Another Rail Blue Cancellation

[junglejames]

The problem is likely to be an extra freight train on the WHL. Which means departure from Crewe would have to be far too early in order to make it to FW and back.
Going to Oban means the original timings can be kept to just about.

 

[Phil6219]

You were right James, Oban it is...

I've been told that we have to do Oban as to get to Fort William we would have to depart crewe at 02:00 The timings are slightly earlier too but it's the best that can be done. The tickets have been posted this afternoon and the website is in the process of being updated.

The big question is would we have gone the whole way on the original date? No matter though as at least we are going somewhere

Phil

 

[Dreadnought]

Next tour on Saturday 17 September cancelled! This is what was posted on the website

Due to the non-availability of our kitchen, we are unable to run the train on September 17th. We apologise for this late decision but our guests best interests are paramount to our business. All guests will receive a letter today.

Presumably the one next Weds 21 September must be in doubt as well!

 

[Masbroughlad]

Credibility now gone methinks. Will the last one to leave the RBC office, please turn off the light and put up the closed sign.

 

[fgwrich]

Credibility now gone methinks. Will the last one to leave the RBC office, please turn off the light and put up the closed sign.

Sadly im starting to think your right on this one...a constant stream of cancelled tours is not a good sign for any company at all - especially the one that owns the stock to go with! :roll:

 

[Schnellzug]

If they keep saying that, they're having difficulties with their Kitchen car, would it be beyond the wit of humanity to improvise, or hire one from someone else? I'm sure someone else (DRS, say) must have something that would suit, at least temporarily. One might almost suspect an Excuse.

 

[fgwrich]

If they keep saying that, they're having difficulties with their Kitchen car, would it be beyond the wit of humanity to improvise, or hire one from someone else? I'm sure someone else (DRS, say) must have something that would suit, at least temporarily. One might almost suspect an Excuse.

There's deffinatly something more behind the kitchen car excuse - they've got another in Eastleigh works which nothing seems to have been done to for a while, and surely they have at least 1 Mk3 RFM They could have utilised by now? Or found a Mk1 Kitchen car from Rivera Trains...

Sadly, there's certainly something more to this than a long running fault with a Kitchen Car! :roll:

 

[Masbroughlad]

They always used to manage before they got the mk1 kitchen car, using a mk3. I think whatever the real problem is, they should give more information as without it, they are losing credibility. Don't really see how they can pull this one back. Come on RBC tell us a bit more please. Why is that kitchen car SO hard to fix?

 

[Paul1153]

Likewise - only just seen the cancellation message on their website. I emailed yesterday morning (delivery & read receipts requested but neither received) asking for information as nothing received since payment taken. I phoned today: auto-message gives 3 options, of which 1 is enquiries and tickets. this is answered by a woman with a foreign accent who simply says 'hello' (no company intro etc.) and claims to have no connection with the company. Very odd indeed. Appalling customer service: have never booked with them before and will never do so again. Looking at previous posts I hold out little hope of receiving a letter or getting my money back.



Update: I take back part of my last sentence on earlier post: letter dated 13.9.11 arrived in today's mail informing of cancellation and requesting information to provide refund. Returned same day and will update on developments.

 

[Dreadnought]

Update: I take back part of my last sentence on earlier post: letter dated 13.9.11 arrived in today's mail informing of cancellation and requesting information to provide refund. Returned same day and will update on developments.

Seems strange that you have to provide information for them to process a refund.

When I requested a refund after the original Electric Scot tour was cancelled last December all I did was send an email and then they returned the money the same way that I had paid them (ie via debit card).

 

[Masbroughlad]

Can't get on their website at the moment either. Can anyone else?

What a sorry state of affairs from what used to be one of the best.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Can't get on their website at the moment either. Can anyone else?

What a sorry state of affairs from what used to be one of the best.

Must have been a temporary blip. Its back up but without any new news...

 

[theblackwatch]

Must have been a temporary blip. Its back up but without any new news...

Updated today with the news of the cancellation of the tour which had been due to run on Sept 21st.

 

[tnxrail]

May not be ideal on long trip but could they not run with out a kitchen car and reduce prices with no food or have cold food.

 

[fgwrich]

Updated today with the news of the cancellation of the tour which had been due to run on Sept 21st.

Let me guess...Kitchen Car Issues?

:roll:

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Give us a few camping stoves and I'll happily do my impression of a kitchen car

 

[Schnellzug]

Stock up on Ginsters pasties from a petrol station; job's a good 'un.
And for Premier Dining: those little salad & pasta things in plastic tubs.

 

[Dreadnought]

There has been an update on the Rail Blue website regarding the non availabilty of their kitchen car and future tours.

http://www.rail-bluecharters.co.uk/news/2011/09/non-availability_of_kitchen_car

Wonder if they will be able to get it fixed and run tours in the future

 

[table38]

What is the food actually like on Rail Blue?

I guess it's cooked to order, but I wondered if food to a similar standard couldn't be loaded onto the train part-way through the journey by an external caterer?

It must be doing wonders for Rail Blue's cash flow, and I wouldn't want to see another tour operator bite the dust.

 

[Drimnagh Road]

No tours = no revenue. No revenue = no wages. No wages = no staff. No staff = no company.

I think we'll see a winding up order any day now.

 

[junglejames]

Depends if Cargo D are making any money. If not, then yes, we could be seeing them go to the wall anytime soon. Hope not, but its looking and sounding ominous.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Sounds like the end to me

 

[cj_1985]

what i can't understand is that...
IF tours are just being canceled by the non availability of kitchen car/s... why not just drop the full on catering option...
and offer a basic catering option that could be managed from a mk.3 catering vehicle...

sure that would mean less revenue... but i dare say that a lot of paying passengers would accept not having a full catering option rather than canceled trains...

which is probably one of the reasons that has people thinking that RBC are circling the drain...



obviously thats just me stating the obvious .... since based on what people have been reporting with refunds for example (ie bouncing)... its a bit more severe that just the reported issues...

i hope that i am wrong... i really do... but we have seen more than enough charter outfits go to the wall, and screw paying punters out of their hard earned money...

 

[Paul1153]

Having returned the letter requesting a refund on 14th September I am still waiting. I have now sent an email couched in stronger term 'repay or else' and will be attempting to contact them by telephone tomorrow. I hope to have more success than last time but somehow I doubt it.

 

[junglejames]

Having returned the letter requesting a refund on 14th September I am still waiting. I have now sent an email couched in stronger term 'repay or else' and will be attempting to contact them by telephone tomorrow. I hope to have more success than last time but somehow I doubt it.

That is bad. I dont believe for a second that they arent reading these letters or emails, so they must be blatantly ignoring them. Why? Well i think we have already answered that.

Has anybody yet to receive a response from RB since the first tours were cancelled?

 

[markjp]

I got my refund cheque 2-3 weeks after i asked for it, sometime in September. It cleared fine.

I too am baffled why the tours are not running without the Kitchen car. This may be a financial decision as those travelling under the dining option deliver the most profit, they are not designed as enthusiast tours afterall.

Cargo-D are still receiving revenue from the stock they own.

Its regretable to see Rail Blue in such a fix now, I hope they turn it around.

 

[junglejames]

Cargo-D are still receiving revenue from the stock they own.

If thats the case, then perhaps things can be kept going. Who are chartering their stock right now?

 

[fgwrich]

Cargo-D are still receiving revenue from the stock they own.
QUOTE]

If thats the case, then perhaps things can be kept going. Who are chartering their stock right now?

Thats the problem though, who is chartering Cargo D stock at the moment though?

Apart from the odd coach hire by DB Regio for the Fife Loco Hauled services - Operated with DBs own Maroon Mk2 rake with the odd Cargo D mk2 seeing occasional use, That seems to be it at the moment...

The last Cargo D Mk2 rake i can recall seeing out and about on the mainline reccently was the First Great Western / First Group operated Glastonbury specials, and even that was some time back!

The problem that i fear is, is that Cargo D / Rail Blue potentially seems to have got themselves overboard into the financial sea, where any money coming in is going out again to pay bills etc back...with very little left to hold up the lifejacket for themselves... Im Sorry, but after studying business & bussiness as part of our college course, and with very little output from Cargo D / Railblue themselves, this is starting to look the case... Even more so if rumor of the £28k to DRS is belived...

 

[swadbus]

That is bad. I dont believe for a second that they arent reading these letters or emails, so they must be blatantly ignoring them. Why? Well i think we have already answered that.

Has anybody yet to receive a response from RB since the first tours were cancelled?

I received a letter and a form to fill in requesting a refund that had to be returned by September 23rd to rail blue. Now just waiting. It's been a week, so gotta be patient.

Don't forget if anybody bought individual tickets valued at more than £100 per ticket using a credit card (not debit card) you can contact your credit card issuer and request a refund under section 75 of the consumer credit act. You need to state "I am making a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act" to your credit card issuer.

More info here... http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/section75-protect-your-purchases#how

 

[37372]

I bought two tickets totalling £116 on my debit card, looks like I'll just have to continue playing the waiting game.

 

[Paul1153]

Sadly I have to report that, despite being given some additional contact information I left messages on 2 mobiles (no response on either) and an email address: this message was 'read' by Ingrid Sluis but not responded to (now over 24hrs). Their Manchester telephone number has suspiciously developed an 'error' when you press any options so you cannot leave a message: see also previous post on attempt to use that number the week prior to my trip (17th Sept.)
I have received no contact whatsoever from Blue-Rail since returning my refund form on Sept. 14th, despite repeated attempts to contact them.
Like others, I suspect they are in trouble and I will be pursuing a claim through the credit card company. Their troubles notwithstanding, their customer 'service' is and has been both appalling and unforgivable. I wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot pole in terms of future business - which I doubt is going to happen any time soon, if at all.