Great Western Coffee Shop

http://www.itv.com/meridian-east/javelins-fall-short98117/?

What a surprise, people aren't paying ^10 more to travel to "the wrong part of London"! ::)

If they are the bloody noisy things I heard at st p yesterday whilst enjoying a champagne cocktail then surprised they don't fail noise abatement laws

Gosh, it's almost as if you wanted them to fail (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4133.0)!

BTW, after reading back over that thread Btline, I'm forced to ask if there is any conflict of interest you need to declare with respect to the South Hampshire Rail Users' Group (http://www.shrug.info/Hogrider127/HOGRIDER%20127%20PART%203.html)? ;)  ;D

I thought speed was passengers number onE priority, eh btline? ;)

As we've discussed before, the only people paying ^10 extra per day will be those who pay the ^8 extra on an Anytime fare, and give a ^2 tip for some reason.

As is usual the offpeak fare is less pro rata, and so are seasons.

Nothing wrong with a little exaggeration for effect of course...

Paul

Personally I feel the extra charge is worth every penny if it gets me into the far flung reaches of Kent quickly places like Ramsgate, if you've ever been to Ramsgate in the winter you'll understand that more importantly gets me out very quickly

Similarly if I was travelling to Kent I would take the Javelin. Far more civilised that a 375 Electrostar!

It's useful for North of London to Kent travellers - and yes, it's the way I would travel. However, none of us are frequent users, let alone commuters!

The Kent commuters don't want to pay extra and then have to take the Tube to the City or to the West End for work/shopping/theatre.

The fact is D/M, it is not faster for some of the users, and by the time you add on the Tube, any savings are tiny. It is certainly more hassle - not what you want after a long day at work, nor with loads of shopping.

The fact that the service is failing annoys me - it could really take the pressure off the existing services across Kent. (and also into East Sussex to Hastings and Bexhill, who are suffering from the Brighton Line "pinch" and extra slack to compensate) But as it stands, in some ways (get's prepared to be shot down), I am kind of glad it is failing, so the gov and TOCs don't make this mistake again in the future!

Never heard of the South Hampshire group, so don't know what you're implying.
And the other thread you linked is entirely justified - remember that people have had service axed/reduced. Plus all SE passengers have had the fare rises when only a few can use the train.

It was meant to be a light-hearted, gentle leg-pull, referring to certain similarities in writing style between your original post on SET and the page of the Hogrider newsletter that was linked to ;)

Have gone on the link and can see they've used AXED quite a bit.... ;D ;D ;D

Why not? :P

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After looking a bit more at the page - what a waste of time that page is! What are they trying to achieve? And I'm sure that they have to AXE ALL STOPS AFTER SURBITON to ensure the train gets its path at Clapham and doesn't make a dozen other services LATE.

As ever though, there's an alternative point of view...

http://www.yourashford.co.uk/kent-news/High-speed-train-service-wins-national-award-newsinkent40052.aspx?news=local (http://www.yourashford.co.uk/kent-news/High-speed-train-service-wins-national-award-newsinkent40052.aspx?news=local)

It isn't the first time they've tried to give the impression that the preview service was an unexpected bonus, but their franchise spec always required it to start when it did, no later.

So they are basically winning an award for doing what they signed up to all along...

Paul

Only think I don't like about the Javelins, is the somewhat lack of First Class seating...

Mind you First Class on Southeastern is really something quite special ;D

Or maybe I should get my coat ;)

Although i'm told that you can now get a free hot drink on all Southeastern Trains that provide Catering and First Class Seating... But I haven't needed to travel SE to test that one out...!