How difficult can it be to test a train?

[Man of Harveys]

For the second time this week, a packed f***ing Crapital Connect train (i.e. the ones that were Thameslink) has had to discharge its full cargo of passengers at Brighton station before even setting off, because of a "mechanical fault on the train that can't be rectified".

Needless to say, this means that 20-30 poor sods per carriage have been about £25 quid to stand for an hour and half in non-air conditioned trains that get even fuller at every stop up the line.

Now, If I'm driving to Germany or to France, I quickly check my oil, tyres and water on my car and take it for a quick spin the night before to make sure that everything seems OK. And I don't have 200 people on board paying a fortune to try and get to work on time. Why the fucks are these IDIOTS incapable of trying out their knackered trains first thing, rather than find out they don't work once it's too late?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Shitty Thameslink or whatever they are now are the worst trains around. I preferred slam doors (which I know are illegal now) to those flea infested shit holes.

New carriages - now.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

thameslink are crap i agree with tmls

 

[Gwylan]

Ah,. sounds like I made good decision to work from home today.

I've been 'detrained' three times in the last couple of weeks and while I was at Brighton station yesterday I noticed that another FCC had developed a fault.

What are FCC doing? I got Thameslink every day without a hitch but this gang of wankers can't go two days without one train being buggered about.

I came back from Chichester last night (and that train was late too) and 12.25 at night there were still three people staffing the ticket barrier. If companies were a little less obsessive about collecting tickets and bit more keen on getting their trains working we might have a better service.

 

[Grendel]

It doesn't surprise me. A friend of mine used to work at the Selhurst depot and once described his day-to-day duties thus: "I spray WD40 on things and then hit them with a spanner. If nothing falls apart then I send the train out and go to KFC."

 

[Man of Harveys]

What Gwylan said, to the nth degree - nice shiny ticket barriers and pompous inspectors are the ONLY f***ing things privatised rail companies ever spend money on unless they're forced. I got the Victoria train which gets to Brighton at 2.30am on Wednesday but the twats in hats were all still on their pointless parade.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Yeah but to be fair Southern have invested in their new rolling stock.

But as far as First whatever the only difference I have noticed is that there are more ticket inspectors. Hardly ever got one on Thameslink.

 

[Gwylan]

I've travelled lots on the continent, Germany especially, and none of the train companies over there seem to employ any of the officious wankers that the companies do here.

In Germany you don't have to go through barriers or show your ticket when you're struggling with your bags - you just show the nice ticket collector on the train. You can buy your ticket on the train, just have to pay a premium for doing so. It seems to work a treat: trains are on time and are comfortable. If only, if only ....

 

[Man of Harveys]

Yeah but to be fair Southern have invested in their new rolling stock.

I don't know as much about it as I should but I don't think that that big an investment decision is taken by the train operation company alone. That's a big investment to make if you then promptly go and lose your franchise. I suspect the rail regulator forces their hand, rather than someone from Southern or whoever it is this week saying "god, maybe these are getting a bit too shabby" or whatever. Replacing the slamdoors was 20-30 YEARS overdue when they finally got round to it.

 

[aftershavedave]

you guys really ought to be calling time on fist crapital.

the southern service to london is now imho *excellent* and the trains are comfortable. best service in my 21 years of commuting.

bite the bullet and get the bus from victoria/london bridge.

 

[London Calling]

It doesn't surprise me. A friend of mine used to work at the Selhurst depot and once described his day-to-day duties thus: "I spray WD40 on things and then hit them with a spanner. If nothing falls apart then I send the train out and go to KFC."

Isn't that what the average Palace fan does in all of his jobs, though on most occasions he just uses a club?

 

[Man of Harveys]

you guys really ought to be calling time on fist crapital.

the southern service to london is now imho *excellent* and the trains are comfortable. best service in my 21 years of commuting.

bite the bullet and get the bus from victoria/london bridge.

I think you're right - I've been toying with the idea of getting one of those awful folding bikes, I must admit. They might be over-expensive and make you look like a self-regarding posh prick in advertising but there we are. Plus I might lose some weight.

 

[Grendel]

I don't know as much about it as I should but I don't think that that big an investment decision is taken by the train operation company alone. That's a big investment to make if you then promptly go and lose your franchise. I suspect the rail regulator forces their hand, rather than someone from Southern or whoever it is this week saying "god, maybe these are getting a bit too shabby" or whatever. Replacing the slamdoors was 20-30 YEARS overdue when they finally got round to it.

To be fair, Govia (who own Southern) placed the order for their new trains before they'd been awarded the current franchise.

Isn't that what the average Palace fan does in all of his jobs, though on most occasions he just uses a club?

I believe so, although the gentleman in question is certainly not a Palace fan, he just has the misfortune to work in the vicinity.

 

[Gwylan]

I think you're right - I've been toying with the idea of getting one of those awful folding bikes, I must admit. They might be over-expensive and make you look like a self-regarding posh prick in advertising but there we are. Plus I might lose some weight.

I have two bikes: one for London and one for Brighton. Unfortunately, the London one is buggered and there's a two week waiting list at the repair shop. So it's FCC for me for another couple of weeks.

Having two bikes doesn't seem to have helped me lose weight though.

 

[Man of Harveys]

I have two bikes: one for London and one for Brighton.

How often does the London one get nicked? Where do you leave it?

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

I've got the delight of travelling with them coming up on Sunday when I'm going to see my Godsons, who live at Shenley in Hertfordshire. I agree it is truly the most dire rail company and First are just as bad as Govia - old, dirty and uncomfortable (without aircon) trains, only they are now charging more if you live north of the River Thames and want to return home between 16.30 and 19.00. I have a dilemma. Do I travel up to Victoria from East Grinstead and then endure the Victoria Line to Kings Cross or do I change at East Croydon and endure the Crapital Connection through to Radlett?

 

[Gwylan]

I've had a bike in London for 25 years (well six actually). In all that time I've had two nicked, one from outside my flat (I hadn't locked it) and one from outside the law courts - that had been locked but there were a bunch of criminals hanging round .... and their clients weren't much better.

I leave the bike at L Bridge station with two locks on it (a D lock and one of those sturdy wire things that loop through the lock). In two years of commuting it's not been nicked - the secret is to buy a bike that's not too expensive; anything over £600 might as well have a "Please steal me" sign on it. And buy a really good lock, don't stint on this.

The bike rack on L Bridge is pretty good: it's on a platform so you have to have a ticket to get on it, and it's under a CCTV camera. It's not thief proof but it's not too risky.

 

[aftershavedave]

I've got the delight of travelling with them coming up on Sunday when I'm going to see my Godsons, who live at Shenley in Hertfordshire. I agree it is truly the most dire rail company and First are just as bad as Govia - old, dirty and uncomfortable (without aircon) trains, only they are now charging more if you live north of the River Thames and want to return home between 16.30 and 19.00. I have a dilemma. Do I travel up to Victoria from East Grinstead and then endure the Victoria Line to Kings Cross or do I change at East Croydon and endure the Crapital Connection through to Radlett?

no question victoria, tube, main line.....

 

[Grendel]

First are just as bad as Govia - old, dirty and uncomfortable (without aircon) trains

Govia operate the Southern franchise and have new, clean and comfortable air-conditioned trains.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Govia operate the Southern franchise and have new, clean and comfortable air-conditioned trains.

Indeed, but they used to run the Thameslink franchise and the trains were filthy. I think it was partly because their trains were serviced at Selhurst (as they still are done today) and obviously Selhurst give priority to Southern trains. I quite agree, the new Southern trains are a vast improvement on the old rattler carts we had before, though they can be rather slower on my line owing to the very frequent stops and the length of time they sit at the stations. Saying that, would I go back to the old carts? No way.