London Route Planning

Which would be fine if you get at least 24 hours warning.
In practice this does not happen in the world of IT.

 

Because the next one's full too. And so's the one after that. And the
one after that. And the one after that. And they don't really fancy
hanging around til 9pm before getting on a train for an hour to be home
in time for bed.

 

I did that when I replied to his original post.

First class, stand, reserve seat. Is that two or three options?

 

I think that's a whoosh then.

 

It probably is but I'm bored now and don't care.

 

In the case of this particular train (the Edinburgh to Reading and the
Edinburgh to Plymouth) it's not generally very full. This time it had
been delayed so they skipped a service. So it was two normal train
loads full. I got on at York when it was a normal amount of people
but by the time it had gone through Leeds and Sheffield it was silly.

Another one would have been along every 45 minutes after that one.

 

I have the worst of all worlds. I need to buy an open return because
I never know exactly when I'm going to be traveling. So I get stung
for the highest standard fair and I can't reserve a seat.

 

You can still reserve a seat on the train you think you might use.
That's what I do whenever I travel to London. I know if I'm not in it
by the time the train pulls away It'll get used anyhjow.

 

Well, I used to use FGW occassionally in the past and didn't have as
good an experience, but I think some of it is understanding how to book
tickets etc- i.e. don't turn up on the day expecting to get a seat at
peak times unless you've pre-booked etc. Plus, my standards have got
lower.

However I suspect you're right...

Maybe he's worried that the people on the tube will be a different class
of people?

 

So now you're changing the conditions to: "no notice and in London by
9AM"

Surely if it's some piece of IT kit that's gone down you need to be in
London ASAP so the '9AM' bit is irrelevant?

Finally... if it's a two hour trip to London I'm staggered the train is
full by then. Doesn't really agree with my experience.

 

Like he said, a different class of people.

 

Oh, well then, if it was only another 45 minutes til the next jam-packed
train, I can see why you wonder why they wouldn't just wait.

 

I just don't use public transport. I think I've used it about 3 times in
the last decade - usually because there was absolutely no other option.

 

Non-Welsh, therefore a better class.

 

It was a few years ago now so the schedules may have changed but the
train concerned started out in Plymouth, picking up passengers at ISTR
Exeter, Taunton, Bridgwater and Weston (and probably a few more)
before if got to Yatton where I joined at 0655 then BristolTM, BathSpa,
Chippenham, Swindon and Paddington at 0856.

 

This includes planes, ferries and the channel tunnel I presume?

 

I always get a seat at Bath and always have (I've been using the train
to go to London on and off for the last 15 years). So heavens only
knows why you had a problem two stops before.

I'd agree it's hard to get a seat after Swindon.

 

Last time I was in the office, I drove from Euston to Holborn.

Took so little time, I wondered what the fuss was about.

However, it may well make more sense to leave the car in the hotel car
park this time.

 

Especially when a PAYG oyster card takes all the messing about out of
the equation.

 

It took so little time because you could easily walk that, let alone
drive it.