South West Trains

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: The worst mode of transport on the face of the planet

...about the terrible state of South West Trains. I can hardly bring myself to pay for my train ticket nowadays when I know what type of journey I can expect. I use SW Trains to get into work everyday (early morning and evening), and travel from Guildford to Waterloo. My gripe lies not with the staff at SW Trains, I think they make the best of what they have and are usually polite and happy to help, but with the state of the trains which are absolutely ...
...with fellow passengers to get a seat on the train. As Guildford is at the end of the line most seat are taken from passengers earlier in the journey. So usually one is forced to either stand in the corridor for the 40 minute journey or at worst sit in one of the smokers compartments. I am not a smoker and I tend to just walk through the compartment, but it seems to me there are loads of smoking cars. WHY!!!! They are usually only half full of smokers ... Read review

Advantages: Acceptable when the service is running properly, new trains soon, new information system soon, frequency
Disadvantages: Delays, dated trains, peak hours, patronising, see stories section

South West Trains (SWT) operate services between London Waterloo and the South West of England; reaching places like Reading, Exeter, and Southampton etc, it also runs a suburban network through south west London… I’ve been travelling one the “Reading” line for almost 4 years now, and this is what I think of them, I can only speak on behalf of this line, there is a chance I could mislead you on the general picture… ...
...In one word, I think it has been awful, I have traveled on SWT for almost 4 years and the percentage of times I have been on time (i.e. no later than 3 minutes later than the advertised arrival time) about 75% of the time, is this acceptable? I think your opinion is as valid as mine. I have had my train cancelled 4 times, which isn’t bad, but when waiting on the platform at Waterloo, I have heard of far many more cancellations. The latest it ... Read review

Advantages: I can get to work
Disadvantages: No choice over whether I use them and appalling customer service

...the board of management from South West Trains who will be passing down the carriages. If you have any questions please feel free to ask them." Ah-ha, so that is what they are up to. Then again, at our first stop, West Byfleet, "Good Morning and welcome to those passengers who have joined the 0733 semi-fast service to London Waterloo calling at….." and then they again told us that there were South West Train managers on board. Shortly after ...
...thanked us for travelling with South West Trains and wished us a pleasant day. Despite being told that there were managers on the train (and seeing them at Woking station) they did not make it far enough up the train to get the chance to speak to them. South West Trains had actually managed to run a 12 carriage train (as per the timetable) rather than the usual 8 carriages that turn up most mornings. Is it any wonder that the train companies will ... Read review

Advantages: [below]
Disadvantages: [below]

I myself travel using South West Trains very frequently, and in writing this opinion I also draw on the comments of father who daily catches the 0752 from Guildford to Waterloo, using a season ticket which cost him many thousands of pounds. Trains are frequently delayed, cancelled or short in carriages, causing much disruption, which people who have spent a lot on their ticket do not deserve. Having finally managed to get on the train, they are overcrowded ...
...are always virtually empty, yet South West Trains still fill their trains with such carriages, as often longer trains are made up from three smaller ones, all containing a first class and smoking compartment, resulting in a longer train with six carriages that the general public cannot use. The buffet is a smoking area, and is taken over by smokers, who see it as another smoking compartment. So if you are sensitive to smoke, it is impossible to get ... Read review

Advantages: you get to your to where you want quickly if you havent got a car and you can save petrol
Disadvantages: you dont know how relable they are

I've been a train traveller all my life and as neither of my parents drive I have got use to what our trains were like but recently i feel they have been getting worse. For example i went to Southampton recently and the toilets were a total mess. There was no loo role as it was all over the floor, the tap water didn't run/flow properly, and the hand towels were non-existent. Also the door didn't close, as the lock didn't reach its fixing on the wall. ...
...On a hot day you would like a drink if you were gonna be on a train for 2 hours. So you would think there might at least be a buffet service, well you'd be wrong. There was no buffet in any of the carriages; there wasn't even a trolley service. So are we meant to die of dehydration? … well I guess the train companies just might think that! There is also a lot of graffiti on the trains. You have windows with so many scratches in, that you cant ... Read review

Advantages: Same train, same journey, massive discount!
Disadvantages: Limited journey options

...-less basis in the same way as some budget airlines do. I was sent an email confirmation with Reservation codes - to print out and carry with us on the day. We arrived at Exeter railway station and were advised which carriage of the train we should sit in. Megatrain is operated by South West Trains in the south of England and the train was a normal one, with megatrain posters in the windows of one carriage. The seats were not reserved, but there was plenty of room. (In fact I can't remember the last time I got on a train that wasn't packed!) As we sped towards Waterloo, other non-megatrain passengers joined us. It felt strange to know that most had paid at least 3 times as much as we had. After an uneventful journey we arrived on time, and the return journey passed in a similar way. The guard checked our reservation code in the same way as... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: The advantages are: smart trains, fast, reliable and comfortable.
Disadvantages: The reliabillity.

...Midland Mainline is one of the best train companies ever. Midland Mainline trains include Class 158 two and three cars, Turbostar class 170 two and three cars, class 221 which are four and five cars long cars and hst trains which have about nine cars long. They run from the east midlands down to London every hour and most days. The Midland Mainline are part of the National Express group and Midland Mainline have now changed to East Midland Trains which is the sister of South West Trains they are both run by Stagecoach which operator in the transport sector. They frequency of trains from the East Midlands to London is very good because they run every hour from station right across Yorkshire and East Midlands. The trains are modern and very fast and are very clean and very comfortable. Also the on-board facilities are great to because... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Cheap, flexible, countrywide travel
Disadvantages: None

...Megatrain.com is absolutely fantastic, I cannot sing it's praises enough! The same concept as megabus.com, this company provide amazingly cheap transport around the UK. In this case, via train. The main network of deals travel in and out of London connecting with different Cities. Megatrain.com do not have their own trains, rather seats or carriages within trains that are already running. These are with companies such as Virgin and South West Trains, so the environment on board is relatively plush and comfortable. All bookings for Megatrain are taken online, where you can select your desired travel times and dates, and are presented with all available options. It is clearly presented and easy to operate, very user friendly. You are provided with a username and password allowing you to access your account and make any... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful