2C21 10:20 Bracknell-Reading - is it really there?

[Alan White]

This morning I planned to catch the 10:20 from Bracknell to Reading so I walked down to the station, checking RTT on the way, and watched the train making its way towards me.

At Bracknell station I looked at the screens and was concerned that they said the next train to Reading was 10:50 . I checked RTT again and it said the train was at Martins Heron. Confused, I sought advice from a disinterested member of staff. She said that the screens were wrong and the 10:20 hadn't been shown on them for a couple of weeks.

Hoping she was right I returned to platform 2 and was astonished to hear an automated announcement saying "Please stand clear of the edge of platform 2. The approaching train is not scheduled to stop here." Now I was really concerned because if this train didn't stop I'd miss my connection at Reading.

Fortunately the train did stop and proceeded normally to Reading.

SWT: couldn't organise a party in a brewery. The sooner they lose this franchise the better.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I don't understand why my post was moved here: it's not about timetables (the train is in the timetable) but customer service.


Agghhhh!! It's done it again. Why can I no longer create a new post???

 

[Starmill]

I don't understand the problem you were having.

The train ran and it was on time? Is it just that there's a faulty screen?

 

[Alan White]

That's exactly why I don't think my post should have been moved here. This is clearly a technical forum for discussions of timetabling and things I don't understand.

I was making the point that a scheduled train, obviously running normally, did not appear on the screens at at least one of its scheduled stops. This caused concern and confusion to a customer.

Furthermore, the staff at the station were disinterested and said that the problem had existed for at least two weeks. Even worse, an automated annnouncement said that the train wasn't going to stop.

Those in the industry may think this isn't a problem, which explains why there's a problem.

 

[N Levers]

That's exactly why I don't think my post should have been moved here. This is clearly a technical forum for discussions of timetabling and things I don't understand.

I was making the point that a scheduled train, obviously running normally, did not appear on the screens at at least one of its scheduled stops. This caused concern and confusion to a customer.

A train not appearing on the screens IS a timetable issue.

As an aside I cannot see anything in the schedule as to why it wouldn't show on the screens.

 

[Alan White]

A train not appearing on the screens IS a timetable issue.

I disagree: presenting false or misleading information to customers is a customer service issue, as is the disinterested member of staff and the fact that the problem has been there for at least two weeks.

I'd mail SWT but I know from past experience that they don't even bother to reply to most emails. And the email address published on their website still doesn't work (invalid MX record). As I said, couldn't run a party in a brewery.

 

[PHILIPE]

I disagree: presenting false or misleading information to customers is a customer service issue, as is the disinterested member of staff and the fact that the problem has been there for at least two weeks.

I'd mail SWT but I know from past experience that they don't even bother to reply to most emails. And the email address published on their website still doesn't work (invalid MX record). As I said, couldn't run a party in a brewery.

I don't see a "Customer Service" Board on the Forum. Excuse me saying, but this is getting a tad petty arguing as to where it goes.

 

[Alan White]

I don't see a "Customer Service" Board on the Forum.

Which is why I put it in the forum subtitled "Discussion of any UK railway topic not covered elsewhere.".

The reason why this matters is because it's likely - and I believe this thread amply proves - that a specialist forum about allocations and diagrams - whatever they are - is read by fewer people than the general one.

Perhaps a mod could move this thread back to where I believe it should be.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

At least your's shows up! !

I was at Freilassing station last week (Austria) and the Salzburg Hbf service showed up on the screen, never appeared on time, and then just disappeared off the screen and never appeared, no cancellation notice or announcements. It was the same for some Munich services, they appeared and then just fell off the screen and turned into something else, again the service itself never appeared either!

 

[30907]

Furthermore, the staff at the station were disinterested

So UNinterested that they told you the screen was faulty and to ignore it. Had they said "and we can't be bothered to report it" I think you might have grounds for grumbling.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Even worse, an automated annnouncement said that the train wasn't going to stop.

So the majority of passengers NOT continually checking RTT would have stood back from the platform edge and assumed that another train was coming through before their's. I believe this occasionally happens.

I would have been more concerned if the train had been announced normally and then failed to stop, as there might have been a minor safety risk.

 

[yorkie]

Perhaps a mod could move this thread back to where I believe it should be.

Just a gentle reminder from our forum rules: "Please do not discuss moderator actions and decisions on the forum. If you have any concerns please contact us." Please do not leave messages for moderators in any threads. Thanks

Back to the matter at hand, if SWT are not responding in a satisfactory manner, your next step would be Transport Focus.