30th August

I used the train for the first time on Monday and then Friday. My discovery was that different lines have different policies. Avanti North West were very organised. All seats seemed to be booked. They told us all to wear masks and how to do it. The only flaw was that no one came to check, so the lads next to me getting off at Wigan had decided that it didn’t apply to them. Of course I could have been brave and told them what they should be doing but they were much bigger than me and clearly suffering from the night before. I decided to risk the Covid 19 threat and keep quiet. Though the subsequent argument might have exposed me more. Transport for Wales had no booked seats and all was fine until the coming back it was the Friday before Bank Holiday. They had carefully marked seats not to be used but the train was so busy people gave up in the end. Again no one came to check. My main worry here was not Covid but that by Hereford where I had got on it was already 20 minutes late (not surprising as it comes from Milford Haven) and at Shrewsbury the guard shouted, ‘The toilets aren’t working so you can get off and go if you want and we’ll wait.’ I had two thoughts here, the first and less selfish, if you had been crossing your legs all the way from Milford Haven you really needed to go. The more selfish one, I now have only 5 minutes to catch my train at Crewe. In the end all was fine. I would definitely use the train again though.