rail travel-Euston-Edinbu rgh Aggressive Travellers

I've never heard of people buying a seat for their luggage. Sorry you had such a terrible journey.
I'm certainly put off travelling by train, they are often overcrowded.

[Nana3] believe its because there is not enough luggage space and people buy the extra seat as there are airport stops @Bham International and know they can't keep an eye on their luggage in the small space provided..this was a really overpacked train and no-one could use facilities and to get off train you had to ask people to move so you could get off and then they got back on ..it was truly awful and no Rail transport officer in sight until you off train..

I've never heard of it either....you don't pay extra to book even 1 seat

I'm sorry that you had such an unsatisfactory journey Bea65.

But I think we pay for the journey, not for the seat. I think I'd be very put out if the train was full and someone thought it was fairer for their suitcase to take up a seat, rather than me.

The trains are so crowded. I have had some truly awful journeys to my DD in Cheshire ..... crammed in the little place by the toilets, sitting on the drop down seat with 10 others rammed in the space and my face against someone's arse. I complained and got some money back. But it was madness ... no-one could get to the loo.

If you complain re the overcrowding I'd be interested in any response you receive.

On such a stressful journey I imagine the luggage on seats, even though paid for, was like a red rag to a bull, and manners and reason flew out of the window.

I used to travel from London to Wales every Christmas on the train and it was always overcrowded and a really miserable journey. I usually had to sit on the floor, or on my suitcase with people trying to push past me. Going back to London was slightly better depending on when I travelled, but close to New Year would also be too crowded.

You do not pay extra to book a seat. You would need to buy an actual journey ticket ie another persons fare. I very much doubt folk would do that as tickets already cost a fortune. At least long distance trains still have guards - it would be much worse when it is driver only trains.

Bea65 says she and the other two women all paid for 2 seats each in order to keep their luggage close to them.

Delila

Bea65 says she and the other two women all paid for 2 seats each in order to keep their luggage close to them.

I very much doubt they did....would have cost a fortune....and OP doesn't say that on her post

“They thought they were doing the correct thing buying 2 seats” & “ I had also bought extra seat for my luggage”.

Put the luggage where the person was standing and then the person could sit down. I would never force someone to stand all the way to Edinburgh while my case occupied a seat.

I never travel on a train without headphones. I don't want to hear or get involved in other people's conversations or unpleasant discussions.
I once forgot them, and broke my journey to go and buy a cheap pair, begging the ticket person to let me out the station for ten minutes as I felt ill.

Delila

Bea65 says she and the other two women all paid for 2 seats each in order to keep their luggage close to them.

No, Bea65 said two separate women, whom she presumably did not know, had bought two seats each and were being harangued by three men and she felt bad for not standing up for these women.

Bea65 you did the right thing staying out of it in these trying circumstances.

Who was in the right?
The women had paid for an extra seat for their luggage.
The men had paid for a seat but had to stand.

I couldn't let someone stand if they had paid for a ticket.

However, the train company was at fault.

Delila

“They thought they were doing the correct thing buying 2 seats” & “ I had also bought extra seat for my luggage”.

Sorry, missed that.
Perhaps Bea65 moved her luggage so someone could sit down?

But what a way to have to travel, and pay exorbitant fares too, for a degrading and thoroughly unpleasant experience. Not surprising Bea65 won’t be taking the train again any time soon.

It sounds dreadful.
A complete shambles.

where was the guard; presumably unable to proceed along the train.
how can anyone expect people to stand while they take up a seat with luggage.
never heard of buying a ticket for the luggage.
did that really happen. what was the cost.
no wonder there were protests.

many trains were cancelled due to over-running of works on the line, which often happens after bank holidays.
so the trains that were running were bound to be over-crowded.
all the more reason not to take up seats with luggage.

I haven't heard of buying a seat for luggage either.
I travel by train from Edinburgh to stay with my DC and other family in the South .

Once an elderly Spanish couple were having to stand and kept looking for a seat. The ticket inspector told them that they had no reserved seats. Only in this country could you have a ticket without a seat.
Some younger people gave up their seats to this couple.

Last year I had a journey from hell and had to stand from Grantham to York despite having reserved a seat because like the OP the aisles were impassable
The train then stopped for over an hour due to a breakdown and later an announcement told us we would be eligible for compensation due to the delay.

Finally I found a seat (not my booked seat) but the person sitting in the window seat had her large case in the foot well next to her.
I pushed her bag into the aisle enough to be able to squeeze in and felt aggrieved that her bag was deemed more important than a passenger.

I will avoid traveling near Christmas or other peak times and continue to complain if a complaint is needed.

I congratulated the train company when I received excellent service when on another occasion I left my luggage behind.

I always have the lightest bag possible so I can lift it up stairs and carry it on my lap if necessary.
Train travel is not cheap and not for the faint hearted but can be excellent.

What an absolute disgrace. Don’t think I will be using the train until you can actually sit down on it. Where are people supposed to put their luggage? They have the nerve to raise prices, people will be hanging out of the windows soon

For the last year post Covid, I’ve travelled from Newcastle to Bristol and return via Cross Country. It takes 5.5 hours and I’m never able to book a return seat. On all but one occasion the train has been packed between Birmingham and York on the return journey. Crushed in like sardines with standing in the aisles and corridors, broken toilets, nowhere for luggage and at a ‘reduced’ price of £117.00 return. On one occasion the train was not going further than York so had to swap to LNER. Fortunately, my ticket was the sort where I didn’t have to pay extra for using a different railway company.

I have to say to OP that it’s a bit much for people to buy an extra ticket to use it for their luggage. I wouldn’t be happy either tbh. However, the people complaining should have complained to a customer service person ( probably couldn’t find one).

It boils down to our railways being an absolute disgrace. I fully support the staff in their industrial action. I want sufficient staff at the stations and on board trains to help customers. I’d also like one train company (re-nationalise) so that a ticket could be used on alternative trains if necessary.

This year we were booked to travel by train to Bristol and return, 22nd December returning 29th December. I cancelled as Cross Country couldn’t guarantee service yesterday. My daughter in Bristol, out of interest, checked on the arrangements made by Cross Country yesterday. The alternative provided for travellers was Bristol to Paddington, tube to Euston and Euston to Newcastle! This could possibly count for some of the overcrowding on the OPs train. I’m still waiting for my refund!

We travelled by Megabus instead. Never again!

Our transport system is pitiful. And a lot of the problems are due to privatisation and this holy grail of competition that is supposed to bring prices down - ha, ha is all I can say.

I once sat in the Severn tunnel for hours - the train had broken down and the rail company did not want to use a nearby spare train to shunt us out as it was a different company and would have cost loads - how ridiculous is that?

Makes me furious! In February I will have to go to Cheshire and back again - I am dreading it, but I hate long drives so have little choice.