reserved 4 seats with a table and some scummy uni students ran on the train and took them..

the train staff didnt care and said reserving a seat doesnt garuntee you one :rolleyes:

i had to turf them out my self
 
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