'I live in a commuter town and have 6 key points I consider before travelling'

According to the Department for Transport over one million people commute into London daily and for the past six months one of those has been me. I live in a small village outside Hertfordshire's Royston called Barkway, once an important stop between Cambridge and the capital as evidenced by its Grade II listed carriage wash (pride of the community!).

In many ways it’s an idyllic life, with historic homes surrounded by grassland, but it’s not all roses and butterflies as there’s the commute. For those drawn to the commuter town lifestyle, the journey to and from the office must be borne in mind, with many London-based companies demanding employees head into the office at least part of the week.

If you are thinking of moving, or have just done so, here’s one commuter’s advice about travelling to the city.

It’ll cost you an arm and a leg…and probably the other arm and leg too

For me, travelling from Royston to London King's Cross, a year-long season ticket would cost £6,280 – and this isn’t even with a tube journey added on the end! If I was going into the office three days a week that would come to around £40 to go there and back again, each time. It’s not cheap.

Always get a train at least one earlier than you need

Delays are expected and cancellations shouldn’t surprise. According to analysis by PA News Agency, more than one in 25 services were cancelled across Britain in the year to February 1, 2025 and data released today by the Department of Transport shows my station is even worse.

Data shows, 4.8 per cent of services from Royston (around one in every 21) were cancelled, and only three in every four turn up on time. As such, getting the last train you require is asking for trouble.

Maybe it’ll be a lack of staff turning up or a dreaded mechanical fault, either way you’re going to be late for that meeting. It’s a lesson all commuters learn, give up that extra half an hour’s sleep and take the train before.

A seat with a table is worth a bar of gold

For people wanting to get ahead of their dreaded to-do list – perhaps so they can leave work early though more likely so they can do more in the afternoon – getting a seat with a table is vital. In effect, it is the only way for one to (comfortably!) use a laptop on a train.

There is, of course, a knack to getting one of these spots: learn which part will have the most seats (usually the front), and make sure to note where on the platform the doors will open, ensuring to avoid the areas with extra-large bathrooms instead of tables.

However, even with all the prep in the world it’s in the power of the train Gods as you may be on the dreaded Class 717 type with no tables, or perhaps an earlier cancellation has made it more crowded than a Glastonbury mosh pit. You can pray but it probably won’t help.

No talking allowed!

On commuter trains you can work, read or quietly reflect on what decisions led you to taking such an early train. However, if you talk, expect polite but hostile glares.

If you know someone, accepted decorum is to avoid each other’s eye and go to separate carriages. If that meeting is unavoidable than quiet, intermittent small talk is about as acceptable as it gets.

Only once have I ever seen a stranger strike up a conversation with another commuter: “You must think me bonkers just talking to you like this,” he said. “Not at all,” said the other man while typing on his computer, although he and the rest of us all did.

Drink coffee and eat breakfast at your peril

There is an element of shame to eating or drinking on a commuter train, particularly eating. This can be ignored. What cannot be dismissed is the risk to your clothes. The train is a jumpy, stuttering beast that can humiliate even the coolest cucumber.

At points, it’s as delicate a game as Operation and even the slightest overconfidence can lead to stained clothes and severe self-consciousness for the day’s remainder. I’ve not yet seen someone tucking a serviette into their collar, but if I end up with a coffee-stained shirt one more time, I might.

It’s so much less depressing when it’s light outside

Over the past week, I’ve got to the station and (huzzah!) it’s not dark. Of course, it’s still cold – that can’t be helped – but the sun has given Royston Station a certain buzz. Now, I’m not saying that people are doing anything different.

They still stand silently on the platform waiting for their train, scrolling on their phone or listening to music, but they do so with a bit more vigour and verve. No-one is energetic or even smiling, but people also don’t seem utterly miserable either. The sun really does help.

Get the top stories from across London directly to your inbox. Sign up for MyLondon's The 12 HERE to get the biggest stories every day