Greater Anglia vs C2C, London to Southend and back - which commute is better?

[@Lynxfan2]

Hello there, the train that you are on from Southend Central to London Fenchurch Street is a c2c Metro Class 357/3 Electrostar EMU train. This train was originally a Class 357/2 however it has since had its interior reconfigured from 2+3 seating layout to 2+2 seating layout. As a side note, all of cc2c Class 357 EMU trains have been refurbished with new vinyl flooring, retrimmed seats in new moquette and purple stanchlions. One important note to point out is the fact that whilst London Liverpool Street has a London Underground station, Fenchurch Street is not served by the London Underground, you have to walk to Tower Hill for the Circle line or Tower Gateway for the Docklands Light Railway (however c2c from Fenchurch Street travels directly to the centre of Southend). This could be a deciding factor with regards to which is your preferred method of transport between London and Southend. Finally the brand new five car length Alstom Class 720/6 Aventra EMU trains will be replacing the four car length Bombardier Class 387/3 Electrostar EMU trains and will be entering service from September. Best wishes and take care. Kind regards, Peter Skuce. St Albans. Hertfordshire.

[@timbounds7190]

Yes, but the walk from Fenchurch St to Tower Hill is only a couple of hundred yards - if you use the Crosswall exit from Fenchurch St. This is probably shorter than many interchanges at some other stations eg the lengthy walks at Kings Cross, or especially to/from the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon!!!

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watch9ing - apprecaited. Yeah i know, the Tower Hill / Fenchurch Street gap altohugh not far if you're not used to the area (like me 20 yeards ago) it may be a problem but i have always used the Victoria line.

[@moleyofsouthend-on-sea8837]

Originally they had Green Stanchions the 357's . as i know there are 74 originally divided up as 46 357/1s with 28 357/2s . The 357/3s being designated as ''Metro'' trains with more Standee room. Also c2c is cheaper than GA

[@EssexWolf1993]

C2C is my local line and I will say that it has gone very downhill since it changed hands from National Express to TrenItalia.

[@Electrostarboi207]

Because trenitalia gives less if a crap for c2c

[@Tom_murray89]

Same here national express was much better. C2C is rubbish. The sooner they are stripped of the contract the contract and it’s is put out to tender the better

[@leeklass3907]

But my eqivielant journey on c2C iswould be around £10 per day cheaper than journey from Hockley to Straftord on GA for an any time return

[@thisis_mudchute]

the timetable used to be much better, but i have to admit, ive never seen a 2min delay or more, and i use c2c almost every week. the only thing that could be improved is where the 720s are placed - i wish they operated all the services on one specific route, eg london to soithend via ockendon. also reasonable price, greateranglia is stupidly expensive

[@arnoldspottingvideos5652]

Great video mate. C2C is my local line and plus they're ordering 12 class 720/6s

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Cheers mate, thanks for watching - appreciated.

[@Electrostarboi207]

c2c in may announced that they will refurbish their class 357s to have the same feel as their new 720s

[@srfurley]

13:56 what is that large boat with the gun mounted on the bow; some sort of training facility? It’s been there for many years.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated. I'm not totally sure but believe it's part of the Essex Yacht Club.

[@lovefive5733]

A brilliant video. Two great journeys. Thank you for uploading this video

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Cheers mate and thanks for watching - very much appreciated.

[@timbounds7190]

I grew up along the C2C line, so I have only 1 recollection of travelling on the Liverpool St Line between Rayleigh and Billericay (probably in the 1970s). It struck me as a very bumpy journey....not that C2C was much better! The Electrostars were a revelation when they first appeared - so quiet and comfortable, compared to the previous trains. So, if you think the Electrostars are dated, I still remember the original EMUs from the early 1960s - they were pretty appalling - slam doors and mostly compartments - nowhere to stand when they got full (and they did!), no toilets, pretty grimy and not a great ride. Probably pretty dangerous as well, as people always opened the doors way before the train had stopped and started getting out of the train before it had come to a stand - its amazing people on the platform weren't hit by flying doors! Still, it did help to make stations stops incredibly rapid - sometimes a train could stop and be on its way again in under 10secs! So much better than the tedious messing around modern trains seem to need. Southend doesn't seem to have changed that much (and certainly not improved) since I was a lad 50 years ago!!!

[@kevanhubbard9673]

On the other side of London Windsor has 2 routes to London and strange people seem to prefer the Paddington one from Windsor Central despite the change at Slough (years ago after Sir John Major privatised BR Thames Trains had a few direct ones a day) rather than the Windsor Riverside to Waterloo slower one.I have done both of those Southend ones years ago and as I recall Central and Victoria are about a 10 minute walk apart and Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street about the same.

[@stephenduncan3605]

One thing i see about Southend Victoria is that the platforms are cleaner than at Southend Central as the platforms at Central appear to be covered in chewing gum!

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated. 100% agree.

[@petejones7878]

Change at Pitsea for TilBury Line and Docks

[@athavanainkaran2499]

2:14 Why is there a Elizabeth Line Class 345 at Platform 15?

[@UmarooollllZndYT]

There is a shuttle service every 30 minutes that runs between London Liverpool Street and Gidea Park

[@athavanainkaran2499]

@@UmarooollllZndYTyes you are correct

[@Electrostarboi207]

I think the solution for overcrowding is to add in more routes or overshadow over railways that go through the thames estery

[@peterbrown6224]

Thank you. Shame, as Fenchurch St is much more pleasant than Liverpool St, and the c2c carriage seemed quieter.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreacited

[@maimadha]

Great video.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi Madeline, thanks for watching - appreciated.

[@petejones7878]

Change at Wickford for , Southminster Line

[@truebrit3578]

I think historically the Fenchurch Street line service has always been the poorer of the two. In the early 1980s when my mother lived in Southend and I lived in London I would alternate between the two services. The Fenchurch Street line even then had some very dated stock and the whiff of underinvestment.

[@Tom_murray89]

Hope you enjoyed the seafront

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching appreciated. Always enjoy the seafront, love a theme park every now and then.

[@johng.lidstone2236]

Nice video and interested in your comparison. Detail maintenance on c2c has dropped during the Trenitalia era sadly, but the GA train you were saying was so clean and tidy was brand new (so hardly surprising it was so). I'm surprised you didn't compare the seat comfort - the 357s are basic as you rightly say, but perfectly comfortable for the c2c journey lengths, whereas everyone I know who has used the 720s on GA find the seats hard and uncomfortable (I only use c2c, for 45min journeys from London due to unreliable Arriva bus connection to my nearest GA station ). I've always regarded the c2c journey as far better - chiefly due to a faster journey and cheaper fare and (for me) a far more convenient London terminus and also better views, with the pleasant coastal stretch as you rightly point out. The 357s also have the advantage of carriage-end doors, so if there is rowdy stuff going on (or failed air-con in one carriage, a nightmare in summer, or in severe cold), you can separate yourself from it by going to another. Walk-through trains also give muggers the opportunity to patrol a train up and down at will, so as to pick and pounce on their victim, whereas carriage-end doors effectively deter that easy movement.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching appreciated.

[@Dvdylol]

I think the longest you'd be on a 720 is around 1h40m London to Ipswich. But the seats are alright

[@Electrostarboi207]

the longer the class 720s stay the more we realize, it's bad its awful

[@johndrain4325]

The 1455 from Liverpool St goes to Southend Victoria not Central as shown on your caption.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated. Apologies, slight error.

[@leeklass3907]

The Geordie, thanks for the video but Ryanair will not be rtruning to London Southend Airport any time soon. Suprising much cheaper the ticket to Fenchurch Street line are when compared to GA Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street are. I use GA it's the covnvient for going to the office in Straftord I live in Hockley. My colleagues who live on the C2C line pay around £10 less per day

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - much appreciated.

[@stephenduncan3605]

The C2C is also more frequent than Greater Anglia.

[@Andrewjg_89]

I do think that the new c2c Class 720/6 will help with overcrowding during rush hour. And to relieve some of the pressure for commuters travelling to & from London Fenchurch Street, Basildon, Southend Central, Shoeburyness and Tilbury Town. And I have been on the Greater Anglia Class 720 which has made a lot of difference when it first came into service in late 2020.

[@TheMoonP4seesThrough]

Hello passengers this train goes to Stratford we will be calling at lea bridge totthenam hale meridian water ponders end and Stratford city

[@TheMoonP4seesThrough]

Hello passengers this train goes to Liverpool Street we will be calling at Southend central Upminster fenchurch street start for and Liverpool street

[@VongChung-f1q]

N57 Electrostar

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Thanks for watching mate - appreciated

[@ket1217]

Is c2c airconditioned?

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - this unit was not.

[@thisis_mudchute]

most units are, and sometimes it is really cold in the summer which i like

[@a133m210]

wrong conclusion, c2c > ga

[@serenegrace2515]

Cheers from Chile, hope some day I'll visit the UK. Here, we're recently revitalizing our railway policies, rail travel fans getting some love after years of mismanagement 💙

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watchinf - appreciated.

[@henreereeman8529]

Interesting that you found the greater anglia seats uncomfortable, when I travelled on them I thought they were great, especially for a commuter train. Also I thought that you were a pretty harsh reviewer! It should also be noted that c2c are getting some new 720s as well, so that may help a bit. Also there were a bunch of grammar and spelling mistakes :/

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Thanks for watching, appreciated. I wouldn't say harsh, just my own opinions which of course may vary from other peoples.

[@御芽出鯛]

Thank you for always delivering wonderful videos. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. I have one favour to ask. It will be a reference when using the toilet, so please take a picture of the scene where the toilet water flows (the flushed water is sucked into the underfloor tank) when visiting the toilet. Please.

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching - appreciated. I will, if the toilet is clean.

[@御芽出鯛]

@@TheGeordieTravels Thank you for your reply. Simply, I'm interested in the toilet system of railroad cars, and it's also a reference when I use it myself, so I'd like to see it by all means. I will tell you so that there is no misunderstanding, but what I want to see is the scene where clean water flows before using the toilet. I'm looking forward to it.

[@xr6lad]

Must admit never been to Liverpool St. Was surprised at the dark enclosed nature of the platforms. Has it always been that way? Underground? No big airy train roof?

[@NetworkX90]

Platforms 11-17 are underground, while 1-10 are under a classic station roof.

[@EuroDC1990]

Greater Anglia: Some of the best built new trains in the UK, really solid and quality feel to them. Just a real shame they went for 2+3 seating rather than 2+2. Even for a commuter train, 2+3 is the wrong idea as it makes sitting uncomfortable and gives little standing room. Better to have comfortable seating and more room for standees. C2C: confusing little company, personally I always thought (and still do) that c2c routes should have been integrated into CrossRail rather than Shenfield services and that Shenfield services would have been a much better fit for the Overground. Either way Fenchurch Street is one of the most depressing stations in London and c2c's trains are old and deeply unpleasant. I'd choose Greater Anglia any day

[@thisis_mudchute]

normally id choose greateranglia, but its so much more expensive, and c2c is much cheaper. if possible i would plan it in advance so i get a 720 on c2c to southend

[@colinsmith6611]

Another interesting video. You seem to vhoose some unusual subjects. But, one little criticism unfortunately. I, and presumably lots of viewers, have a problem with most of your captions. You use white text exclusively but nearly always this is set against very light backgrounds making it impossibly difficult to read. Could you please consider a darker coloured text?

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thanks for watching, hopefully soon i will have a new format going forward that will ease the problem.

[@kennethhume8628]

You make excellent videos but I’m not a fan of screen captions . If you changed to talking I would definitely subscribe.🙂🙂

[@TheGeordieTravels]

Hi mate, thank you for watching - hopefully in the future i will be, stay tuned!?