Jonnty posted:

Before you think we're the only ones who gently caress up the whole railways thing...

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/blogs/david-briginshaw/fyra-problems-could-be-more-political-than-technical.html?channel=

Although, of course, we've never had the need to buy a 250km/h train for domestic use...

Bozza posted:

Intercity 225

Cerv posted:

Bozza posted:

Had them (nearly) for 30 years. What do you think the 225 in Intercity 225 stands for? And what's 25kph between pals?

No fucker was willing to invest in the infrastructure to support it though.

The replacement for the WCML was gonna be the Intercity 250 too, but then BR got privatised. What could have been, eh?

quote:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/chalk-farm-businessman-plans-to-sue-over-parked-trains-which-block-sunlight-8543662.html

A businessman is considering legal action against London Midland because parked trains are blocking out natural light from his offices.

Frank Carson, the owner of Primrose Hill Business Centre in Chalk Farm, says office workers have complained they are starved of daylight by stationary trains in the Camden sidings.

Mr Carson, who has owned the centre for 40 years, said that until three years ago, the sidings were only used to wash trains. “We had no complaints when carriages were moved away after they were cleaned but now they are parked there throughout the day,” he said.

“If they are moved, they only go for around 45 minutes before they are back again. This means people working in our offices are denied daylight and all they can see are trains.”

One manager, Robert Hohler, who runs Companions of London, said: “The carriages are only about 10 feet away. It was never the most beautiful view, but now the trains rarely clear.”

Mr Hohler, whose staff have worked in the building since 1995, also believes his phones and internet are affected.

Mr Carson said he met two London Midland representatives six weeks ago and they “seemed sympathetic” but he then received a letter saying nothing could be done. “I am prepared to take this further. I have a draft letter ready to send off to London Midland’s legal department.” It also affected the rents he could charge, he added.

London Midland said: “In 2010 the Department for Transport funded our upgrade of the Camden sidings so that we can stable our trains there during the daytime off-peak hours. This is necessary so that we have the trains in the right place to run our peak-time commuter services to and from London.”

It added that the only alternative, moving trains to Bletchley during the day, would involve a 100-mile round trip, extra drivers and timetable changes.

Cerv posted:

quote:

“If they are moved, they only go for around 45 minutes before they are back again. This means people working in our offices are denied daylight and all they can see are trains.”

sweek0 posted:

You've not properly experienced sardine trains until you've tried Berthnal Green westbound during the morning peak.
It's gotten to the point where commuters go 1 stop east to Stratford to get on a westbound there and travel straight through Bethnal Green again.

Jonnty posted:

I'm not entirely sure about the full role of spare drivers but if the TOC is routinely using spare drivers when there's no disruption and nobody off sick or whatever then it probably means they're employing too few drivers and the spare has every right to be annoyed.

Hezzy posted:

The sidings are right next to the station. Usually we have 1 or 2 units belonging to that TOC spare in the sidings and they switch them out. Basically the driver who brings a broken unit / unit needing fuelling into the station goes home and the unit is left sitting there taking up a valuable platform. Then control either forgot to tell the driver to put it back down the sidings before he left, or changed their minds at the last minute about what they wanted to do with it. So that means I have to get someone on spare to move the train down the sidings. That's exactly why they're spare (apart from filling in when drivers don't show up) and it really isn't a massive fuss, literally takes 15 minutes at the most and then they can go back to being paid to sit around doing whatever they want!

Jonnty posted:

So they're being made to do it because control is slightly incompetent (or doesn't want to pay another driver for a few extra minutes when they can just use the spare driver instead?)

Hezzy posted:

Why do it when they can lean on their spares to move stuff around?

Jonnty posted:

And that's why the spares would be reluctant to move the trains - to avoid setting a precedent like that.

Bozza posted:

I highly recommend, if are going that way, getting Chiltern Railways new Mark 3 coaches from London to Brum. Original layout, none of this high density airline poo poo that plagues standard class on FGW et al.

I hate high density seating. Run more trains goddamn it.

Endjinneer posted:

Mk 3 coaches? Are these the ones Grand Central ran for a while, with the low reclined, deeply upholstered seats that make you go "aaaah" when you sit down? The ones I plan my travel specifically to use rather than use the desperately painful, unpadded, workhouse issue snooze preventing spine-deformers that seem to be replacing them?

Endjinneer posted:

Mk 3 coaches? Are these the ones Grand Central ran for a while, with the low reclined, deeply upholstered seats that make you go "aaaah" when you sit down? The ones I plan my travel specifically to use rather than use the desperately painful, unpadded, workhouse issue snooze preventing spine-deformers that seem to be replacing them?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad posted:

Yes, this is the one joy of Greater Anglia.

goddamnedtwisto posted:

I've done that myself on the Jubilee Line with Canary Wharf and Canning Town when heading into town.

Also that Bethnal Green-Mile End stretch is the longest tunnel between stations on the Underground network. Do I win a golden anorak for knowing that?

Jonnty posted:

Why did they get rid of the sleep-friendly sidey bits?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad posted:

Yes, this is the one joy of Greater Anglia.

kingturnip posted:

If you can find a seat that's not falling apart or where the cushion is still attached to the rest of the seat, sure.

Also, back on the 'leaving early' front; happened again at the weekend. The train pulled away from the station at least 2 minutes before the Departure Board's listed time. No signs to say it will happen, and it only seems to occur during off-peak times.

(The Departure Boards usually look a bit better than this random photo shows. Overwhelming smell of fresh bread also not pictured.)

Manic_Misanthrope posted:

So, any major horror stories about HS1 or is that line relatively okay by trainchat standards?

goddamnedtwisto posted:

I've done that myself on the Jubilee Line with Canary Wharf and Canning Town when heading into town.

Also that Bethnal Green-Mile End stretch is the longest tunnel between stations on the Underground network. Do I win a golden anorak for knowing that?

sweek0 posted:

You don't because I'm pretty sure it's Finsbury Park - Seven Sisters.

quote:

Train fares in Scotland set to fall by as much as 41%

A new ticket pricing structure on Scotland's train network will see some fares slashed by as much as 41%.

The country's transport minister, Keith Brown, said the "decades-old fare anomalies of split-ticketing" would end, making 275,000 journeys cheaper.

He added that £2.28m in Scottish government money would see fares on routes such as Dundee to Portlethen go from £27.90 to £16.60, a 41% fall.

Transport Scotland and ScotRail have helped devise the new fares system.

Mr Brown explained that due to historic pricing regimes established in the franchise agreements of 2004, passengers had had to navigate their way through a fares database to find the best deal.

Reduced fares - examples

Dundee to Portlethen - Reduced from £27.90 to £16.60, a saving of £11.30 (41%).
Dundee to Aberdeen - Reduced from £27.90 to £18.50, a saving of £9.40 (34%)
Dundee to Edinburgh - Reduced from £23.60 to £16.60, a saving of £7.00 (30%)
Dundee to Stirling - Reduced from £18.40 to £13.40, a saving of £5.00 (27%)
(These fares are for Anytime Day Single tickets. Source: Transport Scotland)

The new system will reduce split-ticketing, which will result in cheaper fares for most customers buying one end-to-end ticket.

Mr Brown said: "We have always been clear on our commitment to getting more people on Scotland's trains and a major factor in that has been ensuring affordable and easily understood fare structures.

"We want a fares system which is quick and easy to use and which provides the cheapest fare possible. And that is what we and ScotRail are now delivering."

In general terms, the changes will mean that the end-to-end fare will be at least 50p cheaper than the cheapest "two ticket" option.

However, ScotRail has not addressed inconsistencies that may result from comparing "multiple leg" journeys, largely because of the huge number of potential combinations.

Less common combinations of fares may prove cheaper, but these will be much rarer than at present.

In addition, because Strathclyde had different off peak restrictions, the government admitted that some inconsistencies would remain.

FISHMANPET posted:

Are there any other BBC shows that delve into your rail transport systems? I wish somebody would do a show like that in America for Amtrak and something like New York City's subway.

Jonnty posted:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-22002256


Makes sense - reading the start of the article I assume the reductions would be minimal and the massive ones would only be on tiny journeys that have suffered from the weird effect where tiny increases get rounded up to the nearest 10p every time the fares go up, but some of those reductions are huuuge! They seem to have got rid of the "Tay tax" where journeys over the Tay Bridge are ridiculously expensive for some reason. I guess they've held off doing this as it involves fare reductions which they presumably have to compensate the TOCs for, but it's much more sensible. I'm most pleased about the reductions between Edinburgh and Aberdeen - much cheaper to see my sister now!

Incidentally, this won't apply to advance tickets where all sorts of anomalies mean split ticketing is often cheaper, so always check a few split ticketing options to see if you can bag a bargain when buying one of those.

Iohannes posted:

What's the news on the Scottish oyster card, do you know?

I do know we won't have a nationalised railway in the event of a yes vote next year, which is a shame because that'd help the campaign.

Islington Gazette posted:

First Capital Connect (FCC) cancelled all Northern City Line services between Finsbury Park and Moorgate from 10am this morning after the incident which happened just north of Old Street station.

The alarm was initially raised after the driver of the Welwyn Garden City to Moorgate service with passengers on board saw muddy water pouring on to the roof of his train, and services were suspended.

A second empty train was sent along the line just after 11am to investigate the problem but as it approached the area at low speed, two large piling drills came through the side of the tunnel.

The train stopped in time but the driver was shaken, said FCC.

British Transport Police has visited an office construction site above the line and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been notified.

The train company has this afternoon praised its drivers for their vigilance.

FCC managing Ddirector Neal Lawson said: “This is a serious incident that could have ended very differently had it not been for the vigilance and prompt reporting and actions of our drivers.

“We carry two million people a year on the Northern City Line and whoever is responsible for this must be held to account.

“Meanwhile we have published details of alternative travel arrangements and are urging our passengers to check https://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk for the latest news but the line will be out of action for the rest of the day at least.”

Network Rail said specialist tunnelling contractors had been sent to the scene to assess the damage.

Phil Verster, Network Rail route managing director, said: “Our engineers are on site assessing the damage and we will restore the railway as soon as possible but unfortunately the line will remain closed for the rest of the day.

“Passengers should check with National Rail Enquiries or First Capital Connect for the latest information.”

During tonight’s peak, FCC services will be running from into and out of King’s Cross or Finsbury Park instead of Moorgate.

Customers are advised to use London buses or the Tube (Victoria line or Piccadilly line) to reach Finsbury Park for connecting services. Tickets will also be accepted on Greater Anglia services from Liverpool Street station to Cambridge, Enfield Town and Hertford East.

The line is normally closed at the weekend and engineers will be working to reopen it in time for Monday morning’s service.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad posted:

I didn't see this posted about last month but now everyone's seen The Railway and knows how ridiculous the Network Rail getting fined blame game is, some contractors are going to get fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked

http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/construction_drills_burst_through_train_tunnel_wall_near_old_street_1_1971894

Jonnty posted:

You always assume that it should be really easy for contractors to check for this stuff, but the amount of times you see utility companies digging huge trenches to find a single gas main makes you wonder whether the system's as good as it should be. Clearly, tunnels are more serious (especially in London) although I wouldn't be surprised if it's not actually the contractor who's to blame here but whoever's meant to deal with the records.

Financial Times posted:

State-run railway beats private rivals
^{By Mark Odell, Transport Correspondent}
The state-run East Coast mainline has emerged as the most efficiently run rail franchise in terms of its reliance on taxpayer funding, raising questions about a recent government decision to privatise the operation.

A new analysis by the Office of Rail Regulation, the industry watchdog, has found that the intercity line that links London to Edinburgh requires much lower government funding than any of the 15 other franchises that are let by the Department for Transport to the private sector.

The study, the most comprehensive financial assessment of the industry since privatisation, looked at the funding of the passenger services and the cost of maintaining the infrastructure by Network Rail.

Many of the train operators, specifically the long-distance operations and the commuter services in the southeast, generate enough profit to make premium payments to the government. But these are offset by the cost of other unprofitable franchises, serving the English regions, Scotland and Wales, and the huge cost of maintaining and upgrading the rail network. This sees the taxpayer contribute £4bn net to the annual £11.6bn cost of running the railways.

The ORR found that among the rail franchises that make net payments to the Treasury, the East Coast mainline, which has been run by the state since November 2009, is reliant on just 1 per cent of government funding once cost of infrastructure is taken into account.

That compares with 13 per cent for the West Coast mainline, the country’s other north-south intercity franchise operated by Virgin Rail, a joint venture between Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Stagecoach, which was at the centre of the debacle last year that plunged the rail industry into chaos.

The reliance on state funding of the other nine franchises that make net payments to the government ranges from 3 per cent to 36 per cent.

The study is published just weeks after Patrick McLoughlin, transport secretary, announced a new rail franchising timetable, that included plans to return the East Coast to the private sector. The move was designed to draw a line under the months of chaos in the UK rail industry triggered by the West Coast fiasco.

Ministers justified the decision to proceed with the privatisation of East Coast by arguing that it needed “revitalising now”. Mr McLoughlin told MPs at the time: “Now it is the right time that we invite bidders to put forward proposals for investing in and improving services.”

The move had been opposed by Labour, who argued that the East Coast should remain under state control to provide a benchmark for the other privately run franchises.

The opposition seized on the analysis from the ORR. “Considering the East Coast service makes one of the highest annual payments to government, receives the least subsidy and is the only route on which all profits are reinvested in services, it makes no sense for the government to prioritise this privatisation over getting the rest of the industry back on track,” said Maria Eagle, Labour’s shadow transport secretary.

The Association of Train Operating Companies rejected the ORR’s benchmarking of the financial performance of the franchise operators as “a vast oversimplification”.

“Train companies operate in different markets and under different franchise agreements, signed at different periods. Levels of investment in infrastructure and rolling stock vary between routes and over time,” it said.

A spokesman for the East Coast main line welcomed the findings: “The facts speak for themselves. We are proud of our record of improving customer satisfaction to the highest level ever on the line and ensuring consistently better train punctuality as well as delivering £640m to the taxpayer over the last three and a half years.”

A spokesman for the DfT said: “The East Coast has done an admirable job in difficult circumstances but recent reliability of services has not been as high as the government would expect and overall performance levels have plateaued. We now need to address that. A long-term stable partner for the franchise will be best placed to drive investment and innovation opportunities which will deliver significant benefits to both passengers and taxpayers for years to come.”

kingturnip posted:

This morning, in the 8 minutes it took between my checking the Greater Anglia website to see if my train was running on time (it was) and walking to the station, my train was cancelled.
3 stops and 14 minutes up the line.

I don't mind trains getting cancelled if there's a genuine reason for it (debris on the line, a broken-down train), but if other trains are happily speeding down the line, there is no problem.
I'm convinced it's a financial decision where cancelling a train results in a smaller fine than having subsequent services run late.

I dunno, a combination of there only being a train every 30 minutes and the loving Stansted Express being a priority service means my station is pretty low on the priority list.
And, having glanced at the Office of Rail Regulation's reports, it looks like the West Anglia route performance statistics are noticeably lower when Stansted Express services aren't counted.