First train journey for years - help !

Rhino666

Hi

bought a motorbike off ebay and travelling by train one way to Barnstaple from Coventry on Saturday to pick it up. Got a ticket really cheap £12.50, delivered next day by Central trains, although this does mean leaving at 7.25 am - groan.

Strangely nervous about using public transport for the first time in decades and would appreciate a bit of advice. Trains used for the three leg journey are Virgin to Reading and then First Great Western to Exeter and then Barnstaple. The first 2 trains have allocated seats, the third has no seat.

Are standard train seats like bus seats or do they face one another ? Do I have to use my allocated seat or will any seat do if the train is not busy ? The last leg from Exeter to Barnstaple travels from 11.19 to 12.20 - would that train be quiet enough for me to grab an available seat ?

It would be nice to clear a few worries up with the train journey as heavy rain is forecast for Saturday and will have to do over 190 miles on a 250 trail bike - I must be mad !!

dzug

Trains generally have a mixture of 'aircraft' style seating - ie in rows like buses, but 50% of it will face 'backwards' - and tables for 4 with two pairs of seats facing each other.

You'll be expected to use your allocated seat - those trains will be quite busy on a Saturday. If they are not no-one will bother too much if you sit nearby.

I doubt if the Exeter - Barnstaple train will be full - it will be more like a bus than the inter-city ones. It doesn't do reservations, which is why you have no allocated seat for it.

DKLS

Just check the seat for "moisture" before sitting down, dont engage with fellow passengers and avoid eye contact at all times, and you will be fine, Sods law states that the weirdo on the train will sit next to you and regail you with their life story. Hence take an ipod/walkman, so you dont have to listen.

Rhino666

DKLS wrote: »

Just check the seat for "moisture" before sitting down, dont engage with fellow passengers and avoid eye contact at all times, and you will be fine, Sods law states that the weirdo on the train will sit next to you and regail you with their life story. Hence take an ipod/walkman, so you dont have to listen.

LOL - fortunately being a weirdo myself, most other weirdos give me a wide berth - rather like the government (see sig below), they don't like competition. Haven't quite got to the stage of soiling a seat on public transport but heh it's a new experience and the week is young :-)

BBC forecast for saturday has changed from heavy rain to light rain with sunny intervals. When it indicates no rain at all I know I am going to get drenched.

Crabman

Virgin Trains - choose either Pendolino or Voyager tour/gallery.

First Great Western - refurbished HST pictures - just so you have an idea. Be aware though not many of these new trains are in use yet so you may have a bit more space than some of these photos show.

Have fun

caz1965

Sorry to jump on this thread, can I ask a question please!
I am taking a very pregnant lady on a train, on the seats with a table in the middle (Arriva Trains) and the seats in your pictures look very near to the table and I don't think she will fit!
Is there enough space, or do the tables lift up, or should she change her seat?
Thankyou for any help.

anewman

The tables inbetween seats facing each other are nearly always fixed (and at 6'3 my knees have a hard time getting around the metal poles in the middle underneath them. Sorry. But if the train is not so busy it shouldn't be a problem choosing an alternate seat.

caz1965

Thank you!
She is about 6'3 round the tummy at the moment.
I will pass on the message, as she may want to change to an airline type seat.

TimothyEBaldwin

Rhino666 wrote: »

Are standard train seats like bus seats or do they face one another ?

It is a mixture, and train seats are more comfortable than bus seats except on Mesreyrail pacer trains - used on some local services in the North West.