It is not a fair point.
I will go so far as to say all TOCs care about the customers (OK, maybe not GTR right now). Some do things badly at times, but that does not make the original assertion valid.
I am not suggesting TOC's don't care about their customers, far from it. However I quite understand how it might often feel that way to passengers, especially passengers who have paid a considerable sum for a ticket. The public perception is that TOC's fleece them, make a fortune and grudgingly offer a poor, unreliable service in return. That is the perception - It may not be the reality.
Having all eventualities covered is not an efficient use of limited resources. There are huge constraints on financial resources at all TOCs, and cash-flow must be very carefully managed. In an ideal world, you will have all crew signing all possible diversionary routes, but who is going to fund the increased costs? There is always a balance to be struck. Most TOCs seem to manage the balance well, or this will be reflected in various survey results and highlighted in the volume of customer complaints.
There is no denying that some get it wrong sometimes, but this Sheffield example is as far from an appropriate one as I can think.
most passengers will be unaware of potential diversionary options. I am sure if the survey asked more detailed questions the responses would be different.
I am also sure most passengers on finding out the 3 hour delay they sat through could have been mitigated by using a diversion if only the driver signed the route might reasonably ( if incorrectly) feel that the TOC, considering the perception above, took a commercial decision to increase their fat profits while dumping on the customer.
I am all for sensible commercial decisions based on risk but sometimes the TOC's get it wrong and should expect to be challenged on those decisions when they do. In the case here I think alternative route knowledge would have offered very little benefit or return for that investment. However standing on the ECML for 3 hours you do start to wonder if the right decision was taken.............
Schedule 8 forecasts play a very small part in these decisions in fact, given their huge unpredictability in certain periods of the year. Route knowledge fits into a much longer term vision. You simply would not suddenly stop route refreshing which were considered necessary in the previous period because performance is expected to be good the next few periods.
I agree with you. However, the compensation payments might be small fry to the TOC ( They aren't to NR btw) but the compensation regime does reward the TOC quite well at times!