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miniman
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« Reply #15 on: May 27, 2008, 19:34:03 » |
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Happy to say I have no idea whether things are better recently as I have only done one journey by train in about 8 weeks. Since a parking space is now reliably available at the office, I can leave home at 7:15 and be at my desk at 7:45, compared to leaving home at 7:15 and getting into work at 8:20 by train. Cost by train is ^8.50 ticket plus ^4.50 parking (I don't travel the same route regularly enough to warrant a season ticket for either unfortunately) plus 50p for fuel to and from the station, compared to a full week of commuting down the M4 for ^50. Free parking at work helps, of course.
I think this is the fundamental problem with getting people off the roads (apart from there being no capacity on the trains) - I can do the same journey in 50% of the time, for 75% of the cost, and even if the M4 is jammed solid once a week, it's still more reliable.
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Btline
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« Reply #16 on: May 27, 2008, 20:11:45 » |
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I can't see them surviving. Apart from their disastrous unreliability, the payments to NE to carry their passengers in lieu of their own services, their business model must be under severe pressure from the rise in diesel prices. Unfair article. It is not GC» 's fault really. What about W&S▸ ? how are they doing? |
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swlines
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« Reply #17 on: May 27, 2008, 20:16:48 » |
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No.
It's a fair article - the problem IS of GCs» doing but it is also partially of DMLs doing. Lack of money transferring between hands = lack of work = less quality build.
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John R
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« Reply #18 on: May 27, 2008, 20:48:28 » |
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And from the customer's POV, do they care who's fault it is? All they know is that they are getting a dreadful service. To answer the point about issuing all operator tickets, as I understand it GC» will get a fraction of the cost of an open single from London to York. Even FCC▸ and NEAnglia get some allocation of such a ticket as it's valid on FCC to Peterborough and NEAnglia from Liv St. So effectively they receive X for a ticket from the customer, and then pay around 2X for an open ticket on which they get diddly squat back. Not good economics.
The only way they can possibly survive is if diddly squat x all the farebox on the ECML▸ gives them enough revenue no matter how c**p their service is. (Which is an ORCATS▸ raid).
I really do hope they succeed, but I can't see it. The TV program last year did show them as a very amateurish bunch, and their website reinforces that view.
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johoare
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« Reply #19 on: May 27, 2008, 21:14:00 » |
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Happy to say I have no idea whether things are better recently as I have only done one journey by train in about 8 weeks. Since a parking space is now reliably available at the office, I can leave home at 7:15 and be at my desk at 7:45, compared to leaving home at 7:15 and getting into work at 8:20 by train. Cost by train is ^8.50 ticket plus ^4.50 parking (I don't travel the same route regularly enough to warrant a season ticket for either unfortunately) plus 50p for fuel to and from the station, compared to a full week of commuting down the M4 for ^50. Free parking at work helps, of course.
I think this is the fundamental problem with getting people off the roads (apart from there being no capacity on the trains) - I can do the same journey in 50% of the time, for 75% of the cost, and even if the M4 is jammed solid once a week, it's still more reliable.
ooh I'm jealous now. I'd love to be able to drive to work... |
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Electric train
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« Reply #20 on: May 27, 2008, 22:23:42 » |
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No.
It's a fair article - the problem IS of GCs» doing but it is also partially of DMLs doing. Lack of money transferring between hands = lack of work = less quality build.
I attempted to use GC today to go to York on the 08:04 ex KX it was cancelled instead they swaped our tickets for the 08:00 NE the only problem was the GC ticket chap on the concorse at KX swapped my ticket for another GC ticket which as I was in a rush to catch a train 4 mins earlier than planned I did not notice until we were under way so had to pay the excess fair  so now I have the pain of claiming the excess back from GC [/size] |
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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Timmer
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« Reply #21 on: May 28, 2008, 17:58:26 » |
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[I attempted to use GC» today to go to York on the 08:04 ex KX it was cancelled instead they swaped our tickets for the 08:00 NE the only problem was the GC ticket chap on the concorse at KX swapped my ticket for another GC ticket which as I was in a rush to catch a train 4 mins earlier than planned I did not notice until we were under way so had to pay the excess fair so now I have the pain of claiming the excess back from GC [/size] They carry on going the way they are at the moment then I don't think many people will continue using GC either. Sad to say it appears that its one problem after another for this new rail company. People want reliability and if they don't get it they will go somewhere else, even if that means being crammed into a busy NX East Coast service. |
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Lee
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« Reply #22 on: May 28, 2008, 18:05:19 » |
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Btline
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« Reply #23 on: May 28, 2008, 18:08:47 » |
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It will take along time for people to start using them. If they hold firm, get the problem sorted, allow positive reviews to spread, then people will go back.
The question is? Can they afford to - will people come back quick enough.
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You could argue that FGW▸ /other lines need the stock more.
All GC» are doing is clogging up the ECML▸ .
Until several junctions are re-done, each extra service will cause more problems.
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Their website is bad.
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Electric train
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« Reply #24 on: May 28, 2008, 20:17:56 » |
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[I attempted to use GC» today to go to York on the 08:04 ex KX it was cancelled instead they swaped our tickets for the 08:00 NE the only problem was the GC ticket chap on the concorse at KX swapped my ticket for another GC ticket which as I was in a rush to catch a train 4 mins earlier than planned I did not notice until we were under way so had to pay the excess fair so now I have the pain of claiming the excess back from GC [/size] They carry on going the way they are at the moment then I don't think many people will continue using GC either. Sad to say it appears that its one problem after another for this new rail company. People want reliability and if they don't get it they will go somewhere else, even if that means being crammed into a busy NX East Coast service. College of mine who still had his GC tickets had the misfortune to use GC for our return from York, he said there was a Strong smell of rotten eggs in most of the coaches, this used to be a problem with Mk3 coaches where the batteries boil dry from over charging or lack of topping up, the on board staff did not seem to know how to use the PA▸ system at one stage holding a conversation between the buffet and guards van, all in all he was not impressed with the service, we have recommended to out team organiser not to book anyone on GC services |
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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John R
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« Reply #25 on: May 28, 2008, 21:27:48 » |
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I notice that they are now offering carnets of 20 tickets. Anyone like to invest several hundred pound in a carnet at the moment. They obviously need the cashflow, which is a very good reason not to buy one!
P.S. Apologies, we've hijacked this thread from the original subject somewhat.
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Electric train
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« Reply #26 on: May 29, 2008, 18:26:33 » |
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P.S. Apologies, we've hijacked this thread from the original subject somewhat.
Its just nice to know that FGW▸ aren't all that bad after all  |
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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Timmer
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« Reply #27 on: May 29, 2008, 20:59:57 » |
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Its just nice to know that FGW▸ aren't all that bad after all They have improved a great deal of late I'm glad to say. |
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eightf48544
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« Reply #28 on: May 31, 2008, 10:14:03 » |
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Back to original thread as far as Taplow goes our offpeak service from the December 2007 timetable is remarkably better. This is probably because the trains start and teminate at Reading rather than the previous weird situation where the up trains started from Oxford and the Down trains terminated at Reading. With asymetrical stopping patterns as well. Also the Down Oxford stopper which formed a later Up Taplow working was only abourt 4 minutes behind the Reading terminator at Maidenhead so if there were any problems it would be late at Oxford for its Up journey and thus late at Taplow on the return.
Not so sure about peak will have to ask User group members.
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