Who is your LEAST favourite TOC? - vote here!

[Aictos]

I hate the turbostars,they time it just right so when BHM is packed a 2 car arrives, and when its empty (0749) its a 3 car, wow whoever is in charge of allocation must have a masters degree in it!

Like FCC did so great back 1st January 2009 on the Inners - run all services as 6 cars when a 2 car would have suffice!

I wonder if we could have borrowed any 165s/166s off FGW for the day

 

[GNERman]

thank you sir, someone agrees with me

but no one can be perfect

 

[devon_metro]

why would anyone want to put grand central down?

Contrary to what you might like us to think, they aren't gods gift to the world.

If I had an important business meeting in York I wouldn't put my faith in Grand Central, chances are that it is far more likely to be cancelled than National Express where at least I can 100% guarantee that I don't sit on top of an engine and can enjoy some peace and quiet. Also, if I was really posh, I might be (effing it ) in the First. In which case was I feeling peckish, I could order some rather delectable food direct to my seat. As far as I know, the GC catering offering isnt up to much!

 

[Dai.]

Contrary to what you might like us to think, they aren't gods gift to the world.

If I had an important business meeting in York I wouldn't put my faith in Grand Central, chances are that it is far more likely to be cancelled than National Express where at least I can 100% guarantee that I don't sit on top of an engine and can enjoy some peace and quiet. Also, if I was really posh, I might be (effing it ) in the First. In which case was I feeling peckish, I could order some rather delectable food direct to my seat. As far as I know, the GC catering offering isnt up to much!

Isn't grand central the train company that took ten years to come into service?

 

[GNERman]

the gc food is good, yet the selection is not huge

as for reliability, they had a rough start but more recently most of their services have run, only one not running due to a broken windscreen which gc could not have forseen...

it did take ten years, but that was after different proposals, different ownership, a court case and delayed rolling stock...

 

[monkey]

^^I have to agree, with respect GNERman, it is interesting and admirable what gc have done, and the staff obviously have a passion for the railways - but they are far from perfect. its not hard to find the amount of times trains have been cancellled or people transferred to nxec anyway upto york...

Isn't grand central the train company that took ten years to come into service?

...yeah puts a whole new meaning to their tagline "the train you've been waiting for" lol...

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

thank you sir, someone agrees with me

43034 - what a pure waste of your and my time by posting that

I do generally think they are a very very good company at the moment and are coping well in trhe economical crisis

by posting that you have simply embarrassed yourself

No GNERman I haven't wasted my time at all! I wouldn't post it if I think it was a waste of my time! :roll:

I can tell you for a FACT people agree with me! You're wrong with me embarrassing myself as it is true.... and again, people agree with me.

 

[GNERman]

^^I have to agree, with respect GNERman, it is interesting what gc have done, and the staff obviously have a passion for the railways - but they are far from perfect. its not hard to find the amount of times trains have been cancellled or people transferred to nxec anyway upto york...

fair enough, i do agree, but i have a great deal of respect of how far they've come in the years gone by...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

No GNERman I haven't wasted my time at all! I wouldn't post it if I think it was a waste of my time! :roll:

I can tell you for a FACT people agree with me! You're wrong with me embarrassing myself as it is true.... and again, people agree with me. So as has said either post some interesting posts if you like but stop licking GCs arse!

ok, fair enough, but that wasn't needed, i have a personal like for a company and that's that, i won't argue anymore

 

[monkey]

fair enough, i do agree, but i have a great deal of respect of how far they've come in the years gone by...

...yeah totally, I mean that goes without saying, a lot of hard work has obviously gone into it...

 

[TheBigD]

I hate the turbostars,they time it just right so when BHM is packed a 2 car arrives, and when its empty (0749) its a 3 car, wow whoever is in charge of allocation must have a masters degree in it!

One of the big problems is the fact that a mixed fleet operates, with some units having SDO* fitted and some which don't.

When operating as 2+2 cars on some diagrams 1 unit has to be SDO fitted because of the short platforms.

3 car 170/1 units don't have SDO and cannot be put on any diagram that calls at Whittlesea and Manea.

Add engineering work into the mix and the fact that any unit stabled overnight at Leicester (and Cardiff I think) cannot be fuelled or have the CET emptied then you can see that it's quite a challenge!

* SDO Selective Door Opening (Door Deselect).

The 170 fleet is:

7 x 170/1 2car
10 x 170/1 3 car
6 x 170/5 2 car SDO fitted
4 x 170/6 3 car SDO fitted
2 x 170/3 3 car SDO fitted.

 

[37401]

yeah but (correct me if im wrong) 2 and 3 car 170`s fit on all stations BHM-NOT

 

[TheBigD]

yeah but (correct me if im wrong) 2 and 3 car 170`s fit on all stations BHM-NOT

No problem on Notts-Cardiff with a single 2 or 3 car unit. However, there are a couple of diagrams* which are 2+2 and call at Willington, hence why SDO is needed.

*0656 and 0737 ex Notts and 1619 ex New Street I think.

 

[TheWalrus]

...ah crap I voted wrong, thought it was favourites - so voted nxec (yeah I know thats an unpopular choice) - can I change my vote to tpe? cos the trains are so bad, I actually pay well over the odds to avoid them on long journeys...

Wouldn't have made any difference anyway! You can vote TPEx on the next one!

 

[sheff'd victoria]

I voted for 2

East Midlands Trains : as they are still using 2 car sets on the Liverpool - Norwich services most of the time and the fact there is a poor service in Lincolnshire at evening time and on sundays

Northern : as they have loads of class 142's and again poor services on Hope Valley Line & Sheffield Midland - Lincoln on a Sunday

 

[adamp]

Which turd voted Wrexham & Shropshire as the worst TOC? O Dear...

 

[90019]

Which turd voted Wrexham & Shropshire as the worst TOC? O Dear...

That'd be generalvegitable, who just voted for everything.

 

[monkey]

...so basically according to this two of the longest distance operators are the worst lol...

edit: seems smaller the network, the happier the passenger...

 

[Aictos]

Surely the voting should have been limited to 2 choices for each member which would have been fairer on the TOCs instead of the current free for all?

Maybe something to consider for future polls guys?

 

[kelladam96]

Grand Central are undoubtedly the best, the service is unparalleled and UNLIKE NXEC you get an excellent experience leaving you wanting more and yes I agree with GNERman they are the best and I'm sure anyone who uses them would agree.

That's why my vote for least favourite TOC goes to NXEC, the biggest shambles this country has ever seen, you can't even get a newspaper or nibbles in first class!

 

[Aictos]

That's why my vote for least favourite TOC goes to NXEC, the biggest shambles this country has ever seen, you can't even get a newspaper or nibbles in first class!

I disagree, every time I've gone first class with them, I've got nibbles on the tables with bottles of waters.

As to papers, they're restricted to the morning services Monday to Friday.

 

[TheWalrus]

As I'm not allowed to post more than one poll, the next TOC on this poll to 6 votes is eliminated.

 

[GB]

If you wanted to find out what people think is the best TOC, why didnt you just poll it that way instead of all this elimination rubbish???

 

[theblackwatch]

As I'm not allowed to post more than one poll, the next TOC on this poll to 6 votes is eliminated.

You do not need more than one poll. Surely if the vote is to find the least favourite TOC you do not need to elimiate anyone - quite simply, the one that gets the most votes 'wins'?

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Could not have put it any better thats were my vote went NXEC

I voted NXEC aswell!

 

[Mike Redding]

In reply to 'The Walrus' from the "Round 2" thread, I think it was the 12:18 to Taunton, on a Friday

 

[37372]

I can stand NXEC's ECML mess-up, I can stand nasty CrossCountry Voyagers, and I can even stand tatty Northern Rail pacers (just), but EMT really, really p!ss me off, so I voted for them.

 

[monkey]

...so what happens now round2's been closed?

 

[dan_atki]

...so what happens now round2's been closed?

There was (and is) no need for a round 2. Voting can continue in this poll to determine who the least favourite TOC is, determined by the poll option receiving the most votes.

 

[GB]

...so what happens now round2's been closed?

Nothing, as theblackwatch has said, if your looking for the worst TOC then surely the one with the most votes is your winner. I do not see the need or point of mutliple rounds or eliminations.

 

[fgwrich]

I know who i have voted for and the reasons why i have voted and thats plain and simple...i might post some of the reasons why, but i have actually voted in terms of passenger comfot, the staff, the trains - both cleanliness and what trains are on what services, on board catering - or with nearly half of the TOC's, lack of it....and timetableing... basicaly thinking logically...

but one of the few TOC's i shall name and shame...is Cross Country...The complete and utter shambles of a TOC...Aswell as National Express East Coast and Anglia - Formerlly ONE, East Midlands Trains and South West Trains & SouthEastern...

I might give the reasons why but then i might fill up a page or two...


But on the bright side i have got to say that im glad to see very little on the FGW side - reason - becasue i really have got to say that they are the most improved TOC of all, and have at least had the decencey to admit there mistakes, and Yes they still do have a few - but reading on the other poll that someone chose them becasue there train was late at reading, please note that reading is still one very very big bottle neck, and Ok, there is still a few late trains, but FGW can't help if its not there problem, like a signal faliure or a fataility can they?

Please think logically and not just becasue someone dosent like there livery or minor things like that...

rich