Plymouth train travellers peeved by pongy passengers

But Plymouth passengers rank as the most compassionate carriage-mates

New research from a leading train company has found that mobile phones are the number one source of rail rage, but passengers in Plymouth would need to be overwhelmed by passengers’ smelly odours before acting on their annoyance.

The survey, conducted by train company CrossCountry, found that more than half of people in Plymouth (51%) are most aggravated by passengers talking loudly on their mobile phones. They are also more likely to move away from noisy carriage-mates – almost half would move seats (49%) compared to the national average of just over a third (36%).

But poor hygiene is deemed the most offensive, with three quarters (75%) of people from Plymouth opting to move seats if the person sitting next to them smelt of cigarettes or strong body odour – ranking highest in the UK.

Passengers leaving their rubbish behind also rated highly on the bad habits barometer, with 47% of travellers listing litter bugs as their top gripe. Tolerance levels are also tested when it comes to amorous behaviour – almost half (47%) of people in Plymouth would move seats if the couple sitting next to them were getting frisky, making them more prudent than the rest of the UK – where just a third (32%) would leave their seats.

The most positive outcomes of the survey were the compassionate nature of passengers. People from Plymouth ranked the most considerate in the UK – with the majority willing to give up their seats for a pregnant lady (84%), an elderly person (83%), disabled person (79%) or a passenger who has fallen ill (72%). Three quarters (73%) are also kind enough to offer cash to a fellow passenger who was short of a few pence to buy a drink or snack on board.

With an estimated 1.4 billion journeys made by rail every year* it’s not surprising that people will encounter another passenger's annoying habits, however the survey found that passenger behaviour varies around the county.

Commenting on the findings, David Burton, Senior Conductor from CrossCountry who has been working on the railway for seven years said: “It’s not surprising to see that the most common gripes amongst passengers are music blaring through headphones and people talking loudly on their mobiles; quite often passengers miss the announcements as they board the train because they are chatting away on the phone. Although I very rarely have a passenger complain to me about other people on board, I did once have to ask an older gentleman to tone down his singing on the train – the other passengers were giggling instead of getting grouchy though, and he was very polite when he realised how loud he was.”

CrossCountry run to 121 stations – covering more of Britain than any other train operator – and have a quiet coach for those that wish for that extra peace and quiet.

Taken from the Office of Rail Regulation, 2011-12: http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/17399f40-373e-4a2....

For further information on CrossCountry services visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or follow them online via Twitter at @crosscountryuk, Facebook.com/crosscountrytrains and their student Facebook page, Facebook.com/studentraildeals.