by jonnhrr
A recent all too brief trip to the UK allowed my wife and I to sample the London Underground and make a train trip from London to Ely in Cambridgeshire.
We started on on Saturday 10 Feb where we were staying in Balham and headed for Balham station and the Northern Line to travel to Kings Cross. Ticket machines were easy to use and straightforward. Embarrassingly I had a problem getting through the barrier although my wife who hasn't been on the Tube since 1982 had no problem
Once I remembered I had to take my ticket back before the barrier opened I was on my way. We only went as far as Stockwell on account of Engineering Work the Northern Line was not stopping at Kings Cross. There a simple cross platform connection took us to the Victoria line and of course a chance to ride a different set of Tube equipment!
At Kings Cross the queues were short so we were able to get our tickets in plenty of time for the First Capital Connect Cambridge Express which makes only 2 stops before Ely. We were able to get Saver Return tickets which were about 26 Pounds each but still cheaper than the cost to rent a car for the trip not een counting the Petrol.
A quick walk over to platform 10 just past the marker for platform 9 3/4 complete with luggage trolley halfway through the wall. The equipment for our train was relatively new (I was unable to determine the class nunber) and comfortable. The only drawback was no food or beverage service which is understandable given such a short run. There were no barriers on the platform, instead our tickets were checked American style by a Conductor? (Guard?) after we got under way.
MY only complaint about the trip was that when we got to Cambridge the train divided with only the front half continuing to Ely and King's Lynn. Even though the Conductor/Guard presumably knew that and saw Ely as the destination on our ticket he did not say anything. I don't recall any announcement at the station although the monitor may have noted this. Anyway it was no big deal, we just moved up to the forward coaches at Cambridge for the rest of our trip.
The trip itself was fairly smooth and fast at least on the East Coast Main line which the train uses as far as Hitchin where the line to Cambridge and King's Lynn diverges. Not as fast after that although still better than any comparable train in the US except maybe for the Acela. We just sat back and enjoyed the rural scenery. Arrival was right on time at Ely which is a pretty town complete with an impressive Cathedral.
After visiting with relatives we returned to the station the next day (Sunday) to travel to Heathrow and home near Boston Mass. USA. A few minutes before our train (1252 departure) , 2 DMU trains pulled in, one for Birmingham and the other to Norwich I believe. I don't know if these were deliberately timed to connect with the London train. Our return train was similar equipment to the trip up, and was fairly crowded, but we were able to find a pair of seats. By Cambridge there were people standing. The trip to Kings Cross was uneventful.
At Kings Cross we took the Picadilly Line with my favorite Tube stock the 1973 Metro Cammell stock which still sound the same as the tube trains I remember from my youth although they all appear to have been refurbished inside. I was impressed by trhe fact that even though it was a Sunday trains were running only 2 - 3 minutes apart so we did not have to wait long for a Heathrow train.
Everything was fine until after Earls Court when the automatic announcements changed to state the train was only going to Northfields. I figured this might just be a computer glitch but sure enough at Northfields we were informed the train was terminating. Since I believe this is where the trains are stabled I suspect a technical problem of some kind. Anyway another Heathrow came along shortly so we were able to complete our trip although with 2 loads of passengers it was very crowded.
The last bit into Heathrow was the first time I had ridden this segment. I guess I date myself when I say on my last trip this way the train only went as far as Hounslow West. I was surprised at how long it takes to go from Terminal 4 to terminal 1/2/3 it almost felt we were halfway back to London by the time we got to the destination.
All in all a good trip. It seems that British Rail oops I mean National Rail and Transport for London in spite of all their reported problems still put anything we have in the US to shame.
Jon D.
We started on on Saturday 10 Feb where we were staying in Balham and headed for Balham station and the Northern Line to travel to Kings Cross. Ticket machines were easy to use and straightforward. Embarrassingly I had a problem getting through the barrier although my wife who hasn't been on the Tube since 1982 had no problem
Once I remembered I had to take my ticket back before the barrier opened I was on my way. We only went as far as Stockwell on account of Engineering Work the Northern Line was not stopping at Kings Cross. There a simple cross platform connection took us to the Victoria line and of course a chance to ride a different set of Tube equipment! At Kings Cross the queues were short so we were able to get our tickets in plenty of time for the First Capital Connect Cambridge Express which makes only 2 stops before Ely. We were able to get Saver Return tickets which were about 26 Pounds each but still cheaper than the cost to rent a car for the trip not een counting the Petrol.
A quick walk over to platform 10 just past the marker for platform 9 3/4 complete with luggage trolley halfway through the wall. The equipment for our train was relatively new (I was unable to determine the class nunber) and comfortable. The only drawback was no food or beverage service which is understandable given such a short run. There were no barriers on the platform, instead our tickets were checked American style by a Conductor? (Guard?) after we got under way.
MY only complaint about the trip was that when we got to Cambridge the train divided with only the front half continuing to Ely and King's Lynn. Even though the Conductor/Guard presumably knew that and saw Ely as the destination on our ticket he did not say anything. I don't recall any announcement at the station although the monitor may have noted this. Anyway it was no big deal, we just moved up to the forward coaches at Cambridge for the rest of our trip.
The trip itself was fairly smooth and fast at least on the East Coast Main line which the train uses as far as Hitchin where the line to Cambridge and King's Lynn diverges. Not as fast after that although still better than any comparable train in the US except maybe for the Acela. We just sat back and enjoyed the rural scenery. Arrival was right on time at Ely which is a pretty town complete with an impressive Cathedral.
After visiting with relatives we returned to the station the next day (Sunday) to travel to Heathrow and home near Boston Mass. USA. A few minutes before our train (1252 departure) , 2 DMU trains pulled in, one for Birmingham and the other to Norwich I believe. I don't know if these were deliberately timed to connect with the London train. Our return train was similar equipment to the trip up, and was fairly crowded, but we were able to find a pair of seats. By Cambridge there were people standing. The trip to Kings Cross was uneventful.
At Kings Cross we took the Picadilly Line with my favorite Tube stock the 1973 Metro Cammell stock which still sound the same as the tube trains I remember from my youth although they all appear to have been refurbished inside. I was impressed by trhe fact that even though it was a Sunday trains were running only 2 - 3 minutes apart so we did not have to wait long for a Heathrow train.
Everything was fine until after Earls Court when the automatic announcements changed to state the train was only going to Northfields. I figured this might just be a computer glitch but sure enough at Northfields we were informed the train was terminating. Since I believe this is where the trains are stabled I suspect a technical problem of some kind. Anyway another Heathrow came along shortly so we were able to complete our trip although with 2 loads of passengers it was very crowded.
The last bit into Heathrow was the first time I had ridden this segment. I guess I date myself when I say on my last trip this way the train only went as far as Hounslow West. I was surprised at how long it takes to go from Terminal 4 to terminal 1/2/3 it almost felt we were halfway back to London by the time we got to the destination.
All in all a good trip. It seems that British Rail oops I mean National Rail and Transport for London in spite of all their reported problems still put anything we have in the US to shame.
Jon D.
