TrainGeekUK
Member
- Joined
- 15 Jun 2019
- Messages
- 124
The person hit by a train today and the damage to the overhead wires at Watford J certainly has caused significant disruption on top of the staff shortages.
How these muppets are still in charge is beyond me. Annoyingly, the OLR doesn’t appear to be any better if TpE etc are anything to go by. What a mess.
I was on the train that hit the person. Understandably, with the nature of the incident, it took nearly 2 1/2 hours for us to get back on the move again (and we had to decamp at Watford Junction due to the severity of the damage to the train, which added further delays to everything behind us).The person hit by a train today and the damage to the overhead wires at Watford J certainly has caused significant disruption on top of the staff shortages.
Persuaded wife to travel by train from Birmingham to Milton Keynes to Luton Airport for a weekend break. We are booked on the 0921 from New Street - advance single. Woke up to a 5.30am email to say train cancelled - but don’t worry can get previous or next train. Guess what - previous train at 0821 cancelled as well! So currently sat on LNW ready for a row with the conductor if they try to charge us for a new ticket - on the basis LNW and Avanti are management contracts and all the fare revenue goes to Treasury anyway.
End result is that wife has decreed that stressful start to holiday means we will always drive to the airport in future as railways are completely hopeless
Yes, there was on the 11.15 from Manchester to London Euston on Wednesday 6th. I was relieved to have had an (albeit expensive) Eggnog Latte at Starbucks at Stockport before boarding the train.I’ve found Avanti’s announcements to be very much like this, more so this year (or maybe it’s because I travel more by train now).
One example that stuck in my mind was (paraphrasing slightly) “scum class, we know there’s no seats, and people are sat in luggage racks, tables, the overhead racks and anywhere else they can find, but don’t worry, there’s nowhere to go, even if you could move, as the buffet is shut. First class - looks like there will be enough for seconds on breakfast if anyone wants some”.
Changing tack - is there an issue with coffee machines lately? I’ve been on 7 or 8 different services, all on different stock, that have had a fault with the coffee machine “but we’ve got instant!” I don’t remember going to a fast food/bakers/pub/supermarket chain where so many coffee machines are out of use across the chain?
Changing tack - is there an issue with coffee machines lately? I’ve been on 7 or 8 different services, all on different stock, that have had a fault with the coffee machine “but we’ve got instant!” I don’t remember going to a fast food/bakers/pub/supermarket chain where so many coffee machines are out of use across the chain?
The days of VT feel almost utopian now - reasonable employer/employee relations, reliable service, coaches upon coaches of first class, all with proper catering.
I do wonder exactly what it would take for the DfT to bring AWC under the OLR. The WCML is arguably Britain’s flagship railway, and surely they’ve made enough of a mess of it already.
This is what is happening at AWC. I was told they want to finalise a deal with their staff to end to strikes and other action but the DfT will not let them. The West Coast service is a joke.You are forgetting who really is in charge now, the DfT are the ones giving out the instructions. OLR or Owning Group, it makes no difference. The TOCs are there to do what they are told and if, for example, they are told their staff cannot carry over leave for cost reasons, that is it.
I know, but that does not change the drastic deterioration in service quality. This cannot go on forever (it did not with TPE), so I'm wondering when the DfT will consider it necessary to be seen to be "doing something about it", even though their "doing" is a major contributing factor to this mess.You are forgetting who really is in charge now, the DfT are the ones giving out the instructions. OLR or Owning Group, it makes no difference. The TOCs are there to do what they are told and if, for example, they are told their staff cannot carry over leave for cost reasons, that is it.
That’s another common problem, the card machine not working. The times it does, they say no cash, then when it breaks expect you to use cash.Yes, there was on the 11.15 from Manchester to London Euston on Wednesday 6th. I was relieved to have had an (albeit expensive) Eggnog Latte at Starbucks at Stockport before boarding the train.
In addition, card payments were being declined and they advised us we needed to pay by cash.
I did wonder if they’d cheaped out on the machines. I’m guessing there must be transport rated ones out there? We used to have coffee machines (although not bean to cup) on coaches decades ago that seemed to be capable of working fine!Used to get the same problem when onboard coffee machines were used on GA services. Was told it’s because they were not designed for all the shaking/rattling about and constant neutral sections they encounter on the move compared to those in shops etc.
The good news though is that new coffee machines are being fitted very very soon.Used to get the same problem when onboard coffee machines were used on GA services. Was told it’s because they were not designed for all the shaking/rattling about and constant neutral sections they encounter on the move compared to those in shops etc.
You are forgetting who really is in charge now, the DfT are the ones giving out the instructions. OLR or Owning Group, it makes no difference. The TOCs are there to do what they are told and if, for example, they are told their staff cannot carry over leave for cost reasons, that is it.
Good news on the horizonThe good news though is that new coffee machines are being fitted very very soon.
This should help with the unreliable machines, also around the card machines the previous Zonal system is being ripped out currently (a product that was very much not suited to being on a train!) and an ECR mobile unit being fitted for the shop in addition to 1st.
Good news on the horizon
The good news though is that new coffee machines are being fitted very very soon.
This should help with the unreliable machines, also around the card machines the previous Zonal system is being ripped out currently (a product that was very much not suited to being on a train!) and an ECR mobile unit being fitted for the shop in addition to 1st.
Yep the new card/till system thingy (I forget the name) was rolled out this week. Similarly the roll out of the new coffee machine commences next week but obviously it’ll take a while to get installed on the whole fleet.
How do Avanti make any money? Surely the delay pay claims but be close to their total income. It is about time railway companies were heavily fined for cancellations due to problems with the TOC.
They are just a concession so get a small percentage of all income for running the TOC. The government take all the financial risk.
No, they don’t get a percentage of income. Income goes to Government (who also pay for all the costs). They just get management fees - a basic fee and a contract performance fee which can be up to 2.5 times the basic fee.
The owning groups have been pressing for some kind of bonus if they grow revenue past the DfT target figure and that may come in the 2024/5 financial year.
They are also pressing for some consistency in some of the DfT decisions as you can get one DfT minder telling you to do one thing and, in another TOC, another DfT minder telling them to do the complete opposite!
Yes, they insisted that Avanti staff leave couldn’t be carried over into 2024, as a cost saving. There has also been a problem with authorising a RDW agreement. It all has to be approved by the DfT.
For the couple of percentage points of 2nd class passengers with a flexible ticketThough it's a Permitted Route on a flexible ticket.