Train operators seek no frills airlines-style fare structure

Simon11

The pendolinos have it installed. However this is only based on weight to alert the driver if a carriage is overweight.

This information is not provided to the revenue Management department for when trying to solve overcrowding. How would you know how many people are on the train using weight? Use the average weight per person? What about the extra weight of suitcases, bikes, ect

robt_2

Simon11 wrote: »

The pendolinos have it installed. However this is only based on weight to alert the driver if a carriage is overweight.

This information is not provided to the revenue Management department for when trying to solve overcrowding. How would you know how many people are on the train using weight? Use the average weight per person? What about the extra weight of suitcases, bikes, ect

Like you have just confirmed, the Pendolinos have a form of it installed. Whether Virgin choose to use the data or not is irrelevant - and, to be honest, it is not needed for Virgin, so they don't use it, other than for its primary use which you have described.

It really comes into its own on commuter and surburban routes. It doesn't weight the train as such, it measures how much pressure is put on the suspension. Last time I checked, bikes and suitcases weight nowhere near as much as an adult

It is simply not as inaccurate as you are painting it to be - it wouldn't be used all over the world if it was.

rev_henry

robt wrote: »

A minimum franchise of 25-30 years is needed for an operating company to invest in new trains.

I think this is the crux of the matter. Franchises aren't long enough for TOCs to care for the long term.

Interesting story for you all, while I remember.
I was on a FTPE service from Preston to Manchester a few weeks ago which was very overcrowded. I then heard I voice behind me saying 'I'm the boss of this train company, no really, I am, I just come on the trains every so often to see how it is etc etc'
Sure enough I turned around to see Vernon Barker standing there. Didn't get a chance to talk to him but he did seem a pleasant fellow, genuinely concerned by the state of affairs on that service. Train manager was also very apologetic (more than the standard 'FTPE apologises for any inconvenience', I mean, any more and he'd have written a letter of apology to each and every passenger ).
We shall see if anything changes...

Mark_Hewitt

Every time it's suggested more trains or more carriages you get a barrage of "it's not up them", "it's all about government regulation" blah blah blah. The fact of the matter is that if the government had a will to get it done they would just do it, and stop flimflamming around and hiding behind weak excuses.

robt_2

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

Every time it's suggested more trains or more carriages you get a barrage of "it's not up them", "it's all about government regulation" blah blah blah. The fact of the matter is that if the government had a will to get it done they would just do it, and stop flimflamming around and hiding behind weak excuses.

What is actually happening is you are incorrect and blame the wrong people for short trains, and are then corrected as to where the blame lies. Nobody has made excuses or said it can't be done (in this thread at least).

Blah blah blah.