[Misc] Trains to and from Nottingham

[Arkwright]

Anyone else have problems on Saturday.
It was probably the worse travel away day I've ever had.
Going up via Grantham told we had no chance of getting on trains so to head off to Newark and walk to Newark Castle where it was even worse, ended up getting a taxi.
On way back weren't allowed on trains due to over crowding despite having pre booked reservations, station staff and police despite having a hard job were just dismissive of the whole situation.
Sort of ruined an excellent day.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Anyone else have problems on Saturday.
It was probably the worse travel away day I've ever had.
Going up via Grantham told we had no chance of getting on trains so to head off to Newark and walk to Newark Castle where it was even worse, ended up getting a taxi.
On way back weren't allowed on trains due to over crowding despite having pre booked reservations, station staff and police despite having a hard job were just dismissive of the whole situation.
Sort of ruined an excellent day.

Kind of. We went up early and managed to get to Nottingham via Grantham. On the one hand we had the train overlord @jackalbion in charge of travel. On the other hand, trying to get a large group of people who've been drinking in the morning on to the correct train is like herding cats. We ended up crushed on a short formed service but we did get to Nottingham by 12.

Coming home was a lottery. Missed the train connection we had reservations on because of 16 mins of added time by Mr "it's all about me" Taylor. But we had split Off Peak Returns*. Were refused access to the 18.22 London service ten minutes before it was due to leave. The pile to get on the Grantham service going on to Norwich was also a joke. Luckily the train overlord recommended getting on the Skeggy service and it was inspired as that ended up leaving first. Hull Trains back to KX. Home by 11.

Did it ruin an excellent day? Not a bit. It added to the shenanigans and general chaos. Was it a shit show? Absolutely. Obviously engineering works on the main Notts line so running two carriage rattlers once an hour from Grantham is stupid as f***. But, the train overlord may advise that no more rolling stock / capacity / drivers existed from Grantham. If that's the case, blame the government.

Spare a thought for the train workers though. They had clearly been stitched up. The funniest thing was at Grantham when an announcement about the Norwich bound service said it was delayed "due to overcrowding, due to a football match". If only someone had looked at Forest's fixtures.......

*some advice on train tickets that I will no doubt be challenged on, but here goes. Firstly, if you regularly go to games with the same person get a Two Together railcard (you may have already). Secondly split the tickets using a specific ticket splitter site or searching on the train company's website itself for only that portion of the journey. Or, go to your local train ticket office now they've been saved. They'll sort you out. If the cost of doing this is fractionally higher for an Off Peak or Super Off Peak than an Advance then get the former. Lastly, much of the above doesn't count for football weekends. A train that's over filled with pissed football fans is never EVER going to have a full ticket check or operating ticket barriers. Just use the commuter sense of 'first train in the correct direction'.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

On the way it went to plan. On the way back we also missed the Grantham train due to delays. Thankfully a very decent train guard told us to go to Peterborough and change there. Ended up in London about fifteen minutes earlier than we were due. Back in Brighton 9.45 p.m. Not bad going.

 

[Ike and Tina Burner]

Why did people go via Grantham? We did Brighton to St Pancras and then a direct train to Nottingham. And the same on the way back. Other than overcrowding and being sat in front of a group of 16 year olds who called themselves "The Watford youth" a very easy trip.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Why did people go via Grantham? We did Brighton to St Pancras and then a direct train to Nottingham. And the same on the way back. Other than overcrowding and being sat in front of a group of 16 year olds who called themselves "The Watford youth" a very easy trip.

On the way up, because a connection at Grantham got you to Nottingham way earlier than the direct train that took over two and a half hours (normal direct is 90 mins).

On the way back because EMT / The Old Bill were not letting people on to the 18.22 direct train after 18.10, even if they had a seat reservation. The next direct we could have got was 19.21 getting into St Pancras way after 10pm.

If you got on that train early, well done. I chose to celebrate a win in the pub. Personal choice and all that. I don't regret it.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Why did people go via Grantham? We did Brighton to St Pancras and then a direct train to Nottingham. And the same on the way back. Other than overcrowding and being sat in front of a group of 16 year olds who called themselves "The Watford youth" a very easy trip.

It was a cheaper option when we initially booked

 

[jackalbion]

Kind of. We went up early and managed to get to Nottingham via Grantham. On the one hand we had the train overlord @jackalbion in charge of travel. On the other hand, trying to get a large group of people who've been drinking in the morning on to the correct train is like herding cats. We ended up crushed on a short formed service but we did get to Nottingham by 12.

Coming home was a lottery. Missed the train connection we had reservations on because of 16 mins of added time by Mr "it's all about me" Taylor. But we had split Off Peak Returns*. Were refused access to the 18.22 London service ten minutes before it was due to leave. The pile to get on the Grantham service going on to Norwich was also a joke. Luckily the train overlord recommended getting on the Skeggy service and it was inspired as that ended up leaving first. Hull Trains back to KX. Home by 11.

Did it ruin an excellent day? Not a bit. It added to the shenanigans and general chaos. Was it a shit show? Absolutely. Obviously engineering works on the main Notts line so running two carriage rattlers once an hour from Grantham is stupid as f***. But, the train overlord may advise that no more rolling stock / capacity / drivers existed from Grantham. If that's the case, blame the government.

Spare a thought for the train workers though. They had clearly been stitched up. The funniest thing was at Grantham when an announcement about the Norwich bound service said it was delayed "due to overcrowding, due to a football match". If only someone had looked at Forest's fixtures.......

*some advice on train tickets that I will no doubt be challenged on, but here goes. Firstly, if you regularly go to games with the same person get a Two Together railcard (you may have already). Secondly split the tickets using a specific ticket splitter site or searching on the train company's website itself for only that portion of the journey. Or, go to your local train ticket office now they've been saved. They'll sort you out. If the cost of doing this is fractionally higher for an Off Peak or Super Off Peak than an Advance then get the former. Lastly, much of the above doesn't count for football weekends. A train that's over filled with pissed football fans is never EVER going to have a full ticket check or operating ticket barriers. Just use the commuter sense of 'first train in the correct direction'.

The Member of Parliament that visited me the other week told me that no one is using the train apparently, so we didn’t need any new rolling stock. Oh well it was a good laugh in the end.

 

[Guinness Boy]

The Member of Parliament that visited me the other week told me that no one is using the train apparently, so we didn’t need any new rolling stock. Oh well it was a good laugh in the end.

Roll on May / October.

"Get back into offices you lazy scumbags" - the Tories.

"You don't actually need any transport to the office since Covid" - also the Tories.

 

[Gazwag]

We chose the crappy 2.5 hours St P option going. Engineering works sent the train almost to Nottingham before going back to Leicester and the up to Nottingham.

Coming home we squeezed on the late 1735 2 carriage train to Grantham and sat at Nottingham for 15 minutes so missed the connection by 5 minutes. Would it have really hurt if the late Leeds-London train was held for a few minutes so the 100's stuck on the 1970's train from Nottingham could catch it.

Just goes to show all uk train companies are the most useless public service in the UK

 

[Milano]

We chose the crappy 2.5 hours St P option going. Engineering works sent the train almost to Nottingham before going back to Leicester and the up to Nottingham.

Coming home we squeezed on the late 1735 2 carriage train to Grantham and sat at Nottingham for 15 minutes so missed the connection by 5 minutes.

Just goes to show all uk train companies are the most useless public service in the UK

Because they are not public services, they’re for profit, hence they provide the lowest form of ‘service’ that they can get away with.
TOCs need to be properly regulated or nationalised, imagine those profits going back into the service rather than into 0.05% of the populations pockets.
Capitalism has its place but should be allowed nowhere near certain services, public transport being one of them.

 

[11Wisemen]

We chose the crappy 2.5 hours St P option going. Engineering works sent the train almost to Nottingham before going back to Leicester and the up to Nottingham.

Coming home we squeezed on the late 1735 2 carriage train to Grantham and sat at Nottingham for 15 minutes so missed the connection by 5 minutes. Would it have really hurt if the late Leeds-London train was held for a few minutes so the 100's stuck on the 1970's train from Nottingham could catch it.

Just goes to show all uk train companies are the most useless public service in the UK

I tweeted LNER asking to hold the KGX train at Grantham- no chance was their response. The Bar on platform 1 had record takings whilst we awaited the next KGX train ️

 

[Guinness Boy]

Because they are not public services, they’re for profit, hence they provide the lowest form of ‘service’ that they can get away with.
TOCs need to be properly regulated or nationalised, imagine those profits going back into the service rather than into 0.05% of the populations pockets.
Capitalism has its place but should be allowed nowhere near certain services, public transport being one of them.

No, it's worse than that.

They are private companies who rely on funding for things like pay agreements and rolling stock from the government.

What could possibly go wrong....

 

[Iggle Piggle]

The Member of Parliament that visited me the other week told me that no one is using the train apparently, so we didn’t need any new rolling stock. Oh well it was a good laugh in the end.

It's a self fulfilling prophecy. I've given up using the train for away games. Lack of advance tickets, strikes, overcrowding and the dreaded "Sorry lads we haven't got a driver" message over the tannoy means I don't consider them anymore.

Prior to COVID, I used the trains all the time. Now, they are unusable they've got the excuse they need.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Nottingham is a notorious pain in the arse to get to/from by train even when there aren't engineering works etc.

I managed to beat my friend from Nottingham to London today, going via Grantham instead of directly down to St Pancras, despite leaving 10minutes later and walking around Grantham for about 40minutes waiting for the connection.

 

[11Wisemen]

Great day out, train madness added to the fun. Both ways via Grantham , two together r/card, splitting at KGX & GRA.
0948 Hull train from KGX was Falmer rammed- 5 coaches of 90% Albion. Asking us to get off if on open tickets - no chance!
Grantham , prob 100+ couldn’t get on 2 coach Norwich - Liverpool train; irony is they add 2 more coaches at NOT
Train from Skeggy was late & also 2 not 3 coaches. But that meant we still got to Notts 40 quicker than via St Pan.
Return journey on1735, late & rammed to GRA. Missed connection, tweeted LNER to hold KGX- no chance
50 mins at GRA in bar on plat 1, uneventful to Stevenage, East Croydon then comms cord is pulled at Pulborough
25 late into BOG- spent today filing multiple delay repay forms- claim it, it’s your time they are stealing with late trains.
Great day out , 9 pints & 2 Sausage Rolls #UTA ️️️

 

[Guinness Boy]

It's a self fulfilling prophecy. I've given up using the train for away games. Lack of advance tickets, strikes, overcrowding and the dreaded "Sorry lads we haven't got a driver" message over the tannoy means I don't consider them anymore.

Prior to COVID, I used the trains all the time. Now, they are unusable they've got the excuse they need.

I'd honestly hate to see a self fulfilling prophesy / Catch 22 where the earth gets destroyed if we don't stop using cars, but we can't stop using cars because the public transport has been reduced to almost zero. That's an act of self harm greater than Brexit, IMO.

But, that is where the current lot are. Since just about holding on to Uxbridge they're convinced that a phoney "war" on Green and Woke in favour of motorists will play well across the whole country. A race to the bottom, piloted by the desperate.

Trains should be a joy. The Boy and I got the Eurostar to and from Amsterdam for Ajax. Legroom, minimal check in time (about 5 mins before boarding on the way home), basically a travelling bar (if you get stuff before boarding). And cheaper than most scheduled flights. Effortless border crossing too, unless, y'know.....

 

[Guinness Boy]

Nottingham is a notorious pain in the arse to get to/from by train even when there aren't engineering works etc.

I managed to beat my friend from Nottingham to London today, going via Grantham instead of directly down to St Pancras, despite leaving 10minutes later and walking around Grantham for about 40minutes waiting for the connection.

Depends where you're starting from.

Been to Trent Bridge for cricket a couple of times, both dead easy from London direct, enough time to have a can, not so much time to get bored.

Wasn't an option yesterday.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Depends where you're starting from.

Been to Trent Bridge for cricket a couple of times, both dead easy from London direct, enough time to have a can, not so much time to get bored.

Wasn't an option yesterday.

I've lived in both Leicester and Sheffield, and regularly go to Nottingham to visit people and go to the cricket.
Nottingham is weirdly more difficult/time-consuming to get to by train than other cities in the same area.

There are obviously actual reasons for this that we could go into, but none of them are particularly interesting.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I've lived in both Leicester and Sheffield, and regularly go to Nottingham to visit people and go to the cricket.
Nottingham is weirdly more difficult/time-consuming to get to by train than other cities in the same area.

There are obviously actual reasons for this that we could go into, but none of them are particularly interesting.

I suspect this might be the case for the thread.....

 

[Horses Arse]

Anyone else have problems on Saturday.
It was probably the worse travel away day I've ever had.
Going up via Grantham told we had no chance of getting on trains so to head off to Newark and walk to Newark Castle where it was even worse, ended up getting a taxi.
On way back weren't allowed on trains due to over crowding despite having pre booked reservations, station staff and police despite having a hard job were just dismissive of the whole situation.
Sort of ruined an excellent day.

It was a shite service, sounds like we were on same train as you. Luckily at Newark Castle the doors of train were right in front of us when it stopped so managed to squeeze on. Lucky on way back too, even managed to get a seat. Lovely micro pub at Grantham platform too.

Small margins between a shit journey and a fun one I guess