Rail travel to games - away or home

[angieram]

Not specific to Derby County but I see lots of comments from our supporters frustrated with rail travel both to home and away matches.

Here's a chance to have your say and hopefully do something about it! 

Although they say it's for away supporters it isn't just about them when you open it.

Mods, you may wish to move to football forum but I wanted a few people to see it first. 😉

[Srg]

Surely there's one answer... make it affordable.

[Grumpy Git]

Night games are the worst if like me, you live 100+ miles from Derby. Basically a non-starter.

[MadAmster]

Now there are no line flights into EMA from Amsterdam we fly into Birmingham and then get the train to Derby. €30 return which is perfectly acceptable IMO. 

[SKHunter]

I always use the train for away days.  Taken the survey too, but then realised I ain't been away with Derby to many times this season due to selling out a lot so been following local non league.  Good days on the beer though.  Coach or car and no boooze.  No ta.  🍺⚽🚂  

[Returning ram]

26 quid for two to Barnsley Saturday, not bad at all. Just makes a change for them not to be on strike.

[NG2Ram]

IMO overcrowded trains are more of a issue than cost. If East Midlands Railway spent less money on their stupid TV adverts featuring that annoying purple t**t "Miles" and more on putting on extra carriages on their Saturday services it would be a start 😡

[DCFC_Sloth]

I feel like there are a fair few issues with train travel which become exacerbated by the football. The main three are:

- The cost. Some train fares are extortionate and it can be hard to buy singles as there are a lot of variables at play when it comes to attending the football - especially on the return journey. You’re a captive audience too, so you don’t have much choice.

- The number of people. It’s often like sardines when you go. Extra carriages and trains seems a no brainier, but instead you’re going to have to accept you’re standing up for 2 hours. 

- The reliability. The number of cancellations/late trains/trains at half length. Makes booking cheaper tickets harder (see first two points)

I’d like to see special football trains put on for games with big away attendances. I imagine getting to Barnsley this weekend will be carnage - for example. I’d also like to see an ability to buy a train ticket with your football ticket. Or the football ticket lets you travel on the train free/reduced. I think we need to reassess football transport because it’s an absolute mess currently. 

[Leeds Ram]

As a regular user of the train system I despair. It's poorly organised, inefficient and staffed by people who seem more bothered about striking than actually doing their jobs. Even when they're not striking the customer service is mostly terrible as conductors oftentimes treat passengers as potential fare dodgers for their s*** service. 

[Boycie]

They don’t have extra carriages, that’s the problem with privatisation. They get paid regardless of crap service or not.  The operators/investor's even get paid when the staff are out on strike.

We need it back in public ownership and then capacity can be expanded.

Regarding Footie Specials, if the idiots on the white powder can behave themselves then it would be a welcome return.  There’s a lot of older stock being replaced soon on the EMR so maybe thought could be put into keeping some for that?

But, again, there’s probably nowhere to store the extra trains at the moment as infrastructure has been cut right back.

I think at least one political party has vowed to nationalise them again.

[Tamworthram]

58 minutes ago, SKHunter said:

I always use the train for away days.  Taken the survey too, but then realised I ain't been away with Derby to many times this season due to selling out a lot so been following local non league.  Good days on the beer though.  Coach or car and no boooze.  No ta.  🍺⚽🚂  

Funny but I’ve never associated going to a football game (home or away) as a “day on the beer”. Mainly because I drive of course (even if I was going on the train I still have to drive to the station) but for me, having a good few drinks (not that I do anymore but I have in my younger days) and going to a football match just don’t mix. I’m sure you’re not one of them but I can’t get my head around some of the folk you see at away games (a very small minority) that seem barely able to stand up due to the amount they have consumed.

[Day]

1 hour ago, Boycie said:

There’s a lot of older stock being replaced soon on the EMR

Time for a new notebook for you then!

[MadAmster]

Travelling back to the airport from Derby Station to Brum on Sunday, I was fine as we had reserved seats. There were a lot of people standing. In the coach we were sat in there were half a dozen seats taken up by luggage. Ridiculous when you have people standing. Some folk have taken selfishness to a new level.

[Kathcairns]

11 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

Travelling back to the airport from Derby Station to Brum on Sunday, I was fine as we had reserved seats. There were a lot of people standing. In the coach we were sat in there were half a dozen seats taken up by luggage. Ridiculous when you have people standing. Some folk have taken selfishness to a new level.

I would ask them politely for the seat.

[CBRammette]

3 hours ago, Grumpy Git said:

Night games are the worst if like me, you live 100+ miles from Derby. Basically a non-starter.

Even home Sat @3pm - due to all strikes etc. 

[Grumpy Git]

17 minutes ago, CBRammette said:

Even home Sat @3pm - due to all strikes etc. 

Strikes are not the reason that the 'normal' rail service is rubbish though.

Since Covid, the government just paid the train operating companies a fixed amount to run the trains, so their income is now guaranteed whether the train is full or empty (the government now gets 100% of ticket sales revenue). Hence they don't really give a stuff about what service they provide. Avanti has been totally crap since they took over Virgin, but they still got a new contract.

It also makes me 'smile' when people suggest train drivers are out of order going on strike because (to paraphrase) 'they all on £65,000/year and are just greedy barstards'. What has salary got to do with the right to strike or not? MP's are on £86,500/year and I would trust the majority of those to tie their own shoelaces.

[SKHunter]

5 hours ago, Tamworthram said:

Funny but I’ve never associated going to a football game (home or away) as a “day on the beer”. Mainly because I drive of course (even if I was going on the train I still have to drive to the station) but for me, having a good few drinks (not that I do anymore but I have in my younger days) and going to a football match just don’t mix. I’m sure you’re not one of them but I can’t get my head around some of the folk you see at away games (a very small minority) that seem barely able to stand up due to the amount they have consumed.

I should say "a day out" then but I do have a few but if I was having to drive it'd be zero.  Have to relax and enjoy and not get all tensed up about the game.  Also like a good look around different towns and cities in our country.  Have over done it years ago with the boooze but them days are gone.  👍 

Edited February 20 by SKHunter

[Anag Ram]

8 hours ago, angieram said:

Not specific to Derby County but I see lots of comments from our supporters frustrated with rail travel both to home and away matches.

Here's a chance to have your say and hopefully do something about it! 

Although they say it's for away supporters it isn't just about them when you open it.

Mods, you may wish to move to football forum but I wanted a few people to see it first. 😉

Thanks for posting. Just preparing to vent!

[CBRammette]

7 hours ago, Grumpy Git said:

Strikes are not the reason that the 'normal' rail service is rubbish though.

Since Covid, the government just paid the train operating companies a fixed amount to run the trains, so their income is now guaranteed whether the train is full or empty (the government now gets 100% of ticket sales revenue). Hence they don't really give a stuff about what service they provide. Avanti has been totally crap since they took over Virgin, but they still got a new contract.

It also makes me 'smile' when people suggest train drivers are out of order going on strike because (to paraphrase) 'they all on £65,000/year and are just greedy barstards'. What has salary got to do with the right to strike or not? MP's are on £86,500/year and I would trust the majority of those to tie their own shoelaces.

Strikes etc meant strikes and eng works - but strikes are what prevented us getting to the last two 3pm matches we wanted to use the train for particularly having 2 changes to Derby. It also makes me "smile" when a factual comment on why trains hadnt been used to get to a match with zero comment on the rights or wrongs of striking leads to rant to said poster

[eddielewis]

Although fans views are much needed on all matters relating to their experience on a matchday I'm not quite sure this survey will lead to anything but merely a box ticking exercise by the DFT/RDG. Surely the rail industry knows that a lot of the same viewpoints that will be expressed on this survey are not solely defined by just football fans but by regular commuters, day trippers, concert/event goers and the concerns will be primarily cost, capacity, timetable, rail experience. Even if there were 2000 survey responses asking for more special trains there will be a cat in hells chance it will come to fruition. 

The rail strikes recently have really showed as a country how very little we know of the structure of our railways other than our own rider experience. Like many of our public services it is totally demoralised and on it's knees due to corporate greed, outsourcing, political ball kicking/inexperience and in general a total lack of long term planning. 

Specifically for attending football matches via train we are million miles away from the likes of Germany who usually include local matchday travel with your ticket or Switzerland where football clubs actually have dedicated supporter rolling stock. 

 

Edited February 21 by eddielewis