Train rants

Virgin trains from Stafford/Lichfield/brum to London/Manchester/Liverpool/Scotland are superb and I rarely suffer a delay.
 
Virgin trains from Stafford/Lichfield/brum to London/Manchester/Liverpool/Scotland are superb and I rarely suffer a delay.

I'm not quite sure what to call them, but 'flagship' journeys rarely do have delays... The reason being they will push these services through the network and delay other journeys/trains in the process.

I have nothing to base this off but I think trains that fall behind are allowed to fall further behind as it is already classified as a late service in the statistics so pushing other trains through ahead will alter their statistics (one late train instead of two etc...)
 
I'm not quite sure what to call them, but 'flagship' journeys rarely do have delays... The reason being they will push these services through the network and delay other journeys/trains in the process.

I have nothing to base this off but I think trains that fall behind are allowed to fall further behind as it is already classified as a late service in the statistics so pushing other trains through ahead will alter their statistics (one late train instead of two etc...)

I think you're probably right and I don't tend to use normal commuter trains that often bar occasional trips into Brum or out to the London burbs and rarely in rush hours
 
Unfortunately i have to use them every day as well. Generally i've learnt to put up with them being late for upto 10 mins as acceptable. Anything else is just wishful thinking.

Prime example of how useless network rail are. Came back from London yesterday, a lightning strike hit one of the signal boxes near Slough, causing a 2 hour delay.
 
Why would they bother trying to improve the service? Scotrail have no competition and therefore, have no incentive to provide a decent service. The public will use them regardless. Thank the Tories for privatising the railways.

If the trains are late because of them then they get fined.
 
I'm not quite sure what to call them, but 'flagship' journeys rarely do have delays... The reason being they will push these services through the network and delay other journeys/trains in the process.

I have nothing to base this off but I think trains that fall behind are allowed to fall further behind as it is already classified as a late service in the statistics so pushing other trains through ahead will alter their statistics (one late train instead of two etc...)

Yes this is true, been told this by a number of station staff/network rail employees.
 
No true, But from the number of signal boxes that get destroyed/damaged by lightning strikes each year, you would expect them to have put them in a safer place.

I'm pretty sure there is a programme going on to close most signal boxes and bring them all together into a few signalling centres. Should help this sort of problem - unless the centre gets hit! :D
 
Getting a train into london is a nightmare, have got the train every weekday for years and i have got a seat no more than 10 times. It's always heavily packed in all carriages, i dread to think how bad it is towards the front, i try to go avoid it as much as i can.

I know its easier said than done to stick a few more cars on the end (baring in mind this is a 10 car train) but if 10 cars are packed to the brim then surely they could do something about it. Its just a tad annoying im paying around the £150 mark a month, just to stand up the whole time.

Im never usually late though. Only ~10minutes or so. But sometimes they cancel the trains on such short notice.

Guess it depends on the line but coming from the north (into kings cross) I rarely had a problem . I did it for 18 months and was probably properly late, as in 10+ minutes, a handful of times, usually on time or a couple of minutes late on a half hour journey. The properly late issues were usually signals or stolen cable, both the government owned companies responsibility... I got a seat almost every day and had a nice journey reading the news as I went in to work. This was on the east coast mainline in the commuter belt.

After using trains and tubes the idea of commuting to work via car just fills me with dread. Why get in the car, spend ages concentrating ion driving, stopping and starting in traffic jams, finally getting to work, when I could just be sat in comfort snoozing, reading the news/OcUK or playing a game.

Never really had any problems travelling cross country either when I was at uni...
 
No true, But from the number of signal boxes that get destroyed/damaged by lightning strikes each year, you would expect them to have put them in a safer place.

Seriously? You can't hide all lineside equipment from lightning, thats ridiculous.

There are many occasions where rail industry ineptitude cause delays but last nights issues were not one of those.
 
Be thankful that none of you have to take the Shosholoza Meyl.

Johannesburg to Cape Town, 36 hours. Delayed by 6-8 hours, upright hard seats all the way. Conductor comes in and quite proudly announces the delays and has no idea why it's delayed or how much longer it's going to take. Good fun :D
 
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i used to use the train for an 18 min trip into work, until the delays cancelations and the latest trains being at a silly early time in the evening.

i bit the bullet and bought a nice bycycle and gear for it, cycled it instead for 4 years, i think i had done 20,000 miles on that bike by the end, but never got annoyed about trains again.

instead, flat tyres. :(

now i have moved within a 10min walk to work. problem solved.
 
I'm pretty sure there is a programme going on to close most signal boxes and bring them all together into a few signalling centres. Should help this sort of problem - unless the centre gets hit! :D

Yes correct, i'm not sure how they are going to implement it yet though, having dealt with a lot of signallers their local knowledge of the infrastructure has been very good at times in sorting out issues i've had.
 
I only use trains to get into central London at the weekend, so off peak.

Always found them to be quick and on time at the weekends. Travelled from Three Bridges to Charring Cross with one change on saturday and it was faultless, station to station in 45 minutes and all for £5 return (4 adults was £20) on first capital connect.

Frankly you would be insane to drive to central London.

But on peak London travel, no, not for me!
 
ive been getting the train to and from work for about 18 months now, south west trains seem pretty on the ball (i've cursed it now). on the handful of occasions ive had issues theyve always been out of the operators control (i.e. person getting hit by train, vehicle hitting a rail bridge etc).

No true, But from the number of signal boxes that get destroyed/damaged by lightning strikes each year, you would expect them to have put them in a safer place.

i dont even know where to start with that statement.
 
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