Southern Trains: Major Issues - how to protest?

andyrules

fozmcfc wrote: »

I know the service pretty well and unfortunately how rude and demanding East Grinstead line commuters are even a 3 minute delay is cause for complete uproar and outrage and calls for people to be flogged (well maybe not the flogged bit).

Over the past few years the service has actually improved, including new trains and also direct services to and from Uckfield throughout the day for the first time in absolute years (I'm going back at least 15 years here).

The Uckfield line is still running on diesel trains and as Southern don't have that many units, those trains will certainly not be that old.

Assumably the OP has a season ticket, so any discount for service levels being lower than agreed will be recompensed in that way.

By the title of the thread, I was expecting to see delays on every train and 30 + delays on the vast majority of journeys.

It would appear that by moving to Oxted, the OP has turned into one of those people, I talk about in my first paragraph.

I'm not familiar with this service, but do experience all too often the frustration of missing a connection, which even a small 3 minute delay can cause. I've even been one of a group of running passengers a yard away as the doors are closed and whistle is blown.

cybergibbons

PasturesNew wrote: »

Can't go through that lot. Don't know one train from another, but I do know the train I met the other day at Bodmin was late (again), as was the return journey train leaving from Bodmin. And the door handles were on the outside.

Newquay to Par line's dead slow. And single track, but there's only one train going along that at a time.

You just change your argument each time you state it, and aren't willing to listen to anything that counters your own view.

Sneezy

Limit wrote: »

I'm on MAN-EUS for VT I only go as a passenger on northern

I've seen it happen on the MAN-BOL route they actually stole the cable and signal (I mean you need to see a blind scrap broker to get away with that!). MVC-LDS is funded by Leeds so they get 158s and 143s (3 carriages) and Leeds want bigger trains so they get the better stock.

:eek: BOL is that Bolton?

I'm probably being ignorant here but the 143s are they the old looking ones with single seats near the doors? and the 158s the ones with air con (supposedly anyway!). We only get 3 carriages on odd services - its awful when its such a busy line!

VT are brilliant - love travelling on those - although i haven't been on one for a while...

Have to say there are some lovely conductors who no matter how grumpy us commuters get stay lovely.

Just out of curiousity is communication a problem in all train companies? I was talking to someone who works at a station in Manchester a while ago and asked if he knew why there was a problem with delayed trains (just nosiness no maliciousness) he said that he didn't know because no one told them.

**curlywurly**

FCC commuters suffered dreadfully over a number of months. Joined a facebook group "I hate First Capital Connect". I see everyone on here is deriding that course of action but actually it seemed to work. It brought people together, who shared information about their experiences, advertised "meet the manager" sessions (one of which made it onto the evening news because it was so well attended - as advertised through the FB group), rallied support for a Downing St petition, gave advice as to how to claim, and was a major force in getting FCC to increase their initial offer of compensation for those affected. No I didn't create the group, so I have no interest in advertising for it, but I do think that it had some effect ... it certainly made FCC sit up and think, because they became worried that the franchise would be lost.

FCC Bedford to Brighton is a rubbish route for commuters and very expensive but it has improved since the FB group was set up.

cybergibbons

**curlywurly** wrote: »

FCC Bedford to Brighton is a rubbish route for commuters and very expensive but it has improved since the FB group was set up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation

moonrakerz

Before "PasturesNew" starts moaning again, this is why the 1306 from PAD to PNZ didn't make it on Saturday.

It was doing 90+ mph (NOT 30 !), driver received "minor injuries". Damage was caused by a tree which had partially fallen onto the track. To make thing worse, the rescue loco could only tow the train at 5mph as the emergency brake application had worn "flats" on the wheels.

http://markfew.fotopic.net/p65869015.html

(I have heard that British Transport Police "Special Branch" are investigating )

sammylou100

Altarf wrote: »

Since the voucher is valid for at least 13 months, why not use when you buy next years season ticket? Or is that a bit obvious.

Er....thanks, this had NEVER crossed my mind :mad:

I am actually well aware of this, however a £3 ticket makes just a very small dent in my £3200 season ticket...mind you considering how often these delays occur by the time my renewal comes I might be able to pay for the whole thing. My point is that when you get stuck and unable to get to work (and then have to call your boss and explain that you are unable to get in AGAIN because of the trains) a £3 voucher seems like they are taking the p*ss a bit! But of course that is just my opinion...

[Deleted User]

fozmcfc wrote: »

I know the service pretty well and unfortunately how rude and demanding East Grinstead line commuters are even a 3 minute delay is cause for complete uproar and outrage and calls for people to be flogged (well maybe not the flogged bit).

Over the past few years the service has actually improved, including new trains and also direct services to and from Uckfield throughout the day for the first time in absolute years (I'm going back at least 15 years here).

The Uckfield line is still running on diesel trains and as Southern don't have that many units, those trains will certainly not be that old.

Assumably the OP has a season ticket, so any discount for service levels being lower than agreed will be recompensed in that way.

By the title of the thread, I was expecting to see delays on every train and 30 + delays on the vast majority of journeys.

It would appear that by moving to Oxted, the OP has turned into one of those people, I talk about in my first paragraph.

With respect, I think it's a little unreasonable to suggest I'm being rude in trying to diplomatically and politely campaign for a better service on the route I take to work.

Other people on here have pointed out that it's an average delay on 9 minutes delay, but this misses the point, because not every day sees a delay. It's more like a 20 - 30 minute delay every other day.

This might not seem much, but I also end up delayed thanks to the ongoing (1 year +) Oxford Circus escalator works, it means I'm not getting home until 8 - 8:30pm and so that 20 minutes of delays is actually a considerable portion of the free time I get each evening.

I appreciate that I've made my bed (and now I'm lying in it), but the point is that I've lived in various places in the South East over the past 10 years (Crawley...Orpington...Wandsworth) and my journey was never this bad or frequently delayed.

The main problem I have is that the average delays are not high enough throughout the day to trigger the season ticket compensation threshold. As I said in my original post, the delays on that route tend to compend during the day and it's the later journeys that are worst affected: a commuter going home at 6pm is much less likely to be delayed than one going home at 9pm. But if you look at the Southern website, you'll see that the threshold for compensation is something like 80%, which is really low. And the other routes in that area all boost the punctuality statistics to above the average. So, just because I travel at times when my train is almost always delayed, I don't qualify.

I appreciate this is a bit of a rant, but actually those 10 and 20 minute delays do really wear you down and for someone whose time is quite precious - and who just wants to get home to relax - it's a shame.

Incidentally, I've spoken to my employer and I've even changed my work hours to leave an hour earlier because of this.

[Deleted User]

**curlywurly** wrote: »

FCC commuters suffered dreadfully over a number of months. Joined a facebook group "I hate First Capital Connect". I see everyone on here is deriding that course of action but actually it seemed to work. It brought people together, who shared information about their experiences, advertised "meet the manager" sessions (one of which made it onto the evening news because it was so well attended - as advertised through the FB group), rallied support for a Downing St petition, gave advice as to how to claim, and was a major force in getting FCC to increase their initial offer of compensation for those affected. No I didn't create the group, so I have no interest in advertising for it, but I do think that it had some effect ... it certainly made FCC sit up and think, because they became worried that the franchise would be lost.

FCC Bedford to Brighton is a rubbish route for commuters and very expensive but it has improved since the FB group was set up.

I used to travel FCC from Three Bridges to Blackfriars and yes, this was awful. I understand - incidentally - that one of the reasons it was bad was because FCC used to lease their trains from Southern!

[Deleted User]

Just bringing this back on-topic for a moment, I've acquired some of the punctuality statistics for this area:

http://www.southernrailway.com/download/5814.9/passengers-charter-performance-p1-2010/

http://www.southernrailway.com/download/4586.4/passengers-charter-performance-p11-2010/

I can't find the specific route information, but as you can see the Sussex Coast area (which is where my route fits in) has a much worse punctuality rate than the other routes that Southern operate. Even ignoring the months where snow ground everything to a halt, the thresholds for repayment are set so low that it's almost impossible for the train company to fail to meet them! Surely this should be calculated on a route-by-route basis?

I just think that a major improvement might be had if Southern were to introduce newer trains on that route, thus avoiding the frequency of mechanical breakdowns. Presumably these routes are franchises and can be withdrawn if a train company consistently offers poor service?