|
826
|
All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: IETs into passenger service from 16 Oct 2017 and subsequent performance issues
|
on: September 15, 2018, 21:08:44
|
Finances.
GWR▸ can't continue leasing HSTs▸ alongside IETs▸ .
They won't take the financial hit, and the DfT» won't bankroll it as they'd be admitting their IEP▸ project is struggling.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. If an IEP is unavailable for service then a "lease credit" should be given for the unavailable IEP which should adequately cover the lease of a 40 year old, fully depreciated HST. I think all readers of this forum are aware that the electrification of the GWML▸ and the IEP project are both floundering deep in the brown stuff. |
|
|
|
|
827
|
All across the Great Western territory / Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 / Re: Rail industry review to be launched by the government next week [9.2018]
|
on: September 15, 2018, 20:57:10
|
|
Part of Radio 4's news summary states the Deputy Chairman of John Lewis's has been asked by prepare a report which is to include details of how the employees of the TOC▸ 's can share in the profits of the franchise, has ANY franchise since privatisation made a profit. Quite the reverse, losing money franchises hands the keys back and similarly whilst a franchise is receiving subsidy money to run the franchise but when it comes to handing money to HMG as per their winning franchise bid the keys are handed back too. Chiltern Trains maybe an exception to this, confirmation of this latter statement welcomed.
|
|
|
|
|
828
|
All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: IETs into passenger service from 16 Oct 2017 and subsequent performance issues
|
on: September 15, 2018, 20:42:47
|
|
I'm confused.
When the IEP▸ 's were introduced we were told that the HST▸ 's were going off lease because they had been promised to other TOC▸ 's, yes some have gone to another TOC and one (?) only converted and shortened and returned to GWR▸ .
From the recent aerial view of sidings at Ely showing in what looked like FGW▸ liveried HST mk3 carriages and power cars stored there. I cannot recall the presence in the vicinity of Ely any railway works capable of converting the mk 3 carriages to sliding door operation or overhaul of the power cars, I believe such works done already on ex GWR vehicles was done at Doncaster a mere 200 miles to the north of Ely.
Surely with this stock languishing in those sidings,some of it could have been retained by extending the leases and run in place of a 5 car IEP, or a 2x5 car IEP with 5 locked out of use or a cancelled train because of lack of trained staff to operate the new trains.
Passengers have had to suffer many months of travelling hell due to high-ups making stupid decisions for which the passengers has had to endure the consequences. Any new footage for a future episode of Paddington 24/7 should be shot of these trains laid up at Ely followed of footage of well overcrowded 5 car IEP's with the narrative for the shot film emphasizing that the 5 cars should be 9 or 10 carriages.
Overall to me it doesn't make sense.
See why I'm confused.
|
|
|
|
|
829
|
Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: MetroBus
|
on: September 14, 2018, 19:07:55
|
|
From a blog I read which was posted today ;-
My work is based in the Harbourside area. Many of my colleagues in the (large) building were regulars on the 903 to/from Anchor Rd. Latest updates on an internal forum, which has a page specifically set up relating to Metrobus, revolve around the number of colleagues who are now either getting the Excel in from Nailsea and the like instead of using the P&R▸ , or are parking at the P&R and then walking to get the X1/X6/X9 in. Either way, they have already given up on the m2.
|
|
|
|
|
833
|
All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Intercity Express Train (IET) failure, near Exeter, 13 September 2018
|
on: September 14, 2018, 10:25:00
|
|
Is there no way on these new super dooper plastic trains of releasing the brakes, the carriages have to be shunted at some times in their lives if only at their births and their funerals.
I recall many times when in my youth I saw the fireman of a steam train walk the length of the carriages pulling a string cord on carriages because a steam locos vacuum was different to a diesel locos vacuum. Even later when air braked stock was common it was not uncommon to see coaches being shunted and there was no operating brake on the coaches the braking power being the shunting locomotive itself, mind you shunting speeds were usually no more than single figures.
In yesterdays incident it wouldn't have taken long to establish that there was a total loss of air so evacuation should have been commenced earlier, a rescue loco summoned to the site and connected to the failed train then manually release the brakes on the delinquent train and move it to Tiverton Loop at 5mph.
No it seems to me that today if anything fails you first try this, when this fails you try that, when that fails you try something else and when something else fails you continue on an on through a list until you get to an end point which says something like "SCRAP IT".
When in employment we had fire drills, when the fire alarm went off you got out, you didn't wait till you smelt smoke, you didn't wait till the sprinklers went off, you didn't wait till you saw fire. YOU GOT OUT AS SOON AS YOU HEARD THE FIRE ALARM.
The railway industry still have a lesson or two to learn.
|
|
|
|
|
835
|
All across the Great Western territory / Your rights and redress / Re: Platform changes that mean you miss a service
|
on: September 14, 2018, 09:11:28
|
...and the signaler responsible for changing the platform at the last minute works for a different company yet again!
I didn't know that. Which company would they work for? I still find it odd that the train was due on platform 3A in the first place, as there didn't seem to be any other services coming onto platform 4 around that time. I did wonder whether it was due to staff shortage meaning there was nobody to send the train off from there, but as there was somebody there when it was replatformed I assume not. The 17:10 service was switched to platform 3 a couple of years ago as there was a freight container working for Southampton Western Docks or Maritime booked just in front of it that was scheduled through platform 4 as the terminals are on the down side of the running lines. It would appear that although the freight working is no longer an issue, the platform allocation has remained as platform 3. The signallers at Eastleigh sometimes forget that this service is booked through platform 3, especially as most (if not all) other services at xx:10 use platform 4. Thanks for this response, which answers what happened. But it would also be good to know the answers to the redress issue, which is why I posted in this thread. My guess at what would happen is that a claim would be made to GWR▸ , as the TOC▸ running the service the ticket was for, and assuming they reply, the reply would be that their service ran to time so no claim could be made to them. They might suggest approaching SWR» , as the TOC running Southampton Central. A claim made to them may, if they reply, say their staff checked to see all on the platform had boarded and sent the train off on time, so no claim could be made against them. I suspect any claimant by this time will have given up, and doubt that National Rail, as signallers, would ever be mentioned. And I suspect there isn't any way to make a claim against NR» anyway, as they are not a TOC. So the outcome may well have been that someone would have bought an advance ticket which they tried to use but couldn't, had to pay extra for a full fare ticket, lost out for an hour to catch the next train, and lose out in every way. Does that seem most likely? Try Passenger Focus, they sometimes, only sometimes mind, get redress for passengers when other avenues have closed. |
|
|
|
|
Show Posts
