BBC TV - The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track

[whole diary]

[Oxman]

I also thought it was a huge improvement on the previous week and really began to explain what went on behind the scenes.

My favourite lines were: "The line is blocked by floods Madam" Reply "So will the the next train be ontime?"

It really makes you wonder!

[Ollie]

Next week: Great Western

Starring role Ollie?

Been a while since you've been on TV. 'The Gadget Show' wasn't it? 

Nah no starring role for me

It was The Gadget Show yeah

[thetrout]

Mr Ollie was on The Gadget Show? Well I never! Must've been one of the few episodes I missed lol!

[JayMac]

Just got round to watching episode 2. A much better representation of the daily life on the railways. There seems to be a little less cynicism up north. The staff featured were a much more jolly lot. I loved the Northern driver and his dry sense of humour, "I've hit dogs, cats, foxes, I've hit 'em all. Never hit a magpie. Far too clever." Followed by, "Pigeon playing chicken. Whould've thought?" And then toward the end, when being asked about his real family and his railway 'family', he replied, "Yeah, it's a bit like your family. There's always one brother who gets on your tits."

Joe Public though.... there really are some odious users of the rail network. I take my hat off to the rail staff and BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) who have to deal with them, day in, day out.

While there was light with the jolly staff, there was also some shade with the BTP dealing with a 'one-under' fatality. That was hard to watch. Particularly hearing the BTP officer's thoughts on having to break the news to a mother that her 15 year old son had been hit by a train and killed.

I wonder what the spotlight on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will bring.....

 

[Chris from Nailsea]

I'm simply giving this topic a gentle 'bump' to remind anyone who might have forgotten that episode 3: Reading to Paddington - Standing Room Only (First Great Western) is on air at 9:00 this evening. 

[JayMac]

Poor Ronnie. 

[JayMac]

Travelling Chef Karen. Have had a fair amount of her excellently prepared fare. Only disappointment has been the recent burger. Perhaps I got the bland supermarket cheddar on my burger rather than the advertised Vale of Camelot.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well, I've just enjoyed a remarkable hour of televisual entertainment. 

Overall, I thought all of the staff who were featured - whether they were from First Great Western and their various contractors, or from Network Rail or British Transport Police, all presented very well.

There were so many little gems, worthy of jotting down, too:

"Expect some strong language" - actually, there wasn't that much (apart from some intoxicated passengers);

A ticket "... will be ^323.50," and the reaction from the prospective passenger was a classic

Hayley in lost property deserves a series of her own ... 

On board catering: Clatter "Oh sh!t" followed by the rejoinder "Wherever she goes, there's chaos."

Smuggling emergency supplies of supermarket cheese on board the 20:14 ... 

Norman Topsom MBE at Twyford - top bloke!

Young Ben Rudkin from Network Rail - dealt with four fatalities in five months - and that's not including poor Ronnie 

It was really worth watching - I commend it to anyone reading this topic. 

[bobm]

televisual entertainment

  - he's swallowed a dictionary again - or been watching Bernard Cribbins on that Fawlty Towers episode "The Hotel Inspectors".

Seriously though I would echo Chris from Nailsea's comments.  It was a very good watch.  Seeing the work that went in over Christmas 2011 was an eye opener.  The lost property office was also interesting - heard all the stories of false legs being found - but never people trying to claim things someone else might have lost! 

[Oxman]

I enjoyed it immensely. Having worked at Reading some years ago, and recognising some of the staff, it was a pleasure to see a presentation of the real issues in a calm and dispassionate manner. On the whole, the staff came out some way ahead of the passengers!

The bit about BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) being around on Christmas Eve made me smile. Ten years ago it was me and three security staff trying to keep order on a Saturday night. I'm very glad it appears to have changed.

[BerkshireBugsy]

I endorse the opinions of those before. Having travelled through Reading for most of the last few years, it seemed strange to see the "old" platform numbers.

OK now I may be biased but out of the 3 programmes so far this seemed the most positive in terms of the attitude of those interviewed. In fact I found some of the interviewees in Episode 2 depressing and/or rude.

I'm not sure that I agree with the idea of Hayley having a series of her own

[Fourbee]

The very brief clip of intercity liveried HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s and a class 101 DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) in a bay platfrom at Reading. Nice.

[plymothian]

Comments I've read on other boards include: that it was just FGW^▸ (First Great Western) propaganda as it only showed delays not caused by them and didn't focus enough on the overcrowding; and in regards to the signal failure, why does it take x men to do something in 5+ hours one man could do in 20 mins plus the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) worker smoking at work is very unprofessional.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Comments I've read on other boards include: that it was just FGW^▸ (First Great Western) propaganda as it only showed delays not caused by them and didn't focus enough on the overcrowding; and in regards to the signal failure, why does it take x men to do something in 5+ hours one man could do in 20 mins plus the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) worker smoking at work is very unprofessional.

I wouldn't agree that it was FGW propaganda (my opinion) and I don't know what the regs are regarding NR employees smoking in the open air.

I thought there were quite a few examples of overcrowding. Just my 2c

Dave

[Thatcham Crossing]

It was a great watch.

RIP Ronnie, although I must admit when I first saw him lifted from the track I thought he was a stuffed dummy, he was that stiff.

I thought it showed plenty of over-crowding, there were several shots of people being advised not to board HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s as they were full.

The section covering Norman at Twyford was done like a tribute, and none more deserving by the looks 

The fatality, where was it? (I didn't recognise the area, but obviously on one of the branches).

Personally I really related to the late night clips from Reading, as it reminded me of many occasions waiting for the 0020 to Thatcham!

Finally, if Hayley had a series of her own, I think it would be ideal for ITV2!