Goodbye National Excuse

Railways, trams, buses, etc.
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Trojan
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Post by Trojan »

raveydavey wrote: The railways are great when they work, but an absolute nightmare the minute things go wrong. A fact that privatisation has made a hundred times worse as nobody now owns the problem, preferring to pass the buck. Any government of any colour would be mad to re-nationalise the railways - what and get all the blame again? No the current situation of different companies operating on the same routes, on track that belongs to yet another company suits them just fine (whatever they say) it's an ideal opportunity for buck passing. If they were re-nationalised the buck would stop at no 10. And no PM in his right mind wants that again.As for other means of transport, with air, once you're through passport control there's not a lot you can do. We stood on a bus on the air side at Palma Airport last month for half an hour, before we were allowed back in the departure area because the plane had a problem. On the motorways, if someone's killed it's exactly the same as the railways - the site becomes a crime scene and the motorway is closed. A guy jumped from the bridge near Scammondon dam a couple of years ago, I know, I saw his body on the central reservation, I got through just before the police shut the motorway for the entire morning.The problem the railways have is that the passengers are on the platforms the staff are handy, and they can see other trains coming and going. So they take it out on the nearest railway connected person. Goes with territory I'm afraid.
Industria Omnia Vincit

Trojan
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Post by Trojan »

National Express will lose the East Anglia franchise in 2011 too.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8380108.stm
Industria Omnia Vincit

BLAKEY
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Post by BLAKEY »

cnosni wrote: [Blakey,who was your driver on the 1933??????? It was........drum roll.......Not me,i was 1833,but never mind (and on time i hasten to add!!).The Hull Train had hit a person on the line just south of St Neots.About 1745ish,its now been outlawed on the railway to say that someone has been hit by a train,the PC brigade going mad im afraid.This (collision with a person)causes all sorts of problems.All trains will have been stopped in all directions whilst Railtrack and BTP appear.It then becomes a crime scene and as a consequence the railway ,its timetable and trains and passengers come 2nd.All inbound trains to London were then subject to delayed arrival,this usully means cancellations.However by the time i reached St Neots i was main line and biting the backside of the slow geordie driver on the 1830 (they are chuffing useless and slow,oh and thick).I passed the Hull train,which was still stood south of St Neots at about 8 o clock.As for your outbound journey im just glad that you got my message and that you went in early.The probelm with all of this is absolutely nothing to do with privatisation,its simply what has happened under BR has continued,except that underinvestment (as in BR days) is now exascerbated by profits to share holders.On your outbound journey the delays were nothing to do with the derailment at Evil Hill (all the sets were stabled overnight in strategic places for the next morning,credit where credits due control,they were on the ball).The problem you experienced was that there was also some signalling cable nicked at Ardsley (again) in the early hours of teh morning and therefore trains (which hadnt been cancelled)had to run on whats called temporary block working,which is one train at a time through the entire area affected (at reduced speed/caution).now im sure this could have been communicated to passengers at the station,but unfortunately even those of us that actually work trains are not informed of what is happening,so its hard to pass it on.Plus,when you do have the info and the guard tries to explain what is going on most ( and unfortunately i mean a very large percentage) passengers have no clue as to what is being said or can understand the garbeled railway jargon that confuseses even us.Anyway,hope you had a good time?How is Duvel? Many thanks indeed for this most interesting and informative inside account of Wednesday 18th and Tuesday 24th.I can to an extent understand the failure to disclose publicly that someone has gone under a train, but surely this would be far better than to cause alarm to hundreds of waiting passengers who might quite naturally fear that there had been a crash or similar.I did not realise last Wednesday that the delays Leeds - London were caused only by the b***s who stole the signal wire although to be fair this was mentioned in the announcements. Its a shame that these louts are not electrocuted when nicking this wire, and likewise the crooks who buy it from them quite obviously knowing what it is. I know there are effective "fail safe" measures in place, but even so I fear that its just possible that the crime could cause a massive accident on the odd occasion.I had a lovely time as always in Belgium thanks - I am fortunate to have great friends who can't do enough, and give me a key to the house (they work shifts) so as I can come and go as I like. Being a transport enthusiast Belgium is wonderful for me. For we old gimmers (65 jaar en ouder) a day return on the train to anywhere is 5 euros, and if as I do you go to any of the nine seaside resorts you can use it to return from any other. This time I went outwards to Blankenberge, coast tram 2 euros to Ostende and train back to Gent. Ten journey bus/tram tickets are 11 euros - but you can get on any number of buses/trams you like within an hour of ticket cancellation on first vehicle for just the 1 euro ten cents cost of one journey. Even better news when I bought a further ten journey ticket - still 11 euros, but only 80 cents a ride deducted for we old gimmers therefore allowing at least thirteen rides.Pardon my ignorance (blush) but as I haven't any idea who "Duvel" is I can't update you on his condition Don't know who was driving the 1933 from King's Cross but he put in a splendid performance - from your character references above that rules out King's Cross or Newcastle allocation !! The train guard's name was, if I recall, AMY - a pleasant coolly efficient young lady, fairly tall and with straight dark hair. She informed us that we should easily be in Leeds in good time as the slipstream from the 1833 was assisting our locomotive no end     
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

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tyke bhoy
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Post by tyke bhoy »

BLAKEY wrote: I haven't any idea who "Duvel" Blakey given your profession was driving its perhaps a good idea you don't know. Many currently in that profession are owed a debt of thanks from those of us who can't drive due to consuming Duvel or similar
living a stones throw from the Leeds MDC border at Lofthousehttp://tykebhoy.wordpress.com/

BLAKEY
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Post by BLAKEY »

dogduke wrote: Blakey thankfully understands public transport and therefore gives himself a fighting chance of getting where he is going.Some fools set of on a journey of hundreds of miles which is dependant on a ten minute connection at Leeds from God knows where.And my favourite comment of all time from the 'TRAVELLING PUBLIC(God bless 'em) -Why don't they put another carriage on!Someone somewhere has laboured(with others)to ensure that the service EVEN RAN!!! We used to get the same comment from passengers on the buses - "They should put more buses on" . I used to point out that buses, crews, fitters etc were not cardboard cutouts just waiting to be plucked out of thin air at no cost whatsoever. The usual response (if any) to this reasonable theory was to bring my birth certificate into question, usually embellished with a few more illuminating adjectives - public transport jobs are not for the faint hearted by any means, but for the lucky minority like me looking beyond the routine could provide a lifetime of free entertainment.Just one little gem (musn't encroach on the topic) - when I worked in Pontefract there was a very wealthy very posh eccentric elderly guy who lived in Low Ackworth and whose sole purpose in life was to ensure that brewery and distillery shares remained at a healthy level. One day one of my mates came in the Pontefract canteen roaring with laughter (he had the same sense of humour as me) with this little gem :-"I'VE JUST COME IN FROM LOW ACKWORTH AND I WAS VERY LATE SO I WAS GIVING IT SOME WELLY - WHEN A***** GOT OFF AT THE HOSPITAL HE SHOUTED "THANK YOU DRIVER, I HAVEN'T HAD A RIDE LIKE THAT SINCE I WAS ON THE BIG DIPPER AT BLACKPOOL !!". "
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

Trojan
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Post by Trojan »

BLAKEY wrote: [and if as I do you go to any of the nine seaside resorts you can use it to return from any other. This time I went outwards to Blankenberge, coast tram 2 euros to Ostende and train back to Gent. Ten journey bus/tram tickets are 11 euros - but you can get on any number of buses/trams you like within an hour of ticket cancellation on first vehicle for just the 1 euro ten cents cost of one journey. Even better news when I bought a further ten journey ticket - still 11 euros, but only 80 cents a ride deducted for we old gimmers therefore allowing at least thirteen rides.     I've been on that tram, we rode it from the French border all the way to Zeebrugge. Unfortunately it was a very wet day.There is a hotel we visited in Ostende - near the Casino that is an Art Deco classic, if you're a regular visitor to Belgium you probably know it.BTW Duvel is very strong Belgian beer - prefer the St.Augustine and Chimay brown myself. There's a bar in Brugge with every Belgian beer brewed and a different glass for each one.    
Industria Omnia Vincit

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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

tyke bhoy wrote: cnosni wrote: The Hull Train had hit a person on the line just south of St Neots.About 1745ish,its now been outlawed on the railway to say that someone has been hit by a train,the PC brigade going mad im afraid.This (collision with a person)causes all sorts of problems. It wouldn't be a "Police incident" would it? It certainly is for the local police forces these days and I am sure I have even heard of the cable theft delays been referred to as "a Police incident"Ardsley must be one of the most regularly hit places so it appears strange to me that there isn't additional security measures there. Or maybe there are, they aren't evident especially as they don't seem to be working. the police incident was the suspected suicide at ST Neots,not the cable theft at ArdsleyAn incident such as this is BTP,not local police.Irrelevant of who would actually investigate this the whole affair is treated as a "scene of crime",because who is to say that the person hit by a train was actually alive just before impact?As for the cable theft this is also a BTP incident,but the delay was down to nonfunctioning signals because of the theft of cabling.Ardsley seems to be a hot spot for cable theft,and nothing has been done to improve it.
Don't get me started!!My Flickr photos-http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/Secret Leeds [email protected]

dogduke
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Post by dogduke »

raveydavey wrote: Not sure if I should post this here or on another thread, but our friends on Wellington Street have added a story about the disruption....illustrated with what is clearly a stock photo of some firefighters next to a DMU in Metro colours....oh dear!http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Cha ... 5830871.jp Former workmate directed me to richardarmstrong.fotopic.netAce site for rail buffs with some excellent link.If you look at Warren Armstrongs snaps he has some of theNev Hill derailment
Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.90% of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at.

dogduke
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Post by dogduke »

Tucked away in a corner of fridays morning-sorry Evening Post.National Express are introducing another 2 services a dayfrom Leeds to London - 'to attract more business from the railways'Determined to get their own back or wot !
Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.90% of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at.

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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

dogduke wrote: raveydavey wrote: Not sure if I should post this here or on another thread, but our friends on Wellington Street have added a story about the disruption....illustrated with what is clearly a stock photo of some firefighters next to a DMU in Metro colours....oh dear!http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Cha ... 5830871.jp Former workmate directed me to richardarmstrong.fotopic.netAce site for rail buffs with some excellent link.If you look at Warren Armstrongs snaps he has some of theNev Hill derailment richard is one of my colleagues
Don't get me started!!My Flickr photos-http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnosni/Secret Leeds [email protected]

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