plymothian
Member
I recently dug out a bok published by the Independent on Sunday in the early stages of privatisation detailing what it - through readers' stories - then saw as he Great British Railway Disaster.
Which of these forecasts, if any, are still relevant or are still evident in some way? I've tried to condense the book as simply as possible.
- Connections are not held between TOCs
- A TOC is in no obligation to get you home if you missed your connection due to another TOC, unless they agree to reimburse the fare incurred
- TOCs will not tell you the cheapest fare if it's run by another company
- TOCs will not advertise rival's trains on their timetables or at their stations necessitating the consultation of many timetables
- TOCs cannot put up more info signs or make improvements to stations else they'll incur extra rental charges from Railtrack
- Full UK timetables will only be available from retail outlets
- Stations will be separated according to TOC operations, necessitating consulting different staff, using different entrances and ticket offices
- You will have to book a ticket for each TOC used through their own booking line
- TOCs will not accept a ticket bought through another TOC even if they run parallel routes
- Guards will charge prices for their own TOC even if operating on another TOC's service
- Bikes may/may not be taken on trains, may/may not be charged for
- Through tickets to the continent via Eurostar cannot be bought
- Regional trains connection to Eurostar cannot be used unless you buy through Eurostar
- Group travel will become more difficult as restrictions will be imposed on busy trains
- RedStar will become inconvenient and too expensive to use
- TOCs will close depots and thus more trains with faulty/full toilets will run
- One broken TOC's train cannot be recovered by another TOC's
- Charter trains will become less common due to access charges
- Trains will be conveyed by road for maintenance more due to the high cost of access charges
- Wrangles about who owns what land - Railtrack/TOC/local council cause maintenance issues
- New stations will be harder to open due to increase charges and/or reluctance for a TOC to pay more access charge
- Toy trains will cost more because TOCs will charge for their logo use
- Snowploughs will not be used because the locos for them are owned by freight companies
- Railtrack now charge taxis for waiting on their premises
- Signalboxes are controlled by representatives of rail companies arguing who's train will get priority
- Local travel card schemes will die due to TOCs' reluctance to accept the loss of revenue
- Ticket prices for heavily used services will increase to put people off
Which of these forecasts, if any, are still relevant or are still evident in some way? I've tried to condense the book as simply as possible.
- Connections are not held between TOCs
- A TOC is in no obligation to get you home if you missed your connection due to another TOC, unless they agree to reimburse the fare incurred
- TOCs will not tell you the cheapest fare if it's run by another company
- TOCs will not advertise rival's trains on their timetables or at their stations necessitating the consultation of many timetables
- TOCs cannot put up more info signs or make improvements to stations else they'll incur extra rental charges from Railtrack
- Full UK timetables will only be available from retail outlets
- Stations will be separated according to TOC operations, necessitating consulting different staff, using different entrances and ticket offices
- You will have to book a ticket for each TOC used through their own booking line
- TOCs will not accept a ticket bought through another TOC even if they run parallel routes
- Guards will charge prices for their own TOC even if operating on another TOC's service
- Bikes may/may not be taken on trains, may/may not be charged for
- Through tickets to the continent via Eurostar cannot be bought
- Regional trains connection to Eurostar cannot be used unless you buy through Eurostar
- Group travel will become more difficult as restrictions will be imposed on busy trains
- RedStar will become inconvenient and too expensive to use
- TOCs will close depots and thus more trains with faulty/full toilets will run
- One broken TOC's train cannot be recovered by another TOC's
- Charter trains will become less common due to access charges
- Trains will be conveyed by road for maintenance more due to the high cost of access charges
- Wrangles about who owns what land - Railtrack/TOC/local council cause maintenance issues
- New stations will be harder to open due to increase charges and/or reluctance for a TOC to pay more access charge
- Toy trains will cost more because TOCs will charge for their logo use
- Snowploughs will not be used because the locos for them are owned by freight companies
- Railtrack now charge taxis for waiting on their premises
- Signalboxes are controlled by representatives of rail companies arguing who's train will get priority
- Local travel card schemes will die due to TOCs' reluctance to accept the loss of revenue
- Ticket prices for heavily used services will increase to put people off