On the train again . . .

November 13, 2008 · Posted in On the spot . . . 
Bored on the 6.45 to Kings Cross . . . less crowded than usual

Bored on the 6.45 to Kings Cross . . . less crowded than usual

It’s dullsville on the train this morning, stop, start, stop, start, crawl for a bit, announcement about an over-running repairs . . . snore.

Despite the reputation of the railways this doesn’t actually happen all that often and the service is usually very reliable – hugely overpriced and very overcrowded but generally reliable.

The photo shown was taken on the 6.45 from Cambridge to Kings Cross, and it’s not as busy today as it often is. To get this train I have to get up at 6am, which hurts every time I do it, but it means I can work 8am to 4pm and avoid the worst of the rush hour.

Coming home can be tricky though. If I don’t get to Kings Cross at least 10 minutes (probably 15) before the 4.45 leaves I have zero chance of getting a seat . . . double decker trains or just putting more than 8 carriages on what is a constantly full train is seemingly not a good idea – can someone tell me why?

Comments

One Response to “On the train again . . .”

  1. Simon Beale on November 14th, 2008 12:08

    The normally used platforms at Kings Cross and intermediate stations aren’t long enough for a 12 carriage train. Apparently there used to be a 12 car one from Liverpool Street, but that was stopped. (I remember Nicolai telling me this).

    Double decker trains would involve (I’m guessing) height or width increases on tunnels. Or the breeding of a race of commuters that are 5 foot tall.

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