No doubt i will be shouted down here, but underbank has it in a nutshell. Over the years we ( it seems) we have a 'public' service that operates with drivers on a 9-5 M-F , or so it appears ,as there is always the bleat of getting people to work overtime etc. Was it like this as they say 'bak in the good old days? where it was seemed eekends were part of the scheduled work ethic going by the amount of memoirs written.
Yes, years ago there were footex, even when there want much of a demand putting extra carriages on scheduled services to cater for any over crowding Mow the TOC seem to operate on the minimum amount of stock and not even thinking of using using a 60 years old timetable when there was 30% more train per hour 9 instead of the 6 now( GA i am looking at you for Tottenham home matches), despite the advances made in the intervening years. Plus everything is run by accountants. How many units to run a service? 6. well have 7 just in case, everything seems pared to the bone. Yet get onto the continent and there are loco hauled trains with stock to spare. Flexibility appears to be a dirty word nowadays.
And Yes, i think the TV and the FA should have their collectives backsides kicked for being just as money orientated.and not checking on projected closures. But two wrongs do not make a right. One part of this problem needs to make a change. Chiltern (and am i glad to get away from that TOC) ran services through Wembley on Boxing Days for people to get to a tinpot shopping centre in the middle of nowhere,. What was wrong with Oxford St and the shopping centres at Stratford and Shepherds Bush? and completely ignoring 30k football fans who lived along the line between Birmingham and London and who jammed those services on a normal match day. Perhaps the accountants poo pooed that as well?
And whilst The FA/PL have made a move to making the travelling away supporters cost less. It seems the TOCs completely ignore the opportunity. And as it is quids cheaper for 4 guys to share the petrol than pay the equivalent each to go by train. Plus you wont get Greta bellowing in your ear accusing you of killing the planet lol
Oh for the days of the Merrymakers.Packed trains and a cheap day out No doubt some graduate will come up with a 21st century footex scheme soon. Cant see it happening there are not enough carriages and locos left to make it work, let along asking for volunteers!
We will just have to put up with it