Southern trains

[markw]

Why aren't they telling that to the poor devils waiting on freezing platforms all over Sussex?

Criminally irresponsible.

Common sense? anyone who knew of the problems yesterday would surely not even try today.

 

[Mendoza]

rumour is theres no trains out of Brighton at the moment

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

rumour is theres no trains out of Brighton at the moment

Hardly a rumour!

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Common sense? anyone who knew of the problems yesterday would surely not even try today.

Because some people like to try and at least make an attempt to get to work? Especially considering that the snow really isn't THAT bad.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Common sense? anyone who knew of the problems yesterday would surely not even try today.

That's completely irrelevent. All it takes is public announcements and something on the information boards saying no trains are currently running North of Gatwick then people could make an informed decision. Railways can't even manage that basic level of common sense and customer care.

 

[Lankyseagull]

That must of been a while back or a old wives tale as they have one of the inefficient rail systems going now, way behind britain which is up the top in europe, but then people like to slag the railway off! I have been working on the railway in sussex for the last 2 nights and if you could see what it was like you would understand, but then most office commuters to london would be big on brains but low on common sense. There are lorrys abandoned on the m25 but trains are still running from london to brighton/littlehampton and how do you think train drivers/guards/station staff get to work!

Last night I stood/sat on a train at London Bridge that didn't move for 3 hours before being order to get off as it was being 'terminated' as we had no driver. About an hour into my wait, there was an announcement from the driver that he was turning the engines on to heat the carriages - where/when did he disappear?!

There were no announcements/information given to let us know what was going on. I decided to sit tight, as knowing my luck, if I got off, the train would depart a few minutes later!

All the communting 'brains' want is a bit of communication to allow us to make informed decisions about what to do - isn't that common sense?

 

[mikeyjh]

I remember once travelling across Germany in a total blizzard. I was in snow up to my knees just walking to the station. Eventually we arrived the other side of the country although the train announcer did apologise - several times - for being so late. The guard then walked through the train apologising once more for being so late and my friends, meeting me at the other end, were shocked that the train was so late.

We came in a massive four minutes behind the scheduled arrival time. To the Germans, that was appalling; to us, it's not even classed as late. If the government wants to make itself popular it should have a zero tolerance of tardiness and start imposing harsh penalties on train companies that run a dreadful service. Other countries cope with snow OK, there's no reason at all why we shouldn't.

Don't doubt your experience but I spent 3 weeks travelling on trains in Germany a few years ago and they were generally shocking. I chatted to a ticket lady for some time and she just shrugged her shoulders, said it's normal. She also explained that they have a 'fad' of couple commiting suicide by chucking themselves in front of the train, then the system falls apart...

I'm no defender of our trains, they're generally crap, but it's not all great elsewhere.

PS - In Japan they are brilliant.

 

[markw]

Because some people like to try and at least make an attempt to get to work? Especially considering that the snow really isn't THAT bad.

Surely it must be quite bad if lorries, cars and vans are abandoned on the m25 which is barely passable?

 

[Beach Hut]

Surely it must be quite bad if lorries, cars and vans are abandoned on the m25 which is barely passable?

Also some people are not paid if they do not turn up

 

[Beach Hut]

Anyway according to SR website the line is now open again.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Last night I stood/sat on a train at London Bridge that didn't move for 3 hours before being order to get off as it was being 'terminated' as we had no driver. About an hour into my wait, there was an announcement from the driver that he was turning the engines on to heat the carriages - where/when did he disappear?!

There were no announcements/information given to let us know what was going on. I decided to sit tight, as knowing my luck, if I got off, the train would depart a few minutes later!

All the communting 'brains' want is a bit of communication to allow us to make informed decisions about what to do - isn't that common sense?

What time was that then Lanky ? I saw very few trains all the time I was at LB. As I said earlier, comms from Southern is appalling at the best of times, but last night was as bad as it could get. They gave out no useful info whatsoever.

 

[Lankyseagull]

What time was that then Lanky ? I saw very few trains all the time I was at LB. As I said earlier, comms from Southern is appalling at the best of times, but last night was as bad as it could get. They gave out no useful info whatsoever.

It was the 17:09 to Uckfield. I gather from Arthur that a train eventually left at around 21:45! By that time I had decided to get on a South-Eastern train to Tunbridge Wells then taxi to Crowborough. Eventually got home at 11:00pm!

 

[Scoffers]

I left work at Oxford Circus at 4pm last night, and stepped through my front door at 8.09pm in Burgess Hill

When I got up this morning, I looked at the additional snow, and decided instantly to work from home. I am lucky that I can work from home, and that I am the boss, so nobody can question me!

 

[Tricky Dicky]

It was the 17:09 to Uckfield. I gather from Arthur that a train eventually left at around 21:45! By that time I had decided to get on a South-Eastern train to Tunbridge Wells then taxi to Crowborough. Eventually got home at 11:00pm!

I stood at LB from 4:30 til about 6:30, waiting for the 4:57 to Shoreham. Went to meet a couple of other fellow commuters in the pub for an hour. Went back to LB, eventually got on a Brighton train about 9ish I think. Slow all the way down (but at least i had a seat, and it was warm), then got to Brighton around 10:30. The only south coast train on the board was only going to Hove (!!!), so I got in the queue for cabs, which whilst it was a long queue, moved pretty quickly. It cost £20 to get back to Shoreham, but by that time I wasn't bothered. Got in around 11:30 I think.

 

[Gwylan]

Don't doubt your experience but I spent 3 weeks travelling on trains in Germany a few years ago and they were generally shocking. I chatted to a ticket lady for some time and she just shrugged her shoulders, said it's normal. She also explained that they have a 'fad' of couple commiting suicide by chucking themselves in front of the train, then the system falls apart...

I'm no defender of our trains, they're generally crap, but it's not all great elsewhere.

PS - In Japan they are brilliant.

My winter experience was 25 years ago so things could have changed since then. But I've travelled on plenty of trains across Europe in summer and spring and have never experienced major delays. Southern make this out to be unusual but in my last month of commuting, I caught a train that was late (either there or back) every day bar two - and that was in summer.

 

[ROSM]

Common sense? anyone who knew of the problems yesterday would surely not even try today.

And with this display of the 5th dahn level of customer service I think we can all understand why commuters feel like they are treated like cattle by the train companies.

So given the problems today should I not bother tomorrow? or the next day or even next monday?

 

[Tricky Dicky]

And with this display of the 5th dahn level of customer service I think we can all understand why commuters feel like they are treated like cattle by the train companies.

So given the problems today should I not bother tomorrow? or the next day or even next monday?

Given the plethora of modern day communication methods, there is simply no excuse for the appalling lack of info from Southern. Pathetic doesn't even start to describe it.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Railways should be re-nationalised so we can all blame Gordon Brown.

 

[Springal]

Given the plethora of modern day communication methods, there is simply no excuse for the appalling lack of info from Southern. Pathetic doesn't even start to describe it.

Agreed, its arguable negligent, they are currently saying there are "delays" but advising trains are running..... what does that mean and how does that help me....

 

[Barry Izbak]

At 8 a.m. my friend finished a 12 hour shift at the London hospital where she works.
I looked online at the train website and it says the half hourly train to Brighton is running on time - and has said this all morning and still says it now.
The poor cow got over to Victoria only to find this is all f***ing lies and there has only been one train out so far this morning.
These f***ing people responsible for the shit train service and the blatant misinformation need to be f***ing sacked.
They won't be though, and next time we have a bit of snow the same thing will happen.

In case it isn't clear, I am f***ing furious with these incompetent fools, and I'm pretty pissed off with myself for not checking what was really going on, on NSC instead of that useless rail enquiries website.

The C word is not too strong for those bastards