Stick Nigel in charge, he will soon persuade people that the trains ain't late but all the clocks fast.
Well, there were a lot of positives this morning. When the train left the depot it was on time and we looked like we had a good service on. It was against the run of play that the tracks just stopped working and then our shoulders dropped and we panicked. We looked really good in planning yesterday, we had the whole timetable worked out, but we just couldn't bring that onto the service this morning. We'll evaluate and keep working to make sure we have a service that actually brings people into work.
The first 20 minutes of the journey were great, pity the whole trip was 90+ minutes.
Off to a 40th birthday party tonight. Should be pulling into Tonbridge around now. However:
18.02 from St John's to Orpington was delayed, not in the "it's delayed by 5 minutes" way, but in the "you can see on the National Rail app that it arrived at London Bridge, but nobody knows what happened after that, it just says "delayed" way.
Nevermind. I'll get the 18.11 up to London Bridge and get the 18.24 Tonbridge train from there. 4 minutes to change platforms is plenty. But no, let's sit outside London Bridge for 5 minutes for no reason at all. Next Tonbridge train 18.49.
Utter c#nts.
Dirty protest on the way home definitely on the cards, although it'll have to be exceptionally dirty for anyone to be able to notice.
Are there less trains going to Charing Cross these days from London bridge etc. I generally have to swap over from London Bridge to go to Waterloo East. Before London Bridge was overhauled you generally only had to wait a couple of minutes for one. Now its 8,9,10 minutes before one comes along. No quick platform change over now either.
It seems to me that they can now potentially run far more trains between London Bridge and Charing Cross. Indeed during the rush hour there is a train every two or three minutes.
But this means that if two or three trains happen to arrive (maybe a few minutes late) at London Bridge all at the same time, they can pass through very quickly rather than being forced to spread over eight or ten minutes. The result is that you get "bunching" of trains.
I notice this most evenings around 7:30 when there is theoretically a reasonable service but in practice you often get three trains in quick succession followed by another three trains appearing ten minutes later.
Interchange at London Bridge was never designed properly but I don't think that they were helped by surveys that suggested commuters wanted trains to be criss-crossing each other so they didn't have to change anyway.
arseholes were saying at Bexleyheath this morning that the issue was at Charlton and they were diverting their trains through Bexleyheath, no extra trains came through Bexleyheath but they cancelled and delayed loads of the regular ones.
So it transpires that there was a bloke on Charlton station roof,hence the need to turn off the track power. Taken to hospital for 'assessment '. If the power is switched off it is serious, normally people on the line. One person a day takes their life on the railways. There are people on this thread that should employ their one brain cell before using it as a rant about the Government. I also think that the one thing that Boris could do successfully would be to organise a piss up!
It seems to me that they can now potentially run far more trains between London Bridge and Charing Cross. Indeed during the rush hour there is a train every two or three minutes.
But this means that if two or three trains happen to arrive (maybe a few minutes late) at London Bridge all at the same time, they can pass through very quickly rather than being forced to spread over eight or ten minutes. The result is that you get "bunching" of trains.
I notice this most evenings around 7:30 when there is theoretically a reasonable service but in practice you often get three trains in quick succession followed by another three trains appearing ten minutes later.
Interchange at London Bridge was never designed properly but I don't think that they were helped by surveys that suggested commuters wanted trains to be criss-crossing each other so they didn't have to change anyway.
Trains no longer criss cross at London Bridge. There are two tracks above Borough Market for Charing Cross trains and two for Thameslink. This does restrict the number of Charing Cross trains but there are two platforms at London Bridge heading in that direction if needed. The lines in and out of London Bridge are segregated near the waste incinerator with flyunders to avoid the delays that happened in the past.
I spotted this a few minutes ago and shook my head and smiled. It certainly took away the Monday morning blues!
It's true though. Leaf mulch seems to have contributed to the crash at Salisbury last week, with a train failing to stop
Yep. It's a genuine issue. I first remember hearing the "leaves on the line" excuse when I got the train to school in the 90's.
30 years on, and there's still no solution. Is that because "leaves on the line" is such a complex issue that even the greatest minds in science can't figure out how to solve it, or is it because nobody's really bothered trying?
Given that we can send people to the moon and that, closer to home, other countries manage to run efficient rail networks in far more extreme conditions than the UK gets, I suggest that it's the latter. Come January it'll be icy rails (doesn't seem to effect Canada, Norway or Switzerland, for example) and, if we get a decent summer then we'll have buckling rails in the extreme heat (not as extreme as in Spain and Portugal where the trains run fine year round). Enjoy the Spring.
My understanding is that it's not so much 'leaves on the line' which causes the problem, but what the leaves secrete as we get to Autumn time. It's the fluid from the leaves which are about to fall which get on the track causing wheel slippage. The solution they appear to have been trying is to cut down as much of the overhanging vegetation which causes this problem.
My understanding is that it's not so much 'leaves on the line' which causes the problem, but what the leaves secrete as we get to Autumn time. It's the fluid from the leaves which are about to fall which get on the track causing wheel slippage. The solution they appear to have been trying is to cut down as much of the overhanging vegetation which causes this problem.
The trouble is that railway companies nolonger keep track side vegetation in check which means more over hanging branches and more saplings also shedding leaves close to the tracks.
But that's bollocks, they closed the Greenwich line for a couple of weekends in a row recently to chop down a load of vegetation, and I should know as their chainsaws kept me from being able to open any windows
My favourite was when they cancelled all trains before something like 9am the next day in expectation of windy weather and obstructions on the lines. Not because of actual windy weather and obstructions, but because they thought there might be some. Genius.
Any seasoned traveller would know that it takes a minimum of 46 pushes on the button for the door to open!
I have that beat. Last week, standing on the platform. I was reading some nonsense on my phone my train came in. I looked up not realising it my train but it was too late it was moving out. My first thought was that’s a long train pulling in, my second thought was bollocks that’s my train leaving without me. My third thought was, style it out and pretend I’m going to Cannon Street today.
Not that anybody on this forum will be bothered by this ;-)
Penalty Fares set to
rise to £100
Penalty Fares are to be
increased from £20 to £100 following a consultation by the
Department of Transport in Spring 2021. This will be the first
increased since 2004 when the PF was raised from £10 to £20. If
paid within 21 days, the rate will be reduced to £50. At present ,
PF regulations allow train operations that have a PF scheme to
charged passengers found not to have a valid ticket (and who had the
opportunity to buy one before boarding the train or during their
journey ) a PF of either £20 or twice the full single fare to the
next station where the train is due to call, whichever is the
greater. PF's may only be levied if the passenger also passed signed
stating the consequences of travelling without a ticket. The DfT
considers that the existing rate of £20 is no longer an effective
deterrent to fare evasion, with £20 at 2005 prices now being worth
only £14 in real terms. To implement this change , the DfT says it
will provide an update in Spring 2022 on when the new PF rate will be
introduced. The change only applies to PF regulations covering
England and Wales, as the Railwlays Act 2005 devolved regulation PF
in Scotland to Scottish ministers( and Scotrail does not currently
operation a PF scheme).
So, if I fail to pay the £3.80 for a single ticket from St Johns to London Bridge, I can be fined £100 (reduced to £50 if I pay promptly).
However, if my South Eastern semi-mobile misery crate turns up an hour late, severely inconveniencing me in the process, I can claim £3.80. If it turns up 55 minutes late, I can claim back £1.90.
If it turns up 10 minutes late, and it's filthy, overcrowded and the toilets are out of order - as is the norm - I can't claim anything.
So, if I fail to pay the £3.80 for a single ticket from St Johns to London Bridge, I can be fined £100 (reduced to £50 if I pay promptly).
However, if my South Eastern semi-mobile misery crate turns up an hour late, severely inconveniencing me in the process, I can claim £3.80. If it turns up 55 minutes late, I can claim back £1.90.
If it turns up 10 minutes late, and it's filthy, overcrowded and the toilets are out of order - as is the norm - I can't claim anything.
Comments
Off to a 40th birthday party tonight. Should be pulling into Tonbridge around now. However:
18.02 from St John's to Orpington was delayed, not in the "it's delayed by 5 minutes" way, but in the "you can see on the National Rail app that it arrived at London Bridge, but nobody knows what happened after that, it just says "delayed" way.
Nevermind. I'll get the 18.11 up to London Bridge and get the 18.24 Tonbridge train from there. 4 minutes to change platforms is plenty. But no, let's sit outside London Bridge for 5 minutes for no reason at all. Next Tonbridge train 18.49.
Utter c#nts.
Dirty protest on the way home definitely on the cards, although it'll have to be exceptionally dirty for anyone to be able to notice.
But this means that if two or three trains happen to arrive (maybe a few minutes late) at London Bridge all at the same time, they can pass through very quickly rather than being forced to spread over eight or ten minutes. The result is that you get "bunching" of trains.
I notice this most evenings around 7:30 when there is theoretically a reasonable service but in practice you often get three trains in quick succession followed by another three trains appearing ten minutes later.
Interchange at London Bridge was never designed properly but I don't think that they were helped by surveys that suggested commuters wanted trains to be criss-crossing each other so they didn't have to change anyway.
If the power is switched off it is serious, normally people on the line. One person a day takes their life on the railways. There are people on this thread that should employ their one brain cell before using it as a rant about the Government. I also think that the one thing that Boris could do successfully would be to organise a piss up!
I spotted this a few minutes ago and shook my head and smiled.
It certainly took away the Monday morning blues!
30 years on, and there's still no solution. Is that because "leaves on the line" is such a complex issue that even the greatest minds in science can't figure out how to solve it, or is it because nobody's really bothered trying?
Given that we can send people to the moon and that, closer to home, other countries manage to run efficient rail networks in far more extreme conditions than the UK gets, I suggest that it's the latter. Come January it'll be icy rails (doesn't seem to effect Canada, Norway or Switzerland, for example) and, if we get a decent summer then we'll have buckling rails in the extreme heat (not as extreme as in Spain and Portugal where the trains run fine year round). Enjoy the Spring.
Left at 14:32 and 42 seconds.
Tried to style it out after pushing the door open button 45 times, hope no-one noticed.
Tossers.
Penalty Fares set to rise to £100
Penalty Fares are to be increased from £20 to £100 following a consultation by the Department of Transport in Spring 2021. This will be the first increased since 2004 when the PF was raised from £10 to £20. If paid within 21 days, the rate will be reduced to £50. At present , PF regulations allow train operations that have a PF scheme to charged passengers found not to have a valid ticket (and who had the opportunity to buy one before boarding the train or during their journey ) a PF of either £20 or twice the full single fare to the next station where the train is due to call, whichever is the greater. PF's may only be levied if the passenger also passed signed stating the consequences of travelling without a ticket. The DfT considers that the existing rate of £20 is no longer an effective deterrent to fare evasion, with £20 at 2005 prices now being worth only £14 in real terms. To implement this change , the DfT says it will provide an update in Spring 2022 on when the new PF rate will be introduced. The change only applies to PF regulations covering England and Wales, as the Railwlays Act 2005 devolved regulation PF in Scotland to Scottish ministers( and Scotrail does not currently operation a PF scheme).
Source: Today's Railways (Jan2022)
However, if my South Eastern semi-mobile misery crate turns up an hour late, severely inconveniencing me in the process, I can claim £3.80. If it turns up 55 minutes late, I can claim back £1.90.
If it turns up 10 minutes late, and it's filthy, overcrowded and the toilets are out of order - as is the norm - I can't claim anything.
Thieving c*%ts.
They ain't that good!