Train travel

I went down to London a few weeks ago.

It was out of peak times. It wasn’t crowded, I sat alone and almost everyone wore masks - except for those who were eating?

I felt safe enough but I have had the vaccine,

DD2 was in Euston waiting for the train to Scotland last evening, they announced it was delayed for 45 minutes, so she went off in search of something to eat, when she got back into the station they had cancelled the ‘delay’ and the train had gone!
Fortunately she wasn’t the only one to complain and they all got ‘free’ tickets for the early train this morning, luckily she had somewhere to sleep last night.
So in her experience and she uses the trains a lot, they are unreliable, on Mondays engineering works are often still in place so trains are cancelled.
Trains often stop before her station and she is put into a taxi or a shuttle bus.
Trains sometimes don’t stop at stations, last week it went from St.Austell to Slough and only stopped after people pulled the communications cord, it didn’t stop at Bristol, Didcot or Reading as it should have.
She has to stand for a good part of the journey.
Masks are seldom worn, although she always wears hers.
Unreliable
Unclean
Crowded
Extremely expensive.

I occasionally use GWR to go to Reading where my daughter picks me up and takes us onto her home in St Albans. I used to go through to Paddington and then had to get underground and overground trains which I found quite stressful hence her picking me up at Reading now. I have a senior Railcard and last time I went it was about £35 return(barnstaple to Reading) the train was absolutely clean and luckily enough not that many passengers but the ones that were aboard were wearing masks

Been using trains for ages, masked sanitise when I get on and off. DH and I went to the theatre last night in London, we used train,tube buses and taxis. I'm I'm sitting on a bus now!

my son visited (Bristol to Sheffield ) using train this week, and he often travels Bristol to london. He is appalled at how crowded trains are, puts it down to less carriages and less staff. Also he reports very few masks. The thing that surprised him, travelling cross country, off peak, during half term, no families, all seemed to be travelling for business or students. I have also seen pictures, and heard accounts from those travelling Sheffield to Manchester, back to 2 carriage and very full unmasked journeys. I love train travel but am avoiding at present.

I've used public transport throughout Covid times, and quite a few trains recently - feel as safe as one can be. Always wear a mask.

As to how crowded - the trains and tubes have been so variable, sometimes packed, sometimes half empty.

I've been on trains during Covid, and everyone was wearing a mask.

I've just renewed my Senior Railcard and am going to London next month, as I booked early I got First Class very cheap.