Complaining about overcrowding - is it worth the bother?

[AlterEgo]

As I said before LM MUST have known demand would be high due to their own promotion, and so should have strengthened services

With what trains?

They don't have an unlimited supply of stock.

 

[All Line Rover]

The more I think about this situation, the angrier I get.

Last Saturday was the first day of London Midland’s “£10 Go Anywhere” promotion. So, since it was sold out for that day, they must have known their services would be busy. And journeys to / from Euston are the obvious ones for people to use their tickets on – so might it not have been a good idea to strengthen those services ? After all, since it was a weekend, there was obviously spare stock available !

It was bad enough travelling on that day from Crewe to Liverpool. I had to stand all the way – actually I sat on the floor as far as Runcorn. And the crowding was so bad that some people missed their stop at South Parkway and got carried on to Lime Street. [ though that wass mainly due to their own stupidity]

Also, the latest LM timetable for Euston – Northampton shows how many coaches each service normally is formed of. So, if the service the OP travelled on was short formed as per the timetable, that makes it even worse.

You can complain to LM all you like but they aren't going to do anything. From LM's perspective, this is a great idea! Packed trains, every last seat taken, loads of revenue (albeit lots of £10 notes), etc., etc... Providing they limit the number of Great Escape tickets available so that trains don't become dangerously overcrowded (and they have been dangerously overcrowded during previous "Great" Escapes!) I kind of agree with them. The economics add up.

 

[87015]

With what trains?

All the EMUs that were sitting around Bletchley and Northampton on Saturday perhaps. There are many places where the stock is just not available for strengthening, but for off-peak and especially weekend services on LM and most other commuter TOCs that is certainly not an excuse.
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You can complain to LM all you like but they aren't going to do anything. From LM's perspective, this is a great idea! Packed trains, every last seat taken, loads of revenue (albeit lots of £10 notes), etc., etc... Providing they limit the number of Great Escape tickets available so that trains don't become dangerously overcrowded (and they have been dangerously overcrowded during previous "Great" Escapes!) I kind of agree with them. The economics add up.

Wait, you moan that you have to sit opposite someone in FC during a promotion, but crush loading standard during a promotion is really good idea?

 

[All Line Rover]

Wait, you moan that you have to sit opposite someone in FC during a promotion, but crush loading standard during a promotion is really good idea?

LM First Class is rubbish. I traveled with them during one of their previous "Great Escape" promotions, and to say that First Class was "packed" is an understatement. There were about 30 people squeezed into a little compartment that accepts 15! I admit that it wasn't the most pleasant of journeys, but I did think: "LM must be making bucket-loads here!"

I still got a refund after complaining that none of the toilets worked during a 3 hours journey. A woman nearly passed out too!

I also travel Standard Class quite frequently, and will happily stand on many types of rolling stock (such as 175's). I did not complain about having to sit opposite someone in the EMT thread - I complained that there was no airline style seating, as well as there being problems with many other things!

 

[randomuser]

Where do u live and who is your MP?

In answer to your question I live in Long Buckby and my MP is Chris Heaton Harris.
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This post is getting alot of reponses. What have I started!

I can appreciate that the overcrowding I experienced wasn't half as bad as what regular commuters have to endure on a daily basis. And I shouldn't expect the train operator to recommpense me as it so commonplace compensating passengers would bankrupt them. It just surprised me as I had never had to stand for this long at a weekend.

Possibly a one off but if this is the shape of things to come it might put me off travelling to London. It would certainly put off my elderly mum who has travelled with me on many occasions. With a hip problem she is unable to stand for long periods of time and I think it is unreasonable for the train company to expect her to.

Looks like overcrowding though is finally being taken seriously. I read a news report on the net, think it was from the BBC, that overcrowding on trains is going to be looked into and there may be fines for TOCs. Some talk of laser beams at each door to register the number of passengers. Could be a good thing but then if the TOCs are fined they are only go and raise the ticket fares.

 

[Bedpan]

I think that LM might have scored an own goal in this instance. Surely one of the purposes of "Great Escape" is to attract people to the railways who wouln't ordinarily use them, in the hope that if they enjoy their day out they will travel by train in future. If the overcrowding last Saturday was as bad as reported, not only are they are likely to attract new customers, but they will put some of their existing occasional customers off as well.

And all they had to do, in the knowledge that there was a full talke up for Great Escape that day, was to use stock lying idle over the weekend to strengthen 4 car services to 8, (as they do for Gay Pride and the London - Brighton cycle ride etc.

Saturday overcrowding has always been a problem though. 30 odd years ago I often found myself making a journey south from Wimbledon at around 6pm on a Saturday evening with other Wimbledon/Chelsea/Fulham supporters on a 4 car train, which had arrived from Waterloo already with a fairly full load, although uncomfortable, that was perhaps more excusable due to the fairly short peak in demand at around that time.

 

[martinsh]

And all they had to do, in the knowledge that there was a full talke up for Great Escape that day, was to use stock lying idle over the weekend to strengthen 4 car services to 8

Absolutely !

 

[gary47]

A few years ago, some of my workmates came back from Birmingham international to Stafford by virgin trains. They couldn't get a seat, so they complained to the tm. He fobbed them off by saying that you only pay to travel with us and you are not guaranteed a seat. My mate said it was a hazard if there was a fire,thr tm walked off then.

 

[142094]

A few years ago, some of my workmates came back from Birmingham international to Stafford by virgin trains. They couldn't get a seat, so they complained to the tm. He fobbed them off by saying that you only pay to travel with us and you are not guaranteed a seat. My mate said it was a hazard if there was a fire,thr tm walked off then.

A fire would still be a hazard, even if you were sitting down. As I said earlier - having a ticket doesn't guarantee you a seat.

 

[Minilad]

A few years ago, some of my workmates came back from Birmingham international to Stafford by virgin trains. They couldn't get a seat, so they complained to the tm. He fobbed them off by saying that you only pay to travel with us and you are not guaranteed a seat. My mate said it was a hazard if there was a fire,thr tm walked off then.

I take it then that seeing as it was such a safety hazard they got off at the next stop and waited for the next train

 

[AlterEgo]

I take it then that seeing as it was such a safety hazard they got off at the next stop and waited for the next train

My thoughts exactly...