In September 1825, the first steam trainleft a coal mine on the North-East of England full of coal. Soon after, the trains started carrying passengers too, and the UK’s obsession with train travel began. As well as being the oldest railway in the world, Britain’s rail network is one of the most used. It’s a great way to explore the country – the views are much better than from the motorway — but there are some rules to travelling by train in the UK.
QUIET PLEASE
Rush hour trains taking commuters to and from work in Britain’s cities are not a place to make conversation. Often carriages are filled to capacity with people standing hip to hip and nose to armpit, but no-one will say a word. Don’t be alarmed. This is totally normal.
Also be aware that some carriages are designated as quiet zones. Being noisy in the quiet zone or even using your cell phone will make other passengers angry, or even very angry.
All stand
If an elderly, disabled or pregnant person gets on the train and there is no seat free, other passengers will almost always give up their seat. It’s polite and correct but can lead to embarrassment. Embarrassment is something that British people excel at. Is the person old enough? Will they be offended to be offered a seat? The pregnant woman says she doesn’t want to sit down. Is she just being polite? Should she be encouraged to sit down? Is that patronising? Although this interaction is potentially tricky, it has to be done. A common scenario is that the elderly or disabled or pregnant person refuses to sit down, and the person who was sitting down before is now too embarrassed to reclaim the seat. Now both people are standing, while the seat remains empty.
Golden rule
If you want to stand rather than walk up an escalator in a station, you must stand on the right. Don’t even think about blocking the left-hand side of the escalator with your suitcase or your friend. The left-hand side of the escalator needs to be kept clear for people in a hurry. You will see signs everywhere saying “Please stand on the right.” The ‘please’ makes it sound like a polite request. It is in fact an order.
