What is the railway doing well currently?

[Magdalia]

Anyway, things the railway is doing well. I must also big-up CrossRail, an amazing achievement and the first port of call for west-east or vice-versa journeys across London whenever possible.

What else is the railway doing well? Bringing in new fleets. Yes some terrible examples are out there, such as the 230s with TfW and the 701s with SWR, but there are also good examples such as Greater Anglia.

I don't see Crossrail or the class 720 roll out as projects done well. Both are about 3 years late and the former was massively over budget.

 

[fgwrich]

I don't see Crossrail or the class 720 roll out as projects done well. Both are about 3 years late and the former was massively over budget.

Of course, the early stages of the delay were an absolute mess but, with Mark Wild at the helm, they’ve managed to turn it around into something that is fairly reliable and transforms the way we can cross London. The stations are absolutely impressive and designed to handle the future crowds very well - perhaps seeing is believing

I agree about the 720 introduction though - the late Bombardier & Alstom haven’t covered themselves in glory over the Aventra.

 

[dk1]

I agree about the 720 introduction though - the late Bombardier & Alstom haven’t covered themselves in glory over the Aventra.

I think Alstom have improved the situation as best they can since taking the reigns from the former but it’s been a long haul.

 

[357]

I don't see Crossrail or the class 720 roll out as projects done well. Both are about 3 years late and the former was massively over budget.

It was said before opening that once it's working people will pretty much forget about the delay.

Just as with the Jubilee Line Extension.

 

[yorksrob]

Agree with others on here that the Okehampton reopening has been done excellently. Project speed has shown what can be achieved.

 

[uww11x]

Lost the plot?


Multiple Tocs doing this daily, just TPE due to the large amount are the company that have been picked up on.

Golden Fraud award

 

[LYuen]

The operator of last resort. This is how the railway should be run.

 

[Scott1]

At my TOC there has been a decent push for so called "quick wins" which has been refreshing. Just little niggles around the network, platforms that would benefit from a tidy and coat of paint. Little upgrades, like adding heaters to some station toilets and waiting room, or a few extra benches. Recently a new type of soap dispenser was fitted to some of our units that had a tenancy to run out too fast. Major projects have always been fine, but little upgrades have been surprisingly difficult to get done, so it's nice to see these incremental improvements.

 

[Kite159]

The operator of last resort. This is how the railway should be run.

After all Northern is perfect

 

[Master29]

With growth and cheap money off the agenda, the new train bonanza is over.
The railway has made a dog's breakfast of getting new and repurposed older trains into service.
Looks like the railway is on the cusp of great change, with the end of franchising and with greater government/local control.

I think this is a picture of more than just the railways.

Possibly an unpopular opinion but I think we can class Lumo as a success story?

I don't think that was ever in doubt whoever took over.

I would say customer service from staff on the ground (ie. guards and station staff) is generally still good, at least within the company I work for, despite there being a low morale within the industry.

I agree with this in general.

 

[Howardh]

After all Northern is perfect

It's supposed to be a positive thread, so here goes, Northern are a lot, lot better than they were during the dark days of the late 10's, when both Granada and the BBC ran joint half-hour long news programmes about the state of them. Not perfect; still too unreliable "last trains" meaning a night out at Blackpool or Southport requires a hotel booking rather than geting the last train.

But better, the stock is now decent (think some trains are new rather than refurbished) abd the pacers have long gone.

New year's wish for something that could be done prefectly painlessly? For off-peak passengers to be allowed to get on TPE trains* going to Manchester and the airport at Bolton (set down only), it's a ridiculous rule, especially when there are plenty of seats available.

* If they turn up, of course....

 

[Matt_pool]

It's supposed to be a positive thread, so here goes, Northern are a lot, lot better than they were during the dark days of the late 10's

No Northern services on the CLC again today, and I've just checked and the Northern service I usually get to work tomorrow has already been cancelled.

Actually, the last time I was able to catch the 0813 from West Allerton was on Monday 12th December!

My Merseytravel Trio pass, which allows me to travel on trains and buses, expires on 30th December. I think I might replace it with a bus only Solo pass which will actually save me money; so that's one positive of the railways!

 

[Horizon22]

Took the words right out of my mouth. Childish 10pm cancellations - It's not normal, it's not what passengers expect, it wasn't allowed before 2019 - it truly stinks.

In the case of Northern, removing the last four hours of service for no reason - abandoning the job four hours early with no bus, should see their MD Donovan sacked.

There's not many successes worth shouting about, whilst we have such serious failures not being addressed or brushed under the carpet.

It is however something allowed to be done. There are lots of rules or arrangements or “agreed practice” that the DfT now just doesn’t like and has therefore changed or is in no way enforcing.

Sacking MDs is in no way useful - TOCs are just doing what is allowed although many are skeptical about the way things are going obviously.

 

[Master29]

Agree with others on here that the Okehampton reopening has been done excellently. Project speed has shown what can be achieved.

Although the infrastructure was already there this has to be a great success.

 

[yorksrob]

Although the infrastructure was already there this has to be a great success.

Indeed. Although as @Bald Rick would no doubt point out that reopening a freight line to existing standards is a hefty piece of work these days.

 

[Taplowgreen]

The Railway is currently doing well at promoting car sales.

 

[Trainlog]

Already mentioned is the Elizabeth line. I never thought I'd see the day I could travel to Oxford Street using the National Rail network. It's so good that I no longer use the tube to get to Tottenham Court Road or Oxford Circus. (Bond Steet's Hanover Square station building is so close to Oxford Circus).

The stations are also a masterpiece and has so much capacity that even when you get off a packed train, the corridors still aren't cramped. Compare that to most Zone 1 LU stations where it's an issue.

We also have an excellent devolved NR brand in the London Overground.

Went on the Elizabeth lines a couple of times last week. Can confirm its definitely proven very popular with the trains often having few seats available in the core section.

 

[nlogax]

Went on the Elizabeth lines a couple of times last week. Can confirm its definitely proven very popular with the trains often having few seats available in the core section.

As a regular passenger and someone not in the rail business this is the only really major positive that I've seen in recent months.

 

[dk1]

The Railway is currently doing well at promoting car sales.

But many railway passengers already have access to a car. Those the don’t or even those that are maybe thinking of taking lessons will now find driving examiners striking too. It’s just a sign of the times at the moment.

 

[Yew]

Many rail companies are finally listening to demands to put plug sockets and USB charging points onboard their trains.

I worry that we're going to get universal USB A just as USB C becomes standard.

 

[Merseysider]

I would say... social media, for information / updates / advice.

This month I’ve had a reply from XC, Avanti, Eurostar within half an hour on Twitter etc.

Also had XC reserve me a seat via chat (I had an interrail pass) in about 5 minutes. To reserve a seat on my PL-DE journey it took two trips to a ticket office in Germany (first one couldn’t) and an hour in total of waiting

 

[Thirteen]

For a thread about positivity there is a heck of a lot of negativity.

Perhaps being London based I don't notice the impact as much but public transport despite the strikes on both trains, tube and buses are still used by everyone so saying that the railway is helping car sales is nonsense.

 

[fishwomp]

For a thread about positivity there is a heck of a lot of negativity.
..

The thread, at this time, is a bit like asking "but how was the play Mrs Lincoln?"...

 

[TUC]

Honestly the way people go on, you'd think the railway was heading for extinction. The fact the Elizabeth Line has been resounding success and HS2 and EWR are being built shows a lot of the doom and gloom is hyperbole.

As ever, London and the South East are never a suitable reference point for the rest of the UK

 

[zwk500]

As ever, London and the South East are never a suitable reference point for the rest of the UK

Fife, Northumberland and Devon have also had new lines opened or started construction for reopening this year.

 

[TUC]

Fife, Northumberland and Devon have also had new lines opened or started construction for reopening this year.

Those are investment and infrastructure examples, not ones of delivering day to day passenger-facing business well.

 

[zwk500]

Those are investment and infrastructure examples, not ones of delivering day to day passenger-facing business well.

Identifying future needs and deliverihg the capability to meet them is an example of delivering the passenger facing business well.
Even if it isn't, you were replying to a comment that highlighted new infrastructure and I was merely demonstrating that there is new infrastructure beyond London and the South East.

 

[yorksrob]

Identifying future needs and deliverihg the capability to meet them is an example of delivering the passenger facing business well.
Even if it isn't, you were replying to a comment that highlighted new infrastructure and I was merely demonstrating that there is new infrastructure beyond London and the South East.

Unfortunately, the current trend for withdrawing/scrapping everything down to the bare bones, suggests that this is something the railway/DfT/treasury/government isn't doing well at the moment.

 

[43066]

As ever, London and the South East are never a suitable reference point for the rest of the UK

They are when you’re talking about railways, given that that’s where the majority of UK rail journeys are undertaken.

 

[zwk500]

Unfortunately, the current trend for withdrawing/scrapping everything down to the bare bones, suggests that this is something the railway/DfT/treasury/government isn't doing well at the moment.

I would suggest that 'the railway' and 'the Government' (including Dft/Treasury) are two separate categories of assessment.