Trains always a mess

pjjafc

Morning,

I commute into London everyday and am fed up of always being late thanks to the trains always being delayed.

I have heard some people claim money back off their season tickets from the operators. Anyone know how you go about doing this?? I heard they use an external company??

Thanks in advance.

ts_aly2000

Ahhh now that's why I stopped commuting into London. Usually 2-hours each way by the time it was all over. I used to get into work so wound up that it was lunchtime by the time I'd calmed down.

What got me was the utter rudeness and selfishness of people. Couple that with the people who go bonkers because you accidently knock them because you're all squeezed in like rats.

I actually sat there one day looking around on a packed train and said, "there's got to be more to life than this." Everyone just looked at me as if I was mad. That was the best thing I ever came out with and one of the greatest realisations I've ever made.

My day consisted of getting up at 5, leaving at about 6:10, catching the train at 6:53, getting into Liverpool Street at 8:16 (if you were lucky), walking briskly to Moorgate, swiping in at about 8:25, and at the desk by 8:30. Then doing it all again at home time. I'd skip lunch so that I could catch the 5:30 else I'd be standing on later trains to be packed in like maggots this time. By 7:30 I'd be home again on a good day. On the worst day I got in at 11pm!!! To only get up again at 5am. Everyone kept on throwing themselves underneath trains!!

There's just only so much that the human body (and mind) can take. If you're doing it for love alone then it's perfect, but without love you start to crack up.

I look back and see it as one of my great life's experiences. There was even a piano at Liverpool Street for a while. I used to play the Entertainer on the way to work and at the end of the day just to stick two fingers up at everyone to say that after all of this I really couldn't give a damn what you think of me. A few people would congratulate me, most would spit at you if they could get away with it.

There's no culture or common decency left any more. Any that is is trampled over and trodden down. Culture in London is valued by how many shows that you see and where you go, not by what you can do yourself or better learn.

The thing that I hated most about London and commuting is what I was becoming. Every civility and ounce of common respect that you have is gradually worn away. I didn't want to become like that.

Fantastic experience, but only for the love of another.

Livingthedream

IMHO I'm sorry to say but I don't think it's going to get any better with time to come, especially after Mr Osbourne reveils his cuts to transport. Network rail is rumoured to get a £100m cut from it's budget (on top savings of £112 savings in its direct expenditure), there ain't going to be a lot left in the pot for future improvements. Also with the fact that big price increases are forecast for January 2011 it's not looking good and a lot of people like yourself will be asking 'Why do I bother with the train?'

Think the car is the future, but that's what the Condems Government wants as they can directly tax you for using the car.

rev_henry

ts_aly2000 wrote: »

Ahhh now that's why I stopped commuting into London. Usually 2-hours each way by the time it was all over. I used to get into work so wound up that it was lunchtime by the time I'd calmed down.

What got me was the utter rudeness and selfishness of people. Couple that with the people who go bonkers because you accidently knock them because you're all squeezed in like rats.

I actually sat there one day looking around on a packed train and said, "there's got to be more to life than this." Everyone just looked at me as if I was mad. That was the best thing I ever came out with and one of the greatest realisations I've ever made.

My day consisted of getting up at 5, leaving at about 6:10, catching the train at 6:53, getting into Liverpool Street at 8:16 (if you were lucky), walking briskly to Moorgate, swiping in at about 8:25, and at the desk by 8:30. Then doing it all again at home time. I'd skip lunch so that I could catch the 5:30 else I'd be standing on later trains to be packed in like maggots this time. By 7:30 I'd be home again on a good day. On the worst day I got in at 11pm!!! To only get up again at 5am. Everyone kept on throwing themselves underneath trains!!

There's just only so much that the human body (and mind) can take. If you're doing it for love alone then it's perfect, but without love you start to crack up.

I look back and see it as one of my great life's experiences. There was even a piano at Liverpool Street for a while. I used to play the Entertainer on the way to work and at the end of the day just to stick two fingers up at everyone to say that after all of this I really couldn't give a damn what you think of me. A few people would congratulate me, most would spit at you if they could get away with it.

There's no culture or common decency left any more. Any that is is trampled over and trodden down. Culture in London is valued by how many shows that you see and where you go, not by what you can do yourself or better learn.

The thing that I hated most about London and commuting is what I was becoming. Every civility and ounce of common respect that you have is gradually worn away. I didn't want to become like that.

Fantastic experience, but only for the love of another.

That was wonderful to read, thank you!

In answer to the OP, I believe that if a certain proportion of trains are late then you get a certain % discount on your season ticket next time. Whether you can actually claim anything back I don't know. There are such things as season ticket void days, which are declared when basically the service is so poor its not worth having, and you can get a refund or an extra day to make up for that (not sure which though, or if you get to choose). But void days rarely happen - only in case of a strike or something like that.
Each day your train is late I would immediately on getting home telephone the TOC and complain, getting a reference number so you know its been logged. Complaint stats have to be reported and reviewed every so often (I think every month) so if they have a shedload of complaints it won't look good and something will have to be done. Also whilst you're on the phone ask them about refunds/compensation.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

pjjafc wrote: »

Morning,

I commute into London everyday and am fed up of always being late thanks to the trains always being delayed.

I have heard some people claim money back off their season tickets from the operators. Anyone know how you go about doing this?? I heard they use an external company??

Thanks in advance.

Its not easy to make a railway run on time you know - especially in peak times.. Though when it does run well - which most do most of the time you never hear about anyone praising them do you?

Hmm..

complain to the TOC they have everything you will need to see if you can claim.

And change your job/move closer if you dont like the commute.

pjjafc

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

Its not easy to make a railway run on time you know - especially in peak times.. Though when it does run well - which most do most of the time you never hear about anyone praising them do you?

Hmm..

complain to the TOC they have everything you will need to see if you can claim.

And change your job/move closer if you dont like the commute.

When I pay £3624 a year for a service that they dont provide on a regular basis I think I am within my rights to complain.

pjjafc

Thanks for you replies I have found the link

https://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?sEvent=DelayRepay

Many thanks

flyingscotno1

In all honesty- privatisation has been a disaster. We used to have a network, which whilst not perfect did the job.

Now we have duplication everywhere, a fragmented network full of inertia that is saving the tax payer little but paying into the pockets of shareholders and private companies.

The old story goes that jobs that British Rail did with 300 people now take 1300. True or not you can believe it...,

andygb

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

Its not easy to make a railway run on time you know - especially in peak times.

And change your job/move closer if you dont like the commute.

Having travelled extensively in Europe the French, Belgians, Germans, Italians and Spanish all seem to get their trains to run on time. They also have more carriages and they are cleaner.
I have no doubt that the commuters will face more misery in the Winter months, and then find that they have a New Year's present from the rail companies - massive price rises.
Who gets the money from the price rises, because as far as I and many others can see, it is not invested in the railways.
Your last comment suggests to me that you work for a rail company, if that is the case, then your attitude is typical of the way rail companies treat their CLIENTS.

p00hsticks

andygb wrote: »

Who gets the money from the price rises, because as far as I and many others can see, it is not invested in the railways.
.

Well as the rail companies are all private companies now, the shareholders have to have their profits, even whilst the taxpayers are still paying vast sums into the rail network as a whole ...

Jeff_Bridges_hair

andygb wrote: »

Having travelled extensively in Europe the French, Belgians, Germans, Italians and Spanish all seem to get their trains to run on time. They also have more carriages and they are cleaner.
I have no doubt that the commuters will face more misery in the Winter months, and then find that they have a New Year's present from the rail companies - massive price rises.
Who gets the money from the price rises, because as far as I and many others can see, it is not invested in the railways.
Your last comment suggests to me that you work for a rail company, if that is the case, then your attitude is typical of the way rail companies treat their CLIENTS.

Well thats where your wrong on a lot of points. I dont work for them but i used to. I also know that both German and French railways do not run on time either especially the heavily used commuter traffic. you can even look at the real time running of their long distance trains which dont run on time either.

You do realise what a small overcrowded country we live in where people do not want new railway lines running anywhere near them so where do we put the investment in new railways? Any ideas on that ?

when both france and Germany have massive swathes of countryside which they can dig up without even consulting the locals and put a new rail line in? And both those state railways are more heavily subsidised then even ours and they should be obiding by EU rules which is why we shoved privatisation through very quickly and they are still holding back.

Why DB are using German taxpayers money to invest in railways in this country and their new route through the channel tunnel before they actually sell off most o f their company shares.

But theres lots more to running a railway on time then you probably realise. Take the OPS commute into Liv st. A train enters there during the minute at the rate of about one every 2 minutes. Now say that train was a little late coming in because it had to pick up more passengers at the last 2 stations then normal so left later then it should this means that it will be in the terminal platform longer then it should normally be until all the passengers get off and then it has to leave. This means the one that was following it is now late as it has to wait for the platform to clear and thus the knock on effect is then felt not just on that route but also the other routes that will come in on other platforms but use the same line.

A bit like 3 buses at once but the first one is full the last one empty.


Whilst i am not saying we are perfect in this country at running our railways when things go wrong by just a little bit the knock on effect is much greater then people can seem to get a grip on.