SASTA - what an absolute shower

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Last night I tried to book tickets on line for first time in a few months. My first experience of their redesigned webpage. Is is just me or is it deliberately designed to be confusing so you screw up and end up buying more expensive tickets? The prices seemed to change virtually by the minute and allegedly first class was cheaper for Worthing- Victoria return than standard

The new pages often screw up your booking. I tried to book a return to Salisbury today but whenever I chose my outbound journey it decided that I wouldn't want to return and started to process as a single. If you then try to book again it gives an error and you have to go back to the start.

 

[Rowdey]

In a way I'm surprised as when Charles Horton the MD ran the show before things were ok, there was always a rolling recruitment campaign of drivers and conductors so whilst you had vacancies there was nothing that caused major problems.

Even Connex for their bad reputation were not as bad as this lot and it wouldn't take much more before someone has to step in.

I know his replacement fairly well - A Palace STH, in charge of trains in and out of Brighton..
(Did i hear he's getting a grilling this week, somewhere too..?)

 

[8ace]

Praise rail firms when trains run on time, says Tory MP (From The Argus)

Rail companies should be praised when trains run on time, a Tory MP has said.

Huw Merriman suggested that criticism of train operators for running late or crammed services should be offset by positive remarks when they "get it right most days".

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the Bexhill and Battle MP was "absolutely right" and stressed upgrades to the Thameslink line Mr Merriman uses will cause disruption but eventually lead to better services.

Thameslink was rated the worst in the country with a 73 per cent satisfaction rate while Southern Rail was third from bottom with 78 per cent.

Transport Focus surveyed more than 28,000 passengers as part of the National Rail Passenger Survey - the largest published rail passenger satisfaction survey in the world.

Southern Railway's satisfaction has improved from its previous rating of 72 per cent while Thameslink's fell by a point from 74 per cent.

During transport questions in the Commons, Mr Merriman said: "This morning my train to London Bridge got me in on time.

"Would you agree with me that as well as being negative when things don't work, we should also be positive to our rail franchises when they do get it right most days?"

Mr McLoughlin replied: "I think you are absolutely right.


"What you are seeing on your line and the line that goes into London Bridge and other trains through Thameslink is a massive upgrade of some £6.5 billion.

"Obviously there will be difficulties at certain stages during the reconstruction of that line but once it is finished it will be a far superior line and it will benefit from the new trains which will come into service later this spring."

 

[pasty]

Praise rail firms when trains run on time, says Tory MP (From The Argus)

There is so little chance of a SASTA train arriving anywhere on time I don't think this is an issue.

 

[dazzer6666]

Praise rail firms when trains run on time, says Tory MP (From The Argus)

Wow. What a couple of bellends......misjudging the mood somewhat I think.

One train I was on last week was 2 minutes EARLY - the conductor, as we arrived at London Bridge said something along the lines of 'I can assure you I am even more surprised than you to be able to announce we are arriving at LB ahead of schedule'

 

[Hamilton]

There is so little chance of a SASTA train arriving anywhere on time I don't think this is an issue.

And many of those that do have station skipped!

 

[Hotchilidog]

Last night I tried to book tickets on line for first time in a few months. My first experience of their redesigned webpage. Is is just me or is it deliberately designed to be confusing so you screw up and end up buying more expensive tickets? The prices seemed to change virtually by the minute and allegedly first class was cheaper for Worthing- Victoria return than standard

The new booking page is useless and only comes up with more expensive prices. The old one was fine and very good imo.

Last weekend it tried to charge me £21 from Three Bridges to London (my ST is valid until gatwick) in the end bought a ticket from Brighton for £12.

 

[The Albion Roar]

I go to Sydenham a fair bit, and it's all on Southern or Thameslink.

A return ticket from Brighton to Sydenham is £17.90.
A return ticket from Sydenham to Brighton is £20.80.

I have a Network Card to reduce the cost, but that's not my point.

When I asked the woman in the ticket office at Sydenham why there was this difference, I was told - with a straight face - that it was because the train from Sydenham has started its journey from inside the London Travel Zone area.

 

[Ernest]

I go to Sydenham a fair bit, and it's all on Southern or Thameslink.

A return ticket from Brighton to Sydenham is £17.90.
A return ticket from Sydenham to Brighton is £20.80.

I have a Network Card to reduce the cost, but that's not my point.

When I asked the woman in the ticket office at Sydenham why there was this difference, I was told - with a straight face - that it was because the train from Sydenham has started its journey from inside the London Travel Zone area.

No it's not, it's always been a different price going one way than the other, a PEAK return Brighton to London used to be £40ish whereas London to Brighton was £20ish at the same time, it's simply market forces and priced up to capacity and what they think the market will bear

 

[8ace]

The new booking page is useless and only comes up with more expensive prices. The old one was fine and very good imo.

Last weekend it tried to charge me £21 from Three Bridges to London (my ST is valid until gatwick) in the end bought a ticket from Brighton for £12.

I always use the East Midlands website if I have a choice:

https://www.buytickets.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/buytickets/advancedsearch.aspx

 

[pasty]

Meanwhile......


Southern and Thameslink parent company Go-Ahead reported profits from its rail business rising 30.5 per cent to £25.7 million in the year to June 2015. Its chief executive David Brown saw his pay package rise to £2.1 million last year.

Evening Standard

 

[lost in london]

Praise rail firms when trains run on time, says Tory MP (From The Argus)

If they could get one f'ing train on time for me in the morning, then I'll think about praising them (I won't), not a single train on time for me yet this year, stats so far this year for my normal train (bear in mind it's only a 40 minute journey):

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Praise rail firms when trains run on time, says Tory MP (From The Argus)

Seems to boil down to; 'my train was fine so obviously everyone else is just moaning'.

Politicians out of touch with reality shocker...

 

[Yoda]

TWO ****ing days in a row the 17:07 service from Durrington to Victoria has been cancelled now.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

TWO ****ing days in a row the 17:07 service from Durrington to Victoria has been cancelled now.

You travel to Victoria at 5pm?

 

[Yoda]

You travel to Victoria at 5pm?

No, but use it to get home from work. There's only 3 stopping services at Durrington now heading for Worthing. Two of them London Services.

 

[pasty]

If they could get one f'ing train on time for me in the morning, then I'll think about praising them (I won't), not a single train on time for me yet this year, stats so far this year for my normal train (bear in mind it's only a 40 minute journey):

View attachment 71884

Same. The 1800 Victoria to Brighton has not made it to Brighton on time once this year so far either.

 

[Cosmic Joker]

Meanwhile......


Southern and Thameslink parent company Go-Ahead reported profits from its rail business rising 30.5 per cent to £25.7 million in the year to June 2015. Its chief executive David Brown saw his pay package rise to £2.1 million last year.

Evening Standard

No doubt boosted by the salary savings from employing insufficient train crew numbers to run a reliable service and cover adequately for disruption, sickness, training days etc

 

[Cosmic Joker]

If they could get one f'ing train on time for me in the morning, then I'll think about praising them (I won't), not a single train on time for me yet this year, stats so far this year for my normal train (bear in mind it's only a 40 minute journey):

View attachment 71884

*pedantry* So what's the zero quoted for 18th January if not a single on time arrival? */pedantry*

 

[dazzer6666]

*pedantry* So what's the zero quoted for 18th January if not a single on time arrival? */pedantry*

Cancelled