[Travel] Railway flustercuck

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Nothing going to London from Brighton all cancelled

Trouble is, every time the rail shits create a precedent and get away with it without harsh punishment, just makes it easier for them to do next time. So trains are 15, 20, 30, 60 minutes late and that becomes the accepted norm. Offer derisory compensation and it makes everything OK in their eyes. Despite customers missing meetings, missing flights, missing kissing their kids goodnight.

And today they'll have learnt that they can cut off the entire South of England from Gatwick and London with probably not much more in the way of consequences. It's a creeping corporate cancer totally unworthy of a supposedly first world country.

 

[Yoda]

Nothing going to London from Brighton all cancelled

This is what grinds my gears with GTR. When something goes wrong, they just cancel everything for that line.

The whole Brighton to Victoria is about 51 miles, the effected bit of line is only going to be a few miles max. **** trying to run an amended timetable for the rest of the line that isn't effected.

 

[Napper]

It will get fixed in a day or 2 , anyone struggling to get home will grumble a bit but no more than that.

Then it will be forgotten until the next time ( probably next week )

It's allowed to continue as allowed to continue !!

 

[beorhthelm]

The DfT have to start working out - very quickly - which is going to cost more.

Either...

a. the millions, probably billions being lost in the economy for the continued chaos or
b. the millions, probably tens of millions, maybe even billions for them to sack Grayling, pay off GTR (for all GTR are doing is within the contract, and they have paid their liabilities up until September 2018 already), and starting again with a coherent, workable, professional system.

c. the billions needed to renew large parts of the infrastructure.

This is what grinds my gears with GTR. When something goes wrong, they just cancel everything for that line.

seems the case this time, though do normally run trains between bits working, i.e. Victoria to Gatwick/ThreeBridgesHHeath then you pick up the train south from there (its usually during the evening). also run trains via Lewes to bypass problems south of HHeath. who know why they cant run some services up as far as Gatwick even East Croydon and return. perhaps advise from outside not to do so as it would create problems with people expecting to complete journeys?

 

[portlock seagull]

It will get fixed in a day or 2 , anyone struggling to get home will grumble a bit but no more than that.

Then it will be forgotten until the next time ( probably next week )

It's allowed to continue as allowed to continue !!

Agree. We need a Stalinist approach to our railways now, some short sharp shock treatment to reset the culture of incompetence and apathy. The penalty for failure should now be forced labour, exile to St Helena, firing squad, tickets to Palace etc etc. Basically the flogging should continue until the morale improves. Sorted

 

[beorhthelm]

Somone on the ABC Facebook group alledged that they are getting in cut price materials from China. I have no idea if this is true or not but they basically seem to fail in any weather condition that isn't still, dry and 10-12 degrees c.

if they are sourcing parts from China, so what? if the part meets specification, its as good as from a British, German, Italian factory. China has a lot of rail itself and quite capable of manufacturing to spec.

 

[Weststander]

And some people thought it a great idea for Gatwick to get a second runway, doubling the numbers using Gatwick Express.

The South East England network is creeking at the seems.

A major rethink is needed, cross party, and the infrastructure/land needed will cost £10B’s.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Agree. We need a Stalinist approach to our railways now, some short sharp shock treatment to reset the culture of incompetence and apathy. The penalty for failure should now be forced labour, exile to St Helena, firing squad, tickets to Palace etc etc. Basically the flogging should continue until the morale improves. Sorted

Like this? Give Grayling a loaded revolver and send some hard case in to sort it. 'Shoot their chiefs of staff, deport the familes ...'

 

[portlock seagull]

Like this? Give Grayling a loaded revolver and send some hard case in to sort it. 'Shoot their chiefs of staff, deport the familes ...'

You're good! Very GOOD! I actually had that very scene in my mind when I wrote originally !!!

 

[Guinness Boy]

if they are sourcing parts from China, so what? if the part meets specification, its as good as from a British, German, Italian factory. China has a lot of rail itself and quite capable of manufacturing to spec.

The comment was that it was cheap and substandard. From the bloke's profile on FB he looks like he works for the railway. He's also a Pompey fan so make of that what you will

I assume by your comment that you've been out and inspected some Chinese rail parts factories? Further that, while you were out there, you took a translator you could trust to ensure that you weren't being sold a line by the government and/or mafia? You don't *know* the parts being used are good or not any more than I do and I was merely passing on an observation on a dedicated forum that has neither been deleted or moderated.

But if it's not the parts what is it? It's not the magic fvck-up fairy is it?

 

[beorhthelm]

And some people thought it a great idea for Gatwick to get a second runway, doubling the numbers using Gatwick Express.

The South East England network is creeking at the seems.

A major rethink is needed, cross party, and the infrastructure/land needed will cost £10B’s.

i always advocated a second runway at Gatwick on the basis/condition that the rail network would have to be improved, and there certainly would be the funding to do so (from Gatwick, not public)

 

[beorhthelm]

The comment was that it was cheap and substandard. From the bloke's profile on FB he looks like he works for the railway. He's also a Pompey fan so make of that what you will

I assume by your comment that you've been out and inspected some Chinese rail parts factories? Further that, while you were out there, you took a translator you could trust to ensure that you weren't being sold a line by the government and/or mafia? You don't *know* the parts being used are good or not any more than I do and I was merely passing on an observation on a dedicated forum that has neither been deleted or moderated.

But if it's not the parts what is it? It's not the magic fvck-up fairy is it?

see your Apple iPhone? very well constructed and made in China. along with an awful lot of good quality kit. they make tat too of course, but then so do the UK, European, US factories. the difference is in QA process applied and thats down to the company selling a product, not where it comes from. a blanket "chinese stuff is cheap rubbish" is prejudiced nonsense.

i dont rule out the parts, but there's the installation and maintenance to consider. or something of the wrong specification. or that it just broke and there's no one to blame but entropy.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

i always advocated a second runway at Gatwick on the basis/condition that the rail network would have to be improved, and there certainly would be the funding to do so (from Gatwick, not public)

Another vote for Gatwick here. Just beggars belief that our rail network is so pathetically shit that it can't be trusted to run a reliable service a mere 30 miles down a straight track. It really is puerile. And is getting worse, mainly due to the lack of any meaningful penalties being imposed on the gravy train. In the end, it's a failure of government.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

You're good! Very GOOD! I actually had that very scene in my mind when I wrote originally !!!

But where are we going to find someone to give the people hope?

 

[pasty]

Approaching evening rush hour - current live Victoria -> Brighton departures board. Bloody good luck to anyone attempting it tonight

 

[Munkfish]

Does anyone know if anything is running south further down the line?

 

[AK74]

In more good news:

We anticipate disruption will continue until at least 07:00 tomorrow morning (Friday 6 July)

 

[pasty]

Does anyone know if anything is running south further down the line?

LIVE DEPARTURES

 

[AK74]

http://realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced

Handy to use, as it shows which platform services depart from [when they're running].

#beatthestampede

 

[Rambo]

Well I am in London Bridge and most trains are cancelled from there too. Just legged it to Waterloo and getting the train to Havant and back along the coast. This train is full. Extra 40mins on my journey but at least I should get home tonight!