Last weekend, I decided at the last minute to take a trip down to Plymouth to see a friend who is studying down there. I've only done this trip once before but found that the 5 hours journey there and 8 hour journey back weren't too bad.

**Good Experiences**

As I have just said, the first time I travelled down to Plymouth was quite comfortable. The train journey there took 5 hours and I managed to grab myself my own table for the whole trip, after my change in Birmingham.

The journey back was a little more stressful as it took 8 hours and I had 4 changes. However, these changes were all timed perfectly so that I didn't have to wait in any city for too long and got home as quickly as I could.

This journey cost me around £80, which I am told is very cheap for a Nottingham-Plymouth trip, so based on this experience I would give Cross Country trains 5 stars.

**And Back Experiences**

However, my recent trip to Plymouth was nowhere near as easy or comfortable.

After boarding in Nottingham at 10.35, I had to change trains in Birmingham. My train arrived in Birmingham at 12.00 and my train to Plymouth was due to leave another platform at 12.10. This meant that I had to get off the train, grab my suitcase and run to the next platform!

But when I got into the main area of Birmingham station, the board for Plymouth stated that the next train had been cancelled. I assumed straight away that this was because of the snow somewhere along the way, so understood that the service could not help this situation. I called my friend to let him know and he informed me that every time one of his trains had been cancelled another had been provided and he did not have to wait for the next one.

So I popped over to the information desk and asked whether a replacement was being sent and was simply told 'no you will have to wait for the 13.10 train'. And then she turned tot he next person to take their enquiry. I found this quite rude as this was only the second time I had ever travelled alone, I was very nervous and obviously am quite young so someone could have given me a little more information.

As I was stuck in Birmingham for an hour, I popped over to the Bull Ring to do some shopping and returned to the platform which the 13.10 train was leaving from at 12.50 to give myself a little time to grab a seat.

When I arrived at the platform, it was mayhem! There were so many people squashed up there that I knew instantly I would not be sitting down on my 4 1/2 hour journey south! The train finally arrived around 13.05, which gave everyone 5 minutes to board the train before it was due to leave.

Needless to say, the train left late (around 13.20) which added another 10 minutes onto my long journey.

Also, the train was so busy that people were squashed up against each other outside the toilets on the train. There was even a little girl aged 3-4 sat on the floor out there as the seat her mother had reserved had now been cancelled as the train was twice as full!!

The whole of the journey down to Plymouth was like this, it was extremely uncomfortable and I spent most of the journey worrying that someone might steal my suitcase as they left the train, as I had had to leave it right by the doors!

I was happy to arrive in Plymouth and have a care free weekend. When leaving, I decided to catch the 15.25 train back, which would get me home for 20.45......this was not the case!

Again the train home was late and arrived at the station at 15.50. Once everyone was boarded, the driver announced that he was having problems starting the engine but hopefully we would be leaving soon. Luckily, everyone was listening for his announcement and we heard the speakers on the platform say that our train was now cancelled and another would be leaving in five minutes from a different platform. So everyone on the train ran to jump on the other one which was leaving shortly.

I was quite happy to find that I had a seat which had not been reserved so would not have to move all the way home, however, the problems with the train meant that this train was now double booked again and we had the same situation as on the way in. Although I was sitting, there were many people standing up, squashed together.

When I purchsed my tickets this time, I purchased a young person's rail card first. This saved me around £5 off the original fare but I figured I'd be going back to Plymouth again before the card ran out. I do not plan to go back any time soon as I do not want to have to travel like this again!!!


**Overall**

It is difficult to be angry with Cross Country as they cannot help the weather so it is not their fault that trains were cancelled and running late.

However, I do not feel that they did everything that they could to provide their customers with a decent enough service for such a long journey. We were informed on the way there and back that coaches had been taken off the train, so there were twice as many passangers and not enough coaches! If a replacement had been supplied, even if it had turned up later then the 13.10 train, life would have been so much easier and their customers would have been a lot happier.

When I am paying £100 to travel somewhere, I expect to atleast be able to sit down, even if I am sitting next to someone that I do not know. I don't expect to have to sit on the floor, outside a dirty toilet which absolutely stinks!

For the above reasons, I'm going to give Cross Country 3 stars. Their service this time around was not good enough (and my friend has said that he has had to travel like this with them before too) but I have had good experiences with them too.


Oh.....the train that I caught back got me home for 23.00!