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Title: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: grahame on September 30, 2021, 08:46:09 From Durhamshire - in the Northern Echo (https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19613838.grahame-morris-coastal-rail-service-worst-country/)
Quote ONE of the region’s MPs has blasted a train company after passengers were left stranded on the platform due to overcrowding. Easington MP Grahame Morris has called the Durham Coastline Northern rail service ‘the worst train service in the UK’ after more weekend transport chaos. Mr Morris hit out after overcrowding left passengers stranded on the platform at Seaham. He said: “It is a second-rate rail service failing in its most fundamental function. “The public has lost faith, and the responses I have received from the Government shows a clear indifference to the problems. “Looking at people crammed into two carriages, standing on top of each other, it is easy to forget that we are living with a deadly pandemic taking more than 100 lives a day. “As we have seen across the whole economy, the Government has failed to prepare and invest, and the public pays the price. Is this MP correct, or are there even worser services? Illustration (below) - not from the article but from lunchtime on Saturday 18th September between Keynsham and Bristol Temple Meads - mind you, the SWR train from Waterloo / Salisbury that was supposed to be ahead of it had been cancelled. (http://www.wellho.net/pix/intobri.jpg) Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: broadgage on September 30, 2021, 10:18:52 There are no doubt many similarly overcrowded services.
Hard to say which is the worst. The so called intercity route with new shorter trains, and at weekends many of those cancelled ? Or the suburban commuter route on which journeys are shorter, but crowding even worse ? I suspect that we have already moved on from "capacity no longer matters because more people are working from home" and towards "the increase in passenger numbers is greater than expected, and providing extra capacity is more complicated than it sounds" Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: GBM on September 30, 2021, 11:39:07 Was Northern taken over by OLR (Operator of Last Resort) recently, or was it threatened that would be the case?
Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: ChrisB on September 30, 2021, 11:41:19 Arriva lost their contract to OLR
Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: paul7575 on September 30, 2021, 15:18:41 Durhamshire ??? or County Durham?
Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: Lee on September 30, 2021, 16:34:01 There are no doubt many similarly overcrowded services. Hard to say which is the worst. The so called intercity route with new shorter trains, and at weekends many of those cancelled ? Or the suburban commuter route on which journeys are shorter, but crowding even worse ? I suspect that we have already moved on from "capacity no longer matters because more people are working from home" and towards "the increase in passenger numbers is greater than expected, and providing extra capacity is more complicated than it sounds" An Intercity route with new shorter trains you say? - Why have you not mentioned this before?... Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: JayMac on September 30, 2021, 17:17:52 An Intercity route with new shorter trains you say? - Why have you not mentioned this before?... (https://i.ibb.co/KG29DW3/Broken-Record.jpg) Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: broadgage on September 30, 2021, 17:50:45 In my defence I would say that I have avoided unduly frequent mention of new shorter trains, in deference to those who think that,
A) Some of them are full length, and that in general train length and capacity are fine. B) That this is a minor issue that will soon be overcome. C) That people like me should stop moaning a get used to the new normal. Or variations on the above. Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: JayMac on September 30, 2021, 19:50:25 No offence intented broadgage. Just a bit of gentle ribbing. Feel free to do likewise!
Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: Rhydgaled on September 30, 2021, 20:34:24 There are no doubt many similarly overcrowded services. You could also define 'worst train service' in different ways. Overcrowding is one thing, a station with only one train a week is quite another although could also be described as having the worst train service.Hard to say which is the worst. Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: Kernow Otter on September 30, 2021, 22:16:34 An Intercity route with new shorter trains you say? - Why have you not mentioned this before?... (https://i.ibb.co/KG29DW3/Broken-Record.jpg) Quite a rare 78 that... Shame Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: eightonedee on September 30, 2021, 22:41:21 Gentlemen please....
To get us back on topic, I am a bit surprised that this is nominated, as surely this is one of the areas where Pacers have been replaced recently? I've not had a trip through the north east by train for a couple of years (perhaps a bit more), but almost everything that looked like a local train was a Pacer until recently. Perhaps it wasn't just the rolling stock, Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: broadgage on October 01, 2021, 06:26:38 Pacers are nasty, but I and many others would rather sit on a pacer than stand on something better.
And a pacer is much better than no train. There is more to running a railway than simply getting rid of pacers. It is a bit like getting rid of slam door EMUs in favour of networkers. "The railway" kept saying "we have promised new trains, and look we have delivered new trains" But passengers started to say that they got a seat on the old 8 car trains but had to stand on the new trains that were 6 car in theory but often 4 car in practice. There often seems to be an irrational faith that new trains will cure unrelated issues, such as staff shortage or unreliable infrastructure. Title: Re: "‘the worst train service in the UK" Post by: rogerw on October 01, 2021, 20:02:25 I travelled on that line last June. It was a 2 car cl156, comfortably full but by no means crowded. I wonder if on the day in question one of the local football teams was playing at home causing higher than normal loadings
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