British trains and government targets

[Solly]

Usually trains have been alright for me, the odd 20 minute delay here or there.

Today coming back from Manchester, was due to catch the 15:57 to Walkden. I arrived at the station and it was running 9 minutes late (16:06), stuck around for a bit..then the display said it was due at 16:12. A few minutes after this, an announcement comes over saying that the train will run from Manchester to Salford Crescent, and then go express all the way to Wigan Wallgate (), missing around 8 stations on the way. One of which was mine.

So had to wait for the next one, no taxi provided, no recompense (yet)...

Targets can work well, but this is just an idiotic way of achieving "on time" status for the train. Missing out stations should not be allowed.

[The Viceroy]

Ive found that on the whole, most journeys via rail are eventless, and as you say, the most you have to deal with is 10-15 mins delay .. but when things go wrong, they really do go wrong.

I reserved my seat for my return from Chester to Euston, and when I got onto the mainline at Crewe, some git was sitting in my seat.. So i asked nicely if they could move, and I got the response "Well, somebodies in my seat !!" ... turned out the reservations system had crashed and had double booked loads of seats and as a result, there were about 20 people too many for the coach, and it caused hours of delays ... AAAAAGH ..

I agree, Targets are useless if it means its ok to reduce your service to acheive them, missing stations is pathetic.

[Dauphin]

A better target would be to achieve a certain level of customer satisfaction. After all, isn't that what the targets are supposedly designed for?

[*End Is Forever*]

You sound surprised Stewart. This sort of thing has been going on for years, particularly on the south-eastern networks where it has caused no end of ire for commuters.

You might also have noticed that "on time" long-distance trains often arrive at their final destination five or ten minutes early... because a "buffer time" that prevents them from arriving late is scheduled in.

Anyway, if you're sufficiently aggrieved, the new "northern" franchise is up for tender early next year; I imagine First North Western will be more than anxious to ensure that any complainants are dealt with satisfactorily in the meantime.

[Dauphin]

EiF, happen to know when Connex services in the Southeast (Kent and Sussex) are due to be revoked? And who is taking over?

[Whaleboy]

Northampton sucks! I have no more to say on this matter..

[Spiffor]

/me can only feel haughty when reading this thread

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Spiffor
* Spiffor can only feel haughty when reading this thread

You're French, you'd be haughty at reading anything.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Big Crunch
You're French, you'd be haughty at reading anything.

We can't help it. We are so impressively better than you that we even sometimes may feel sorry about you Rosbifs.

[Mazarin]

France should obviously get full responsibility for the train system in upcoming core Europe.

[Spiffor]

Well, Mazarin, we're not perfect yet.

Two days ago, when I was travelling from Paris to Stuttgart, I heard in Strasbourg station that some train from Lyons would arrive 20 minutes late

[Ned]

Park, look on the bright side. They told you about the schedule change before you boarded.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Spiffor

We can't help it. We are so impressively better than you that we even sometimes may feel sorry about you Rosbifs.

If you want to give to your poor unfortunate neighbours this Christmas then a few million crates of wine would be appreciated by us all.

[Sandman]

Nationalise 'em.

[*End Is Forever*]

Originally posted by Big Crunch
EiF, happen to know when Connex services in the Southeast (Kent and Sussex) are due to be revoked? And who is taking over?

It's happened already; the franchise has been taken back under the wing of the Strategic Rail Authority in the interim, and a new operator will be appointed "by 2005". I wouldn't hold your breath for any improvements though; the SRA don't appear to have much more of a clue, and they've appointed Connex's old MD to do the same job with the new (temporary) subsidiary "South Eastern Trains" (wonder how much they spent coming up with that moniker!).

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