Richard Wilson to present documentary about today's railways.

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

The bit about being charged an Anytime fare after forgetting his Railcard, doesn't quite ring true. The Guard should have only charged him for an Any Permitted Anytime Single for the train he was on - ^139.50. Mr Wilson could then have made other arrangements for his return journey at considerably less cost.

The Guard was right however to charge him for a new ticket for not having his railcard. Being 'Clearly over 65' is no excuse as a Senior Railcard is not issued to all who qualify. It has to be applied and paid for.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Yate People:

Richard Wilson^s Trauma on Trains ^ Via Yate

If you are too at the end of your tether when it comes to train journeys, in not only Yate but across the entire country. You must watch dispatches on March 21st.
 
Richard Wilson is investigating the madness that is our rail service in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) as he attempts to cross the country via rail.

The Dispatches documentary is set to investigate complaints into the rise in ticket prices, overcrowding on carriages and cancellations.

There is expected to be a major government review in trains in the next few weeks.

When trying to buy a ticket over and automated system, Richard Wilson was bombarded with automated responses. Richard wanted to purchase a ticket from Manchester and Harrogate but was asked in response if he wanted to travel to Trowbridge in Wiltshire, Kyle of Lochalsh in the Highlands, Angel Road in London, Severn Beach in Avon and our very own Yate Station.

After all the problems with Yate Station in recent months, you couldn^t blame him for not wanting to travel to Yate Station.

There is nothing worse than automated systems. They never get it right; you always end up speaking to an operator in the end anyway so what is their purpose.

Richard wouldn^t have appreciated our lack of shelter and lack of ticket system if he had made it to Yate so maybe he had a lucky escape.

[willc]

As bignosemac says the million of boring daily coommuter journies aren't news.

He didn't actually...

Programme research and programmer presenting require two very different skills.

Will come as news to the many people who appear on our TV screens having researched the material they are presenting. This programme has been produced to a pre-determined agenda - I saw an advert placed by Dispatches in a newspaper earlier this year specifically asking for rail travel horror stories, no mention of anything else - and the choice of front person was not made by chance.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Indeed, willc: members of this very forum have been approached in the past, by a researcher with a very clear agenda of her own - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1847.msg13659#msg13659 

[JayMac]

So, willc, who do we get to present a puff-piece for Britain's railways?

Oh, hang on, Mr Portillo has recently done that. Nothing wrong with seeing the other side of the coin. A side that is experienced on a daily basis by lots of commuters.

What is so wrong with a pre-determined agenda anyway? Programme makers don't just go out and do stuff on the fly.

I do agree that "....From Hell" is an overused clich^ in programme titles, but if it catches your attention and stimulates debate (as it has here) then that's half the battle won by the broadcaster.

However, I'll reserve judgement on the programme content itself, and Mr Meldrew's Wilson's presenting style, until I've actually watched it.

[paul7575]

The bit about being charged an Anytime fare after forgetting his Railcard, doesn't quite ring true. The Guard should have only charged him for an Any Permitted Anytime Single for the train he was on - ^139.50. Mr Wilson could then have made other arrangements for his return journey at considerably less cost.

What sort of FC^‡(resolve) ticket had he already bought then - or was that figure a typo in the original article?

Paul

[TerminalJunkie]

And occasionally trump myself.

What have you been eating, then?

[JayMac]

The bit about being charged an Anytime fare after forgetting his Railcard, doesn't quite ring true. The Guard should have only charged him for an Any Permitted Anytime Single for the train he was on - ^139.50. Mr Wilson could then have made other arrangements for his return journey at considerably less cost.

What sort of FC^‡(resolve) ticket had he already bought then - or was that figure a typo in the original article?

Paul

There is a 1st Advance for ^15.85 STP-SHF but the article is wrong to say this was a return ticket. Would've had to pay ^15.85 each way.

And occasionally trump myself.

What have you been eating, then?

    Yes TJ. A rather unfortunate turn of phrase.

[willc]

I don't recall saying there should be a puff-piece. As you say, Mr Portillo has done quite well in that regard. And I'd be the first to admit that the almost unbroken succession of on-time journeys on clean trains that I have enjoyed since the start of the year on the Cotswold Line or on to Paddington (for which compliments are due to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), its cleaning teams and Network Rail, especially amid all the redoubling work) is not the stuff of gripping TV but it's the reality of my regular rail journeys, and i am am sure, those of many others around the country. Hardly hellish - unlike what I would have to put up with much of the time if I had to drive into Oxford for 9am.

What I object to here is the celeb presenter, hired for a reason, who, by his own admission, normally goes first class when he sets foot on a train, and apparently professes amazement that such things might happen as crowded trains between Reading and London in the rush-hour. Well I never. Can we expect to see him on Dispatches in a fortnight's time professing similar shock and amazement while battling the North Circular traffic at 7.45am in Road Journeys from Hell? Thought not.

There is a place for critical examination of many things the train operators are up to and top of my list would be the issue eightf rightly raises - the ticketing system, which is little short of a national disgrace, now so crazy that even a certain resident expert here gets caught out by it. For bare-faced cheek, the claim by Atoc and the last government that they had simplified it, when the opposite was happening, took the biscuit.

[grahame]

Programme research and programmer presenting require two very different skills.

Will come as news to the many people who appear on our TV screens having researched the material they are presenting.

Sorry ... I don't think it will come as news to those people - or it shouldn't do.

There are two very different skill sets involved.  There's the researcher and the presenter. I know some really good researchers who can't present for toffee, or who really dislike doing so (if regulars here think about it, they could probably name a few names!).  And I know of people who can beautifully present a case, especially where the case is carefully choreographed, but wouldn't have the skills to search out the facts in the lead-up research.  Personal (very personal) case in point ... I'm happy doing research and bolting the tremendously helpful research of a whole team together but (as good friends and also the ex have told me) I have a tendency to overcomplicate a presentation to a non-technical audience, can't stick to lines, get easily pulled off track (a bad thing on a short piece) and have a minor speech impediment which is very noticable when I'm broadcast.

But that's not to say that you don't sometimes find both skills in the same person .. and when you do it makes a very powerful combination.  The people who research, prepare and present have two (or three?) very different skill sets.   Getting the data. Managing and sifting the data. And putting it across to an audience.

[ChrisB]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23932856-i-dont-believe-it-is-that-victor-in-cattle-class.do

See the photo associated - Richard Wilson (yes, Victor Meldrew) isn't even sitting in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) First Class! It's a nonsense, from beginning to end....

[Timmer]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23932856-i-dont-believe-it-is-that-victor-in-cattle-class.do

See the photo associated - Richard Wilson (yes, Victor Meldrew) isn't even sitting in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) First Class! It's a nonsense, from beginning to end....

Have you actually seen the documentary yet Chris? I shall be watching it first before making any comments.

The fact of the matter is that there is a major problem with overcrowding on the rail network, and before anyone jumps in...on the roads too! Because if there wasn't there would not be any point in making such a program.

As for it being a hachet job on FGW, I'm sure the management of FGW are big enough and paid enough to take whatever is highlighted on the program on the chin. Fair or unfair criticism it comes with the job.

[ChrisB]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23932856-i-dont-believe-it-is-that-victor-in-cattle-class.do

See the photo associated - Richard Wilson (yes, Victor Meldrew) isn't even sitting in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) First Class! It's a nonsense, from beginning to end....

Have you actually seen the documentary yet Chris? I shall be watching it first before making any comments.

Timmer - I quoted a link above my post - did you even LOOK / READ this? Because if you did, you'd have seen the photo I criticise, and the write-up that I criticise.

Where do I mention the programme?

[ChrisB]

Grahame moved my post & changed the subject line which referred to the link - so he's partly to blame - but still the link was there & you should read all of someone's post before criticising it, IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).

[Chris from Nailsea]

It isn't just FGW^▸ (First Great Western) that is the focus of their ire, apparently.  From thisiskent:

TV undercover roles for tired commuters

A long-suffering Kent commuter is to star in a TV documentary aimed at exposing the truth behind Britain's much-criticised rail network.

Chris Hill, 30, has been filming his journey from Sittingbourne station through the Medway Towns to Cannon Street for Channel 4's Dispatches programme.

Train Journeys From Hell will be aired at 8pm on Monday and feature clips of Chris and fellow Kent commuter John Nicholson's experiences with embattled rail company Southeastern.

Chris, who lives in Kemsley, hopes the month-long diary footage will highlight the problems with the region's rail service. He said: "Pressure is mounting on Southeastern and it's a nationwide programme being shown at prime time so will hopefully bring the problems to light. It hasn't been as bad as in December but one day they stuck us on a rail replacement service and it was freezing and nobody told us what was happening. I also filmed the Southeastern managers meeting at Victoria which will make for an interesting watch. Usually with complaints they come up with an excuse, but it will be difficult when there's hard evidence."

Chris, who has been travelling to the capital by rail since 2003, says he has received plenty of support from other passengers who have noticed his undercover filming, but admits he was relieved to ditch the camera.  He said: "I've had a lot of support but have been given some weird looks. People don't blink an eye if you're on holiday but on a train you look a bit weird! To be honest I'm glad to get rid of it. A few times I've had bags under my eyes. It will be nice to read a book again."

Southeastern's contract is currently being reviewed by the Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) to determine whether its contract should be extended beyond next year.

Last month the operator narrowly avoided paying out compensation to its season ticket holders after meeting its punctuality targets by just 0.04 per cent.

John Nicholson, from Herne Bay, is leader of the Kent's Alliance of commuters group and has also been compiling footage of his journey into Cannon Street.

The 36-year-old is considering boycotting Southeastern and reverting to car sharing instead of renewing his season ticket in May. He said: "It is really wrong they can get away with it ^ they're crooks. Some people have given up but I can't give up because otherwise they win. If Southeastern increase its fares and give a reasonable service then we can't complain. But they don't. The trains are constantly late, overcrowded, lack of communication. The list goes on. I've had a lot of support. It's great when someone you've never met before comes up to you and congratulates you on the work you've been doing. It just shows how angry people are."

Jon Hay-Campbell,spokesman for Southeastern, said he was aware of the upcoming Dispatches programme and believes the firm has improved its service over recent weeks. He said: "We have not been contacted by Dispatches so cannot comment specifically on what will be shown. However, we are continuing to work hard to improve the service for passengers and over the last four weeks over 90 per cent of trains have arrived on time across the network and we hope that passengers have started to notice a difference."

The next instalment of the campaign is about the quality of service provided by rail staff.

A survey carried out last month by Which? magazine suggested employees are not doing enough to ensure passengers get the best deal.