One thing I miss about BR is that most people who worked on the railways were old stalwarts with a love of rail, hundreds of enamel badges and encyclopedic knowledge of train times and connections. It isnt like this anymore.
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Why can't we do this in Britain?
- Thread starter Lord Bracknell
- Start date
Gully
Monkey in a seagull suit.
Probably because not many people have any affection for bland corporate organisations...BR was a bit of a dinosaur but did have its good points.
On a serious note I actually think BR was better. Staff knew everything about the railways, you could take bicycles on pretty much any train, they had proper buffet cars which used to make you toast and bacon butties as well as an excellent cuppa. Trains used to wait for other delayed services. They used to put loads of extra trains on for special events. Things seemed a lot easier with BR and ticketing was a breeze. Stations were open and had staff at them, cafes and waiting rooms. The staff at the railway station used to plant flowers and things to make their stations nice.
The rolling stock is a lot newer these days...but I cannot see any other improvements.
Soton Seagull
Well-known member
Had a similar experience using Italian eurostar English website for train between Rome - Venice. £40 and so easy to organise, with barcode print out ticket. Quite refreshing. Fear not though as we get only 3 ticket types in the uk from a couple of weeks time (unofficial price rise) - hooray.
What bugs me are all these games you have to play to find a cheap/reasonable ticket.
Search for Glasgow - Leeds, and they want £100. So then you try Edinburgh-York and its down to £70 (including 2 cheap day returns), or Falkirk-Wakefield (£65). You still finish up on the same trains.
Oh, and why is it always bus replacement between Edinburgh and Newcastle when we're playing the monkey hangers ?
Search for Glasgow - Leeds, and they want £100. So then you try Edinburgh-York and its down to £70 (including 2 cheap day returns), or Falkirk-Wakefield (£65). You still finish up on the same trains.
Oh, and why is it always bus replacement between Edinburgh and Newcastle when we're playing the monkey hangers ?
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,392
Suppose it's got a lot to do with the tube being built 150 years ago by navvies with shovels, so it's starting to creak a bit and needs a lot of maintenance. But always seemed to me that the various lines could take turns in staying open all night, same as they take turns at weekends. Relying on Night Buses and mini-cabs in a city the size and stature of London is pretty crap really.
The Berlin U-Bahn is 100 years old though. And some of the London lines are a lot newer....so maybe they could run? Grrrrrrrrr.
And the farce that is Hove to Gatwick. You cannot get a return on this route as it isnt far enough. But you can get a return from Lancing to Gatwick which is cheaper. Nonsense.
British Bulldog
The great escape
- Feb 6, 2006
- 10,974
BR were good for a lot of things except wages, they were allways shit.
Beach Hut
Brighton Bhuna Boy
British Bulldog
The great escape
- Feb 6, 2006
- 10,974
Spot on, money in the private sector is much better
It's been the one big improvement since privatisation, come January my wages will have risen by about 10% in 5 months.
Hungry Joe
SINNEN
Have you read Mark Steel's excellent 'What's Going On?' Lord B? Two bits about the rail service in this country now:
"mile for mile, a British train journey is double the cost of the more efficient trains in France, Germany or Italy and the most expensive anywhere in Europe. And the greatest achievement, especially on Virgin, is their attention to detail because everything is shit."
re privatisation "we are told this was to remove the cost of railways from the taxpayer, but the public subsidy to the private firms is £1.3 billion per year, more than it used to cost to fund British Rail. Railtrack were especially inventive: in 2001 they lobbied the government for an extra £1.5 billion subsidy in order to keep going, then, on the day they were granted it immediately passed on 10% of that as a dividend to their shareholders".
Beach Hut
Brighton Bhuna Boy
Since privitisation my pay has gone up over 100% and that is without all the extras
British Bulldog
The great escape
- Feb 6, 2006
- 10,974
Hungry Joe
SINNEN
And the service to the public has got 100% worse. There's a link here somewhere. If only I had the funds to research it like a professional comedian.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,392
Fair play. The trains are (Thameslink-franchise aside) infinitely more reliable and comfortable. Not the horrendous commute it once was. Just need more capacity now. Somehow.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,392
Don't see how, apart from it getting more expensive.
Hungry Joe
SINNEN
You're possibly ok if you travel with one franchise but try a long distance several franchise journey and you'll be grey by the time you get to your destination......and skint.........and close to a nervous breakdown.
It isnt integrated anymore which causes problems with connections as they wont hold them, ticketing is a nightmare to work out and you have to be Sherlock Holmes to get the best deal, no provision for bikes and catering is not as good as it was, staff lack any knowledge as does the National Rail Enquires (incidently I was sold an over-priced ticket as a result of false info....try pinning down the cuprite there! It was a nightmare with everyone blaming everyone else) and the Network Card is pretty much worthless these days.
Hungry Joe
SINNEN
Oh yes, and VERY hungry.