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> Deception Training at Newbury Station, Undercover reporter at Station uncovers truth
gel
post Jun 1 2015, 11:25 AM
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Cheapest Fares mist at Newbury station:


On C4 tonight @ 8pm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-31...st-tickets.html
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GMR
post Jun 2 2015, 04:01 PM
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I watched the programme last night, but to be honest there was nothing new there. Most companies - if not all - tell their customers one thing, and their staff another. Remember; their priority is to make money and the customer is only secondary.

As for seats and customer comfort; that will come no day soon.

People pay a fortune for season tickets and for that they are crammed in like sardines/ cattle, and on the whole they seem to take it with a smile. Like the poll tax we - the public - could do something about it, but we are too timid and mild and rather just bow and smile. We've only got ourselves to blame at the end of the day! Companies like British Rail know this and are happy to push the limits with hardly any comeback.


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Andy Capp
post Jun 2 2015, 07:30 PM
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My biggest gripe is with whoever is responsible for the endless signal failures that cause train delays. I'd also like an easy to use phone app that allows you to keep track of trains and their expected arrival. I know there are plenty already, but they are all crap and are designed around buying tickets.

Being told every two minutes that the next train is going to be late because of signal failure can make you want to go and smash his microphone up!
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Biker1
post Jun 3 2015, 07:29 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Jun 2 2015, 08:30 PM) *
I'd also like an easy to use phone app that allows you to keep track of trains and their expected arrival. I know there are plenty already, but they are all crap and are designed around buying tickets.

Have you tried realtimetrains.co.uk?

By the way, on there you can all see the public timetable and the working timetable.
The WTT bas existed almost since the start of the railways.
Nothing new, and done for operational reasons and NOT to deceive the travelling public.
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Biker1
post Jun 3 2015, 07:38 AM
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QUOTE (GMR @ Jun 2 2015, 05:01 PM) *
As for seats and customer comfort; that will come no day soon.

People pay a fortune for season tickets and for that they are crammed in like sardines/ cattle, and on the whole they seem to take it with a smile. Like the poll tax we - the public - could do something about it, but we are too timid and mild and rather just bow and smile. We've only got ourselves to blame at the end of the day! Companies like British Rail know this and are happy to push the limits with hardly any comeback.

There are moves to reduce crowding on the railway but, as a railway hating nation, these are usually thwarted.
I saw a good cartoon a short while ago that I can't find now, but it went along the lines of a couple getting off a crowded train and complaining saying "This is terrible. Something should be done about this."..............
They were carrying "NO TO HS2" banners!! laugh.gif

(British Rail GMR??) wink.gif
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Andy Capp
post Jun 3 2015, 08:29 AM
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QUOTE (Biker1 @ Jun 3 2015, 08:38 AM) *
There are moves to reduce crowding on the railway but, as a railway hating nation, these are usually thwarted.
I saw a good cartoon a short while ago that I can't find now, but it went along the lines of a couple getting off a crowded train and complaining saying "This is terrible. Something should be done about this."..............
They were carrying "NO TO HS2" banners!! laugh.gif

(British Rail GMR??) wink.gif


The merits of HS2 are debatable, but most people resent paying peak price to stand on a train with not enough carriages. Having a ~£50bn train service from the Midlands/North to London is not seen by everyone as the most prudent investment for the country as a whole.
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Andy Capp
post Jun 3 2015, 11:05 AM
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QUOTE (Biker1 @ Jun 3 2015, 08:29 AM) *
Have you tried realtimetrains.co.uk?


Thanks for that. At first glance, that is what I have been wishing for. I don't mind the 2 or 3 quid for the phone app either! smile.gif
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Biker1
post Jun 3 2015, 11:36 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Jun 3 2015, 09:29 AM) *
The merits of HS2 are debatable, but most people resent paying peak price to stand on a train with not enough carriages. Having a ~£50bn train service from the Midlands/North to London is not seen by everyone as the most prudent investment for the country as a whole.

HS2 is just an example of how improvements can be made to ease congestion the rail system.
If we are going to accommodate the ever increasing number of people who want to travel by rail within our ever increasing population then money has to be spent and lines built.
You simply cannot cope with that sort of demand on the existing network which was pruned beyond recognition without a thought for the future in the 1960's.
Longer, faster, more frequent trains may help, but are not a long-term solution.
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GMR
post Jun 3 2015, 03:46 PM
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QUOTE (Biker1 @ Jun 3 2015, 08:38 AM) *
There are moves to reduce crowding on the railway but, as a railway hating nation, these are usually thwarted. I saw a good cartoon a short while ago that I can't find now, but it went along the lines of a couple getting off a crowded train and complaining saying "This is terrible. Something should be done about this.".............. They were carrying "NO TO HS2" banners!! laugh.gif (British Rail GMR??) wink.gif





"British Rail" is short hand for other rail providers wink.gif

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On the edge
post Jun 3 2015, 05:34 PM
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Why is anyone surprised. The supermarkets have been getting away with all sorts of similar techniques for years; yet few ever complain.


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Andy Capp
post Jun 3 2015, 07:51 PM
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QUOTE (Biker1 @ Jun 3 2015, 12:36 PM) *
HS2 is just an example of how improvements can be made to ease congestion the rail system.
If we are going to accommodate the ever increasing number of people who want to travel by rail within our ever increasing population then money has to be spent and lines built.
You simply cannot cope with that sort of demand on the existing network which was pruned beyond recognition without a thought for the future in the 1960's.
Longer, faster, more frequent trains may help, but are not a long-term solution.

But it is a vast amount money for a limited section of the country. That is the point. I have also seen that the benefits of HS2 may not be as great as promoted.

And how is it that longer faster more frequent trains is not the answer?
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NWNREADER
post Jun 3 2015, 09:06 PM
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'Longer trains' may be a point. Many of the steam trips have 12 or more coaches, modern trains far fewer. So why can't more carriages be added?
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Biker1
post Jun 4 2015, 06:02 AM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Jun 3 2015, 08:51 PM) *
And how is it that longer faster more frequent trains is not the answer?

Because there is a physical limit on a said piece of track that you can have such.
As I said, they will help but new track is the only long-term solution.
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Biker1
post Jun 4 2015, 06:34 AM
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QUOTE (NWNREADER @ Jun 3 2015, 10:06 PM) *
'Longer trains' may be a point. Many of the steam trips have 12 or more coaches, modern trains far fewer. So why can't more carriages be added?

The steam excursions you refer to run with coaches that were built in the 50's / 60's to serve a time when trains were run with locomotives and separate coaches.
Now we have trains that are fixed formation or "units" to which the easy addition of coaches is not possible.
Fixed formation trains are more efficient to run but are not anything like as flexible as a locomotive and coaches.
In order for additional coaches to be added to fixed formation trains you have to build new ones of the same type, (as is currently being done with the West Coast Pendolinos).
Other TOC's run fixed formation trains that are much older for which the manufacture of extra coaches would not be practicable or cost effective. You have to wait for new trains to be built in order to increase capacity. This is being done with new electric, or bi-modal, trains for the Great Western route.
All this is controlled by the DFT. The TOC's do not own the trains they run.
This is one of the major problems the railways face, an over simplification and misunderstanding of the complexities of their operation by the general public fed by programmes such as the one highlighted by the OP and the media such as the accompanying article in this paper.
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Biker1
post Jun 4 2015, 06:37 AM
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QUOTE (GMR @ Jun 3 2015, 04:46 PM) *
"British Rail" is short hand for other rail providers wink.gif

Try this site GMR!! wink.gif
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On the edge
post Jun 4 2015, 06:47 AM
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You aren't wrong Biker1!

Actually, it is a great shame the media don't do rather more to promote understanding and knowledge, not only about our railways, but also many of our other service provisions. Who knows, that might even inhibit the meddling politicians and their pseudo advisors who get us into these messes - because 'they know better'. Such programming does not need to be uninteresting, boring or soviet style hectoring. Looking back, the Post Office film unit fostered a great deal of respect for the Post Office and even the then private railways with classics like 'the Night Mail'. Again, the media just like our politicians treat us like unthinking morons! Bring on the dancing dogs!!


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GMR
post Jun 4 2015, 03:11 PM
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QUOTE (Biker1 @ Jun 4 2015, 07:37 AM) *
Try this site GMR!! wink.gif





I didn't say I wanted to bring back British Rail, I don't. But using the name was just a short cut - or a lazy way of not saying First Great Western. Luckily for me there are a few - contrary to popular belief - intelligent members on here that can work out what my short cut meant wink.gif

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gel
post Jun 4 2015, 04:29 PM
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QUOTE (On the edge @ Jun 4 2015, 07:47 AM) *
You aren't wrong Biker1!

Actually, it is a great shame the media don't do rather more to promote understanding and knowledge, not only about our railways, but also many of our other service provisions. Who knows, that might even inhibit the meddling politicians and their pseudo advisors who get us into these messes - because 'they know better'. Such programming does not need to be uninteresting, boring or soviet style hectoring. Looking back, the Post Office film unit fostered a great deal of respect for the Post Office and even the then private railways with classics like 'the Night Mail'. Again, the media just like our politicians treat us like unthinking morons! Bring on the dancing dogs!!

Interesting BBC4 prog I came across last night on BR.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b053p...of-british-rail
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Andy Capp
post Jun 4 2015, 06:46 PM
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QUOTE (Biker1 @ Jun 4 2015, 07:34 AM) *
This is one of the major problems the railways face, an over simplification and misunderstanding of the complexities of their operation by the general public fed by programmes such as the one highlighted by the OP and the media such as the accompanying article in this paper.

If paying quite a lot of money to stand up for an hour or so while bumping into people around you is over-simplification, then yes that is true.

I'm glad I wasn't using the bloody things today.

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/home/14...ng-between.html

Just a slight adjustment to their text: "Passengers travelling between the two stations were originally being warned to expect even more delays, the usual revised services and even fewer trains than normal until 5pm today (Thurs)."
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Biker1
post Jun 5 2015, 08:05 AM
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QUOTE (GMR @ Jun 4 2015, 04:11 PM) *
I didn't say I wanted to bring back British Rail, I don't. But using the name was just a short cut - or a lazy way of not saying First Great Western. Luckily for me there are a few - contrary to popular belief - intelligent members on here that can work out what my short cut meant wink.gif

You crack me up GMR! biggrin.gif
BR does not exist any more and to use the term is incorrect and misleading.
Or is my lack of intelligence telling me something wrong there? tongue.gif
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