access between carriages

[Lisa]

dear all
I hope that you serious enthusiasts will not be offended by the perhaps seemingly simple question that I ask.
I just thought that this was the place to get an answer from those in the know.
Today I missed a train because I had gotten onto the first class section of a train from Preston to manchester by mistake and...
I tried to get from that carriage to the standard class one internally and was met by the toilet the left in the 'passage way' but then by a metal solid looking wall with no means of opening!

So, I got out of the carriage and went to the next one down along the platform only to find the doors slammed shut and no way of being let in.
I tried frantically to press the door open button and so did an obliging man on the inside but to no avail!!!
A man looked out of the drivers part of the train, saw me there and away the train went!!!


Anyway, my pals dont believe me that I couldnt get from that carriage to the others from the inside.

Please please can you guys/girls confirm for me that this is the case sometimes?

[pavorossi]

Hello and welcome to the forum Lisa. With out knowing which sort of train it was it's hard to say exactly why this happened, but I'm guessing it was a Transpennine Express service, probably using two units coupled together. First class is at one end of the 185s (which the main body of the Transpennine fleet is), with a vestibule area with a toilet between it and the driving cab. I reckon you'd have gone into this area, and then could get no further, because tere's no corridor connection between the two units. If you''d have gone the other way through first class you''d have got into standard class. Hope this answers you're question. Anyone else got any ideas to add?

[DSY011]

Hello Lisa and welcome to the Railway Forum. I would agree with Adam's explanation. Nobody on this site would be offended by the perhaps seemingly simple question. We are always ready to help if we can. I hope you enjoy the forum and ask as many questions as you like.

[John H-T]

Welcome to the Forum Lisa. Ask as many questions as you like and we will try to answer them!

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[richard thompson]

On a similar vein last year coming home from York on Crosscountry the train was formed of 2 units, so we had to get in the right bit of train for our reserved seats. Also at every station the conductor annouced for the benefit of the people sitting on the floor or standing that there were lots of seats in the front of the train which were not took up because those standing or on the floor didn`t understand or didn`t want to get out and back on again.
Welcome to the forum
Richard

[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!!!!!

[Lisa]

further, I would now be scared to get off the train to change carriage in case the doors closed and I couldnt get back on!
What happens if you are on first class and you didnt know this?
I didnt but some peoiple who had got on before me and were standing in ear shot said, oh, this is the first class bit, its more expensive.
I would not have realised, not being a rail traveller, so what would have happened if the ticket man had arrived and I couldnt move to the ordinary class because there was no door!!???
this has got me interested now with what if questions.

[swisstrains]

Hello Lisa and welcome to the forum.

Originally Posted by Lisa

...........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 can't argue with you there although if you are able to plan your journey in advance you can often get some very good deals by booking on the internet.

Originally Posted by Lisa

.......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???)

Travelling by train for the first few times is daunting for everyone especially those who have been brought up with road transport. Just look upon it as a learning experience. A train is not much different to a bus but because it needs more space it's stations have to be bigger which makes things appear more complicated. I appreciate that there can be problems finding the right platform at larger stations so make use of the station staff. Tell them where you are going and they will be able to direct you to the right platform. The person who sells you your ticket should also be able to give you information to make your journey easier. Once you have done it a few times it will become much easier, you will be able to navigate around the station using the information screens and even those announcements will start to make sense. Don't despair if you are having trouble understanding railway timetables as there are plenty of rail enthusiasts who have similar problems. The best thing I can suggest is the National Rail journey planner http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/jp
Just follow the on-screen instructions to create the times for your journey. It's much easier that wading through the printed timetables and you can do it at your leisure without someone breathing down your neck.

Originally Posted by Lisa

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!!!!!

All those seasoned travellers were novices one upon a time!!. Once you have travelled by train a few times you will wonder what all the fuss was about

Originally Posted by Lisa

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!

There is usually an electronic bleeping sound to tell you when the doors are about to close. Perhaps in your panic and with all the other things going on you didn't hear it? When the doors have been closed and the light on the push button has gone out, no amount of pressing, either outside or inside will get them to open again. This is because the doors have been locked ready for the train to leave.

Originally Posted by Lisa

further, I would now be scared to get off the train to change carriage in case the doors closed and I couldnt get back on!
What happens if you are on first class and you didnt know this?
I didnt but some peoiple who had got on before me and were standing in ear shot said, oh, this is the first class bit, its more expensive.
I would not have realised, not being a rail traveller, so what would have happened if the ticket man had arrived and I couldnt move to the ordinary class because there was no door!!???

If you find yourself in the "wrong" carriage it is very unlikely that you will ever need to leave the train to change carriages. As Adam(Pavarossi) said, you more than likely went the wrong way when you were hurrying to get out of first class and came up against the end of the train. If you had gone the other way you would have come to the standard class section without actually having to get off.
Even if the ticket man/woman had come while you were trying to find your way to standard class there wouldn't have been a problem. You pay for sitting in first class, not walking through it. They would have understood your problem and directed you to the correct seats.

Hope this hasn't put you off train travel. Believe me Lisa, once you have done a few "real" journeys you will be a seasoned traveller just like all the others. Try to enjoy it and don't worry so much. It's only a train.

[Lisa]

thank you all.