Is Christmas shopping just too alluring today?
Biggest triumph of marketing in history. People falling over themselves to pay over the odds for tat they don’t need in an oversized garden shed
Is Christmas shopping just too alluring today?
A unintended consequence of franchising appears to be the emergence of a culture in some circles similar to certain premier league footballers.If you cleared out Arriva's management, who would be any better?
Looking at last night's RTT data, it seems there were a multitude of problems later out of Leeds for all TOCs. So it wasn't a meltdown on the Aire so much as a more general problem in the Leeds area.
For some reason, Fridays seem particularly bad for the timetable falling apart. It seems like there's too many trains scheduled in and out of the west end of Leeds for what the infrastructure can cope with. It's really common to incur 5-10 minutes delays waiting to arrive or leave, and because of how close together trains are scheduled once 2-3 are late it soon knocks on to every service
The problem is nothing has changed in 18 months since the May 2018 timetable change.Northern's PR team is up against it with all the contributory factors, and I haven't mentioned weather. With more new rolling stock bedding in it must be better by this time next year.
There is no shortage of drivers. There is a shortage of drivers who are trained in their rostered work.How many applications for every driver vacancy? How many like me who've wanted to be a driver our whole lives and have never seen a trainee opportunity? Really no excuse for "no drivers".
There is no shortage of drivers. There is a shortage of drivers who are trained in their rostered work.
Er, isn't that the same thing?
Er, isn't that the same thing?
No...
For some reason, Fridays seem particularly bad for the timetable falling apart. It seems like there's too many trains scheduled in and out of the west end of Leeds for what the infrastructure can cope with. It's really common to incur 5-10 minutes delays waiting to arrive or leave, and because of how close together trains are scheduled once 2-3 are late it soon knocks on to every service
Leeds is starting to have a whole multitude of problems. This morning we stood outside Leeds for well over 10 minutes waiting for a path into the station, despite there being 4 bays empty out of P1-6 and nothing else coming out. I can't help wondering if the recent works around enabling P0 have had a knock on effect? Either way, it will almost certainly mean more delays on triangle services for a bit this morning, for which Northern will get the stick even though it was clearly a signalling issue.
Another fine mess by Northern. First services to Bishop Auckland, Saltburn and Whitby all extensively delayed or cancelled outright "Due to the train(s) being late from the depot".
How many times do we hear this, and how is this allowed to continue?
How many times do we hear this, and how is this allowed to continue?
I suppose I should be thankful that Scotrail have the decency to tell me when they’re doing that then?Northern's latest wheeze to **** off its customers in South Yorkshire is to miss out stops at intermediate stations at times of delay, but without actually telling anyone! I know of several commuters over the past few days who've boarded the train at Meadowhall to get to Chapeltown, Elsecar or Wombwell who've finished up going straight through their station, ending up in Barnsley! There's been no information screens or announcements, which pretty much shows just what contempt Northern have for their customers right now.
Northern's latest wheeze to **** off its customers in South Yorkshire is to miss out stops at intermediate stations at times of delay, but without actually telling anyone! I know of several commuters over the past few days who've boarded the train at Meadowhall to get to Chapeltown, Elsecar or Wombwell who've finished up going straight through their station, ending up in Barnsley! There's been no information screens or announcements, which pretty much shows just what contempt Northern have for their customers right now.
A shortage of drivers who are trained in their rostered work is a shortage of drivers.
Some of you lot should be MP's
How many applications for every driver vacancy? How many like me who've wanted to be a driver our whole lives and have never seen a trainee opportunity? Really no excuse for "no drivers".
I think most passengers would rather have a full timetable and Northern employ a full team of reliable staff.Well, for the past two weeks the 19:40 from Manchester Airport to Blackpool North has been cancelled.
They really need to assess what drivers they can consistently have access to, and work around that. I'd rather them create a temporary timetable which works around the driver shortages. As frustrating as that would be, I'd rather know in advance it was cancelled rather than getting a nasty surprise at the station.
But if it happens frequently its unlikely to be just unfortunate. There is something systematic at fault.Depending on the cause of the delay to get them off depot it may be allowed to continue simply because there is nothing that could have reasonable have been done to prevent it!
But if it happens frequently its unlikely to be just unfortunate. There is something systematic at fault.
I think most passengers would rather have a full timetable and Northern employ a full team of reliable staff.