I jumped on the 18.03 Skipton train tonight. First thought on board ing was 'By jesus these midland mainline coaches are a god awful colour. Thank fuck for GNER blue'. Second thought 'Oh fuck. What the fuck are we gonna get when GNER are no more?'. Third thought, 'Thank fuck. They've just refurb nearly the whole fleet so nobody in their right mind would pay for it to be done again'. Final thought 'Thank fuck the lights aren't that bright or we could all go colour blind'.

Been lucky of late. Not been caught out, late delayed. Had nowt to blog which is always a good sign.

http://www.peterboroughet.co.uk/news?articleid=2911117

The link above is from the local Peterborough newspaper and makes for quite scary reading. When will Network rail/GNER/local government stop talking about improving facilities and get on and do it. The station and the infrastructure outside are too small. Stop telling us what your plans are, we have been hearing them for over 10 years, lets see some action.

I have been commuting on this line far too long to get caught out like I did Friday evening. I arrived a few minutes before the 17.50s departure, but as it was a bank holiday weekend I decided it would be very busy and gave it a miss for the quieter 18.03. i should have realised all was not well with the old Diesel by the noises it was making before departure time, needless to say we did not leave at 18.03, but like a wally I continued to sit and look out of the window at the various platform staff running up and down. After a further 10 minutes we were finally advised that the train did indeed have a problem and that passengers for Peterborough should use the 18.20.

Like a sheep I joined the masses and dashed over to the soon to depart 18.20, however they were already hanging out of the doors, and if I had fancied standing I would have joined the 17.50 in the first place!!! Never mind I thought to myself just go and get the 18.30, and I nearly did, I was half way down that platform before I remembered that it no longer stopped at Peterborough. By this time I was getting annoyed with my self and had visions of running around King Cross all night. Finally I got on the new 18.33, got a seat and settled myself down, we did leave on time but progress was not as swift as normal and we eventually arrived into Tinsel town 10 minutes late, the reason......we were following the late running 18.03.

What a mug, I had arrived home nearly a hour later than I should have done and it was largly my own fault. Prehaps I can claim a refund from myself

After a few beers last night, I arrived at KX just in time to catch the 20.30, tired and armed with a cheese and ham roll I decided to treat myself to a seat in 1st Class (thats 3 down 1 to go this year!!). I sat in the rear carriage (M) and was amazed to see how busy the guard was collection fares/upgrades. He did not manage to leave that coach until St Neots, and either side of my seat he took £110 and £90 in upgrades. I guess clipping my benefit card is quite boring when such large sums of money are changing hands.

Now there has long been a rumour amongst the chattering hoards in standard class that the guards are on commission when they take on-board fares, I have heard 5% and even 10%. Now if this is true 30 minutes in one coach last night was very profitable. No wonder "Diesel" drives a Bentley

Newsflash.........
Loitering with intent to exit a train from first class is soon to become an offence. One off offenders will be fined £15 and repaet offenders may face a lifetime ban from travelling on trains.

None of the above is true but it might be if first class passengers have anything to do with it. I missed the 07.20 (sorry Ron) due to a thumping hangover and a reluctance to pull myself out of bed, but I did manage to crawl onto the 07.40. I slept all the way in and woke as we passed Ali Pally. Reluctantly I decided to be true to my word and walk down to 1st class to exit from the front. I gingerly rose from my seat in coach B and walked the Green Mile to my fate in first class.

Along the way I met a couple of like minded people and we jokingly discussed the posibility of being fined or banned as a result of our actions. I'm sorry to say that was as excitng as it got. Nobody challenged us, nobody asked us to return to steerage, nobody moaned, there wasn't one tut, in fact I don't think anybody even noticed us. I was a bit dissapointed at this becasue I purposfully hoped to attract some negative attention today. I even dressed down becasue I didn't want to look like I might be wealthy enough to afford a 1st class ticket. Unfortunately neither my actions nor the scruffy jeans with holes, ex-army jacket and trainers did anything to encourage anybody to try and aprehend me from my dispicable objective.

Is effective today. If your not sure if your regular services are running or if departure or arrival times have changed, click the link to the National Rail enquires and avoid the stress of turning up only to see your service pulling out: -
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

I'd have forgotton to post this had it not been for The Ticket Inspector who, as usual, hasn't missed a trick.

This blog celebrates it's first birthday tomorrow. Yep May 19th 2006 was the eventful day I posted my first entry. I won't repeat the whole post cos it went on a bit but the nuts and bolts were as follows: -

1. An explanation as to why I stated the blog -
'It's got to the point where I realise that they give not a jot about the me and the £5000 I spend with them each year. So why should I give a jot about them? Why don't I just post the reality on the web for all to see. So here it is.'

And

2. A moan about GNER's lost property service (or lack of it)-
GNER'S POLICY ON LOST PROPERTY IS THAT CUSTOMERS HAVE TO COLLECT THE ITEMS FROM THE STATION AT WHICH IT IS FOUND. I ask ya. What fucking good is that? I live in Peterborough and the boots are in Newark.

In the last 12 months we've recruited 3 new bloggers, made 313 entries to which 921 comments have been made. We've received 19233 individual visits and 68000 pages have been viewed. Visitor numbers and page views have increased every month to the point where we now average just over 100 visits per day, or about 2500 per month.

On the down side we've highlighted some appauling aspects of GNER's service (car parking charges, lost luggage, lack of season ticket compensation, ticket prices), disgraceful instances of GNER staff giving poor customer service (Rob and others), what it's like to be delayed for hours on end and have no control over your own situation.

Equally, on the plus side we've given praise were praise is due (Mick Jaques for one), acknowledged service that has been good or even exceptional, made new freinds amongst our fellow passengers and GNER's many staff, given GNER passengers a quiet but growing voice which was recently heard in the board room, learnt about GNER's service offering and why thing are the way they are.

Overall I've enjoyed writing this thing. It's evolved and continues to evolve almost monthly. If I wasn't getting any feedback or readers I'd have stopped it long ago but we have and that's made it worthwhile. So for that I thank every one who's been here. Even our freinds at CC.net who livened up a dull Friday afternoon not so long back.

Finally I'd like to take the oppotunity to thank everyone who has read or contributed to the blog and mostly to my fellow bloggers who make more sense than I do and enter posts when I have sod all to say or am too busy to post. Without you all this thing is nothing.

I have a few ideas for the next 12 months and a few people have sent a few suggestions, the details of which I'll post soon.

Cheers for now all. I'm off for a pint or 2 over lunch to celebrate.

Regards

Fentyke.

Last night I travelled home on the 11.30, having had a few but not too many. However if I had been pissed the sight of the "bright lights diesel" sitting on the platform would be enough to sober anyone up.

First to the good. I noticed a lady who is a member of the GNER catering crew sitting in the buffet area who I had not seen for a long while. Seeing her brough back memories from 1993 she helped my wife and I out big time on a journey home when we discovered my wifes purse had been stolen during an evening in London. This was in the days before mobile phones and she let us use the phone in the catering area to cancel our cards she gave us good advise and was very comforting to my wife. She really went the extra mile that night which was unusual in the old "British rail" days.

Also last night my favourite guard was on duty. Alas my eyes are not too good now days so I did not manage to spot his name. I have seen him on various trains over the years and he is, in my eyes, a top man. He has a way with the passengers that few guards have. He is always very friendly and helpful, his command of English is maybe not the best but it just adds to his charm.

Now the bad.... Fentyke has mentioned his before, but its my first experience and I have to say I did not like what I heard. Ten minutes before the 06.15 arrived into KX the guard, (not one of the normal guys that works that service) made the following announcement

"This is a message for all standard class passengers, please do not walk through the 1st class carriages to leave the train when we arrive into KX, anyone who does enter 1st class will be charged an excess fare of £15"

Can this be right? What is company policy on this? I have never done this but can understand why some people need to rush off the train, especially if it is running late. Is it really company policy to charge people, and how does it work when boarding the train late, will we be charged £15 to walk through to our standard class seats?

And after the scenes I saw last night, I'm the one making the accusation.

I'll give you one guess why - Seat reservations or the lack of them.
I've not had too many problems on the trains lately but last nights 21.00 to Newcastle changed all that. From a passengers perspective it can only be described as a farce to behold and it's all becasue GNER didn't put the seat reservations out.

Following a few beers after work, I arrived at KX about 20.35 a full 25 mins before the 21.00 was due to leave. I did my usual patrol up the platforms trying to second guess which of the 3 GNER sets in the sation would be the 21.00 which wasn't too hard. As I walked up the platform and the cleaners were just leaving and they announced the platform number and advised customers they could board. Being at the head of the throng it wasn't hard for a season traveller to notice there were no seat reservations and that this was very unusual for this service. A quick glance on the opposite platform where the next scheduled GNER departure stood waiting, it was clear the printer was working because nearly every seat already had the reservation tickets poking out the top of nearly every seat.

At this point I didn't think too much of it but I changed my mind not 15 mins later when I saw what ensued with customers arriving at their supposedly reserved seats only to find some poor unsuspecting soul like me, sat in it. I sat at a table seat along with another young lady. First a young couple arrived and asked the young lady and I to move which we did but only becasue there were plenty of other seats at that time. Next a middle aged gentleman asked me to move, which I did because there were still plenty of other seats. As we got closer to departure time, more people with reserved seats came along and almost all asked the people sitting in 'their' seats to move. By this time though, nearly every seat was taken so people, including myself started to refuse to move. Tounges started wagging, accusations started flying and names were thrown like there was no tomorrow.

Persoanlly I was very very polite to the fella that asked me to move for the 3rd time. I pointed out that no seats were reserved and that I would happily move had the reservation ticket been there. As it was, he was in the same boat as everyone else. He protested a little but I accepted none of it, offered my sympathys to his pridicament and suggested he was moaning at the wrong person and should take his issues up with on board staff or to write to GNER. This was going on throughout the coach only some people were not as polite or reasonable as me and the gentleman asking me to move. Until other passengers came and told him where to get off, one fella even tried to physically remove a young lady from her seat by tugging on her arm and movin g her luggage.

Throughout all this, where were the GNER staff? Not in sight that's for sure. There was the odd announcment about the lack of reservations but that's all. We didn't see staff until the revenue protection patrol where upon a large number of displaced passenegers asked where the seat reservations were. The poor guard didn't have a clue what had happened because they hadn't been told and could only appologise.

I dodn't think this kind of scenario would happen on a morning or evening becasue commuters and regular travellers know the score. To put passengers who don't understand that no reservation tickets on seats = no seat reservation in this situation is a differant matter altogether. I don't know what the solution is or even if there is one, but the point is, it's a wonder some people weren't assalted and had they been, it would have been GNER's fault.

If I had £1 for every time I've heard someone complain about the tea and coffee served on board by GNER and added it to the £'s I've earned for number of times I've found a blocked or broken toilet, I'd be able to take De Wife and kids for a week in't sun. Then I found this -

http://www.sawilsons.com/coffee_enema.htm?gclid=CK_gxbrx_IsCFSSQYAodAF3WWA

I think it might answer a lot of questions.

As a followup to Platform6's post, let's actually look at what GNER are claiming here.

And I quote: "GNER said their numbers showed 89 per cent of trains on the London to Leeds route, almost all of which called at Peterborough, arrived less than five minutes late at their destination."

So. Let's see. Looking at http://www.gner.com/GNER/Tickets/_Generic-Leeds-london.htm, it says: "GNER is delighted to announce the arrival of 12 extra Leeds-London services, raising the number to a record 65 services each weekday." So, before those twelve were added, that'd be 53 trains a day.

11% of those, that's pretty much six, are more than five minutes late.

I'll stress that again, for those skimming:

Every day, on average 6 Leeds-London trains are more than five minutes late.

This artical is from the local Tinsel town rag.

http://www.peterboroughet.co.uk/news?articleid=2870836

It just goes to show what you can achieve when you are allowed to "cook the books" a little. Its a bit like Peterborough United being given a one goal start in every game and then saying that their results have improved.

I have just recevied my free Daily Mail Family Railcard which is vaild until the end of July. The question is, when can I use it? Can my misses use it when she's travelling alone or do the kids need to be with her.

My misses and I will be going to a gig in London this week, but as I have my season Ticket (and I'll already be in London) I won't be travelling down with her as I'll meet her at KX. Can she use the family railcard though? I can't see anything anywhere that says she can't.

GNER have sent me an e-mail containing various information. (Actually, as I type this I've realsied that this is the first time GNER have ever sent me one of these updates that I actually found information that was relevant to me and worth reading).

Anyway, they've announce the introduction of 12 new Leeds (Going down)/London services from May 21st and how many will be stopping at each staion on the ECML. I clicked the link and found the following information: -

The launch of 12 extra services between Leeds and London means customers can now enjoy two trains an hour during weekdays.

GNER is delighted to announce the arrival of 12 extra Leeds-London services, raising the number to a record 65 services each weekday. This equates to 32,000 more seats every week for customers travelling between London, the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

Towns and cities that benefit from the extra services—besides London and Leeds—include Bradford, Bingley, Castleford, Dewsbury, Harrogate, Halifax, Huddersfield, Keighley, Ilkley, Pudsey and Skipton.

More trains, better connections

• 9 additional services between Doncaster and London provide customers connecting from Hull, Brough, Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Cleethorpes with more journey options

• 11 additional services between Newark and London provide customers connecting from Lincoln and Gainsborough with more choices

• 7 additional services between Grantham and London give better options to customers connecting from Skegness, Sleaford and Nottingham

• 6 additional services between Peterborough and London provide customers connecting from Stamford, Oakham, March and Ely with more services

Thats goods news and relevant to me. Shame it doesn't give times as that would have been really useful and I could have imediately seen how the new services would have benefitted me. No surprise that GNER missed an opontinity really impress me and give me really useful information that was REALLY REALLY relevant to me.

It went on to tell me about a competition they're running called 'Office Party' to celebrate the launch of the new services. The prize is a night out for up to 20 people, worth £8,000! The prize includes travel to Leeds or London, dinner at the Hard Rock Café and an overnight stay. There are two main prizes: one in Leeds and one in London. To be in with a chance of winning, you need to take a picture of yourself or a colleague who resembles a famous rock or pop star and upload it on the web page on GNER's site http://gner.co.uk/gner/officeparty/entercompetition.htm.

From my point of view, this little piece of marketing is far better executed. It's relevant to me again and it tells me everything I need to know.

Finally it told me of another promotion called 'Work, Rock & Stay'. Apparently all you need do is purchase two GNER all-inclusive ticket packages on separate days of travel between Leeds and London (and selected connecting West Yorkshire stations) between 21 May and 22 June 2007. In return, we will give you a complimentary GNER First Advance return ticket for two on the GNER Leeds to London route. In addition—and here’s the Rock and Stay part!—you’ll receive some great offers from both Hard Rock Café and Superbreak.

As before, it's relevant (sort of but only cos I won't respond) and it tells me all I need to know. The point I'm finally getting too is that the bit of info I'm most interested in and most useful too me was incomplete and eventually made me fell a bit let down. The promotion marketing however was just the opposite. Like the Leeds for a fiver deal, I actually feel the value to be had is quite good. As it is the whole e-mail left me thinking typical GNER, money first, service second.

I arrived at KX just gone 5 last night as I HAD to get back to P'boro by 18.30. I missed the 17.03 so decided to jump on my usual 17.20. They hadn't announced the platform by that time but as I knew the 17.20 is always a dielsel and there was only one in the station, I knew which platform it was so walked up the platform ready for boarding.

As I walked up I watched the cleaners do their stuff. Or at least I would have done had they been doing anything. One lady in particular really caught my eye. I first noticed her becasue she was one of the few who was actually doing some cleaning. Nothing too strenuous. Just picking litter off the tables and seats and putting it into a plastic bag. As she was doing this I saw her cough, splutter and then gob a nice big greeny, not into the plastic bag or a hankey, but onto the bleeding carpet. She then packed up what she was doing, even though there were still a few plastic bottles and newspapers lying about, picked up her plastic bag, walked into the vestibule, did it again and once more when she got her fat arse onto the platform.

Is it any wonder us customers complain about the state we find coaches in sometimes when this is the sort or people GNER's suppliers employ? From the look on my face and hers, I knew she knew I'd seen what she'd done and it was obvious she couldn't give a flying fuck. She just turned her back, and walked off, plastic bag in hand.

I sat in another coach.

I wasn't paying too much attention this morning and got on what I thought was the 07.20. Imediately I started moaning becasue I couldn't find my reserved seat but there was no real bother as it wasn't too busy and got a seat with no probs so I soon shut up. We travelled all the way down to London before I realised that what I thought was the 07.20 wasn't.

As we approached KX I heard the ding dong of the tannoy and listened to the guard appologise for being late. 'But we're early' I thought. He went on to say that this was due to theiving pikeys knicking the signal cabels in Wakey again and some other problem at South Empsall. 'But this train starts in Newcastle so what's it doing in Wakefield?' I then realsied I was on either the late running 06.40 or 07.00.

I'm sure the screen at P'boro had it down as the 07.20 and I'm also sure they made the usual 'train now approaching platform 2 is the 07.20 annoncement'. But I'm probably wrong becasue as I said, I wans't paying a blind bit of notice to anything. Made me laugh though.

The shortlist for the East Coast Mainline Franchise was announced last week.

The lucky 4 are: -
Arriva
FirstGroup
National Express
StageCoach/Virgin/GNER joint venture.

Sorry I didn't blog this last week. I won't make any excuses. I just forgot.

What's happeneing at Stevenage station these days? To my untrained eye it looks as if there's a new track and probably platform being built. Question is why? Are more services being planned for Stevenage? Will more GNER trains be stopping there or is to accomodate more FCC services only? Will that mean a longer journey time between Tinsel Town and KX?