How can the train be always disrupted in London

remorseless

I have been living in London for over a year now and I am amazed how the train system is constantly having issues!!!!!

What's going on? How can the city always have some problems?

Stigy

remorseless wrote: »

I have been living in London for over a year now and I am amazed how the train system is constantly having issues!!!!!

What's going on? How can the city always have some problems?

There's so much that can go wrong, even when you take in to account our railway is all fenced off where other countries' aren't a lot of the time! A lot of it's out of the train company's control (such as fatalities and unfortunately weather), but those that are directly caused by the train company or network rail are unfortunately met with the usual blame culture from one to the other, and 'elf and safety.

It's such a complex network. To be honest it isn't helped by how we take so long to rectify faults when they occur. For example, it might appear other countries have a far more reliable system in place, when in reality, they just use common sense when it goes wrong and just knuckle down and fix things (one company does it all sort of thing!).

Weather conditions are another issue that we don't cope with particularly well, and the communication from TOC to customer is still shocking! (even if staff don't know what's going on, this should be relayed to customers). Although you might say we suffer enough severe weather to warrant snowplows etc, in reality, we don't (not like the USA etc)! Cant help the weather, and it's true that conductor rails ice up and trains can't move, and wheels slip etc (common sense really!) although it might seem like train companies making the same old excuses time and time again. In reality, it's rarely staff that cause the delays through poor management or displacement. Hope this helps a bit!

remorseless

I get all of that, which really isn't much different to complexity most other cities would have... how do people put up with it? And it doesn't look like it's getting better anytime soon!

Stigy

remorseless wrote: »

I get all of that, which really isn't much different to complexity most other cities would have... how do people put up with it? And it doesn't look like it's getting better anytime soon!

No idea....I work on the railway and it frustrates me. It's not the nature of the issues, but lack of communication most times!

modsandmockers

Like the roads, the railways are overloaded and underfunded, and, like the roads, and the houses, and the cycleways, the cure is to build more.

It's worst in London, or anywhere where there is no available land.

The lack of communication is the first thing which arises on any incident in any part of the world - it's only possible to communicate something when there is something to communicate - this sometimes takes time.

alanrowell

Have a look at this map of London train & Tube

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/content/routemaps/London_Rail_Tube_Map.pdf

remorseless

alanrowell wrote: »

Have a look at this map of London train & Tube

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/content/routemaps/London_Rail_Tube_Map.pdf

What about it?

welshbookworm

remorseless wrote: »

What about it?

I've seen plates of spaghetti that look more sensible.

duchy

The more pressure you put on a network the higher the likelihood of a breakdown somewhere on the network. Add in vast underfunding and with the number of passengers TFL carry daily it's inevitable there will be delays somewhere on the network at anytime.

The upside with London is that with bus , tube and overground (and even river bus) there is usually an alternative route to take - unlike less comprehensive networks outside of the capital.

Just part of working in London (I did it for years whilst the pay and better progression made it worth my while- nowadays it'd have to be a darn good offer to make me consider it again although it's no worse now than then)

liz545

Unlike a lot of other European cities, London has a number of different train operating companies running services into and through the city. They all have to do engineering and maintenance work, and that can cause delays and disruption. So there might be delays at Euston one week caused by problems on a line run by London Midland, and at Waterloo the next caused by issues with South West trains. They're not really related to each other, but they add up to an overall picture of 'the trains are screwed' that never seems to go away.

Add in the disruption caused by things like the construction of Crossrail, and HS2 when that starts; and the rising cost of season tickets, and it's not a pretty picture for people commuting in from outside London.

remorseless

I get all of that about complexity, different companies blah blah though service is still pretty bad!
How do people put up with it year after year? Or is it just polite British attitude to take it on the chin?