Got the 6.15 this morning just after the girls from the ET got there with a stack of copies of 'City Lite' and free bottles of water.

Have to say? Not impressed. Girls cute, water drinkable, paper... eminently disposable. Almost NO local news, and (the thing which I'd really have found it useful for) no local what's on guide at all.

2/10. Could do better.

Last night?

I was running late and didn't get to Kings Cross until 17.55. I walked through the side entrance near platform 1 and the first thing I noticed was a blank departure board. A quick glance down the top of the platforms and the throng seemed to suggest there were major problems, but I'm not so sure now.

Starting at platform 1, I did my usual walk down the platforms to look at the trains and departure boards and the top of each platform to see if I could guage which train was most likely to get out first. There weren't any announcments, nothing on the boards and no activity on any trains, so gleamed nothing. I walked back towatrd P1 and no sooner had I got level with platform 4, they announced the 18.03 GNER to Leeds was boarding on platform 7.

The usual surge unsued and I was towards the back of it already. Consequently, I decided to use one of my upgrade vouchers to guarantee a seat. It did cross my mind to buy a burger just to piss Moaning Toff off but didn't think I had time so boarded at coach M.

Whilst the 18.03 left a little late and even ran slow for a while, we arrived into Tinsel Town round about 7ish. But what happened? werre there delays last night? Was it mearly that the departure boards weren't working? I've really no idea.

As the 06.15 pulled into KX this morning, I awoke from my Ipod slumber and noticed that the engine on the opposite platform was named "Tam the Gun". Who or what is that named after I thought. A quick google soon enlightened me. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4446374.stm

What a good idea to name engines after caracters from along the route, to me it seems a much better idea than calling an engine "City of Peterborough". Who knows, in years to come our ancestors may be travelling on a train called "Fentyke" D

Last night I needed to head to Cambridge rather than Peterborough, so went to KX for the 17.45 FCC Kings Lynn service, like a school kid on a day out I arrived at KX 20mins early and am very glad that I did. As soon as the platform was announced a crowd surged towards platform 7 many people running, there was even one woman running whilst trying to eat an ice cream. Are they all mad I though as I strolled along the platform?

No they were not, it quickly became obvious that this was a train that was always overcrowded, these were seasoned pros who did what they did to avoid an uncomfortable stand all the way home. We boarded 15mins before departure and instantly all seats were full, I got lucky. By the time we left the isles were full, and people were still standing by the time we reached cambridge 50 mins later, despite stops at Letchworth and Royston.

People of Cambridge you have my sympathy, FCC you should be ashamed.

No doubt these folk pay a fair bit for their tickets, they deserve better. It pains me to say it but I can't wait to get back to GNER tonight, compared to what I experienced last night we are spoilt.

Let's see...

Wednesday, the 17.03 died at Stevenage, allowing those of us on the 17.20 a free stop at Stevenage to pick up an entire trainload MORE commuters... Oh, and did I mention the seat reservations were missing?

Thursday, my plans for catching the 15.30 were thwarted by a fire alert at KX, which our helpful Underground driver didn't mention till AFTER we passed Russell Square. Wound up getting off the Dickybilly Line at Finsbury Park and hopping on the 15.41 stop-at-every-third-telegraph-pole FCC from there.

Friday, after a pleasant afternoon watching Yorkshire trash Surrey at the Oval, I learned that apparently I'm not allowed to go through the buffet car to get off for my OWN safety, because all there is through there is a restaurant car. Despite the rugby scrum at the standard class end of the car. Who knew?

And today?

Today I discovered, quite by chance, a rather embarrasing (from GNER's viewpoint) gap in GNER's process that would allow someone to get away with not paying for car parking. However, a) I'm too honest to use it, b) it requires a barefaced lie or at best a sin of omission, c) it wouldn't work for everyone and d) I'm not about to reveal it in public anyway, as it's illegal, this isn't my blog, and it does amount to facilitating a criminal act. I will be mentioning it to GNER, though.

So, how was your week?

Somebody (God only knows if it was GNER or not) has registered to following wed address: -

www.gnermobileoffice.co.uk. Are GNER about to launch a new service which utilises the onboard wi-fi? Time will tell.

In fact 2 things are back -
1. The fair weather scooterists and motorcyclists.
2. The Seat reservation printer gremlin.

There has been marked increase in the number of sccoters and motorbikes parked at Tinsel Town station each morning. This can only meen 1 thing. The lightweight comfort merchants have decided it's warm enough to save some (ok a lot of) money and get the bikes out for the summer months. Personally I'm more than happy to see these guys return as it means the GNER car park revenue will be down (again).

With regards to the seat reservations on the 07.20, as you've probably guessed, they weren't there again this morning. I don't know the reason why because the guard didn't tell us but I'll put my money on a printer breakdown. The train was probably more over crowded today than I have ever seen it, so the sight of the train pulling into P'boro without the reservation tickets on the seats wasn't exactly welcome a welcome one. Whilst I managed to get a seat without too much trouble a large number of people weren't so lucky. Each and every vestibule had at least 3 people stood in them and most coaches had people stood in the aisles.

Before I go I'd just like to give a warning to the fella who couldn't get a seat and pressed his trousered crotch up against my arm and into my face. Do that again fella and I'll make Cherri Bobit look like a porn stars fluffer. Not nice.

Despite keeping regular tabs on the site, I've not posted an entry for a long time. Predominantly because I've been busy with the wife-to-be and partly due to the fact that nothing interesting has happened on or off the trains for some while. Life seems to be rather monotone in nature. Is that what long-term committment does to you?

That being said, I do have the prospect of moving into my flat in London soon. Just a few more weeks of the GNER train and the Queensgate carpark to go and I'm down to a £90 Oyster card and a 15 minute commute to the City. I. Cannot. Wait.

Many thanks to our mate and fellow blogger over at the Ticket collector.
http://www.theticketcollector.co.uk/wordpress/

ATOC and the Daily Mail have teamed up to give a free Family Rail card which is valid for 3 months. With the summer coming it's an ideal time to apply for one. Applications close on April 24th and will be valid until July 31st. Having had one before they do save families a shed load of money on train tickets.

Click the link to apply:
http://www.family-railcard.co.uk/dailymail/

Finally achieved job stability in the big smoke, so cashed in on the company season ticket loan at the beginning of April, for an annual P'boro->London season. "Haha," thinks I. "Let's not part with £stupid to GNER, but £less to Queensgate for parking instead, as recommended on this very blog."

Riiiiight.

If nothing else, it's popular. The nice lady on the other end of the email address said, and I quote "At the moment we have a waiting list which I can put you on if you wish." The waiting list is three months, so, if your season ticket is coming up for expiry any sooner than August? Get on the list NOW. Sadly, this means GNER got another 3 months of extortionate parking charges out of me.

That'd be me then. Regular on the 0615 -> London, and the 1610 or 1720 back.

Thanks to Fentyke for the welcome, and the posting rights: I've enjoyed this blog since I discovered it, and it's great to be a bigger part of it.

GNER are giving 12000 single tickets between London and Leeds for a fiver but only if you book on line.

THAT FRACKING GOOD VALUE from a company not known for cheap tickets.

Perhaps they'll be offering discounts on season tickets next? Then again, perhaps not.

To book visit http://www.gner.co.uk/GNER/Tickets/_LeedsLondonOffer.htm

I read this blog entry on another blog site: -http://almostalwaysthinking.wordpress.com/2007/04/13/grrrner/

For anybody who can't be arsed to read it, apparently a woman got on a GNER train which was travelling in the direction she wanted to go, but didn't stop at her station. The guard, 'laid into' (his words not mine) this woman for getting on a train which didn't stop at the station to which she was travelling and for not having a ticket which was valid once the train had passed 'her stop'.

It's alledged the guard implied that the midlle class lady was trying to cheat and that she was stupid. The lady was left embarrassed and close to tears and the blogger felt the guard could and should have handled the situation more sympathetically.

From my point of view I've seen guards handle these situations both profesionally and sypathetically and appaulingly. I agree that the lady was stupid and just because she looks respectable and middle class doesn't mean she isn't trying to cheat. However we and the guard in question don't know if she's trying to cheat or not. No matter how stupid she's been or pissed off he is with her, he has to give her some benefit of doubt and treat her with respect.

To Penfold who has joined Platform6, Shahmaker and I as a regular contributor.

Many of you will have seen his multiple comments so he's no stranger to this site.

It's a pleasure to have you on board mate.

If anybody else is interested then please PM me.

I spotted this little Gem in the Current Bun (Sun) this morning, although it's connected to Southeastern and not GNER.

Rail passengers are being weighed. SouthEastern have fitted special devises which measure the combined weight of passengers in each coach. Apparently the combined weight will be divided by 11st 7lb to calculate the number of passengers on board which will tell SE if the coach is over crowded and if they need to introduce more or less trains to cope with demand. I would have thought the number of faces pressed against the window would be just as effective.

I lover the way this site virtually shuts down each weekend. 60 or 70 of you check in but virtually nobody passes much comment and I pass very little entries.

I think this is quite telling. It tells me that most of us can't leave work alone even at the weekends but we successfully fight our curiosity and resist the temptation do something worklike. Quite right too.

Long live the weekend.

This mornings times reports on plans to re-nationalise the railways with Scotland being the likely test bed: -

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article1642806.ece

This news brought me to question the reasons behind this proposal. I mean, lets face it, under public ownership, the railways were a standard British joke. Punctuality was appauling, cleanliness was something BR had heard of but didn't know exactly what it was and every comedian in the land had a joke in their armary with buffet food bearing the brunt of them. So what makes UK Gov PLC think they can do any better this time round.

If I put my scocialist hat on, I'm all for it. I'd love to see the countrys assets helping to finance this country instead of being handed to shareholders and foreign investors and owners. But, and it's a big but, I can't beleive any UK government would be able to make better stab at running the railways than private opperators. Neither can I see prices falling as a result as Old Gordon is almost certain to take the profit without so much as a thank you to the poor sods like me.

The railways were built by private companies and investors and history has shown that if we want an efficient network, they're the ones to give us it.

For at least the next few months, I won't be travelling as much as normal (Wey hey) as I've been allowed to work from one of our offices here in Tinsel Town. Consequently I think I may end up short of content and time for this blog so i wondered if there was anybody who like to join Platform6, Shahmaker and I as a regular contibutior.

PM me if your interested.

Regards

I made the most of the Easter break and took a few extra days so haven't posted anything for the last week or so. Now I'm back I see I've missed the news that GNER have teamed up with Virgin/Stagecoach to bid for the ECML franchise. GNER would have a 10% stake and leave the remaining 90% to be shared between Virgin and Stagecoach.

Whilst I'm pleased that GNER and their staff look like they might have a future, (I now think the Virgin/Stagecoach bid is likely to be the strongest and most likely to win) I'm gonna play devils advocate here and question whether a company who failed to live up to their franchise commitments, should be allowed to play any kind of a roll in the new franchise?

The French have beaten their own speed record for the fastest train on convertional rails: -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6521295.stm

Only the Japaneese have beaten this but that was on a magnetic levitation rail. At 356mph, an Edinburgh/London journey with no stops would take a little over an hour. My 80 mile commute would be over in 14 mins and my misses would be happy for me to go see my beloved Barnsley loose at home every week.

Are we ever likely to see such speeds over here? If only, but unlikely. The tracks simply aren't up to the job for starters, there are too many bends and because we're a relatively small nation in terms of area, the stations are too close to each other meaning trains wouldn't have sufficient time to get up to full speed. Health and fracking safety would probably just ban it outright becasue little Jonney trespasser might get hurt and finally I'm convinced Network Rail want me to get out of bed at 6am for the rest of my natural.

My first reaction to this artical was "I've heard it all before", in fact I have heard it many many times over my 19 years as a commuter, but prehaps this time it is for real. Its well over due and the quicker it gets started the better because the infrastructure around the station now is little short of a joke. On a friday night the line of cars heading to the station to collect people can stretch back to the hospital and causes major delays for anyone coming into the city.

Prehaps, just prehaps "platform 6" will become a reality before I retire.

P.S I am only 46

http://www.peterboroughet.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2223973&SectionID=845

We've all experienced the people who dump their bag on the empty seat next door in an often futile attempt to make fellow passengers look for another seat. It happens to me every week and more often than not, several times a week. Difference is with me, I usualy make them move their stuff BECAUSE they've tried to put me off.

I Found the picture on another commuter blog but can't remember who's. Anyway the point is I can't claim it as my own handywork.