[Lisa]

Firstly,
thank you for your replies.
I live in cumbria and do not use trains very often at all. Sadly, they are expensive and are a treat every now and again, for local travel.
I love trains partly for this reason,(its a treat) and Im intrigued by them but terrified by the difficult to understand timetables and tannoy announcements etc for 'real' journeys.This stops me using them.
To a total novice, a train ride is really stressful trying to find the right platform (why cant it say in advance what platform???)
The journey is good (I did the coastal cumbrian to lancs, prior to the preston disaster) and it was lovely scenery, but the stress in between of trying to find stuff out was not easy.

Commuters are there and seasoned travellers, knowing how it all works, but for the total novice, it is not straight forward.

And... to those who can negotiate like the back of their hand, it will seem no doubt odd, but timetables for a novice are not an easy thing!!!!!

And, why is there no notice by way of a bell or something that you have for example 30 seconds until the door says no no no, you are not getting on!

sorry guys/girls, just giving observations from a total beginners point of view!!!!!