Having been a burglary victim some time ago, I was shocked when the offender, caught and sentenced was not given a restitution order - i.e he could keep what he had stolen or the cash (even if spent) he had raised.

This perpetuates theft and vandalism. The Old Testament remedy for such actions was fourfold restitution (fivefold in some cases). That stopped crime paying.

I tend to think that the State should provide the restitution and then either recover it from the guilty or make sure that they don't do it again.

The loss of the Thumper  driving trailer in 2016 also springs to mind.

OTC

I remember stopping at "Herriefaud".

OTC

Just proves that split ticketing is the cheapest way to your destination.

OTC

I've sent in my response as follows, for what it's worth:

Dear Sirs,

I  have been a regular user of the railway for both business and pleasure all my life, commuting for 36 years to London.

I wish to object most strongly to the blanket closure of ticket offices which will preclude me and my family from making many journeys and also prevent many others from using the railway whose needs cannot be met by the internet or the ticket machine.

I appreciate that much wider use is made of electronic tickets now and that this reduces the need for the number of counters, however it does not eliminate it. I watched the counters at Reading Station last Sunday, while waiting for a visitor's arrival. There were perhaps only two counters in use but still with a queue while the machines were rarely used. This was because the counter enquiries were complex needing perhaps 5 minutes to resolve, incapable of being answered by a FAQ^▸ (Frequently Asked Questions) menu.

An intelligent response to the change in ticket patterns would be driven by customer demand. While this would probably allow the closure of some ticket offices (I believe 43% of stations are presently unstaffed), it would require alternative provision in on board advice and sales or payment at destination (assuming an open ticket office). It would also require the end of the Penalty Fare system as many more passengers would have no or incorrect tickets without intent to avoid payment. It would not justify ever, the closure of some ticket offices at main points of departure and arrival.

Reading General is one of the busiest stations in the country and total closure is a most preposterous idea, clearly the product of an ill-informed imagination, driven only by a balance sheet and whose travel experience is limited to LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd)'s Zone 1. What is the point of spending £850M on a new station at Reading if the ticket office cannot be staffed?

I appreciate that the railway is in a precarious situation financially but this is due to the large payments to finance houses, both by Network rail and by the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s (because of the silly belief that new rolling stock will be cheaper than existing non life-expired trains). Attacking staffing that supports customer service will not address the reasons for the railways' losses and will only reduce earned income and hence increase deficits disproportionately.

It is disappointing that so low a value is placed on customer service, though not I imagine by the TOC.

Yours faithfully,

OTC

What should have been included (if it's not) is a comparison of current costs (now we've spent time on the learning curve and don't drill through signalling cables etc) with current benefits.

Current costs are lower than those of the GWEP^▸ (Great Western Electrification Program) and more so if inflation is included.

The costs of the treasury/DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) de-skilling Railtrack/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) would therefore emerge.

The costs of not completing the peripherals (Oxford, Bristol) could also be evaluated

I imagine that's why MML^» (Midland Main Line. - about) and TP wiring is continuing.

OTC

KS Anand CPRO of SE Railway (India) has said that the train was signalled off the main line in to the goods/platform (yes they still call it goods) loop, already occupied. The second (up) express struck by the wreckage.

Shades of Harrow.

There's also talk of recent signalling work (Clapham?).

The coaches not totally destroyed look to have performed well.

Sad to see such kind, gentle people hurt.

OTC

If they are paid for their time then to demonstrate this they must produce words - my point. Writing reports is a better job than digging holes in the wind and rain.

They could be paid for prolixity or brevity but in their defence, I would say that they have to produce reports that comply with detailed Acts and do not provoke judicial review. This time that were quite right, whatever the Daily Telegraph grumbled.

Your AI point is very good - just how subjective judgements could be codified and the physical checks on statements made could be included - the human interaction, leaves me questioning....

OTC

The Civil Service, Legal Profession and other professions that write reports of Master's Thesis length.

However, having read the report, it is of exemplary detail, thoroughness and fairness -  just wildly over the top for a modest length of reinstated single line.

When one is paid by the word....

OTC

Also at Didcot.

OTC

I note that the said volunteer was sacked by a lady general manager!

Her reasons for the sacking (Twitter) were... disrepute.... resources...

Too much modern management. Did the GM ever serve as a cleaner, then firewoman?

OTC

The regressive nature of taxation means that you have to have a gross income much higher than 2.5 times the average, to take home a disposable 2.5 times the average. Also, one's expenses are proportionately higher in Council tax, clothing etc etc.

Lower pay could work if the necessaries were provided separately (not as an expenses claim), such as accomodation, travel, food on site, etc.

My retired railway officer friends have silver and gold passes, after all.

OTC

I think that there's probably a "bathtub" curve for salaries; too little and the job's done badly or not at all, too much and you've  a complacent fat-cat, living on another planet from both his employees and customers.

OTC

In my job before retirement, we were expensed with first class rail fares and were a lot less important to the country than MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)'s.

When that was ended, we just went by car, avoiding the standard class scrum.

My HSBC CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer) gets £5M a year. Paying MP's £85k/yr in SW1 is a recipe for incompetence and corruption.

Singapore shows the way pay by paying premium rates for the public service (and expecting performance).

OTC

Empathy isn't much use if your MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) can't do the job effectively.

MP's spend much of their time on constituents' personal problems.

The reason that MP's are now paid is to allow those without private means (i.e Labour) to serve.

They are still not paid enough to be truly independent, particularly in SW1/division bell accommodation and so are prey to the influence of wealthy MP's.

We get what we pay for.

OTC

I an entirely in favour of MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament)' travel expenses being for full fare first class journeys.

It is more money for the railway and displays to law- and budget-setters the best the railway can do. It also represents the value the public should put on their elected representatives.

If the fares are too high then they are too high for everyone.

I do not want my MP hanging around in the station buffet waiting for the first off-peak service, or frittering his evenings away looking for split or advanced tickets.

I also do not want my MP, having arrived first class at Paddington, then to go on to spend the day moonlighting at £10k/day.

OTC