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Journey by Journey / Plymouth and Cornwall / Re: xmas comes early for truro late night shoppers
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on: December 17, 2009, 14:23:45
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dooby, can I suggest you supply the forum with pictures of all this rubbish that is preventing you from sitting down on a FGW▸ service beyond Plymouth. If not, then give it a rest, it's becoming tiresome.
Perhaps we should swap the FGW trains with 4 car wonderfully magical Cross Country trains. See what he thinks then. As opposed to those 2 carriage pieces of junk that trundle between Penzance and Plymouth? Yes please  |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: FGW HSTs vs Arriva XC Voyagers
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on: December 11, 2009, 08:33:22
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All I ask is that someone goes down the train every so often with a bin bag to pick up some of the rubbish, it's a sad day when you have to clear the seats of junk before you can sit on them. In addition, it would be helpful if they could replace the bin bags in the actual bins, as they are often overflowing. They manage it on Vietnam Railways, but not Worst Late Western.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: FGW HSTs vs Arriva XC Voyagers
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on: December 10, 2009, 08:00:33
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If the ticket conductors can't be bothered to go down the train to collect tickets, what do they expect? What exactly are the staff doing the whole way from Plymouth to Penzance if they aren't cleaning the place or collecting tickets?
How can you expect a guard to do tickets if the train is packed? Surely is his / her job to at least try, between some stations anyway. All packed Plymouth to PZ trains ease off by St Austell and Truro, so the guard still has at least half an hour to check the rest of them, but is nowhere to be seen. Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent, vigilant, friendly and informative guards on FGW▸ , but in my experience, on evening trains from Plymouth to Penzance, they are extremely few and far between. |
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: FGW HSTs vs Arriva XC Voyagers
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on: December 09, 2009, 09:42:46
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I always do buy a ticket, more because I actually want a seat reservation on these busy trains than anything else, and it also irks me when hundreds of people don't bother to buy one.
I understand staffing issues, but I really think these conductors need a more set ticket checking routine. People always moan about people travelling without tickets, rail companies not having enough money etc., but as long as they aren't checked, they will continue to do so.
I am not condoning fare dodging, and I don't do it myself - but I do often have to buy tickets on the train as St Ives ticket office is closed during winter, and St Erth does limited hours at weekends, so I therefore often get to Truro or Penzance for free when the conductor is nowhere to be seen.
Anyway, back to the original post, I choose Arriva X-Country Voyagers, as the ones I've been on are cleaner, warmer, have more adequate ticket checks, and you don't have to stick your hand out the window to get out of the train.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: "More users than ever on Newquay branch line" - Cornish Guardian (17/11/2009)
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on: December 08, 2009, 12:49:02
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I have to say I much prefer the X-Country service and trains, compared with FGW▸ . They actually have electric doors AND they have been known to keep them clean, unlike FGW. Obviously the cleanest trains I've ever been on were in Japan, and the dirtiest in Vietnam, but in all honesty, the late trains into Cornwall from London on a Saturday evening, are not far off the latter. Fetid disgusting things...but I digress.
I did have one bad experience with X-Country. St Erth to Sheffield return. Going up was fine, but coming back took 2 hours longer, as we had to go via Newport, Wales, to pick up a member of staff. How on earth is taking 6 full carriages, all the way to Newport and back (not a scheduled stop), to pick up one member of staff, in any way viable? Should have stuck the person in a taxi - it's not difficult is it?!
Eh? When did this happen? An unscheduled stop en-route maybe, but I find it hard to believe that a scheduled service would go so far off route to pick someone up. Is it not more likely that the diversion was because of engineering works or a short notice closure of the line between Gloucester and Bristol? And 6 full carriages? What were you travelling in? Yeah I was in coach F - but I suppose there could have been only 5 carriages. They eventually got a bit emptier through Plymouth, Snozzle and Truro. It was in October 2008 - the only announcement made was that we had to go to Newport to pick up a member of staff, and that no passengers should get on or off whilst there. The whole trip took AGES, but at least I can now say I've been to Wales! More recently I was on the FGW Plymouth to Penzance service on Saturday (5th December, 2009), and the train was in a sorry state. Litter absolutely everywhere, I don't think they'd sent a cleaner down after Paddington, bins overflowing, no water left in toilets, so bogs full of......, and no chance to wash your hands - good infection control that! And you still have to stick your hand out of the window to open the door, 21st century or what?! Not a single ticket collector between Plymouth and Penzance - they probably reckon the ticket barrier was in use at Plymouth, but as usual it wasn't. |
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