Newbury Train Station, GWR, Network Rail, Shame Shame Shame Options

[Turin Machine]

You tend to find companies with a monopoly don’t have to try too hard. My pet peeve at the moment is that pathetically sized display at the south entrance to Reading station that takes three refreshes (each page requires two views to see the information) to get back to the page you just missed!

Don't worry! when Comrades Corbyn and macdonnel take it back into state ownership all these problems will waft away into thin air, we'll get lovely big steam trains back, hammer and sickle on the front, a choice of beetroot OR potato in the dining cars, glorious, can't wait.

[Biker1]

Don't worry! when Comrades Corbyn and macdonnel take it back into state ownership all these problems will waft away into thin air, we'll get lovely big steam trains back, hammer and sickle on the front, a choice of beetroot OR potato in the dining cars, glorious, can't wait.

Well at least the miners will get their jobs back!

[Turin Machine]

Well at least the miners will get their jobs back!

Come the glorious revolution, we WILL take back the means of production!! Then **** it up, like we did the last time!

[On the edge]

Come the glorious revolution, we WILL take back the means of production!! Then **** it up, like we did the last time!

Err. Who fouled up in the 70s? Seem to remember it was the private firms like Ford, British Leyland, BSA etc, all with such inept managements that they couldn't even manage their workforces! Bit like today, where private Southern Railway simply caved in with a totally unjustified increase for drivers.

It's a brilliant Tory wheeze we all fall for. They strip the farm of everything they possibly can and when there is nothing left, let Labour back in for a few years to try and put things to right and then they start using the tired out old myths all over again.

[Turin Machine]

Err. Who fouled up in the 70s? Seem to remember it was the private firms like Ford, British Leyland, BSA etc, all with such inept managements that they couldn't even manage their workforces! Bit like today, where private Southern Railway simply caved in with a totally unjustified increase for drivers.

It's a brilliant Tory wheeze we all fall for. They strip the farm of everything they possibly can and when there is nothing left, let Labour back in for a few years to try and put things to right and then they start using the tired out old myths all over again.

YaY, line em up against the wall! really works, well actually no. go on, privatize the railways, haven't had a good laff for ages.

[Mr Brown]

If you have to cancel your journey due to unforeseen circumstances on the railway then you are entitled to a full refund with no admin charge.
National Rail Conditions of Carriage paragraph 30.1.
PS Just wondering why you caught a Swansea train when trying to get to the South West?

Should have said South Wales.

With a bit of luck, they won't levy an admin. charge. My issue is, I simply don't know yet. Anyway, having to have a firm's customer refund policy enshrined in legislation somehow underlines the railway companies total misunderstanding of the words customer and service!

[On the edge]

YaY, line em up against the wall! really works, well actually no. go on, privatize the railways, haven't had a good laff for ages.

No, old son, that's what you lot do. We want them back in public ownership, just like your Winston wanted!!!

Presumably, you are having a good laff at the antics of GWR at the moment? They are quite a joke I agree!

[TallDarkAndHands...]

Err. Who fouled up in the 70s? Seem to remember it was the private firms like Ford, British Leyland, BSA etc, all with such inept managements that they couldn't even manage their workforces! Bit like today, where private Southern Railway simply caved in with a totally unjustified increase for drivers.

It's a brilliant Tory wheeze we all fall for. They strip the farm of everything they possibly can and when there is nothing left, let Labour back in for a few years to try and put things to right and then they start using the tired out old myths all over again.

Corbyn + Macdonell =

Venezuela!!!

Anyone with any idea at all knows this would be the final nail.
All capital will leave. Inflation will be rampant and unemployment will sky rocket.

Ohhhhh Jeremy Corbyn....

[Biker1]

Anyway, having to have a firm's customer refund policy enshrined in legislation somehow underlines the railway companies total misunderstanding of the words customer and service!

The refund policy, along with most other regulations, are defined ion the National Rail Conditions of Carriage which is determined by the DFT.
The rail companies have to abide by these rules as part of the franchise conditions and have no say in any deviation from them.

[Jay Sands]

They probably have the staff they deserve.

Last Thursday, tried to get to South West from Newbury. Auto ticket machines all out of service, so missed first choice train as had to join long ticket office queue. 9.22 to Paddington delayed by 16 minutes so was told the 'slow one' to Reading would leave on time at 9.33....so it did, only to arrive well late because it waited at the Racecourse to let late fast train over take. So, connection at Reading missed. A busy Swansea train arrived eventually at Reading at a suddenly announced platform, by a chap clearly chewing something. This train stopped at Didcot where we all had to get out to go back to Reading because of a fatality on the line. The train taking us back was an already crowded three car train which ended up looking like a Nirthern line rush hour tube train. At Reading, all we were told was things were being sorted but it would take a long time.

I just gave up!

Has anyone ever dared try get a refund? You almost have to beg! Then it takes a month and they deduct a service charge; not exactly customer service.

According to colleagues, this state of affairs isn't unusual by any means. What with advancing driverless vehicle technology and the like, it's beginning to look as if the much vaunted huge investment in railways over past two decades was a massive waste of money.

Whenever we've had this problem, like yesterday for example, when the automatic ticket machine at Newbury wasn't working and the queue trailed outside the doors, and then the Reading connection was standing room only all the way to Paddington (GWR seem to have the knack of not anticipating the number of passengers who travel at the weekend even when they know that the rugby or Ascot is on) we've always written direct to the CEO, Mark Hopwood, Great Western Railway, Milford House, 1 Milford Street, Swindon, SN1 1HL - don't waste your time with their customer service department - and have received a refund.

[SirWilliam]

Does anyone know the sums on how much it slows a train down by the addition of an extra carriage ? This has always been the stock excuse when ever one enquires but I have never discovered by how much per additional carriage .

[Mr Brown]

The refund policy, along with most other regulations, are defined ion the National Rail Conditions of Carriage which is determined by the DFT.
The rail companies have to abide by these rules as part of the franchise conditions and have no say in any deviation from them.

I'm not at all convinced about that; absolute minimum terms possibly. I'd certainly agree that the monopoly situation they are in means they would want to apply the bare minimum they can get away with.

[Mr Brown]

Whenever we've had this problem, like yesterday for example, when the automatic ticket machine at Newbury wasn't working and the queue trailed outside the doors, and then the Reading connection was standing room only all the way to Paddington (GWR seem to have the knack of not anticipating the number of passengers who travel at the weekend even when they know that the rugby or Ascot is on) we've always written direct to the CEO, Mark Hopwood, Great Western Railway, Milford House, 1 Milford Street, Swindon, SN1 1HL - don't waste your time with their customer service department - and have received a refund.

That is certainly an option right now. However, it seems to me that poor customer service is institutionalised and railway managements need a complete change of attitude. So I'm thinking more on the lines of seeing if this shouldn't go higher. TBH I'm not really interested in compensation; just fair trading and a consistent and proper regard for customers.

[Biker1]

Does anyone know the sums on how much it slows a train down by the addition of an extra carriage ? This has always been the stock excuse when ever one enquires but I have never discovered by how much per additional carriage .

The days when you could "add and extra carriage" are long gone.
The railways now run fixed formation trains. Yes the HST's can be changed in size but this is not easily done as they run under the same "fixed formation" rules. Also no carriages exist to make them longer than 8 car.
The new Hitachi trains are total fixed formation and cannot be changed at all.
The main criteria that prevents longer trains is the length of platforms.
Many platforms are having to be extended to take the new Hitachi trains.
Also, in the modern railway "extra carriages" don't exist. The system is pared down to the minimum in order to "sweat the assets". Again, a factor determined by the DFT, not the TOC's.
In answer to your question though, 1 extra carriage on an HST makes little difference except when facing the steep banks in South Devon and Cornwall when it can be a problem. This is because HST's have fixed amount of power determined by the 2 power cars at each end.
Most fixed formation trains however have the power under some or all the carriages (like the turbos) so to add extra would also add extra power.

[SirWilliam]

Thank you Biker for clarifying that . Guess the only answer to overcrowding is to accept the crush .

[Biker1]

I'm not at all convinced about that; absolute minimum terms possibly. I'd certainly agree that the monopoly situation they are in means they would want to apply the bare minimum they can get away with.

You obviously didn't read my reply thoroughly!!
"The rail companies have to abide by these rules as part of the franchise conditions and have no say in any deviation from them."
By the way, 09:23 left 12 minutes late. Not acceptable I know, but hardly the end of the world.
And yes it did overtake the 09:33 at the Racecourse. If it had been me I would have stayed with it despite being told the 09:33 would leave on time. (Which it did as you say!)

[Biker1]

Thank you Biker for clarifying that . Guess the only answer to overcrowding is to accept the crush .

Well the new Hitachi's have more room because 8 cars will be replaced by 9 or 10.
The class 387 electrics which will replace most of the turbos have 4 coaches as opposed to the turbo 2 or 3.
Unfortunately, with our ever increasing population with no end in sight, this may not cater for the increased usage for very long.
Who knows what the long term answer is? Everything seems to be overcrowded doesn't it?

[On the edge]

Well the new Hitachi's have more room because 8 cars will be replaced by 9 or 10.
The class 387 electrics which will replace most of the turbos have 4 coaches as opposed to the turbo 2 or 3.
Unfortunately, with our ever increasing population with no end in sight, this may not cater for the increased usage for very long.
Who knows what the long term answer is? Everything seems to be overcrowded doesn't it?

Interesting dilemma; certainly London and the South East are at, or even over capacity. The infrastructure isn't coping and austerity us making things worse. Nonetheless, large swathes beyond the Watford Gap the situation is reversed; some places are actually demolishing older but certainly serviceable homes. Similarly, there is much space in Scotland. How do we secure true mobility of labour so that population numbers are smoothed out? Market forces don't do it as we see today; then again central planning (1940s) and state intervention (1950s) didn't work either.

[SirWilliam]

It has long been the argument that in order to get a half decent job one had to be prepared to move to another area of the UK if your present one was lacking in employment opportunities , ( remember "get on yer bike " quote ) , but with more and more people working from home and face to face via internet the norm the need to live "local" is no longer a requirement .
So if those who fit the above demographic upsticks and took up residence North of Watford then it would , if nothing else , ease the housing "problem". The problem is , as far as I can see , is that those who work from home have a higher paying position than those who need to commute , which brings us to the crux of the matter that we desperately need a decent train / public transport system . So instead of pushing money into the Southern hosing market we should get the transport infrastructure right .
Over simplistic answer to a complex problem .
Just been interrupted by news that some chap called Harry has got engaged to a tart called Megan . I shall be relocating to a Hebridean island for the next 12 months .
ps Before the lefties on here get uptight about my supposed disrespectful position , a tart is a young woman , nothing else .

[Andy Capp]

It has long been the argument that in order to get a half decent job one had to be prepared to move to another area of the UK if your present one was lacking in employment opportunities , ( remember "get on yer bike " quote ) , but with more and more people working from home and face to face via internet the norm the need to live "local" is no longer a requirement .
So if those who fit the above demographic upsticks and took up residence North of Watford then it would , if nothing else , ease the housing "problem". The problem is , as far as I can see , is that those who work from home have a higher paying position than those who need to commute , which brings us to the crux of the matter that we desperately need a decent train / public transport system . So instead of pushing money into the Southern hosing market we should get the transport infrastructure right .
Over simplistic answer to a complex problem .
Just been interrupted by news that some chap called Harry has got engaged to a tart called Megan . I shall be relocating to a Hebridean island for the next 12 months .
ps Before the lefties on here get uptight about my supposed disrespectful position , a tart is a young woman , nothing else .

A tart usually is a “woman who dresses or behaves in a way that is considered tasteless and sexually provocative.”