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Post by suncloud on Jun 11, 2007 8:13:24 GMT
But LUL have the advantage of a high frequency service, so taking one train out rarely has a massive impact. And spares are probably a lot easier to get into service compared to national rail services.
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Post by c5 on Jun 11, 2007 8:29:13 GMT
That is very true! I am also talking about the better customer service ethos and the action of staff following an assualt or crime. It shows that it won't be tolerated and I hope does reduce the number of anti-social incidents on the railway.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2007 10:34:26 GMT
I think LUL have a much better overall presentation than many of the national rail services. The staff are more presentable and easier to identify, litter gets picked up fairly quickly, graffiti actually gets dealt with and the trains are pretty clean. Things have got much better in the past few years. I can remember travelling on the circle in a mobile graffiti wall back in the early 90’s.
On Saturday I had the pleasure of travelling with someone’s festering week-old sandwich on a national rail service… they just don’t seem to care!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2007 21:37:40 GMT
If, I notice any cans left lying on seats, of if liquid is on the floor, I am usually liable to check liberally prod the seats with a tissue... if the seats happen to be wet, onto the guv'nor, out of service...
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Post by jamesb on Jun 12, 2007 11:39:15 GMT
Does it get more difficult when windows are scratched with offensive graffiti? There wouldn't be many trains in service if they were withdrawn for that reason???
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Post by Tomcakes on Jun 12, 2007 12:52:10 GMT
But LUL have the advantage of a high frequency service, so taking one train out rarely has a massive impact. And spares are probably a lot easier to get into service compared to national rail services. Indeed. Often on NR there will be a spare rake of stock (or these days a MU) sitting in the sidings - but you'd need a ream of paperwork to agree to loan it from whoever owns it, then get the lawyers to photocopy it and make it out in triplicate, so by the time it was agreed it would be the end of traffic. LU is different in that the same company owns every train, so if another needs to be fetched out the depot it's a case of the motorman driving one train in and taking another out. The staffing is very noticable, on NR you only really have staff at major stations i.e. large towns. Even then there is often a minimal presence, only larger stations have a decently manned ticket office, plenty of platform staff etc. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2007 20:32:22 GMT
Scratching the glass can actually weaken the pane...
Indeed TC, the procedure for borrowing another train on NR is mind-boggingly stupid!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2007 21:56:32 GMT
...down my way, one NR train every half hour seems to be difficult enough... let alone knowing where it's going or what platform it's going to arrive at! I'm not surprised the station staff hide. Dividing trains en-route doesn't help much either... but at least the new trains tend to do so at a specific station and not just at random like the NotNetworkers did  . |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2007 22:07:19 GMT
I hate the Electrostars.. especially the 375/9 variety, with high backed seats and an isle about 8 inches wide! The couple up/de couple process is a nightmare... wait...wait...wait. leading unit keys off, rear train draws up... Bashes forward... ooops, panshaft wont come up... try front unit couple... P/S still wont come up... Oh dear, scratchy heads time, send leading up as a 4 car! By that time, you are stuck behind the up stopper all the way from Faversham to Shortlands, where the stopper takes the Catford Loop and the delayed fast runs Non stop to Bromley South...
Stupid Stupid Mitrac computer wizzardry! Why not just bang forward, put the pipes up, Pull away test... Ding ding and off! Oooh yes, draughty corridors, comfy SEATS [Bombardier PLEASE take note]!!!
Apologies for the deviation... Mind you, the 375's are a defacement in the extreme!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2007 6:18:50 GMT
I hate the Electrostars.. especially the 375/9 variety, with high backed seats and an isle about 8 inches wide! The couple up/de couple process is a nightmare... wait...wait...wait. leading unit keys off, rear train draws up... Bashes forward... ooops, panshaft wont come up... try front unit couple... P/S still wont come up... Oh dear, scratchy heads time, send leading up as a 4 car! By that time, you are stuck behind the up stopper all the way from Faversham to Shortlands, where the stopper takes the Catford Loop and the delayed fast runs Non stop to Bromley South... Stupid Stupid Mitrac computer wizzardry! Why not just bang forward, put the pipes up, Pull away test... Ding ding and off! Oooh yes, draughty corridors, comfy SEATS [Bombardier PLEASE take note]!!! ... then again, the coupling process does seem to be just a little bit more gentle on modern units, which means less screaming from the passengers when there's a large thud and the train stops dead. Certainly, there was one time I was travelling FTN-HHE (change at Havant), and we got as far as Worthing ... train from Littlehampton in the platform, our train pulls in behind, stops, pulls forward and bang ... every single kid in the train starts screaming. That day, it seemed like every school in West Sussex, Hampshire, and parts of Dorset had decided to go on a school trip to London... Similar situation at Machynlleth on the cambrian main line, except kids will quite happily sleep through that coupling without even noticing... occasionally takes two attempts, but out there in the middle of nowhere, no-one really cares much. Ahh... further deviation ftw  -jdp |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2007 13:32:18 GMT
I hate the Electrostars.. You're not alone! It seems they have fixed some problems and created many more. The worst part is the rock-hard seating. Oh, and stinky toilets in the seating area was another stunning idea. Was on one the other day and something fell off and burst an air pipe... I saw it bounce off into a field. You just cant beat bouncing along on a springy VEP/CEP seat with the compressor thumping away under your feet and the wind in your hair (usually because someone left the end door open ;D). In those days, the route map never got defaced... there generally wasn't one! |
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Post by Tomcakes on Jun 13, 2007 14:59:07 GMT
...down my way, one NR train every half hour seems to be difficult enough... let alone knowing where it's going or what platform it's going to arrive at! I'm not surprised the station staff hide. Dividing trains en-route doesn't help much either... but at least the new trains tend to do so at a specific station and not just at random like the NotNetworkers did . Most stations here have an hourly service, and that's not bad compared to some! One line has three per day... another station in Lincolnshire has four trains per week - all on Saturday afternoons. 21 people per year anyone? |
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SE13
In memoriam
RIP 23-Oct-2013
Glorious Gooner
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Post by SE13 on Jun 13, 2007 18:48:17 GMT
...down my way, one NR train every half hour seems to be difficult enough... let alone knowing where it's going or what platform it's going to arrive at! I'm not surprised the station staff hide. Dividing trains en-route doesn't help much either... but at least the new trains tend to do so at a specific station and not just at random like the NotNetworkers did . Most stations here have an hourly service, and that's not bad compared to some! One line has three per day... another station in Lincolnshire has four trains per week - all on Saturday afternoons. 21 people per year anyone? Must be a busy one, care to name it? ;D Actually, most of Lincolnshires stations were closed care of a certain Beeching.... Thing is, it's so damn rural for the most part that of course they weren't going to get used that much, but some places are more cut off than in the hey-day of steam. ^^ Sorry, I digress further still.... |
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Post by Tomcakes on Jun 14, 2007 16:53:05 GMT
Gborough Central... the thing is, it is MUCH more convenient for the town centre than Lea Road which has a much better service!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2007 18:28:53 GMT
a young picc driver saved a mans life at hounslow west i think he stopped someone from
being stabbed
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prjb
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LU move customers from A to B, they used to do it via 'C'.
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Post by prjb on Jun 14, 2007 20:29:52 GMT
Stupid Stupid Mitrac computer wizzardry! Taxi! |
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Post by suncloud on Jun 15, 2007 10:56:27 GMT
Scratching the glass can actually weaken the pane... Indeed TC, the procedure for borrowing another train on NR is mind-boggingly stupid! Same for buses! A few weeks back I was waiting for an all stations replacement bus service (run for FGW) from Gloucester. Meanwhile Frazer Eagle were organising the fast buses for Virgin Trains. Our bus didn't turn up, but the fast buses ran as scheduled AND had a spare in the car park, which would have happily covered the journey. BUT FGW evidentally didn't want the hassle (and cost)of comandeering a Virgin bus. We had to wait over an hour. (Reminds me to send off my refund claim...) |
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