-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
BBC Documentary 'The Railways'
- Thread starter ralphchadkirk
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Morgsie
Member
Interesting programme, middle management came out worse in this
Captain Chaos
Member
- Joined
- 31 Jan 2011
- Messages
- 835
Where did they fins those people from? Laxman seemed like a nice old boy. Seemed quite representative. But where did they find those other people from?
I work from Reading, which is episode 3 in this series. I have never worked with a bunch of people like that. I was cringeing with embarrassment. It's like they wanted to find the strangest people they could and voila! The railway is The Addams Family or something judging by that episode!
I work from Reading, which is episode 3 in this series. I have never worked with a bunch of people like that. I was cringeing with embarrassment. It's like they wanted to find the strangest people they could and voila! The railway is The Addams Family or something judging by that episode!
theageofthetra
On Moderation
- Joined
- 27 May 2012
- Messages
- 3,504
Good god who is that awful David Brent manager bloke? Some nice parts though inbetween the dross, in particular the lady who sold the ticket to the one under and Laxman. Series has promise but hope it doesn't become too much of a freak show like so many other "reality" docs.
I'm not sure whether he was deliberately hamming things up to look like David Brent from The Office, whether the BBC misrepresented him or whether he is genuinely like that, but that was the effect. Heaven knows what Sir Ralph Wedgwood would make of someone like that in his office. :roll: I met Chris Garnett twice, and he seemed to me to be a good operator.
This is what people on a general forum think.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1797579
Some quotes:
That basically sums up all of the forum responses.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1797579
Some quotes:
That basically sums up all of the forum responses.
trainophile
Established Member
First programme this year that I've left my computer desk and sat on the sofa to watch. I found it very good, and it confirms my opinion that most railway staff are long-suffering saints.
Those chaps being interviewed by that woman (sorry lost the gist of who she was and what was being interviewed for) seemed far too young for what was presumably a fairly senior position.
Thought the station chief guy was great. Seemed to genuinely love his job and have pride in his staff.
ETA: Several new posts since I wrote that, with totally opposite views. I'm obviously far too easily impressed and gullible.
Those chaps being interviewed by that woman (sorry lost the gist of who she was and what was being interviewed for) seemed far too young for what was presumably a fairly senior position.
Thought the station chief guy was great. Seemed to genuinely love his job and have pride in his staff.
ETA: Several new posts since I wrote that, with totally opposite views. I'm obviously far too easily impressed and gullible.
Morgsie
Member
I have commented in that thread aswell as here, same name. Got a question, when does the franchise letting process start for East Coast?
trainophile
Established Member
Don't forget these are real people unused to being filmed. Maybe we'd have not presented ourselves in our best light in the same situation either.
Qwerty133
Established Member
Surely the man sold the £301 ticket coming back tomorrow on the friday afternoon should have been sold an anytime single outbound and a super off peak single for the return
iphone76
Member
I'd love them to do one of these programs on Greater Anglia. Would be interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes of my favourite company.
90sWereBetter
Member
That was pretty damn good, though it made me hate the general public just that little bit more than I already do. Fair enough, the train service isn't brilliant at times. Doesn't give you an excuse to take it out on the staff, who are just trying to do their job. 
Laxman though, a credit to the railways. Good man indeed.
Laxman though, a credit to the railways. Good man indeed.
tsr
Established Member
My first thoughts are that that the quality of the shots, the storyboard and (overall) the direction of the documentary just weren't up to much. I think a slightly higher level of technical information, especially focussing on more positive statistics and events, would have been good.
The production does show some of the emotion and also some of the behind-the-scenes thoughts and processes, but I feel what it did show was largely rather negative. At a time when I feel that the general public of this country are becoming more interested in railway operations (partially, I think, as a result of feeling they need to find out what their fare is paying for, and working out what's good and bad), it does very little to endear the system to them, and I don't think the casual observer would find it particularly thought-provoking or eye-opening.
I have no specific comment on the staff involved, as I feel one must meet people to really find out what their personalities are.
The production does show some of the emotion and also some of the behind-the-scenes thoughts and processes, but I feel what it did show was largely rather negative. At a time when I feel that the general public of this country are becoming more interested in railway operations (partially, I think, as a result of feeling they need to find out what their fare is paying for, and working out what's good and bad), it does very little to endear the system to them, and I don't think the casual observer would find it particularly thought-provoking or eye-opening.
I have no specific comment on the staff involved, as I feel one must meet people to really find out what their personalities are.
The Planner
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 15 Apr 2008
- Messages
- 15,963
Wasn't just me then that nearly went incandescent at that then.....
Load of rubbish-I was pretty disappointed with the factual inaccuracies in this and the sort of anti union vibe.
Drivers salaries start at 50k? Sadly not-I am at one if the better paid TOCs and we don't get that much! And breaks between journies? I think not! We are legally obliged to take 1x30 min break or 2x 20 mins in a 10 hour shift and many if our jobs only give us that bare minimum.
Wish they would get their facts right here!
Drivers salaries start at 50k? Sadly not-I am at one if the better paid TOCs and we don't get that much! And breaks between journies? I think not! We are legally obliged to take 1x30 min break or 2x 20 mins in a 10 hour shift and many if our jobs only give us that bare minimum.
Wish they would get their facts right here!
Trainfan344
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2012
- Messages
- 2,306
As my mum said "It's your own fault for getting on."
I agree that the ops manager was disrespectful to Laxman. Couldn't wait to get him out of the door fast enough. He obviously sees him as having an old view of the Railway, and not his spreadsheets and targets that he believes runs s railway. He looked about 18.
As for the other manager, the David Brent type, what a pillock.
As for the other manager, the David Brent type, what a pillock.
telstarbox
Established Member
Is the whole series at King's Cross or will they be out and about?
Like all TV programmes it's edited to fit a narrative to an extent, so the viewer can't be certain that they saw a full exchange of dialogue and its context. Nonetheless it was interesting enough and mostly accurate!
Like all TV programmes it's edited to fit a narrative to an extent, so the viewer can't be certain that they saw a full exchange of dialogue and its context. Nonetheless it was interesting enough and mostly accurate!
anthony263
Established Member
I agree with the opinions that this episode was not as good as it could have been.
Laxman credit where it is due was brilliant and goes to show there are some very good staff working in the railway industry.
Lets hope future episodes are better
Laxman credit where it is due was brilliant and goes to show there are some very good staff working in the railway industry.
Lets hope future episodes are better
Not at all, Leeds next I think.
anthony263
Established Member
At least one of the episodes is filmed at Reading so yes they will be out and about, you can get a clue fropm the episode listings
Trainfan344
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2012
- Messages
- 2,306
Here's the schedule
Jordy
Established Member
I thought that was absolutely awful, those things clearly meant a hell of a lot to him yet the manager couldn't even try to seem interested. Really quite a sad way to end such a long career.
I'm relieved that people though that EC manager is as close to David Brent as I thought he was and the baby faced looking ops manager who couldn't wait to get Laxman, who is a credit to EC out of the way.
However my highlight was the pointless "customer service" course where an experienced worker told the trainer what the travelling public should get for their money.
I also liked the FCC lady.
However my highlight was the pointless "customer service" course where an experienced worker told the trainer what the travelling public should get for their money.
I also liked the FCC lady.
Last edited:
hairyhandedfool
Established Member
- Joined
- 14 Apr 2008
- Messages
- 8,837
Indeed so and the staff brief I read said that Northern management had seen it and were happy with it, so it better not be as cringeworthy as some of tonight's episode!
Morden Via CHX
Member
- Joined
- 9 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 177
Agree with the general feelings on David Brent and on the operations manager.
Loved seeing some of the text on the conflict avoidance posters. Nod and say 'uh-huh' from time to time. 
The person asking questions for the film crew seemed incredibly ill informed and some of the staff really did appear to hate their job, and I suspect it shows to the public.
Okay as a programme but seemed to have a bit of an anti rail agenda, or perhaps a political slant. Can't quite put a finger on it, but here's an exciting new station being built and hardly anything showing it off. Even when they did show it, they were quick to say it can't make trains run on time. True, yes, but didn't have to be put like that.
As for the train cleaner... She was really critical of first class passengers and first said she'd never been first class, then never on a long train journey later on. It was if train travel was beyond her means, but surely a cheap advance ticket would be little more than a few packs of the cigarettes she smoked?
The person asking questions for the film crew seemed incredibly ill informed and some of the staff really did appear to hate their job, and I suspect it shows to the public.
Okay as a programme but seemed to have a bit of an anti rail agenda, or perhaps a political slant. Can't quite put a finger on it, but here's an exciting new station being built and hardly anything showing it off. Even when they did show it, they were quick to say it can't make trains run on time. True, yes, but didn't have to be put like that.
As for the train cleaner... She was really critical of first class passengers and first said she'd never been first class, then never on a long train journey later on. It was if train travel was beyond her means, but surely a cheap advance ticket would be little more than a few packs of the cigarettes she smoked?
- Status