On today's 1800 King's Cross-Edinburgh passengers for the 2011
York-Harrogate service were told by the guard (via the PA system) that
their connection WOULD be held, and would be cross platform from
Platform 9 to 8.
When passengers crossed to platform 8 they discovered their train had
left just moments ago.
The next train was not for nearly 2 hours.
* Why were they told the connection would be held?
* Who decided not to hold it, and why?
It is crazy decisions like this that put people off travelling by rail.
Northern cannot use the "GNER was late" excuse, because it was a
Northern train suffering power problems at Doncaster that caused a
delay to 4 northbound GNER and MML services, including further delaying
the 1800 King's Cross-Edinburgh by enough time to miss that connection.
This isn't the worst lack of connection I've witnessed, as last year
the worst example of customer service was Northern stranding 2 senior
citizens at Church Fenton, the guard telling them that their train to
Ulleskelf would connect at Church Fenton. In fact the train for
Ulleskelf departed as the other train was arriving. If only the guard
had told them to stay on to York they could have simply got an
Ulleskelf train from there. But no, they were left stranded.
Fortunately some other passengers were able to show them where to find
(unlabelled) telephones where they were able to organise taxis - but
only after Northern initially refused, eventually they were told to
"keep it quiet in case anyone else wants that". I don't know how long
it took for the taxi to arrive, but the couple were still there long
after their missed train had come back from York (which they could so
easily have been on). On that occasion it was Northern's incompetence
that left them with a taxi bill. What's their subsidy again?
In this age of reducing through journey opportunities and splitting
services, forcing people to use connecting trains rather than through
trains, it is vital that connections are held - but they are not being
held and I am very disappointed that the rail industry is putting so
many passengers off.
York-Harrogate service were told by the guard (via the PA system) that
their connection WOULD be held, and would be cross platform from
Platform 9 to 8.
When passengers crossed to platform 8 they discovered their train had
left just moments ago.
The next train was not for nearly 2 hours.
* Why were they told the connection would be held?
* Who decided not to hold it, and why?
It is crazy decisions like this that put people off travelling by rail.
Northern cannot use the "GNER was late" excuse, because it was a
Northern train suffering power problems at Doncaster that caused a
delay to 4 northbound GNER and MML services, including further delaying
the 1800 King's Cross-Edinburgh by enough time to miss that connection.
This isn't the worst lack of connection I've witnessed, as last year
the worst example of customer service was Northern stranding 2 senior
citizens at Church Fenton, the guard telling them that their train to
Ulleskelf would connect at Church Fenton. In fact the train for
Ulleskelf departed as the other train was arriving. If only the guard
had told them to stay on to York they could have simply got an
Ulleskelf train from there. But no, they were left stranded.
Fortunately some other passengers were able to show them where to find
(unlabelled) telephones where they were able to organise taxis - but
only after Northern initially refused, eventually they were told to
"keep it quiet in case anyone else wants that". I don't know how long
it took for the taxi to arrive, but the couple were still there long
after their missed train had come back from York (which they could so
easily have been on). On that occasion it was Northern's incompetence
that left them with a taxi bill. What's their subsidy again?
In this age of reducing through journey opportunities and splitting
services, forcing people to use connecting trains rather than through
trains, it is vital that connections are held - but they are not being
held and I am very disappointed that the rail industry is putting so
many passengers off.