I'm still standing

I had to go to Bristol today on business and being the good son of a Railwayman, I took the train.

At 3.22pm I boarded the FGW train ( comprised of two coaches) to Portsmouth at Bristol Temple Mead station for the return journey. In fact boarded is probably not strictly true as that description gives the impression of striding on board whereas I shuffled on with the dozens of other people as we struggled to find a space to stand for the journey. (Yes you did read that correctly). I then stood all the way from Bristol to Salisbury! That's a 70 minute journey. I did get a seat finally at Salisbury for the final 20 minutes.

Some facts :-

• It was Friday afternoon at the end of the school holidays
• Students were returning to University after the Easter break, the train passes through Cardiff, Bristol, Bath, Southampton and Portsmouth - all have Universities
• A good third of the available seats had reserved tickets on them. (although you had no chance of moving through the train to find your seat so you must ask "why bother?")
• The train to Bristol in the morning had three coaches.
• FGW bought some five coach trains, but mothballed them "as they were unreliable?!?"
• My ticket only gives the right to travel not to have a seat.

My e-mail to FGW has just been sent to express my unhappiness!

After all, as I said to them, next time I'll take the car, I always get a seat in that!