SMELLY food – and having to stand in standard when the First Class carriage is empty – are Brits’ biggest train ‘icks’.
A poll, of 2,000 adults, discovered the top 20 ‘rail fails’, also include noisy passengers, loud music or videos being played and unclear announcements over the tannoy.
Brits aren’t fans of fellow passengers tucking into smelly snacks on the tracks.[/caption]
Similarly, seats being taken up with luggage or being used as a footrest are familiar annoyances.
While the top three most irritating rail dislikes are costly tickets (35 per cent), delays (34 per cent) and overcrowding (24 per cent).
Almost half (43 per cent) are already bracing for rail transport this Easter to be disrupted.
Marc Pell, managing director at temporary car insurance provider Tempcover, which commissioned the research, said: “The research highlights the very real frustrations many endure with UK train travel.
“The quality of a journey significantly impacts overall enjoyment, and unreliable services take away from people’s precious time.
“Over a four-day Easter holiday, no-one wants their plans derailed.”
The research went on to find two in 10 experience delays or cancellations on services most times they travel by train – with 11 per cent having experienced a hold-up of more than four hours.
And the average time passengers have had to wait on a rail replacement bus service is 41 minutes, while 20 per cent have done so for an hour or more.
The average price of tickets costs almost £110 – with 80 per cent citing train ticket prices as expensive.
To make things even worse, 44 per cent have witnessed someone playing loud music in their carriage, and 42 per cent have come across a rude passenger during their travels.
But staff are the silver lining, with 49 per cent saying they are helpful, according to the OnePoll stats.
Furthermore, 51 per cent would rather drive than catch a train – as you can get straight to your destination (49 per cent), have your own space (38 per cent) and it’s seen as more reliable (35 per cent).
Marc Pell, of Tempcover, added: “This Easter, car sharing is another way to visit friends and family.
“This is where temporary car insurance can really help. Just borrow a car, get insured in minutes and you can travel on your own terms whenever you want – evening or day, on or off-peak”.
TOP 20 ‘RAIL FAILS’:
1. Expensive or overpriced tickets
2. Delays and cancellations
3. Overcrowding
4. Lack of available seats and having to stand
5. Replacement bus services
6. Unreliable timetables
7. Noisy passengers
8. Lack of toilets or dirty toilets
9. Dirty trains
10. People taking up extra seats with bags
11. Drunken passengers
12. People putting feet on seats
13. People playing loud music/videos
14. Slow trains or too many stops
15. People blocking doors when trying to get on/off
16. Noisy children or crying babies
17. People eating smelly food
18. Unclear announcements
19. Plenty of room in first class with the people in standard being packed in like sardines
20. Passengers with a visibly contagious illness
