Midland Main Line

* NOTE: This route has been taken over by Stagecoach as East Midlands Trains. *

I have been travelling on Midland Mainline almost every working day for over five years from my home in Leicestershire to work in London. I have seen it all.

When the service works well, and you are aboard one of their High Speed Trains (HSTs) as opposed to their Turbostars, it is a good way of getting about. For the occasional journey to the Midlands, and now to Manchester, I would recommend it.

But sadly, a lot of the time it is a complete shambles. Trains are routinely late (and that means more than 10 minutes late in railway terms) or cancelled. It has been getting worse. This is not just my impression. All rail companies must publish performance statistics, including reliability (percentage of trains cancelled) and on-time performance. For almost as long as I have been using them, Midland Mainline have fallen below their targets for on-time performance, and last month they fell below their target for reliability for the first time. This is good news for season ticket holders, as we now get a 10% discount. But you only get that if you renew your season ticket, and face the same hassles again.

While I am talking about season tickets,I do think they are exceptionally good value. You may draw breath when you read that I pay well over £4,000 a year for mine, from Kettering to St Pancras, including parking but not underground, but that allows me unlimited travel during the week between those stations and any intermediate ones (handy for Luton airport). On the weekend, I get unlimited travel on the whole network, including York and Manchester, and I can bring people with me at vastly reduced fares.

However, the regular fares are a rip-off. For example, a standard open return from Leicester to Luton Airport Parkway on an early morning peak train is £48 for a one-hour journey. The trip to the airport could very well cost you more than your flight. There are some good deals for off peak travel, and for booking far in advance however, but it is still expensive on a per mile basis, and compared to rail travel on the continent. Foursight and Twosome tickets are very good value. Foursight allows four people to travel from Leicester and points south to London for about £40. But they are very limited, and only off peak. They go on sale exactly 30 days before the date of travel, and are bookable online, so look as soon as they go on sale for the date you want if you know it that far ahead. Otherwise look for Apex, Supersaver or Savers.

Booking is simple, either at one of their stations, online or on the phone.

Their route from London St Pancras includes Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough, Derby, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Sheffield, York, Manchester, and some smaller stations in between.

Their HSTs are fine, comfortable and relatively quick (when they don't break down or aren't delayed for some other reason). Their Turbostars, which are being withdrawn next year and replaced with Voyager trains like Virgin runs, are to be avoided at all costs. The seats are uncomfortable with little legroom, and they are slower, making more frequent stops. Journey times are good, about an hour and 20 minutes London to Leicester on a non-stop HST.

However breakdowns or other problems (such as no air conditioning) are frequent on both types of trains. They are busy refurbishing the older HSTs, but it has made little difference. Trains are often overcrowded at peak times, but quite uncrowded in the middle of the day.

Customer service is patchy. I have come to know most of the onboard personnel over the years, and each have their quirks. Sometimes information on delays etc. is hard to come by, which can be frustrating. And just last night, I heard a lady on her mobile telling someone that her ticket had been checked at the barrier at St.Pancras (a normal procedure for peak time trains) and the member of staff had demanded to see her seat reservation (quite rudely, she felt). She said she couldn't understand why he cared if she didn't have a seat, and she argued with him that she was going to miss the train while she searched for the reservation. It was clear that the chap never took a few seconds to explain that the reason for his request was that her ticket was only valid on a specific train, and he needed to see the reservation in order to be sure she was getting on the right one.

On that subject, be sure you buy your ticket before boarding, as no railcard or other discounts are given on the train, and if you are booked on a specific train and turn up early, don't try to board an earlier one. I have seen people reduced to tears on being informed that their ticket was not valid and a full open single had to be bought - £36 from London to Leicester.

The ratings on comfort apply to the HSTs and not the Turbostars. The frequency rating depends on where you want to go and at what time of day. There are more trains to more places at peak times, but you pay for the privilege. Likewise the value for money applies to the fares that the ordinary passenger would pay, as opposed to season tickets.

Do travel with Midland Mainline if they are going where you need to go, but arm yourself with patience, make sure you follow any conditions on your ticket to the letter, and do take advantage of the free tea and coffee to soothe your nerves when things go wrong - assuming of course it isn't the hot water urn that has broken down; that happens to me on average once a month.