C2c Rail > Reviews > A good TOC, could be improved.

Author's product rating:   

Frequency of trains	Good
Reliability of trains	Mostly on time
Comfort of trains	Slightly uncomfortable
On-board facilities	Poor

Advantages:	It gets you from A to B quickly
Disadvantages:	overcrowding, dirty trains, no guard, CAN be hard to buy a ticket .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

C2C is definitely one of the best railway companies, but not quite as good as South West Trains, not everything can be perfect. C2C is run by Nationan Express, between London Fenchurch Street and Southend and Shoeburyness. There are effectivly 3 lines here, mainline from London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness, via Basildon. The Tilbury Loop is from Fenchurch Street to Shoebury once again, but this time via Tilbury. For the third time there is a line from Fenchurch Street and again the Shoebury, this time via Grays.

HOW EASY IS IT TO BUY TICKET?

There are ticket machines at all C2C stations now where you can buy the basic tickets for travel on the same day only. All stations also have ticket offices which have varying and restricted opening hours, where you can buy the whole range of tickets - from standard day returns, to travel cards to advance purchase, to rover tickets to car park tickets.
When the ticket office is closed, you have no choice but to use the machine, which sometimes don't work, or don't accept cards or don't accept notes. In that event, you sometimes have a hard time trying to convince the revenue staff, who sometimes do ticket inspections on the train that you wanted to buy a ticket and you couldnt. I personally think that ticket windows should bo open the whole time there is a service running. so that people can buy the correct fare for thier journey.
The price of tickets for C2C varies a lot depending on whether you travel peak or off peak. But- that is the same with all companies. You can get really good value fares on the weekend. Especially if you are travalling in a group of three or more people.I do think, contrary to public perception that C2C does offer good value for money.

FREQUENCY OF TRAINS.

The frequency of the trains is pretty good. as a general rule, if you turn up at one of thier stations, you will get a train within 15 minutes on the mainline and around 30 minutes of one of the loop lines. I've never really had much of a problem with the arrival of trains, but there have been times when i have felt really let down by C2C. But, more about
that later...

FACILITIES FOR DISABLED PERSONS.

Facilities for disabled persons are not really that good on C2C. Most stations have lifts or ramps, such as West Ham or Basildon. But some - Like Pitsea, have nothing at all... All platforms there have a steep set of stairs to and from the ticket hall to the platforms. someone in a wheelchair would have no chance. Its not only disabled people either. What about people with large amounts of luggage or shopping or even a parent with a pushchair or small children? What are they going to do? Staff are there to help in these cases where they can. But not always as the stations are not manned the whole time there is a service. Staff are only there when the ticket hall is open.

RELIABILITY OF THE TRAINS.

Once again I've not experienced much trouble when it comes to the reliability of the trains. You can usually get on the train and know that your going to get there on time. Things never usually go wrong for C2c. But- when things happen, boy do they go wrong.

COMFORT OF THE TRAINS.

This is probably the one thing that I find i wrong with C2C. The seats are so damn uncomfortable. Thats even if you do manage to find a seat that is. If you do manage to sit down, you can't relax because you start worrying about squashing the person next to you. Those seats are so so narrow. especially when the only seats available are those that are the ones in a formation of 3 - and your seat is the one in the middle.

ON-BOARD FACILITIES.

There are'nt really many of these. Each train (That being each 4 coaches) has only 1 toilet, which never normally works anyway. If you do get in one it is normally dirty, smelly and not very clean. What else?? There are no luggage racks on C2C trains, only the ones over head, and you can't put anything bigger than a hangbag in there anyway. If you have any sizeable bags with you, you end up standing with the whole journey. This does not make for an enjoyable time. As far as on-board facilities go. There are no more. There is no buffet or trolley on board.
What about if your like me and your handbag is the size of a small zeplin? Do you put it on the floor? NO - There are too many people wrestling for leg room. Do you put it on the table? NO- There are only tables at each end of the trains on SOME trains. Do you put it in the overhead racks? NO- I really wouldnt advise anyone to do this. Once i put my bag ther and someone stole if before I got to West Ham. This still leaves the dilemma of where to put your things. You usually end up just putting it on your lap and be uncomfortable the whole journey. What if you have luggage with you? God only knows.

THE GENERAL STATE OF THE STATIONS AND TRAINS.

Most of the stations are reasonably clean and tidy. You will find that places like Shoebury, Southend, Basildon, Upminster and West Ham are the best kept stations on the line. Once you start branching out to places like Grays, Ockendon, Purfleey and the Tilbury Staions, this is where you will find the rubbish, graffiti and the grime. I'm sure these smaller stations never get cleaned or maintained at all. Once they are built they get looked after for a while, then left to degenerate into a state of choas. I think that the novelty of keeping things looking nice and clean wears off after a while. This is why these places end up an eyesore.
As for the trains themselves. They are generally ok during the day, when the cleaners can board and walk through the trains to collect rubbish and the like. But- after the morning and evening peak, the trains are horrible. Newspapers are strewn everywhere and there are numerous empty coffee cups and remanents of people eating on the go and leaving thier rubbish on the train. If that wasnt bad enough, throw in a Friday or Saturday night and things get a whole lot worse. After a whole load of alcohol and that greasy kebab, you can imagine what the carriages look like, especially when the sole toilet is out of order.
I once went in to a toilet on one of the trains, I opened the door, went inside and didnt notice anything wrong. I turned round and pressed the button to close the door and I saw IT. Some sick person had obviouly done thier bussiness (As you do) in the loo - then only gone and smeared it all ove the wall. That is not a sight that i will ever forget, let me tell you.

SECURITY ON THE TRAINS

Security on the trains isnt that great to be honest. Yes - there is CCTV, but that isnt monitored, its only downloaded and looked at if there is a reported incident. You do the the emergency passenger alarm in each coach, but that wont do much to deter a mugger or a pickpocket on the train.
As for a member of staff on board, well you have the driver, but he or she can't exactly do make sure the people on the train are safe. They obviously have to drive. I think the biggest mistake all those years ago on this line is when they got rid of the conductors.
Of an evening they sometime shave security staff board a train at a sttions, walk through and make sure everything is ok, and then get off a the next station. But thats not all the time and not on all trains.

DELAYS AND DISRUPTION

C2C are generally the most efficiant and on time service in the uk. As shown by the offical figures.
But there are times when thigs like overhead line problems and fatalities on the line cause utter chaos. Sometimes shutting down large partsof the time at the time. making it impossible for people to get where they are going. A 20 minute journey say between Basildon and West Ham turns in the an hour long replacement bus journey from hell. I know thigs like this can't be predicted or prevented. But distruption should try to be kept at a minimum.
I was once at Basildon station waiting for the 04.49 train the Fenchurch Street, it was freezing cold and wet. Myself and around about 20 other people were waiting and waiting. The train was 4 minutes late, then 6 minutes late, then 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 minutes late. Eventually the on platform information board went off then restarted. someone had obviosly changed the information from the control center. It now appeares that the train we were waiting for was eventually on its way. There was only one problem - It was only going as far as Barking When we were waiting we were gived no information over the PA system about what was going on. I know that there are no staff at the station until around 05.30, but the people in the control room can connect and give announcement if they need to- but no one bothered. The train arrived, we all got on, and sat down (The train is quiet at this time of the morning) and we carried on to Barking. ON the approach to Barking the driver then finally announced that all the delays were occuring becuase of over running engineering works. He then went on to say that we were terminating at Barking. There was an audiably groaning noise on the usually really quiet train. When we go there everyone was turfed out and left to fend for themsleves. to try and find a way to thier destination. Basicallt C2C's customer service is CRAP.

All in all. Try not to use C2C unless youhave to. Especially at peak times. They really should try and sort of capacity problems too.... people are shoving in like sardines during the rush hour. but thats a whole diffrent story. Use C2C at your peril.