General Chat

[omariqy]

I love getting the Chiltern train from Marylebone to Leamington.  Always a seat, grap a quick Yogushake from AMT.  Read my film magazine or watch a movie on the iPad.  Best way to travel.

[Wainy316]

 

 

I hate trains.

 

I don't mind the short hop ones that I'll catch into Town.

 

But long haul are annoying. Expensive most of the time, overcrowded and when you do have a seat booked there's almost always some cock sat in it when you get there

 

 

Trains are my favourite mode of transport if all goes well ie. it not being crowded or delayed.

I like a few beers on the way to the football or if travelling alone relaxing with a nice book and some music.

 

The prices you pay in this country are disgusting though.

 

I completely agree. But how often does it go to plan?

 

In the last 2 months I've taken trains to and from Manchester, to and from london twice, to and from Cardiff and to and from Leamington.

 

Only the trains back from manchester and the second time I went to London and back were uncrowded, and of those only the train back from manchester was there nobody in my seat (and that's because it was about 10 oclock on Sunday morning).

 

The train I get to leamington is a **** nightmare. Friday afternoon and it's the train that ends up in Bournemouth. Obscenely overcrowded. If I had to ride it to Bournemouth I think I'd walk instead.

 

LIke you say, when they work they're great. But it's such a hassle and so often uncomfortable that I'll only take them if driving isn't an option

 

 

 

Yep that I agree with.  That Bournemouth train is the one I get from Brum to Oxford.  Rarely a pleasant experience.

I think the whole infrastructure is rotten in this country,  Trains are amazing in the rest of Western Europe and much more reasonably priced.

[Wainy316]

Recently took the Japanese Shinkansen (Bullet Train) too, it was great.  Why are people trying to block HS2 in this country?  We are getting left behind by the rest of the world.

[chrisp65]

yep, trains should be awesome

 

and for that occasional weekend seat in first class for a tenner, they are

 

Unfortunately that's not the most common experience - given the amount of subsidy they get and then the cost and the experience, it does feel like something that needs a whole fresh approach. I don't mean close them, quite the opposite, they need a radical strategy to make them better. It's patently ridiculous that it's a better experience to use the M4 rather than a train.

 

I guess the instant fix the Green Party would suggest would be to make the M4 even worse.

[mjmooney]

Some of the Byrds vocal harmonies were lifted from Bulgarian polyphony, fact fans.

Based on that rather bizarre version of "Oh! Susannah"?

I guess it's possible that McGuinn and Crosby might have heard some obscure recordings in 1965, but that album didn't come out in the west until the mid-80s.

Or am I just missing the joke?

[coda]

 

 

 

I hate trains.

 

I don't mind the short hop ones that I'll catch into Town.

 

But long haul are annoying. Expensive most of the time, overcrowded and when you do have a seat booked there's almost always some cock sat in it when you get there

 

 

Trains are my favourite mode of transport if all goes well ie. it not being crowded or delayed.

I like a few beers on the way to the football or if travelling alone relaxing with a nice book and some music.

 

The prices you pay in this country are disgusting though.

 

I completely agree. But how often does it go to plan?

 

In the last 2 months I've taken trains to and from Manchester, to and from london twice, to and from Cardiff and to and from Leamington.

 

Only the trains back from manchester and the second time I went to London and back were uncrowded, and of those only the train back from manchester was there nobody in my seat (and that's because it was about 10 oclock on Sunday morning).

 

The train I get to leamington is a **** nightmare. Friday afternoon and it's the train that ends up in Bournemouth. Obscenely overcrowded. If I had to ride it to Bournemouth I think I'd walk instead.

 

LIke you say, when they work they're great. But it's such a hassle and so often uncomfortable that I'll only take them if driving isn't an option

 

 

 

Yep that I agree with.  That Bournemouth train is the one I get from Brum to Oxford.  Rarely a pleasant experience.

I think the whole infrastructure is rotten in this country,  Trains are amazing in the rest of Western Europe and much more reasonably priced.

 

 

Privatisation here means the profits from our expensive fares keep their fares lower.

[Genie]

Recently took the Japanese Shinkansen (Bullet Train) too, it was great.  Why are people trying to block HS2 in this country?  We are getting left behind by the rest of the world.

I think the majority of the people against it are doing so because the line runs right passed, or through their property.

 

Its going to be another expensive overcrowded train but gets you where you want to be about 20 mins quicker. Maybe the billions could be spent on making the exisitng trains less expenive and overcrowded?

[Xann]

 

Based on that rather bizarre version of "Oh! Susannah"?

I guess it's possible that McGuinn and Crosby might have heard some obscure recordings in 1965, but that album didn't come out in the west until the mid-80s.

Or am I just missing the joke?

 

 

It's not the group in the link.

 

Crosby got hold of an album by Phillp Koutev, simply called 'Music Of Bulgaria'. It was recorded in the late 50s but appeared licensed in the US around the mid 60s.

 

IIRC he played it to quite a few leading lights at the time (Joni & the gang).

[StefanAVFC]

The polish have got trains right. Cheap, sometimes they turn up, sometimes they don't and they randomly stop for ages in the middle of a journey. And they just walk across the tracks.

And cheap.

[lapal_fan]

Recently took the Japanese Shinkansen (Bullet Train) too, it was great. Why are people trying to block HS2 in this country? We are getting left behind by the rest of the world.

I think the majority of the people against it are doing so because the line runs right passed, or through their property.

Its going to be another expensive overcrowded train but gets you where you want to be about 20 mins quicker. Maybe the billions could be spent on making the exisitng trains less expenive and overcrowded?

High speed trains require high speed lines.

The infrastructure in this country shouldn't be dominated by democracy. Everything should be subject to compulsory purchase orders if it's for the good of country.

It's the little towns and villages that people get sentimental over that are the problem. Our own history holds us back in many respects. I love our history as much as anyone, but if it's the difference between making my commute 20 mins faster everyday or looking at an old beautiful house, I'm sorry house, but you've got to go. My time is worth more to me than any buildings.

It also doesn't help that building on brown land is more of an expense than building new green land, due to the cleaning up of the sites.

[StefanAVFC]

**** hell lapal. That's the most serious post I've ever seen you do.

[Jon]

Trains have become the preserve of the 'relatively' wealthy, those that book 17 months in advance, or those, who can travel at 5.30 am and 10.45 pm. It's a joke.

 

As the Crisp man says, when it is cheaper for 1 person travelling alone in his car to travel 150 miles than it is to get onto public transport to do the same journey, something ain't right.

 

I think it's called 'privatisation'.

 

Trains ain't run for the public. They're run for the shareholders. They're going to charge more, and those with money are going to pay it, until it gets ridiculous. It's already getting that way.

[coda]

 

 

Recently took the Japanese Shinkansen (Bullet Train) too, it was great. Why are people trying to block HS2 in this country? We are getting left behind by the rest of the world.

I think the majority of the people against it are doing so because the line runs right passed, or through their property.

Its going to be another expensive overcrowded train but gets you where you want to be about 20 mins quicker. Maybe the billions could be spent on making the exisitng trains less expenive and overcrowded?

High speed trains require high speed lines.

The infrastructure in this country shouldn't be dominated by democracy. Everything should be subject to compulsory purchase orders if it's for the good of country.

It's the little towns and villages that people get sentimental over that are the problem. Our own history holds us back in many respects. I love our history as much as anyone, but if it's the difference between making my commute 20 mins faster everyday or looking at an old beautiful house, I'm sorry house, but you've got to go. My time is worth more to me than any buildings.

It also doesn't help that building on brown land is more of an expense than building new green land, due to the cleaning up of the sites.

 

 

Prove it.

[Stevo985]

I like trains. There is a new station being built near me, exciting.

 

If I have a seat booked and there is someone sitting in it, I tell them to move.

Yeah, I do too.

 

But it's still annoying and awkward.

 

When I went to London there was a woman in my seat who I'd say was at least 50

What do I do there?

 

I asked her to move, which she did without any fuss, very apologetic and went to find another seat, but I then felt bad for about 3 days!

[mjmooney]

Based on that rather bizarre version of "Oh! Susannah"?

I guess it's possible that McGuinn and Crosby might have heard some obscure recordings in 1965, but that album didn't come out in the west until the mid-80s.

Or am I just missing the joke?

It's not the group in the link.

Crosby got hold of an album by Phillp Koutev, simply called 'Music Of Bulgaria'. It was recorded in the late 50s but appeared licensed in the US around the mid 60s.

IIRC he played it to quite a few leading lights at the time (Joni & the gang).

Ah, OK, that makes sense, then.

I really should have known that, as a ByrdNerd.

[Genie]

 

 

Recently took the Japanese Shinkansen (Bullet Train) too, it was great. Why are people trying to block HS2 in this country? We are getting left behind by the rest of the world.

I think the majority of the people against it are doing so because the line runs right passed, or through their property.

Its going to be another expensive overcrowded train but gets you where you want to be about 20 mins quicker. Maybe the billions could be spent on making the exisitng trains less expenive and overcrowded?

High speed trains require high speed lines.

The infrastructure in this country shouldn't be dominated by democracy. Everything should be subject to compulsory purchase orders if it's for the good of country.

It's the little towns and villages that people get sentimental over that are the problem. Our own history holds us back in many respects. I love our history as much as anyone, but if it's the difference between making my commute 20 mins faster everyday or looking at an old beautiful house, I'm sorry house, but you've got to go. My time is worth more to me than any buildings.

You'd happily see peoples houses torn down just so you could get to your destination 20 minutes earlier.

Your 20 minutes is worth more to you than a families home so stuff them, they should move. What a sad situation.

[villaglint]

The polish have got trains right. Cheap, sometimes they turn up, sometimes they don't and they randomly stop for ages in the middle of a journey. And they just walk across the tracks.

And cheap.

 

Not to mention the constant threat of mugging on any trip longer than 1hr

[chrisp65]

 

 

 

Recently took the Japanese Shinkansen (Bullet Train) too, it was great. Why are people trying to block HS2 in this country? We are getting left behind by the rest of the world.

I think the majority of the people against it are doing so because the line runs right passed, or through their property.

Its going to be another expensive overcrowded train but gets you where you want to be about 20 mins quicker. Maybe the billions could be spent on making the exisitng trains less expenive and overcrowded?

High speed trains require high speed lines.

The infrastructure in this country shouldn't be dominated by democracy. Everything should be subject to compulsory purchase orders if it's for the good of country.

It's the little towns and villages that people get sentimental over that are the problem. Our own history holds us back in many respects. I love our history as much as anyone, but if it's the difference between making my commute 20 mins faster everyday or looking at an old beautiful house, I'm sorry house, but you've got to go. My time is worth more to me than any buildings.

You'd happily see peoples houses torn down just so you could get to your destination 20 minutes earlier.

Your 20 minutes is worth more to you than a families home so stuff them, they should move. What a sad situation.

 

 

I presumed he was either a Maoist central planner, or only joking.

 

[Xela]

Yeah I assumed lapal was posting tongue in cheek as well 

[Seat68]

I like trains, enough to spend 1600 a year on them between sandwell and stafford. But **** me when they go to shit, they truly go to shit, and its a given that I dont get a seat on the way home. I like to mooch wifi though so if I am going to stand, I stand by first class.