To think other passengers should stop complaining?

[pregnantpause]

I'm on a very long train journey ATM. The train is four mins delayed and the air con is broken- it's absolutely packed and boiling. Sweaty , noisy and smelly.

The train conductor is coming up and down the train handing out bottles of free water, which I think is wonderful and has brightened this journey no end,but there's so many people around me bitching and moaning ' if they think a bottle if water will stop my complaint they've got another thing coming' etc etc-

Aibu to think that actually it's not the trains fault- sometimes things break, sometimes there's delays, there's loads of holiday makers and they're doing they're best by us?

Public transport is not fun- but shut up complaining! I've three hours left of this

The other passengers are moaning about the breakdown and you are moaning about them. I'm with them

The trouble is, if no one complains, believe me, nothing will get better. I'm a regular train traveller and if I were you, I'd look up the train company website to work out how to put in a polite complaint that doesn't need to be directed against any individual staff. You could of course put in a good word for the train conductor offering water to passengers who were giving loud verbal.

The 1200 off the Cross is the Highland Chieftain which I believe is still being provided with an ancient 125 rake running on diesel because there's no electricity beyond Haymarket. I'm not surprised the thing is goosed. I used to use it regularly and saw the bits fall off it one by one.

It's the only through train from London to stations on the Highland Main Line, but you'll still be more comfortable in a modern trainset to Edinburgh and changing there either for a Stirling / Dunblane or an Inverness service via Fife.

Coach to Inverness takes about three weeks.

I agree with the majority of posters on here. Train is overpriced and shoddy in the UK.

I recently travelled on a train out of London to Bristol and it was so horribly overcrowded I actually cried when I got off. It was a very distressing experience.

Here's the bit that amazed me though: when I wrote to the train company they told me there was no limit on how many tickets they sell for a train. i.e they will keep on selling hundreds of tickets for a train that only holds 200 people.

OP YABU- I would have been moaning too. There's no excuse for overcrowding and broken air con. God knows their profits are big enough and when you travel on trains abroad and see how well its done, it's hard to settle for sub standard in the UK.

Daily train commuter here. Just spent 3 hours getting home. It's 45 miles and a 50 minute train ride normally. This has happened nearly every day this week. On the plus side we had an un scheduled change of trains and a 40 minute wait half way through so I went for coffee with a fellow passenger and made a new friend.

Another daily commuter here. Took me 3hrs to make a 25min journey tonight due to a lightning strike. Added chaos as Friday eve plus its the school exchange group season so lots if teens in matching backpacks.

To be honest, I'm just glad to be home!

Was more pissed off last week when the driver forgot about our station and drove straight through! Though they gave 300 of us wine and chocolates the next day to say sorry...

I was in Richmond the other day, heading back to Central London. The tube was suspended.

I found myself coming back by way of an overland train through New Malden, with the train stopped as much as moving, creeping past zone 2,3,4.... So many people.

I felt like I wanted to explode with anger.

Think we might've been on the same train today OP! Heading south from London? Lightening strike?

I'd be complaining too if I was still commuting. It's been a long hot week and I'd suspect that a proportion at least are commuters doing this day in day out and paying a lot for the privilege. I'd get very fed up when I was commuting with day travellers commenting loudly at people not smiling at delight with our train service.

But what would you have them do about the air conditioning?

If there wasn't a replacement train available then the only option would be to cancel it and would anyone be happy with that and the resultant overcrowding on the next train? I very much doubt it.

But what would you have them do about the air conditioning?

I'd expect for the amount they charge that it would be serviced regularly so that it could cope with a few days of heat. You know, like it's supposed to?

And sometimes things break, even if they have been serviced.

I just don't see the point in getting horribly flustered and make yourself hotter by being angry when there is bugger all you can do about it.

Yes, go ahead and ask for a refund. You might well get one. But why moan at the staff?

I wouldn't complain about a train being a bit hot and a few minutes late, but then after missing not one- but TWO concerts at the London O2 due the shitty cunting excuse for a train service nothing seems that bad any more anyway.

I wouldn't moan at the staff. Sounds like the conductor was doing a good job under difficult circumstances.

Doesn't excuse the lack of basic facilities.

Commuting by train is one if the most depressing things about life in UK: obscenely expensive and very poor service, I'm not surprised people are fed up

I was stuck on a train recently because the driver was expecting a colleague to relieve him, but they hadn't shown up.

Oh how I sniggered. I think he had to go and relieve himself in the end

I have spent hours stuck at NewStreet waiting for train drivers to turn up (train changed crew, there).

We had a lovely snack trolly lady joined the train there, she got just as fed up as the passengers. She lived at the end of the line and missed her buss home every time we were late.

*But what would you have them do about the air conditioning?

If there wasn't a replacement train available then the only option would be to cancel it and would anyone be happy with that and the resultant overcrowding on the next train? I very much doubt it.*

Like JeanSeberg says- regular air con servicing would be a start. Also extra carriages to cope with overcrowding and contingency plans.

There. I've done their job. If other countries can run excellent value for money train services, why can't we?

Some people are professional moaners, don't let them drag you down to their level, shit happens occasionally!

As someone who works on the trains, when you want to moan why dont you at least moan to someone that gives a shit can do something about it.

I get really sick of people that want to moan to me, and when I offer a complaints form they donf want to bother.

I am not interested, I am not listening and wont be passing your comments on to anyone!

Thank god I am paid fairly well to put up with it!

I agree with this: for the amount they pay, get a reliable heating/cooling contractor to come in at regular intervals during their downtimes. Simple. What's so difficult about that?

Not pay, charge.

"As someone who works on the trains, when you want to moan why dont you at least moan to someone that gives a shit can do something about it."

You see there is part of the problem. The people on the front line don't think of customer service, and don't give a shit.

Isn't it your job and responsibility to make sure people in head office are aware of the problems you and customers face?