[Football] Trains to Sheffield

[Hotchilidog]

For me it's a combination of social and freedom.

Going by car there's a maximum of four of you with two adults squashed in the back, the driver can't drink and must stay alert or have a back up driver who also can't drink (Sheffield would have been, what, 8 hours driving from Brighton?). You've got to go on the motorway and are stuck the second there's a jam.

On the train I can go with a group of mates, pick where I want to drink, have as much or as little beer as I feel like and meet new people by getting talking to other Brighton fans on the same train.

In the past it's always been ok. A combination of stupid pricing (hello LNER), under investment, strikes and badly timed engineering work have made it an absolute nightmare this season. When I first started going to Albion away games in the late 80s Nottingham and South Yorkshire were two of the easiest trips with regular, quick trains from St Pancras. This season they've been the worst.

Agree with all of this. Sadly these days it mostly the coach or a lift if my friends are kind enough to drive. The prices are just a joke even a month in advance and the service is terrible. Sheffield United is normally a very train friendly game but yesterday was apparently a sh*t show.

Every time I need to make a long journey by train I appear to be thwarted by line closures, industrial action (which I support btw), or ludicrous pricing. Rail transport is a public service designed to move people around the country in a speedy and environmentally friendly manner and should be treated as such as opposed to the licence to print money for for foreign rail companies and private rolling stock companies.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I used to commute every day for 7 years to London from portslade and actually the service was in the whole pretty good with punctual services and you could always get a seat


Since retiring we have used the train a few times to go to London for shows etc and every time the trains have been late, short carriages and on two occasions three hours to get to London and two hours back due to various signalling etc issues

We now drive to Colliers Wood and park there and get the tube in ( or our daughters in Mill Hill and tube it from there ).

In all our travels we never look at trains as an option and if I ever started going to away games I would drive even to London games

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Why go by train? OK, it means you can have a beer or two, but if your standing up for a few hours crammed onto a train is it all worth it.
I drove to Sheffield. Left at 7:45 and home at 21:00 with a delay on the M1 southbound. Cost was about £85 including parking which, when split, is the cheapest way.
Seagull Travel I think was £55 and a guaranteed seat.
So what is it with the train that everyone wants to do it?

I hate driving, and hate being couped up in a car. For me it is this simple.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Echo others thoughts. I've by and large stopped using the train from the Midlands where I live which I used to use all the time. The only exception is the Chiltern service to London which is cheap and cheerful and is just about reliable enough to get me to and from London games.

Avanti? Forget it. No advance tickets and they cancel at a moments notice. A genuine disgrace they still have the franchise. Cross country aren't awful but aren't cheap. Whoever I use isn't cheaper and it's rarely easier than by car either. I'd rather get the train but just can't be arsed with it. Drama on a journey is the norm not the exception.

Still, given the papers were reporting about a lad speaking to his old man on the front pages last week, I assume everyone has more important things to worry about.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Imagine all those people on the trains trying to use the roads. You’d barely get out of Brighton.

 

[jackalbion]

Why go by train? OK, it means you can have a beer or two, but if your standing up for a few hours crammed onto a train is it all worth it.
I drove to Sheffield. Left at 7:45 and home at 21:00 with a delay on the M1 southbound. Cost was about £85 including parking which, when split, is the cheapest way.
Seagull Travel I think was £55 and a guaranteed seat.
So what is it with the train that everyone wants to do it?

The first thing to said, you can have a drink, but also you can get up walk around, buffet car, no one does the driving, generally quicker and don't have to find somewhere to park. Despite what is said, I'd say I've got a seat of 90% of the trains journey to away games this season, its normally only the connecting trains that are a problem, or on an exceptional weekend like this. Its also more social, you meet other fans, its far more enjoyable IMO. Despite my misgivings during the game, I do actually quite like talking to other fans of other teams. Car was a bit crap yesterday, stuck in traffic and stuck in a position, have to pull over to go to the toilet, no constant source of alcohol, and despite enjoying my friends company, after 8 hours I wouldn't have minded changing it up a bit.

 

[jackalbion]

This was our thoughts, I think it was a 6 or 7 car train. Knowing the trains were going to be overcrowded surely they should have increased the train to 10 / 12 carriages.
On our return to St Pancras it looked no better to queue was massive.
Going up a young lady in the queue had a panic attack and tried to jump over the top, we managed to pull her back and calm her down. It was all quite scary to be honest.
Customer safety should be paramount, I hope she is OK.

The loss of HST units without replacement means that I doubt they had anymore stock available, poor really. You can run 10 car on that line, and I was surprised to see that the 10:30 was only a 5 car.

 

[Arkwright]

The loss of HST units without replacement means that I doubt they had anymore stock available, poor really. You can run 10 car on that line, and I was surprised to see that the 10:30 was only a 5 car.

We all applied for delay repay for the 9.30 as we couldn't get on it and all five have been rejected.
I can feel a letter coming on.

 

[jackalbion]

We all applied for delay repay for the 9.30 as we couldn't get on it and all five have been rejected.
I can feel a letter coming on.

Do it, really turn the screw in!

 

[Falmer Flutter ©]

We all applied for delay repay for the 9.30 as we couldn't get on it and all five have been rejected.
I can feel a letter coming on.

Same, mainly because there wasn't an option on the website for "Couldn't get on the 9.30 because of severe overcrowding, despite booking my seats before Christmas, and having to stand for three hours on the next train an hour later." It looks like these rejection emails are automated so I've clicked on the "appeal" link where you can make a full description of the claim. Seems these will be reviewed by a human, so hopefully will be accepted.

 

[Scoffers]

I used Seagulls travel coach service yesterday, yes it was an early start 6:50am pick up in BH and got home at 9:45pm but for me it just takes the stress out of it, if there is a delay, I just watch Netflix etc, but then I'm not one for drinking these days, so it works for me!

 

[Vicar!]

Seagulls Travel as far as the Midlands, after that it is just too far for a day now. Rail up North is now just too expensive once we have had kick-off times confirmed, though Sheffield in the Cup went well, and was my first Albion Northern Trip by rail post covid. I understand there may be changes soon with some form of football flexible ticket coming onto the market that the FSA are in negotiation with the rail companies over.

Ironically I have less hassle getting to Cowdenbeath games, now achievable on a day trip thanks to Easyjet and National Express having an overnight service from Worthing Pier to Gatwick.

 

[Notters]

Similar situation in the North. Coming across country from the North East to Sheffield, every other train is cancelled and the others are packed.

Bloody awful from Leeds too but they always are!

 

[Notters]

Not going to defend the railway operators but you are travelling at peak hours. Ticket to Sheffield was £56.70 return (did include senior rail card). If it's possible, why not organize the meeting for later in the day?

Don't worry, they're phasing out off peak tickets so they'll all be nearly as expensive as peak in the future.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Bloody awful from Leeds too but they always are!

Yeah, I changed at Leeds and the connecting service was even worse and RAMMED.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Ironically I have less hassle getting to Cowdenbeath games, now achievable on a day trip thanks to Easyjet and National Express having an overnight service from Worthing Pier to Gatwick.

In the first Premier league season, I did some northern away games using FlyBe from Southampton as it was cheaper and faster than using the train (£29.99 each way). Sadly, after they went bust the airlines who picked up the routes have removed the cheap tickets that used to make it a great cost effective option.

 

[Vicar!]

In the first Premier league season, I did some northern away games using FlyBe from Southampton as it was cheaper and faster than using the train (£29.99 each way). Sadly, after they went bust the airlines who picked up the routes have removed the cheap tickets that used to make it a great cost effective option.

Hopefully, someone will pick them up again as I am moving to the Island next year. Assuming I can't buy a season ticket in the away end at Southampton.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Problems continue today as the work that’s shut Kings Cross carries on till Tuesday. Money Saving Expert is very much not amused.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

I used Seagulls travel coach service yesterday, yes it was an early start 6:50am pick up in BH and got home at 9:45pm but for me it just takes the stress out of it, if there is a delay, I just watch Netflix etc, but then I'm not one for drinking these days, so it works for me!

Used it for the first time against Luton as no trains were available. Was massively impressed with the organisation and quality of coach, even though it took ages to get there due to traffic and a broken down vehicle.Tempted to use it for Liverpool but realise it will be a long trip and no alcohol.

 

[jonny.rainbow]

I remember Jeremy Corbyn highlighting issues on the trains a few years back and the MSM and electorate lapped up Virgin’s (faked) footage reporting he was lying about overcrowding.

You get what you vote for.