TR: Georgemas Jn to London by RAIL
Posted: 08 May 2009, 11:27After a day in Wick, it was time to commence the journey back to London.
As I mentioned in my northbound trip report, trains from Wick and Thurso used to depart at roughly the same time and join up at Georgemas Junction. No more. So passengers from Wick join the train, it stops at Georgemas Junction, continues to Thurso and then returns to Georgemas Junction before the journey begins properly. This adds about 40 minutes to a journey, and a very early start!
I wasnt having that, so met the train at Georgemas Junction at 0700hrs for its trip South.
Theres not a great deal to say about it fairly comfortable seats and a pleasant, if slow, journey through some of Scotlands most unspoilt countryside. Now I should add that in Caithness its not mountains and glens just miles and miles of peat bog as far as the eye can see. Deer provide some distraction and they are quite used to the trains so are often very close to the tracks.
Even at 0700hrs there was a trolley service, and the staff on the Far North line are a friendly crew.
Our first stop was Forsinard Station right in the middle of what is known as the Flow Country the largest blanket bog in Europe! And while not particularly pretty to look at it is home to a huge variety of wildlife, and there is an RSPB display at the station.
The next few stations were request stops so the train trundled along, until Helmsdale the first glimpse of the sea from the railway line. The railway hugs the North Sea coast at this point and as the sun rises can be very beautiful. But not today!
The waiting room at Helmsdale.
On and on the train went, in Sutherland there is quite a bit of spectacular scenery.
Unfortunately by this time I was restricted to using my cameraphone
The River Shin note the castle (a Youth Hostel) in the top left.
Now, as a rail passenger, I noticed something strange the crew changed over at a station called Lairg as a north- and south-bound train arrived. Perhaps I am super-fussy, but I dont think I am. When I asked for a coffee from the Wick-based crew, I was asked if I wanted milk, sugar etc and was then handed a coffee. When I asked for my second cup with the new crew, I was handed a cup of hot water, and a sachet of instant coffee. This stayed with me. I thought it was both very lazy and a bit rude to serve coffee that way, and it just put me off buying anything else from them. I think its little things like this that create an negative impact on people the railfan in me was bemused, the rail passenger was shocked that someone would think this is an acceptable way of serving somebody.
Before long, we arrived in Inverness, and it was a short wait for the Edinburgh train.
The National Rail website shows that Weekend First can be purchased on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. So I promptly took my seat in First Class and was served coffee, a miniature muffin and orange juice. The ticket inspector arrived and I asked for Weekend First.
Oh, no. Weekend First is for just that. Weekends. I explained that on the National Rail website it said that Bank Holidays were also included. Oh no. Only Saturdays and Sundays, but I will check. He never returned. At this point I was getting looks from another passenger who I presume thought I was trying it on.
Of course there was no signal so that I could look up the webpage, but eventually I found it and I was definitely correct.
Another crew change, about two hours later, with me fretting that I would have to pay the full fare. I could have moved, but I felt that I had 'right' on my side.
At Perth, the new ticket inspector arrived and again I tried to buy Weekend First and again was told the same story. The conductor asked if I wanted to stay in First Class and being the honest person I am, said that I was sitting in it from Inverness. My protests about the website were unheeded, and I paid an Excess Fare of only 11.30, but even so!
I had a short wait in Edinburgh, and I was tempted by the 1500hrs to London just three stops Newcastle, York and Peterborough. But there was a 1507hrs CrossCountry train to York and I have wanted to see what a journey with them was like. This was a mistake.
The first thing you notice on a CrossCountry train is the smell. Its vaguely of toilet. And rather unpleasant. Strangely, the toilet smelt quite fresh. Then you notice that the carpets are dirty. That the tables have crumbs on them. That many of the seats have stains and more crumbs. Mainly, that this is a company who dont care.
Tempting fate, I again plumped for First Class. The carriage was not particularly nice, and for a brief moment I noticed that the majority of seats were facing backwards. And then I realised just how stuped that sounds! Some of the seats were clean. I think these were.
A series of announcements, including the one that apologised because this Edinburgh Plymouth (Plymouth!) train had no sandwiches on board. But you could buy sweets and crisps. I was offered a coffee and a Duchy Originals shortbread as we departed from Edinburgh, and that was the sum total of the service in First Class. There was also one of the train cleaners sitting in First Class, which I didnt care about, except that he kept distracting the crew by chatting about rosters and the like.
The Ticket Inspector arrived and I asked for an upgrade. He hummed, ahhed, frowned and made me feel very uneasy. This ticket cant be upgraded he announced. You would have needed to have bought a Saver ticket. At this point, with the smell of the train, the condition of the carriage, the scarcity of refreshments I was about to snap. You see, as part of the rail fare simplication the ticket I held, the Super Off Peak Return is a Saver. Saver tickets dont exist under that name any more. But I was holding the correct ticket. The conductor then patronisingly said But Ill let you upgrade anyway and I paid my 15 and sulked to York.
I had a few hours in York, as I was determined to use Grand Central Trains, and what a reasonably pleasant station it is.
Grand Central Trains have a bit of history they seriously pissed off GNER by starting trains from Sunderland to London calling at York, and National Express East Coast barely acknowledge them. The reason for this is that due to the way train ticket revenues are divided up, Grand Central, by virtue of serving York, get a share of every non-Apex ticket National Express sell to and from the station.
But Grand Central are a decent company. When they refurbished the trains, they made sure that the seats lined up with the window. They have three trains a day, they dont do penalty fares, they have an admittedly rubbish catering offer, but just look at those big comfy, Weekend First seats! They also operate non stop from York to London.
And that is a Monopoly board on the table. You can buy pieces for it or bring your own.
The staff on Grand Central were very friendly waiting at the door to say goodbye to the First Class passengers leaving the train. Head and shoulders above the other companies, and slightly better than even the Wick-based ScotRail crew. It was a nice way to end what was a fairly uneventful day, a day marked with some fraught moments.
The pictures I took on Grand Central were taken last year the train I was on on Monday was packed. It was nice to see.
I will be repeating this trip at the end of the month, but staying for a bit longer!
As I mentioned in my northbound trip report, trains from Wick and Thurso used to depart at roughly the same time and join up at Georgemas Junction. No more. So passengers from Wick join the train, it stops at Georgemas Junction, continues to Thurso and then returns to Georgemas Junction before the journey begins properly. This adds about 40 minutes to a journey, and a very early start!
I wasnt having that, so met the train at Georgemas Junction at 0700hrs for its trip South.
Theres not a great deal to say about it fairly comfortable seats and a pleasant, if slow, journey through some of Scotlands most unspoilt countryside. Now I should add that in Caithness its not mountains and glens just miles and miles of peat bog as far as the eye can see. Deer provide some distraction and they are quite used to the trains so are often very close to the tracks.
Even at 0700hrs there was a trolley service, and the staff on the Far North line are a friendly crew.
Our first stop was Forsinard Station right in the middle of what is known as the Flow Country the largest blanket bog in Europe! And while not particularly pretty to look at it is home to a huge variety of wildlife, and there is an RSPB display at the station.
The next few stations were request stops so the train trundled along, until Helmsdale the first glimpse of the sea from the railway line. The railway hugs the North Sea coast at this point and as the sun rises can be very beautiful. But not today!
The waiting room at Helmsdale.
On and on the train went, in Sutherland there is quite a bit of spectacular scenery.
Unfortunately by this time I was restricted to using my cameraphone
The River Shin note the castle (a Youth Hostel) in the top left.
Now, as a rail passenger, I noticed something strange the crew changed over at a station called Lairg as a north- and south-bound train arrived. Perhaps I am super-fussy, but I dont think I am. When I asked for a coffee from the Wick-based crew, I was asked if I wanted milk, sugar etc and was then handed a coffee. When I asked for my second cup with the new crew, I was handed a cup of hot water, and a sachet of instant coffee. This stayed with me. I thought it was both very lazy and a bit rude to serve coffee that way, and it just put me off buying anything else from them. I think its little things like this that create an negative impact on people the railfan in me was bemused, the rail passenger was shocked that someone would think this is an acceptable way of serving somebody.
Before long, we arrived in Inverness, and it was a short wait for the Edinburgh train.
The National Rail website shows that Weekend First can be purchased on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. So I promptly took my seat in First Class and was served coffee, a miniature muffin and orange juice. The ticket inspector arrived and I asked for Weekend First.
Oh, no. Weekend First is for just that. Weekends. I explained that on the National Rail website it said that Bank Holidays were also included. Oh no. Only Saturdays and Sundays, but I will check. He never returned. At this point I was getting looks from another passenger who I presume thought I was trying it on.
Of course there was no signal so that I could look up the webpage, but eventually I found it and I was definitely correct.
Another crew change, about two hours later, with me fretting that I would have to pay the full fare. I could have moved, but I felt that I had 'right' on my side.
At Perth, the new ticket inspector arrived and again I tried to buy Weekend First and again was told the same story. The conductor asked if I wanted to stay in First Class and being the honest person I am, said that I was sitting in it from Inverness. My protests about the website were unheeded, and I paid an Excess Fare of only 11.30, but even so!I had a short wait in Edinburgh, and I was tempted by the 1500hrs to London just three stops Newcastle, York and Peterborough. But there was a 1507hrs CrossCountry train to York and I have wanted to see what a journey with them was like. This was a mistake.
The first thing you notice on a CrossCountry train is the smell. Its vaguely of toilet. And rather unpleasant. Strangely, the toilet smelt quite fresh. Then you notice that the carpets are dirty. That the tables have crumbs on them. That many of the seats have stains and more crumbs. Mainly, that this is a company who dont care.
Tempting fate, I again plumped for First Class. The carriage was not particularly nice, and for a brief moment I noticed that the majority of seats were facing backwards. And then I realised just how stuped that sounds! Some of the seats were clean. I think these were.
A series of announcements, including the one that apologised because this Edinburgh Plymouth (Plymouth!) train had no sandwiches on board. But you could buy sweets and crisps. I was offered a coffee and a Duchy Originals shortbread as we departed from Edinburgh, and that was the sum total of the service in First Class. There was also one of the train cleaners sitting in First Class, which I didnt care about, except that he kept distracting the crew by chatting about rosters and the like.
The Ticket Inspector arrived and I asked for an upgrade. He hummed, ahhed, frowned and made me feel very uneasy. This ticket cant be upgraded he announced. You would have needed to have bought a Saver ticket. At this point, with the smell of the train, the condition of the carriage, the scarcity of refreshments I was about to snap. You see, as part of the rail fare simplication the ticket I held, the Super Off Peak Return is a Saver. Saver tickets dont exist under that name any more. But I was holding the correct ticket. The conductor then patronisingly said But Ill let you upgrade anyway and I paid my 15 and sulked to York.
I had a few hours in York, as I was determined to use Grand Central Trains, and what a reasonably pleasant station it is.
Grand Central Trains have a bit of history they seriously pissed off GNER by starting trains from Sunderland to London calling at York, and National Express East Coast barely acknowledge them. The reason for this is that due to the way train ticket revenues are divided up, Grand Central, by virtue of serving York, get a share of every non-Apex ticket National Express sell to and from the station.
But Grand Central are a decent company. When they refurbished the trains, they made sure that the seats lined up with the window. They have three trains a day, they dont do penalty fares, they have an admittedly rubbish catering offer, but just look at those big comfy, Weekend First seats! They also operate non stop from York to London.
And that is a Monopoly board on the table. You can buy pieces for it or bring your own.
The staff on Grand Central were very friendly waiting at the door to say goodbye to the First Class passengers leaving the train. Head and shoulders above the other companies, and slightly better than even the Wick-based ScotRail crew. It was a nice way to end what was a fairly uneventful day, a day marked with some fraught moments.
The pictures I took on Grand Central were taken last year the train I was on on Monday was packed. It was nice to see.
I will be repeating this trip at the end of the month, but staying for a bit longer!
