Britain’s Railways: I thought I knew what they’re like. In a land where no money is spent on the national infrastructure, where everything is incredulously expensive and yet of poor quality, the trains definitely don’t run on time and consuming the over-priced sandwiches available on board is meant to be as near to suicidal as makes no difference. Rail is awful and everyone rightly grumbles about it.
Germany on the other hand is a country that has a reputation for running a reliable rail service – a reputation that I know from bitter personal experience to be untrue. It was, I kept consoling myself every time I sat in a motionless ICE at Geislingen, at least better than what was on offer in Britain.
However, after recent regular rail trips to the capital to escape the mind-numbing, soul-crushing, stifling tedium that is life in the provinces, I’m beginning to suspect that my preconceptions might be somewhat inaccurate, or “utter bollocks”, as my grandmother used to say. So far, every single train I have caught has been on time, they’ve been clean, fast and modern and they serve a rather splendid Bordeaux. By “rather splendid” I of course mean “free”.
I know it’s been rare of me to praise anything about Britain over Germany on this blog of late, but after suffering at the hands of Deutsche Bahn, Virgin trains have impressed me immensely. If my national stereotyping as regards trains can be so wrong, what will I find out next? That German footballers are better than English ones at taking penalty shootouts? What? Oh.
German Phrase For Today: “Jungfraubahn” - Virgin Railways
Song playing as this was published: Beth Orton - “Sweetest Decline”
Free Bordeaux? Free boredom perhaps, but where the hell did you find wine?
Ah, just noticed “1st” on the ticket. Obviously means something different to round here, where it means only one person trying to sit on your knees, and the main difference in between standard and first is that everything is much bluer in first, although that might be an optical illusion caused by the ramped up aircon.
So how is the reverse commute lifestyle going?
Couldn’t agree more - all the trains I’ve been on recently have been excellent, including the one where the driver, who had been told to fit in 4 extra stops, admitted he had no idea which one’s he was supposed to stop at, so would just do those which took his fancy.
The hilarity throughout the train was quite the best thing of the day, and even allowing for the extra stops, it was still on time
Only twenty eight quid? How did you manage that? And in first class, to boot! Did you book it well in advance, or have you got some kind of railcard? Leeds to London, for instance, costs over a hundred pounds (with GNER) if you buy it on the day of purchase, and not much less in advance. (Figures correct up until August 2005, at least, with little difference between single and return fares.)
Your RSS no longer seems to be working, by the way.
Anyhoo: Yes, well the other tickets say “STD” on them and I’d end up spending the entire journey wiping down the seats with anti-bacterial sprays before I was prepared to sit down.
TM: Perhaps our pleasant experiences are the result of using the West Coast Line as opposed to commuting in the South East?
David: Of course, I had to book the ticket last November and sign a form promising my eternal soul to Richard Branson, but even so, 28 quid for free wine and almost enough legroom…
Being serious, I think you have to book a week in advance, but if you know you’re going somewhere and can plan, that’s no problem. The journey down was second class and only cost 12.50! A standard open return is £166, Open First is £244 and Virgin Business (no idea) is £250.
Actually, there were lots of stories a few weeks ago about how difficult it was to get the cheap fares. It’s not difficult: When you’re asked which ticket you want, go for the one that says £12.50, not the one that says £250.
That screenshot is hilarious! I wonder how many people don’t read the red part properly, though, think that it’s only a ‘click here’ title, and consider the three options below as being their only options. I know that’s what _I_ did just now - except that I knew to keep looking.
That screenshot was slightly disingenuous. There is an opening page that says “Click here for cheap tickets, or here to get ripped off.” Or something along those lines.
I used BR for years before it was broken up and the service really was shit. But saying that I havent travelled on a train in the UK in over 10 years!
hey… i thought i commented here… where did nmy comment disappear!?
Trains do mysteriously seem to have turned brilliant back on the island. Don’t know if this is by luck or design. It’s usually impossible to pay between Amberley and Gatwick too, which heightens the enjoyment considerably.
BiB: Saying things like this are a sure guarantee that the next train I take will derail. And Amberley, I know that place. I think I was there about a month ago on a round about and very enjoyable trip here, which was indescribably good, Brighton, Arundel and to earn the wrath of Mr. Holland for not saying “hello”.
Anything is better than Deutsch Bahn.
J: Hard as this may be for you to believe, everyone in Britain (who hasn’t been to Switzerland) believes that Germany has the best train service in the world. I certainly believed it, even during the dark days of commuting from Stuttgart to Munich and back, three days per week. Hence the shock at the service in Britain so far - it really isn’t meant to be like this.