Midland Main Line > Reviews > Forget the coach.

Author's product rating:   

Frequency of trains	Excellent
Reliability of trains	Always on time
Comfort of trains	Comfortable
On-board facilities	Good

Advantages:	Punctual (most of the time) .  Comfortable .  New rolling stock .
Disadvantages:	The PA system (words cannot express how much I hate it)

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Living in Nottingham and going to university in London, I come into somewhat frequent contact with Midland Mainline. I do, obviously, have the option of using the National Express or the bargain no-frills Megabus service, but since I don't like sharing a coach station with the world's largest indoor collection of pigeons - as you have to do when travelling with National Express - and don't particularly consider a comfortable seat a 'frill' (no thanks Megabus), I have practically no other option than to travel with Midland Mainline.

And, to be honest, things could be a lot, lot worse. Midland Mainline has noticeably improved over the last few years, and so in many respects it is quite a shame that they have lost their franchise to be absorbed into a larger Midlands regional franchise, which might not be as concerned about this particular route as the current franchise is. Midland Mainline's biggest selling point is that they cannot be accused of unreliability: I travel with them about four times a month, and cannot even think of a time when I have been delayed; I can, however, think of several occasions on which the train has actually arrived early. The company has also invested in brand new rolling stock; the first time I saw one of the standard class carriages, I thought for a moment that it was actually a first class carriage, with its spacious and comfortable seats and electricity sockets for mp3 players and laptops. You are not guaranteed to be on one of the new trains, and I am always slightly disappointed (but only slightly) if I walk up to the station to see one of the old trains, but more often than not you will be on a new train.

The company also provide all passengers with complimentary tea and coffee, which other train operators do not provide. It does come in quite handy as well, to be honest. It's only a small cup, but it does tend to quench the thirst. Don't expect Starbucks; the little milk pouches are labelled "Tastes Like Fresh Milk", which is quite ominous when you think about it but at least it does indeed taste like milk.

As well as taking the journey in comfort (usually), you are also given the choice between, effectively, an 'express' service (stopping at the primary stations only) and a 'local' service (stopping at every station). This is a really great idea on the company's part; I live in Nottingham, so always use the express services, which stop only at Leicester (sometimes Loughborough). It takes an hour and three-quarters to get to London; you can't really argue with that.

But the ultimate best thing about Midland Mainline is that, if you play your cards right and are prepared to book in advance, it is *so* cheap. I book my tickets about a fortnight in advance and rarely pay more than £5 for the journey each way. On many occasions I have been able to get a return for £7.95. This can be up to a third of the cost of National Express, which takes longer and is nowhere near as comfortable, and even though I have a railcard to get even cheaper fares, they are available (if slightly more expensive) even if you are not a railcard holder.

However, I really do have one major, massive gripe about Midland Mainline and it aggravates me so much that it almost makes me determined enough to write to them to express my pent-up aggression. Their PA system is singularly infuriating. I like to think of a two-hour train journey as time for myself to do what I want to do: read, listen to music, whatever. I really hate the way that Midland Mainline staff make public announcements for every little thing: they make announcements with practically the same wording both just before and just after the train leaves, as well as after every single intermediate station; they tell you when the bar is open, and then remind you (in case you'd forgotten); they sometimes make announcements about completely inconsequential things, such as one time when they announced it was some guy's birthday. Sorry, but I just don't care. Turn off the PA; people are not stupid and probably know already what you are reading out from the official script.

British trains have a reputation for their apparent lack of punctuality, antiquated rolling stock and stern-faced staff. Midland Mainline is not guilty of a single one of these heinous crimes: you could do a lot worse than travelling with them. Forget the coach.