South Eastern Trains

robfosters · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:50

I have never know such a circus performance from a rail line like there has been the last couple of days and probably until the end of the week.

Derailed freight train. Ok, big problem, but handled awfully, with no obvious contingency plans.

Last minute cancellations, trains listed as on time then gradually being pushed back a minute at a time for about an hour. Trains suddenly changing routes in the middle of journeys, other trains literally visiting one stop on the route before turning back.

Other gems include the station announcer saying this morning "For everyone awaiting the 9:12 service to Cannon Street. It is expected at some time, but we don't know where it is at the moment" Followed by actual laughing from him.

Also, at Cannon Street, asking the guards about a train only to be told to ignore the boards as the drivers are telling the station guards where they are going next when they arrive. Cue sudden mass panic when the announcement is hastily made, only for mass exodus back to the concourse when the station guard admits he's made a mistake.

Actual circus performance. So bad it became almost funny at times.

Luke · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:52

And then the fire on a train at Kidbrooke added to the hell by all accounts.

robfosters · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:54

Luke said:
And then the fire on a train at Kidbrooke added to the hell by all accounts.

Yeah, that blocked the line from Kidbrooke for some time. The cab caught fire apparently. I did feel a bit sorry for the station guards, they looked like they was trying their best, but I thought a huge rail network like SE would be able to handle things better than this.

Freefaller · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:58

Southeastern have been my saviour. I am a southern rail sufferer. And I'd take southeastern over southern any time of the week!

robfosters · 25 Jan 2017 at 21:00

Freefaller said:
Southeastern have been my saviour. I am a southern rail sufferer. And I'd take southeastern over southern any time of the week!

Except for this week, believe me!

Bassmansam · 26 Jan 2017 at 08:12

Freight train derailed and the track was bent out if shape. I get that it is very inconvenient but i am sure they are working as fast as possible to resolve that.

How do you know they handled it awfully? I doubt its an easy job to move a freight train and then fix the broken track within a day likr you seem to expect??

Lucifurr · 26 Jan 2017 at 08:44

Freefaller said:
Southeastern have been my saviour. I am a southern rail sufferer. And I'd take southeastern over southern any time of the week!

The weird thing is that they are both operated by the same company, Govia.

Nasher · 26 Jan 2017 at 08:52

Trains should have never got de-nationalised. The only things that have happened since they did, is prices rocketed and the service got worse. Like everything else that gets privatised :/

Yaayuh! · 26 Jan 2017 at 08:56

Nasher said:
Trains should have never got de-nationalised. The only things that have happened since they did, is prices rocketed and the service got worse. Like everything else that gets privatised :/

Problem is, if it didn't get privatised at the time, we'd probably be going through privatisation now under the conservative party. They'd do what they're doing to the NHS and break it down from the inside through budget cuts and say "it's not working, we need to sell it off to keep it alive".

dowie · 26 Jan 2017 at 09:29

Bassmansam said:
How do you know they handled it awfully? I doubt its an easy job to move a freight train and then fix the broken track within a day likr you seem to expect??

I'm not sure he's referring to the time taken to move the freight train per day. Their general handling of the service given the freight accident has been poor - lack of information and poor handling of resources - for example this morning at Hither Green they had a full Charting Cross train on platform 3 that hardly anyone could get onto. In the time people were waiting for it three Charring Cross trains went past platform 1 without stopping. I asked the guy in the platform why they weren't stopping, given the issues with the service, he said they'd requested they stop but had been refused. Made no sense at all, just inept management.

Tefal · 26 Jan 2017 at 09:39

Nasher said:
Trains should have never got de-nationalised. The only things that have happened since they did, is prices rocketed and the service got worse. Like everything else that gets privatised :/

really?

how did the food industry do when it was nationalised in soviet russia?

cause cheap and plentiful wasn't how id describe the outcome

dowie said:
I'm not sure he's referring to the time taken to move the freight train per day. Their general handling of the service given the freight accident has been poor - lack of information and poor handling of resources - for example this morning at Hither Green they had a full Charting Cross train on platform 3 that hardly anyone could get onto. In the time people were waiting for it three Charring Cross trains went past platform 1 without stopping. I asked the guy in the platform why they weren't stopping, given the issues with the service, he said they'd requested they stop but had been refused. Made no sense at all, just inept management.

thing is im guessing moveing resopuces, cranes, equipment trains etc is a major headache across the whole network combined with all the redirects etc.

its kind of understandable that staff are a bit crap at handling such a rare event

robfosters · 26 Jan 2017 at 10:20

dowie said:
I'm not sure he's referring to the time taken to move the freight train per day. Their general handling of the service given the freight accident has been poor - lack of information and poor handling of resources - for example this morning at Hither Green they had a full Charting Cross train on platform 3 that hardly anyone could get onto. In the time people were waiting for it three Charring Cross trains went past platform 1 without stopping. I asked the guy in the platform why they weren't stopping, given the issues with the service, he said they'd requested they stop but had been refused. Made no sense at all, just inept management.

Yep, this is what I meant.

Em3bbs · 26 Jan 2017 at 12:11

Nasher said:
Trains should have never got de-nationalised. The only things that have happened since they did, is prices rocketed and the service got worse. Like everything else that gets privatised :/

Yes, if only the people causing the delay while working on the track after this freight train incident worked for a nationalised body like Network Rai.... oh wait.

Semple · 26 Jan 2017 at 12:36

I don't think any of the TOCs handle these type of events very well.

I've seen awful service from GWR and CrossCountry during bad weather.

I appreciate they might not know when things will get back to normal, but if a train is clearly going to be cancelled, then cancel it, don't say it will be cancelled, and then 10 mins later have it back in service again.

Personally i think they're just scared of telling the customers that "actually it's going to take 3 hours to move the obstruction, in the mean time we're arranging some replacement buses". Customers do understand that things do happen on the rail network, but when things aren't communicated it just drives everyone up the wall.

Blackjack Davy · 27 Jan 2017 at 14:29

Nasher said:
Trains should have never got de-nationalised. The only things that have happened since they did, is prices rocketed and the service got worse. Like everything else that gets privatised :/

Haha. Hahahahaha. Hahahahahaha. Do you actually remember the days of BR? Or are you wearing the rose tinted spectacles of those did and can no longer what things were really like? Announcements you couldn't understand? Sandwiches that curled up at the edges and trains that never ran on time, if they ever turned up at all. Funniest thing I've read all day.

Nasher · 27 Jan 2017 at 14:36

Well at least the prices weren't extortionate back then. Now the prices are silly and it's STILL bad.