Yes, strategically we basically stopped investing Rail Infrastructure in the late Victorian era. So yes, everythin is very picturesque.
>In my experience, looking up schedules, booking tickets, reserving seats and travelling by train was all as straightforward as can be.
You clearly haven't ever bought a ticket. £30 please, unless you want to travel after 10am, then it'll be 25, oh wait you want to go via Reading that'll be 40. Haha, you got through the barrier tapping your oyster card? That doesn't work out here!
>Avanti West Coast and LNER are the pick of the bunch in this regard as both offer quality hot meals and free-flowing drinks in first class, including beer, wine and strong alcohol.
Yes, when you buy a train ticket the cost of a 3 bed semi, they've got some margin. The idea of traveling first class is unheard off for brits.
>4. The UK has two great sleeper trains
The UK, a country where you could name about 30 destinations that would deserve decent sleeper routes, has two. This sums up the Caledonian sleeper:https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jul/22/passenger-sp...
>5. Train travel in the UK can be expensive, but..
I live in a commuter town to London, I spend more on a single ticket to work than a months unlimited travel on German railways.
>7. Platforms are announced late
Specifically, they're announced far later than they need to be. If you see the 9:15 train to Maidenhead hasn't announced the platform yet, go have a look at the arrivals. Becuase there's almost certianly an arrival at 9:03 from Maidenhead on platform 4. Guess what.
>9. Railway employees are amazing
Yeah, brits actually know this. It's only politicians and millionaire corporate execs that don't.