Finding a seat on a train should be simple. Live at the end of the line. Travel to the station when there's no traffic on the road. Travel on the train before or after rush hour. Just pick the nearest seat. Work early and leave early. Offices started work at ten and left at six, rather than nine to five like shops, to spread the load on the train and bus lines.
End of Train Line (UK)
When I lived in Edgware and Stanmore I was a happy traveller. I always got a seat into London.
The Return Journey
Coming home I would usually get a seat early on. Especially if I kept watching for people preparing to get off, packing up their belongings and looking alert, ready to leap up and out. I stood near them, ready to leap in.
Advantages of Last Stop
Once I fell asleep. I was woken by the station attendant whose job is to go along the train collecting newspapers and shutting doors - after waking the dozing drunks and tired travellers. That's the great advantage of living at the end of the line. You can't go past your stop. You might seem far away to visitors from the centre of the city, but at least you are easy to find. You can tell them, "Just stay on until the train reaches the last stop."
Cutting Staff Travel Time
The British Council offices were all on the Central Line. The offices were planned that way. The man who ordered the second building probably lived on the Central Line. His office was on the central line. Staff going from one office to another did not have to change trains and wait. It was less stressful for them. They could not get lost. It saved time for inter-office travel.
Seats On UK Trains
An article called The Seat on the Train by Hugh Graham in Britain's newspaper The Sunday Times tells you which stations give your greater chances of finding seats on commuter trains. Sometimes it is worthwhile spending five minutes driving to another station further out or in, to save a long time standing on the commute into London.
Reservations To and From Regions
When booking holiday trains to Wales or Derby, I try to get a reserved seat. Recently I was lucky to be near the exit. If there is a choice of seats, I might even abandon my reserved seat in order to take a free seat near the luggage stack at the exit.
Picking Seats
Unfortunately, unlike planes, where you can chose to be near a window or an exit, on trains when making reservations you often cannot pick the seat. If you book your holiday late, many seats are already taken, so neither you nor the office selecting your seat will have a choice.
Seats With Space
A seat in the middle means dragging your luggage a long way. Single seats near the doorway have room for your luggage beside you.
Seats With Tables
On the other hand, seats further in often enjoy the benefits of a table, for four. You have the opportunity to put down a laptop and work. You might also have the chance to chat to other travellers.
Watching Luggage
However, I do not want to leave my luggage in the rack at the carriage end and sit in the middle where I cannot see my luggage. Leaflets warn travellers to watch their luggage.
Theft
Tricks played on travellers include leaping onto the train before it goes, grabbing a piece of luggage and leaping off again. By the time the owner of the suitcase notices or gets up and rushes to the door, the train is moving again.
Carriage-hopping
Getting a seat on a busy train also involves watching the train as it comes in. If you have no heavy wheeled luggage nor multiple bags, and you see the end carriage has seats but the middle ones are full, you can run along the platform as the train comes in to leap into the last carriage before people start flowing along inside towards the empty seats.
Sometimes on a long journey, if I see lots of people standing at the door of the next carriage ready to exit, I will either run along inside to take a vacated seat, or leap out of my carriage and race along to leap in again and grab the empty seat. You have to be quick, to be sure not to be left on the next platform.
Success!
But, hey, the joys of sitting back and opening your newspaper and phone, or shutting your eyes. If going past your stop is one of life's worst travelling stresses, finding a seat is one of life's best travel successes.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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