![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Somebody could run the most flawless service on the planet for just 50p a day and people would STILL moan. Peoples expectations are generally unreasonable (But not always).
What's wrong with the railways in this country?
- Thread starter oldbag
- Start date
Somebody could run the most flawless service on the planet for just 50p a day and people would STILL moan. Peoples expectations are generally unreasonable (But not always).
Riding alongside on horseback shooting arrows at it?
The London to Swansea uses 30 year old trains and spend no money on them. Due to constantly being late, they just alter the timetable so my train home went from 1640 a few years ago, to 1642, then 1645, then 1648 and now its 1650. They run a service from London which instead of going through to Swansea goes back to London at rush hour, so the most crowded and busy time of the day and they are removing services. If I miss the 1650 for whatever reason, the next train home is 1800.
Year on year the fare has increased from £6.20 return to £9.30 return with no investment in the network or the rolling stock. The train station I get on at is a mainline station and in 3 years, there has never, and I mean NEVER been a cleaner. They open the doors, they shut the doors. Thats it. The station is a shambles and it shows how little care or pride is expended.
The signal idiots that put the barrier down for 30 minutes while they go outside for a fag break or put the kettle on causing you to miss your train, the loud and obnoxious staff who man the stations and the constant mickey taking leave me a sad bunny. All first world problems I know, but my god I feel like having a falling down moment most days.
Year on year the fare has increased from £6.20 return to £9.30 return with no investment in the network or the rolling stock. The train station I get on at is a mainline station and in 3 years, there has never, and I mean NEVER been a cleaner. They open the doors, they shut the doors. Thats it. The station is a shambles and it shows how little care or pride is expended.
The signal idiots that put the barrier down for 30 minutes while they go outside for a fag break or put the kettle on causing you to miss your train, the loud and obnoxious staff who man the stations and the constant mickey taking leave me a sad bunny. All first world problems I know, but my god I feel like having a falling down moment most days.
They are some of the best trains in the world (it remains to this day the worlds fastest diesel train - a record it has held for years) - and it's not true that they 'spend no money' on them because they were completely refurbished inside a few years ago. Pointless wasting money on shiney new trains (Which are inevitably compromised in the name of cost saving) when a refurbishment of a world class fit for purpose train is sufficient. Plus you can hardly moan, Swansea is about to get literally billions spent electrifying the entire route to London complete with all new trains!
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No your paying for jobs we do that cost a packet to deliver,there is a hell of a lot of work going in the infrastructure that you simply don't see as you will be tucked up sleeping.i spent 5 years upgrading the west coast main line to get the speeds we are at today,it takes a lot of time to do certain jobs,some more challenging than others but it's got to be right.
Soldato
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From my recent experience doing a fair bit of travelling the service is just fine, it's the cost that's the problem.
Shorter journeys the cost is great though, £1.80 return and 12 mins to get into town rather than £3.80 and 30+ mins on the bus
Shorter journeys the cost is great though, £1.80 return and 12 mins to get into town rather than £3.80 and 30+ mins on the bus
[TW]Fox;22430624 said:
I'll feel relieved it holds a world record when Im sitting in yet another broken carriage with non working doors/toilet/peeling paint
As for the electrification, it is a waste of money. The only place on that whole line that the train can achieve 125 mph is between London and Reading. After that, its 90mph between Swansea and Bridgend, going lower in places.
Definitely! Sit on top of the train or cling to the sides. Free ride and free air conditioning
Question is, would you have a well run country (e.g. meritocracy) with no right to vote, or the current system?
I'll feel relieved it holds a world record when Im sitting in yet another broken carriage with non working doors/toilet/peeling paint
They are the same trains I use regularly on a different line and broken carriages are very much the exception
As you'd expect for a fleet which underwent complete internal refurbishment only a few years ago. I think you are exagerating somewhat to make your point.Not true, it's signalled for 110-125mph (usually 125) right through to Bristol Parkway!
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As the trains are so poor, why do you not just drive?
[TW]Fox;22430272 said:Try using the trains elsewhere in the world - other than Switzerland. In isolation our service may seem bad but comparatively speaking it really isn't. As for crowded trains - name me a single city in the world that doesn't have packed metro-rail commuter services?
There is almost nowhere on the planet where you can commute to the capital city by rail and the train not be crowded.
Also, use Southern and not First Capital Connect and you can have AC
Speak for yourself! I get a seat 99% of the time I board my train too and from London, there are usually a few spare seats as well and I'm the last stop before London. The train has been cancelled about two times in 9 months and at max it's usually a minute or two late. For those cancelled trains I just wait until the next one 5 minutes later...
I come in to Kings Cross though... I heard loads of horror stories about packed commuter travel, haven't really found any of that yet, although there is one slower train that is always packed, which is why I get the one just before or just after.
There are a number of factors; it's the oldest rail network in the world, decades of underfunding and underdevelopment; Network Rail and the individual operators blaming each other rather than accepting their shared responsibilities and as mentioned above, it's run for profit but heavily subsidised by the government.
In fact, according to Radio 4 recently, the tax payer now spends more subsidising the rail network that it did before it was privatised (even accounting for inflation).
It's an utter joke.
In fact, according to Radio 4 recently, the tax payer now spends more subsidising the rail network that it did before it was privatised (even accounting for inflation).
It's an utter joke.
[TW]Fox;22430272 said:Try using the trains elsewhere in the world - other than Switzerland. In isolation our service may seem bad but comparatively speaking it really isn't. As for crowded trains - name me a single city in the world that doesn't have packed metro-rail commuter services?
There is almost nowhere on the planet where you can commute to the capital city by rail and the train not be crowded.
Also, use Southern and not First Capital Connect and you can have AC
Apart from Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, Japan, etc., etc.
Oh, so perhaps the train isn't so bad afterall?
Yes, apart from them.
Japanese trains are infamous for overcrowding - they even have guys with sticks to help wedge more people in! Never travelled on a rush hour S-Bahn train in Berlin then? Never travelled in 2nd class in France then?
I've travelled by train in almost every country I've visited and frankly I think there is far too much 'grass is always greener' going on.