Train departed 3 minutes earlier than scheduled

[whole diary]

[UstiImmigrunt]

Dear Passenger,

You complain when a train/bus is late. I agree.

Dear Passenger,

You complain when a train/bus is on time and you miss it.


Dear Passenger,

You may call it turn up and go.

We call it a timetable.

Early days of Failtrack and a passenger on the Severn Beach line complained that the train didn't wait for him whilst he was running along the platform towards the train...

My explanation was probably ignored but goes like this...

I stop and the guard releases the local door to let you on and we leave 30 seconds late.

And it happens again at Sea Mills, Clifton Down and Redland. By now we are late enough that if a passenger is looking at a train departing then you should have missed it by some way.

Anyway this service is a few minutes late approaching B360 at Narroways Junction and the signaller pulls off....

But we are late and the VXC^▸ (Virgin Cross Country - former franchise) service gets a yellow at B233, Lawrence Hill instead of a green. By the time B235 is showing proceed after the Beach service has cleared the junction the 47 is in first gear (1st stage field divert) and therefore staggers up Filton Bank and is held at B143 for a right time Paddington Swansea to depart BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains).

That VXC service is now 5 late and gets regulated at Standish for a right time Paddington Cheltenham, now 8 late leaving Cheltenham.

At the top of the Lickey it follows a right time Central Trains service. Whoah, 15 late into Birmingham. The regulation continues and the train terminates at Newcastle 30 late.

Delay attribution get involved, SW+W get the bill and the train crew get an unwanted chat. So yes, I'll wait for you at a station but you can pay for the delay minutes and passenger compensation.

That's privatisation for you.