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    Was their any compensation for cancellation or delays back in BR days?

    It was indeed 1992 when the Citizens Charter came in that "formal" compensation came in - you used to get a form to complete from any ticket office - if I recall correctly it was in triplicate. You completed it and handed it in at any ticket office on the network together with your tickets. As...
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    RTVs - ridiculous response from West Midlands Trains

    OK - I didn't want this to become an RTVs are archaic thread - I get that for many; but just to be clear we organise street sleepouts and as an example one colleague was desperate to participate, support and experience what the homeless go through. To join us would have cost him about £100...
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    RTVs - ridiculous response from West Midlands Trains

    And whilst I appreciate it is a smaller proportion than request cash and that you may wish to defend colleagues it is a valid method of payment. The reason I request RTVs is irrelevant but for the record I am the trustee of a charity dealing with mental health and homeless issues - I donate...
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    RTVs - ridiculous response from West Midlands Trains

    Not sure if this is the right area - please move if necessary. I have just had the most ridiculous response ever from Customer Relations at West Midlands Trains. I split my time between South Yorkshire and Northants - in Northants my nearest station is Long Buckby (LBK) which in what seems...
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    Castlethorpe on the WCML

    A fascinating debate on Castlethorpe that takes me way back in my childhood. We moved to Yardley Gobion one of the villages close by - about 3.5 miles in early 1978 and I remember there was a campaign and petition to re-open Castlethorpe then, which I seem to remember my parents signing. Times...
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    Stations with platforms that have been renumbered

    I believe Bletchley was renumbered from platforms 3 - 8 to platforms 1 - 6. Not sure when this occurred - I believe the "original" platforms 1 & 2 were used for Oxford bound services but happy to be corrected. I recall in the 1980's pre Milton Keynes Central that InterCity services used...
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    Eastern Scottish (inc SMT/ City Sprinter etc) in the 1980/ early 1990s

    I lived in Scotland 1986 -94 and as a student worked with Strathtay and was very close to the Dundee depot manager and the then Commercial Manager for Strathtay - their views on SBG management were very interesting to say the least and the lethargy they showed. With regard to Glasgow I read...
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    Transpennine woes and a moan...

    And to be fair to TPE they'll tell them by 22:00 tonight so no liability - as Del Boy would say "cushty"
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    Transpennine woes and a moan...

    Killingworth is absolutely right here - with winter approaching I tested it out Wednesday/Thursday between Sheffield and Manchester - no way I'm returning to the train this winter and I can't be the only one. TPE is an absolute basket case of an operator - one can't help but wonder if this was...
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    Transpennine woes and a moan...

    Today must be an all time low for TPE South; no trains have operated from Manchester to Sheffield for TPE since 06:15 and none are expected until 21:18 at the earliest. Surely this disgusting level of service can't go on. So for the first time in 3 years, having once been a regular I gave TPE...
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    Transpennine woes and a moan...

    Pre-Covid I was one of the regulars on TPE South - buying 3 1st class returns a week - the service was to be honest poor back then - often short formed and eastbound always late because of poor performance with the Northern stopper through the Hope Valley. Today for the first time in nearly 3...
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    Current Hull Trains First Class catering offering

    Been on HT a few times on the early southbound service; choice has been between a bacon roll or sausage roll with tea or coffee
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    Trivia: Mispronounced station names

    I remember one of my first InterCity 125 journeys back in 1983 from Kings Cross up to Dundee, when the 13:00 departure was the only one that made calls through Fife the pronunciation of both Kirkcaldy and Leuchars from the first guard was quite something! Really felt for him as he struggled and...
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    Varsity line - why did Bletchley to Bedford survive?

    I grew up in the Milton Keynes area from the late 70's to mid 80's and others may comment further but I believe MKC was very late in opening because of a funding row between the then very financially stretched British Rail and the Milton Keynes Development Corporation - BR did not see the need...
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    Varsity line - why did Bletchley to Bedford survive?

    I would just like to thank those who have replied, particularly the comprehensive reply from @RT4038 - I think I had read somewhere that United Counties (UCOC) had for some reason not been able to provide a service. I am gobsmacked (but this is my own ignorance of the era) that UCOC struggled...
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    Varsity line - why did Bletchley to Bedford survive?

    Apologies if this has already been discussed but I have been curious for the best part of 40 years about why the Bletchley to Bedford line survived. I spent time growing up in MK late 70's to mid 80's and was always fascinated by the line to Bedford but could never work out why that bit...
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    How critical is the return of passengers and busy trains for railway jobs?

    Some interesting debates and comments but I really don't see how rail usage will go back to pre-pandemic levels quickly. Finance Directors (and I sued to be one) will have pocketed the savings on business travel and although it will return somewhat no way can I see budgets being anywhere near...
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    The Volvo B55 Ailsa - Origins/Development, Service History & Survivors

    What a great thread - as I am rapidly approaching 50 this really takes me back to my teenage years in Scotland. After my parents split and I moved up to Scotland with my father we lived up in Caithness where the Highland Scottish Ailsas were all based - there were 9 of the original Fife...
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    When was smoking abolished on National Rail services?

    GNER was definitely the last of the long distance regular InterCity operators I recall, and as I remember the then MD Chris Garnett was very reluctant to remove it - indeed I seem to recall the early "Mallard" refreshes there was a door put in coach M for the small proposed smoking area in 1st...
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    Trains you regret that you did not catch when you were at the station

    Moved back down to London area from Scotland in September 94 and was aware that I had 3 weeks to do both the Aldwych branch and Ongar - did neither - at the time kept putting it off "to tomorrow" - now can't believe I had the opportunity and missed it 1607959890 In the early to mid eighties we...

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