Possibly a stupid question about train journey

[TellerTuesday]

At the weekend I went via train from York to Kings Cross.

Now I don't travel by train very often but I have given far too much headspace to this and I still don't understand at all so wondered if someone could enlighten me.

There were 3 of us travelling. On the outward journey person A sat travelling forwards and B & C (me) sat travelling backwards. We sat at a table on the right hand side of the carriage and saw various other trains on travelling in the opposite direction through the window on that side.

On the return journey we travelled in the same direction, same layout of seats and I just don't understand how that is possible.

Maybe the different trains labelled Their seats differently
So 58 faces direction of travel on train A and they call something else 58 on way beck? The other side of the aisle maybe?

Trains can also go past you either side. Just depends what route they are taking?

Of course you didn't turn around - the train has engines at both ends.

And not all carriages have exactly the same seat numbering layout, so unless you were on the exact same train the fact that you were in the same seats makes no odds.

I'm really struggling to understand how you can't get your head around this!

Oh my god! 🤣

What I'm saying is that we didn't turn around and we had the same seats so why was I travelling backwards on both journeys

I (think) I can see why you are confused. Is it because the seat configuration changes as well, so if seat A was facing forwards going south, it's facing forwards going north.

If the seats numbers were fixed (which they are on a lot of trains) it couldn't happen.

I assume on LNER that they are electronic seat numbers and change.

Maybe some trains on that line are "pointing" one way, and others are pointing the other way, and you weren't on the same train both times?

Double post

This thread is giving me a headache.

Why would you be sitting in the exact same seats, if it is a different train.

Me too.
Unless OP didn't get off the train at King's Cross and just stayed on and went straight back up to York they will have been on a different train with probably different seat configuration.

OP were you in the same letter carriage and same number seats on a train with the same number of carriages run by the same company?

You entered The Twilight Zone.

Well you didn’t literally get the same train back, you got the same route. Different trains could be configured in different ways

.

Maybe you entered a different dimension at King’s Cross? Easily done.

No not the same carriage but same seat configuration so I was sat travelling backwards with the aisle and the table across on my right and the window to my left.

Looking out of the window, we were going left and it was the same the other way.

Person A gets travel sick going backwards so we presumed we would need to be sat the opposite way around on the return journey, so the aisle on my left hand side. But when we set off we had to swap around.

Huh

I would guess that one of the trains was in reverse formation.

This would main the carriages and the seats in them would all be the opposite way around.

Why did you think you would need to sit the opposite way? That makes no sense?

Oh my!
This is hilarious.
Of course you weren't travelling in the same direction.

But what train do you get "given" set seats?

Last time I travelled on train in the UK, I wasn't given a set seat number.

I was allowed to choose to sit wherever I wanted

Ah OP stop!

We have all on here gotten trains.

You know it goes one way, and then it goes back another way.

If you sit on the left both times, it will be facing a different direction, but you'll still be sitting on the left.

Eg. I drive a car to London, I'm sitting on the left of my car, traffic is on my right.

I drive to York, opposite way, I'm still sitting in the left of my car, and traffic is still on my right.

This has made my head hurt. How would you have got him travelling in the same direction as your outward journey?

OMG 😂😂😂

Any long-distance train where you've reserved a seat. You don't have to reserve but if you do you're given a specific seat number to sit in.

On the way back you were in the same configuration but must have been on the other side of the aisle that time, making it feel the same.
Imagine a bride and groom going up a church aisle then back. Everything feels the same to them but they are effectively swapping sides on the way back.

OK so you were on a different train in a different carriage. What do you mean the same seat configuration? Were you sitting at a table for 4 which had the same seat numbers as you'd sat in for the outward journey?

OK @TellerTuesday - for your next journey. Be on the platform as the train is coming into the station. When it comes in note which end the front of the train is on. Get on the train and FF friends need to sit facing the engine. If you get on at the rear of the carriage that means getting on a seat that faces in the direction you're walking down the carriage in. If you get on at the front of the carriage, that means facing in the opposite direction to the one you're walking down the carriage in (which is where I suspect you are confused, I think you got on at the front of the carriage and walked backwards)

Doesn't matter what the seat numbers are or carriage configuration is, you can always figure out which way is the front. That's the direction they need to sit facing. On both journeys.

There are a few headfuck journeys where front and back change half way through, but York to London isn't one of them.