I worked remotely on a seven-hour UK train journey. It was worth the £249 fare
The salty aroma of soy sauce smacks against my nostrils and I can almost taste the sticky rice and briny seaweed as my neighbour eagerly dives in for yet another piece. It’s still morning and slightly early for sushi, but for me, unusual food choices are just another typical day at the office.
I’ve worked remotely for the past seven years, so I’m now all too used to unconventional set-ups; cafés, co-working spaces and kitchen tables have all doubled as places I can work. But today, my office is somewhere slightly different – the seven hours and 31 minutes direct train from Leeds to Penzance.
I’m travelling roughly 305 miles while doing my day job in marketing and my five-day trip to Penzance is a satisfying blend of work and holiday. During the weekdays – including the train journeys there and back – I’ll be working away on my laptop, while the evenings and weekend are mine to explore Cornwall, somewhere I’ve never visited. With my annual leave running scarily low, this enables me to make the most of working remotely while still enjoying a little break on the other side of the country.
Departing from Edinburgh, the CrossCountry service is the second-longest in the UK (behind Aberdeen–Plymouth). After stopping at Leeds, it wings its way south-west via Birmingham and Bristol before winding through Devon and Cornwall.
From Leeds, a standard off-peak return costs £248.60. And with 25 stops ahead, it’s a busy service; suitcases are slotted into the luggage racks like Tetris blocks. Luckily, I have a pre-booked seat, and most of them seem to be reserved, though there are enough scattered about for those who are determined. Others have abandoned the hunt for seats, standing or sitting in the vestibule instead.
My laptop fits neatly on the tray table, charging via a socket next to me, while my coffee balances on the armrest, leaning against the wall. The set-up works as long as I keep my elbows tucked in; one careless move and scalding coffee could cascade down my leg.
While a recent Transport Focus survey found that one in four UK train passengers were dissatisfied with the reliability of onboard internet, the Wi-Fi on this train isn’t bad, and I manage to send emails and reply to Teams notifications without a problem. However, my work files are stored in the cloud, and while word-processing documents load fine, spreadsheets prove a struggle.
Perhaps it’s because we’re heading to the coast in time for a heatwave, but a shared excitement fills the air and the carriage buzzes with conversation. As we clatter out of Sheffield, past red-brick terraces and blurred hedgerows, destinations chime through the carriage and passengers swap travel plans.
I’m mid-chat with my neighbour, who travels regularly between Leeds and Taunton, when a Teams call interrupts. That’s right, I’m here to work – I’d almost forgotten. I lurch into a discussion about newsletters, and it takes a moment to switch gears. The call isn’t perfect, but I’m impressed the connection holds out for the full 18 minutes.
As the day unfolds, the carriage quiets, amplifying the noises around me. A woman a few rows ahead talks loudly about her friend’s questionable romantic choices; a 90s dance anthem blasts from someone’s headphones; a toddler laments his boredom. My spreadsheet takes a backseat.
Approaching Plymouth after almost six hours, I can feel my concentration starting to fade. I’ve had three Teams calls so far – all been uninterrupted, though camera-off. But I’m approaching an afternoon slump, and aboard a train the only real option to avert it is to wander the carriages in search of refined sugar. So that’s what I do.
In the next carriage, I find Rory Ashcroft, a freelance designer from Bristol. He lifts his headphones and tells me he’s travelling to Redruth to visit family. “I work remotely and catch this train a few times a month. I can get stuff done so long as I book a seat,” he says, adding, “though I avoid meetings.”
I sidestep a brown cockapoo curled in the vestibule and speak to Hannah Leigh, a UX writer from Sheffield. “It’s not perfect,” she says, “but it forces me to focus. There are countless distractions at home. Whereas here, there’s nothing to do but work. I always bring offline tasks in case I can’t connect.”
Potentially unreliable Wi-Fi is a concern for anyone planning to work on a train, but there is promising news from the Department for Transport, which has announced plans to improve mobile hotspots, aiming to boost internet data speeds for Wi-Fi-connected train passengers. CrossCountry has also committed to upgrading its onboard Wi-Fi, with improvements to speed and availability expected in the next few months.
Armed with a steaming coffee that’s not exactly café-grade but perfectly serviceable, plus a carb stash of crisps and a Twix, I amble back to my seat. The landscape opens to patchwork fields and leafy oak trees. Purple buddleias nod in the breeze. From the window opposite, I catch my first glimpse of the sea as the train nears St Austell and I feel a pang of excitement. White catamarans bob on the water, the afternoon sun casting a glittering runway.
Soon, the carriage is awash with baseball caps, Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops, as passengers already in holiday mode pile on. Preparing to switch off myself, I jot down some ideas for projects and ease into the end of the day.
Although it’s not without its challenges, working from the train offers a flexibility that once felt out of reach. As we trace the Cornish coastline into Penzance station, I snap my laptop shut and my attention turns to my post-work reward: fish and chips and a dip in the sea.
Getting there
The writer was a guest of CrossCountry. The direct CrossCountry service from Edinburgh to Penzance (calling at Leeds) runs once a day in each direction. Other routes with a change or multiple changes are also available. Tickets from Leeds to Penzance start at £53.70 one way when booked in advance. A standard class off-peak return costs from £248.60.
Staying there
Holbein House in Penzance has B&B doubles from £90.
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