fucking useless sack of shit as usual, at barnehurst since 7 waiting on a cannon street service, no announcements just random trains cancelled and then passing through fast. nothing on there twitter apart from an incident at plumstead.
On the 1758 Charing Cross to gravesend service. Being delayed at Albany park due to some of our Yoof having a dust up on the train. Presumably waiting for the cops to turn up.
Got to just outside new cross where we've stopped and the train driver very very quietly has said he just heard on his radio we're being diverted. Everyone thought it was new news and we were being diverted elsewhere but no, it seems he's only just been made aware of the change. Bravo. Couldn't hear half of what he said as trains going past and he was whispering. Positive news. There are seats and the heating isn't on.
The latest in my ongoing correspondence with Southeastern about the heating. Quite astounding. Weeks of correspondence about how they are failing to address the issue and now an assertion that they don't actually have heating and it's all my fault for not carrying a bottle of water. Oh, and an admission that they deliberately pump hot air in from outside. Unbelievable. Worth a read (from bottom up) if you need rocking off to sleep.
Leanne
Many thanks for your response. I'm afraid it leaves me asking more questions. You say that the heating is switched off on all your trains. This is at odds with previous responses from your colleague David who informed me that you are currently trying to isolate the heating over the summer months. Furthermore, you say that there is no air conditioning but on occasions cool air is circulated as was the case last week in the very hot weather. Thirdly, I can assure you that the hot air currently being pumped in by my left elbow is very definitely not from outside the train. The heating is (or at the very least has recently been) very definitely on. Lastly, while I agree that it is prudent to carry water in hot weather, particularly as your services are so prone to regular delay, I think it is rather complacent to suggest that as an answer to your company's own continued failing to address the root cause of the issue. I grant you, you can't control the weather, but the failure year upon year to address the heating issue is, frankly, to treat your customers with contempt.
I'll look forward to the winter by which time you will no doubt have discovered how to isolate the heating.
Regards.
JM Sent from my iPhone
On 28 Jun 2017, at 11:46, Customer Services wrote:
Southeastern Customer Services, PO Box 10422, Unit 16 Coalfield Way, Ashby de la Zouch LE65 9EL Tel: 0345 322 7021
Dear Dear Xxxxxxxxx
Thank you for your webform dated 26 June in relation to the heating on your service.
I’m sorry your journey from Dartford to Charing Cross was uncomfortable due to problems with the heating and that you have had to repeatedly complain to us about similar situations. I can only apologise for this.
The heating is switched off on all our Metro trains during the summer months. Unfortunately, Metro trains may still be hot as they don’t have air conditioning. This is because they make frequent stops and the service wouldn’t be able to maintain a consistent temperature.
Equally, these trains have fresh air pumped into them via a ventilation system to ensure passengers always have fresh air in their carriage. This is air from outside the carriage that is not cooled. This may feel like heating is on during hotter days. For these reasons, we are asking passengers to carry bottles of water with them during the heat.
Thank you for letting us know about this. Your feedback has been passed onto our depot managers to make sure our trains are properly maintained.
Once again I’m sorry to hear about this unpleasant journey. I hope your future journeys are more enjoyable.
Yours sincerely
Leanne Wilkes
Customer Relations Officer Southeastern
Hello David
Me again I'm afraid. I've just boarded the 0800 Dartford to Charing Cross this morning. Guess what? Yep. Heating blazing out yet again. Can you give any indication of how long the measures you say are being taken to address this will actually take please?
Thanks
JM
Sent from my iPhone
On 16 Jun 2017, at 07:30, Customer Services wrote:
Southeastern Customer Services, PO Box 10422, Unit 16 Coalfield Way, Ashby de la Zouch LE65 9EL Tel: 0345 322 7021
16 June 2017
Dear Xxxxxxxx
Thank you for your webform, which we received yesterday, further to our recent correspondence about the heating being on in your trains.
Following from what I've previously said about this, while the train driver can isolate the heating by a switch within their cab, every time the train is switched on and off, the train defaults back to the ‘automatic on’ mode and activates the thermostat on the train. The only way we can prevent the heating remaining on throughout the summer months is to isolate and disable the heating control. By isolating the heating, there's no risk of the heaters being left on. As I mentioned in my first email, this is whatwe're currently doing. We received a number of complaints about our trains being too hot throughout last summer, so I can assure you that we're taking measures to address this.
Once again, thank you for contacting us with your feedback.
Yours sincerely
David Eustace Customer Relations Officer Southeastern
Trains could stop calling at some major central stations from south-east London and north Kent
Southeastern services on the Bexleyheath, Dartford and Greenwich lines will only go to Cannon Street if current proposals are approved.
At the moment the lines serve Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Blackfriars and Victoria, with stops at London Bridge and Waterloo East.
An “option for improvement” put forward by the Department for Transport suggests that this “operational complexity” contributes to delays.
Commuters in the affected areas hit back and claimed the reduction would “ruin our lives. We won’t be able to get to work, areas will suffer, house prices drop [sic].”
A petition has been set up against the proposal, although the consultation is still open, which has more than 1000 signatures.
The report released by the DfT states: “Services on the South Eastern network are complex, with many stations offering multiple routes into central London and a choice of London stations including Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Blackfriars and Victoria, with intermediate stops at London Bridge and Waterloo East.
“For example, services from Lewisham run to Cannon Street, Charing Cross and Victoria.
“While this increases direct journey opportunities for passengers, it also introduces operational complexity, requiring trains to cross complex and busy junctions.
“This is a major contributor to delays, and makes it much harder to recover the service when things go wrong.”
The proposal is part of a consultation and members of the public are invited to respond.
The report continues: “There would be a limit to the improvements that could be made to the timetable without also reducing the number of central London stations served from certain locations at particular times.
“An example might be for all Metro services on the north Kent (between Dartford and Charlton), Greenwich and Bexleyheath lines to terminate at Cannon Street only.
“We believe that the simplicity of a regular service to a single London terminal throughout the day would benefit both regular and occasional passengers.
“A simpler service can help deliver a step-change improvement in the punctuality of both Metro and Mainline services.
“We are aware that losing direct connections to particular central London stations has the potential to inconvenience a number of passengers, by requiring them to change their usual journey patterns.”
To respond to the consultation visit the Department for Transport website.
From the News Shopper
In true Charlton style I've been looking at what might happen if they go ahead with this. On the Bexleyheath line, there are currently 11 London-bound services per hour during the morning peak; 3 to Victoria, 3 to Cannon St and 5 to Charing Cross. The proposal is to make all these services go to Cannon St, in the same way that services on the Greenwich line now do. But the Greenwich line actually only runs 6 trains an hour during the morning peak. If this is copied over to the Bexleyheath line you're essentially trying to fit 11 trains worth of passengers into 6 trains. Even if all 11 trains are currently 8 carriages (which they're not) and all 6 trains under the new timetable would be 12 carriages (which they won't), that's still trying to fit 88 carriages of passengers into 72 carriages. And they're already hideously overcrowded! Unless they plan on running trains every 5 minutes I can't see this being anything other than a massive "FUCK YOU!!!" to all Southeastern customers.
The latest in my ongoing correspondence with Southeastern about the heating. Quite astounding. Weeks of correspondence about how they are failing to address the issue and now an assertion that they don't actually have heating and it's all my fault for not carrying a bottle of water. Oh, and an admission that they deliberately pump hot air in from outside. Unbelievable. Worth a read (from bottom up) if you need rocking off to sleep.
Leanne
Many thanks for your response. I'm afraid it leaves me asking more questions. You say that the heating is switched off on all your trains. This is at odds with previous responses from your colleague David who informed me that you are currently trying to isolate the heating over the summer months. Furthermore, you say that there is no air conditioning but on occasions cool air is circulated as was the case last week in the very hot weather. Thirdly, I can assure you that the hot air currently being pumped in by my left elbow is very definitely not from outside the train. The heating is (or at the very least has recently been) very definitely on. Lastly, while I agree that it is prudent to carry water in hot weather, particularly as your services are so prone to regular delay, I think it is rather complacent to suggest that as an answer to your company's own continued failing to address the root cause of the issue. I grant you, you can't control the weather, but the failure year upon year to address the heating issue is, frankly, to treat your customers with contempt.
I'll look forward to the winter by which time you will no doubt have discovered how to isolate the heating.
Regards.
JM Sent from my iPhone
On 28 Jun 2017, at 11:46, Customer Services wrote:
Southeastern Customer Services, PO Box 10422, Unit 16 Coalfield Way, Ashby de la Zouch LE65 9EL Tel: 0345 322 7021
Dear Dear Xxxxxxxxx
Thank you for your webform dated 26 June in relation to the heating on your service.
I’m sorry your journey from Dartford to Charing Cross was uncomfortable due to problems with the heating and that you have had to repeatedly complain to us about similar situations. I can only apologise for this.
The heating is switched off on all our Metro trains during the summer months. Unfortunately, Metro trains may still be hot as they don’t have air conditioning. This is because they make frequent stops and the service wouldn’t be able to maintain a consistent temperature.
Equally, these trains have fresh air pumped into them via a ventilation system to ensure passengers always have fresh air in their carriage. This is air from outside the carriage that is not cooled. This may feel like heating is on during hotter days. For these reasons, we are asking passengers to carry bottles of water with them during the heat.
Thank you for letting us know about this. Your feedback has been passed onto our depot managers to make sure our trains are properly maintained.
Once again I’m sorry to hear about this unpleasant journey. I hope your future journeys are more enjoyable.
Yours sincerely
Leanne Wilkes
Customer Relations Officer Southeastern
Hello David
Me again I'm afraid. I've just boarded the 0800 Dartford to Charing Cross this morning. Guess what? Yep. Heating blazing out yet again. Can you give any indication of how long the measures you say are being taken to address this will actually take please?
Thanks
JM
Sent from my iPhone
On 16 Jun 2017, at 07:30, Customer Services wrote:
Southeastern Customer Services, PO Box 10422, Unit 16 Coalfield Way, Ashby de la Zouch LE65 9EL Tel: 0345 322 7021
16 June 2017
Dear Xxxxxxxx
Thank you for your webform, which we received yesterday, further to our recent correspondence about the heating being on in your trains.
Following from what I've previously said about this, while the train driver can isolate the heating by a switch within their cab, every time the train is switched on and off, the train defaults back to the ‘automatic on’ mode and activates the thermostat on the train. The only way we can prevent the heating remaining on throughout the summer months is to isolate and disable the heating control. By isolating the heating, there's no risk of the heaters being left on. As I mentioned in my first email, this is whatwe're currently doing. We received a number of complaints about our trains being too hot throughout last summer, so I can assure you that we're taking measures to address this.
Once again, thank you for contacting us with your feedback.
Yours sincerely
David Eustace Customer Relations Officer Southeastern
'Disruptive Passengers at Barnehurst' meant that I caught the 7.06 this morning, at about 8.10. Got in to Cannon St over an hour late and then, to add insult to injury, the doors on our carriage wouldn't open - even via use of the so-called emergency door release. And the connecting doors to the next carriage weren't opening either.
'Disruptive Passengers at Barnehurst' meant that I caught the 7.06 this morning, at about 8.10. Got in to Cannon St over an hour late and then, to add insult to injury, the doors on our carriage wouldn't open - even via use of the so-called emergency door release. And the connecting doors to the next carriage weren't opening either.
Could.
Not.
Make.
It.
Up.
Good thing there wasn't a fire then, I'd suggest you contact them directly posthaste, including the carriage number (you're on CL, don't act like you didn't get the carriage number) and let them know that they've failed safety regulations
Comments
Not that anybody was listening mind, nor were the staff saying anything - people were still getting on the Tube etc...
http://media.btp.police.uk/r/14323/unexplained_death_-_plumstead__greater_london
Leanne
Many thanks for your response. I'm afraid it leaves me asking more questions. You say that the heating is switched off on all your trains. This is at odds with previous responses from your colleague David who informed me that you are currently trying to isolate the heating over the summer months. Furthermore, you say that there is no air conditioning but on occasions cool air is circulated as was the case last week in the very hot weather. Thirdly, I can assure you that the hot air currently being pumped in by my left elbow is very definitely not from outside the train. The heating is (or at the very least has recently been) very definitely on. Lastly, while I agree that it is prudent to carry water in hot weather, particularly as your services are so prone to regular delay, I think it is rather complacent to suggest that as an answer to your company's own continued failing to address the root cause of the issue. I grant you, you can't control the weather, but the failure year upon year to address the heating issue is, frankly, to treat your customers with contempt.
I'll look forward to the winter by which time you will no doubt have discovered how to isolate the heating.
Regards.
JM
Sent from my iPhone
On 28 Jun 2017, at 11:46, Customer Services wrote:
Southeastern Customer Services, PO Box 10422, Unit 16 Coalfield Way, Ashby de la Zouch
LE65 9EL
Tel: 0345 322 7021
Dear Dear Xxxxxxxxx
Thank you for your webform dated 26 June in relation to the heating on your service.
I’m sorry your journey from Dartford to Charing Cross was uncomfortable due to problems with the heating and that you have had to repeatedly complain to us about similar situations. I can only apologise for this.
The heating is switched off on all our Metro trains during the summer months. Unfortunately, Metro trains may still be hot as they don’t have air conditioning. This is because they make frequent stops and the service wouldn’t be able to maintain a consistent temperature.
Equally, these trains have fresh air pumped into them via a ventilation system to ensure passengers always have fresh air in their carriage. This is air from outside the carriage that is not cooled. This may feel like heating is on during hotter days. For these reasons, we are asking passengers to carry bottles of water with them during the heat.
Thank you for letting us know about this. Your feedback has been passed onto our depot managers to make sure our trains are properly maintained.
Once again I’m sorry to hear about this unpleasant journey. I hope your future journeys are more enjoyable.
Yours sincerely
Leanne Wilkes
Customer Relations Officer
Southeastern
Hello David
Me again I'm afraid. I've just boarded the 0800 Dartford to Charing Cross this morning. Guess what? Yep. Heating blazing out yet again. Can you give any indication of how long the measures you say are being taken to address this will actually take please?
Thanks
JM
Sent from my iPhone
On 16 Jun 2017, at 07:30, Customer Services wrote:
Southeastern Customer Services, PO Box 10422, Unit 16 Coalfield Way, Ashby de la Zouch
LE65 9EL
Tel: 0345 322 7021
16 June 2017
Dear Xxxxxxxx
Thank you for your webform, which we received yesterday, further to our recent correspondence about the heating being on in your trains.
Following from what I've previously said about this, while the train driver can isolate the heating by a switch within their cab, every time the train is switched on and off, the train defaults back to the ‘automatic on’ mode and activates the thermostat on the train. The only way we can prevent the heating remaining on throughout the summer months is to isolate and disable the heating control. By isolating the heating, there's no risk of the heaters being left on. As I mentioned in my first email, this is whatwe're currently doing. We received a number of complaints about our trains being too hot throughout last summer, so I can assure you that we're taking measures to address this.
Once again, thank you for contacting us with your feedback.
Yours sincerely
David Eustace
Customer Relations Officer
Southeastern
Could.
Not.
Make.
It.
Up.