BUSY trains are a nightmare for everyone, but there are some tricks to minimise noise and bagging the best seat.
A train conductor for London Northwestern Railway knows all the insider secrets on how to have the most comfortable journey – here they are.
Most of the time all anyone wants on a is to find a quiet spot, sit back and relax, and one hack to help with that is the ‘how busy is my train’ tool.
All you have to do is enter your departure station, destination, date, and time.
Then you’ll be able to find out how busy, or quiet, your train is predicted to be.
The calculations are based on the average demand on a typical day, and are split into ‘quiet’, ‘moderate’, ‘busy’, and ‘standing expected’ levels.
The tool even highlights the exact parts of the journey that fall under each category.
So when you’re struggling to decide on a time to set off, this tool will tell you exactly which slot offers the best chance at finding a seat.
And it’s not just London Northwestern Railway, other train companies have it too.
When the is guaranteed to be busy, it’s suggested you head to either end of the platform.
Typically, the middle carriages of a train are always the most popular especially if there are large groups onboard.
If you want to go further down the platform and aim for the end carriages, there’s likely to be fewer people and less noise.
Once you’ve picked a carriage, next comes picking your seat.
The advice is to choose a seat away from the toilets or amenities as they are likely to be in use by passengers throughout the journey.
Also try not to sit too near the train doors where people will be getting on and off, or standing up to chat, if you don’t want to be distracted.
The four seater arrangement might be tempting because it usually has legroom, but Northwestern Railway warns solo passengers to steer clear.
The larger seats with tables are a hotspot for larger groups usually of friends or family who will undoubtedly be talking.
So if you’re looking for a quiet journey, follow these tips and they should help.
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