Pfft, you think you have problems. A couple of weeks ago I was getting the train from Corwyn to Llangollen and the train had to make an emergency stop in Carrog and evacuate the front carriage because one of the engines had blown a gasket and they were worried it may explode. We then had to wait in the cold for over a hour (as they disconnected the working engine to turn it around) because the points were iced over so that took over an hour to free them and get everything sorted >.>
UK trains are an utter joke
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Yes but efficiency is greatly increased
Man of Honour
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What was it? Steam?
I think over time, more and more people would take to working from home. I did yesterday .. I got more done and I saved 2 and half hours not travelling..
I also think companies have to start looking outside the "super hubs" that the city's have become.
Who forgets this? You know the cartoon people aren't real right?
Soldato
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I feel your pain Huddy, my season ticket runs out in April, 5000 English spondooliks to renew it. Throw in the fact that my interest free loan from work was paid late last year so I will still have 2 months to run before I'm able to apply for another one to cover the costs and you have me and the missus surviving off ramen for a month or two.
I'm moving jobs in two months anyway, might just eat it on a credit card and use the extra income to pay it off over the year. This season ticket loan thing is a massive hassle when you work for a glacial bureaucracy.
I could just have an honest conversation with my boss along the lines of:
"I don't want to pay £5k for the privilege of using a crap train network"
"But you rely on your season ticket to get into work"
"But I don't want to come into work"
"If you don't come in to work we won't pay you"
"YOU'RE NOT MY REAL MUM! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"
My company are pretty good, and let people WFH up to 2 days per week, however this doesn't give any real cost saving unless you drive in.
My annual ticket is still cheaper, even if 4 days of the week I am not commuting to the office, over getting 3 returns for each week day.
My annual ticket is still cheaper, even if 4 days of the week I am not commuting to the office, over getting 3 returns for each week day.
Man of Honour
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A lot of company's have a season ticket loan cap. I'm not sure if this is IR restriction or not. I don't know..I know at my place it was £5K.. It meant those that exceeded that had to find the funds elsewhere.
I was in Munich over the weekend for a stag do with some friends. We were surprised that the U-Bahn was running stock which looked like it was from the 50s or 60s...but you know what? It was clean, it was comfortable, it was roomy and it ran on time. Perhaps a case of "It if aint broke...."
We only used the S-Bahn a couple of times (from the airport to the centre), and yes, the stock was old, but it didn't seem too shabby - again, clean, comfortable and punctual. Perhaps we were lucky enough to get a newer train.
Anyway I am reading this thread with interest. My company was recently taken over, and our office is moving from Orpington to central London...which means my 40 minute drive is about to become a 30-40 minute walk to the station followed by a 45 minute train ride costing over £4K a year, with no enumeration on the cards (yet). Really not looking forward to that
Soldato
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Just looked at our policy and it seems we can't exceed £10k as it would then become a taxable benefit. Interesting. £5k is harsh, that would cut out commuters from Peterborough which is on my line and I know from experience that that's a very popular commute.
Of course, I'm Welsh
What was it? Steam?
We don't want your fancy electric trains here
I was in Munich over the weekend for a stag do with some friends. We were surprised that the U-Bahn was running stock which looked like it was from the 50s or 60s...but you know what? It was clean, it was comfortable, it was roomy and it ran on time. Perhaps a case of "It if aint broke...."
We only used the S-Bahn a couple of times (from the airport to the centre), and yes, the stock was old, but it didn't seem too shabby - again, clean, comfortable and punctual. Perhaps we were lucky enough to get a newer train.
The trains here aren't amazingly reliable....but at least they are cheap, clean and regular.
Paying 5k GBP for a A<->B season ticket :S 3K GBP gets you unlimited travel across the entire country including ICE for a year here.
Only downside is the ticket machines and signage in every state have been designed as a case study in terrible UX....even when you speak the language they are a pain in the arse.
I visit Dutch friends and Germany for business fairly regularly and my experience of their train network (apart from one day getting it on a match day and hour prior to kick off) is nothing but positive compared to.our own omnishambles.
Soldato
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The infrastructure is evidently awful.
British Rail was broken up and re-packaged. Hardly anything changed except for a few new Pendolinos and the ridiculous prices we have to fork out now.
Some of the thinking behind the service provision is just bizarre. You'll have an extremely busy platform at rush hour, and 1 diesel train manufactured in 1987 will eventually turn up late, 47 minutes after the last, with two carriages. You'll get to breathe in other people's farts and you'll have your eyes ripped out for the privilege.
No wonder the road networks are full to bursting.
British Rail was broken up and re-packaged. Hardly anything changed except for a few new Pendolinos and the ridiculous prices we have to fork out now.
Some of the thinking behind the service provision is just bizarre. You'll have an extremely busy platform at rush hour, and 1 diesel train manufactured in 1987 will eventually turn up late, 47 minutes after the last, with two carriages. You'll get to breathe in other people's farts and you'll have your eyes ripped out for the privilege.
No wonder the road networks are full to bursting.
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I don't get trains often but when I do they have always been on time to the exact minute on the board. This is on routes to Glasgow or Edinburgh or York all from Newcastle and back. Not sure what it's like for you southern softies down south. Maybe it's part of the north south divide.
But on the other hand I support full nationalisation of the railways, and energy companies and water companies. JC4PM!
But on the other hand I support full nationalisation of the railways, and energy companies and water companies. JC4PM!
I use Transpennine Express and Virgin trains, never had a problem. I understand most of the problems are with commuters and down south as it's just so over capacity and crammed down south compared to our lovely world up north.
Surprised this hasn't been bumped this week! Absolute chaos on Northern Rail this week. I made the mistake of "commuting" yesterday (it was more like intergalactic travel with the time it took), but today I've decided to work from home, and from the look of things I did the right thing. Surely someone has got to be pulled on this?
Not a very fair comparison. :/
Germany in particular only has 20% more passenger kilometres, but 112% more train line. It would have to get an additional 61 Billion Passenger kilometres to add it's 79.3 for the same level of usage,
It might not be quite as good then.
Soldato
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We should form a support group. I was going to my induction Monday so I did the responsible thing and got to the station early. Three cancellations in a row and the rest running 20 mins late minimum. Kings cross was a ghost town when I got there which clearly means they had driver capacity issues not line capacity issues, it's been planned for years how can they not have sufficient line trained drivers? Just managed to get there in time thankfully.
Just to rub it in they kept playing the railplan 2020 tannoy announcements from last week telling us how much better the service will be. *******.
Today was fine in but another 20 minute delay back.