From GNER:

"Train services between Doncaster and York are significantly disrupted due to a structural problem with a bridge.

"Trains between Doncaster and York will operate at approximately hourly intervals and journey times will be extended.

"It is not possible to operate the full GNER service and those trains that are running over their full route will be busier than normal.

"Network Rail's engineers are working to repair the bridge as soon as possible. However, the current estimate for a return to the normal service is 06:00 hrs Friday 28th September."

And as usual, FCC have more information that GNER haven't mentioned:

"On the Thameslink route there are delays due to earlier over running engineering work at London Bridge. In addition, a tree has fallen on the overhead power lines near St Albans. As a result two out of four lines are currently closed.

"Services are currently delayed by up to 30 minutes."

My colleague reports his Picadilly Line train not stopping at KX this morning due to 'overcrowding' (around 8.45).

The number of people using a motorcycle to get between home and the station has risen dramatically this summer. Whilst I'm sure a few will be fair weather boys and girls intent on saving a few hundred pounds in parking fees while they can, I think the majority are here to stay.

Personally I think this is great as it should be giving GNER and the new owners the message that current parking charges are too expensive, unreasonable and unaffordable. However I would like to see a little more common sense when it comes to parking the damn things. Twice this week some tit fer brains has blocked my bike in just becasue they can park as close to the gate as possible. It's not a large area and everyone can see that when walking past but there is still plenty of space. So if you've recently started riding to the staion, please don't be a lazy, inconsiderate, selfish fuck wit. Use a bit of common, park where there is plenty of room and use your legs for which they were designed for.

Rant over.

(Just a few questions)

...spend god knows how much on revamping the P'boro station carpark? I'm /guessing/ the answer is 'so the payment machines can be upgraded to chip-and-PIN'. Whatever, the changeover was a shambles - the queue of folks waiting to get their new tickets /re-programmed/ on the 10th was long, and they actually lost my original old-style ticket. Also, sad at losing the plastic credit-card style tickets, but I hope that removes the rather glaring possibility for fraud I spotted a while back....

...are trains on Platforms 1-4 at KX stopping a whole carriage length shorter than usual from the buffers?

...were there NO announcements on this morning's 0615 at all, and no ticket inspection or trolley?

The GNER taxi bus between Hampton and the station has been running for over a year now but I wonder how much longer they can continue. Whenever I see the thing it NEVER has more than 3 passengers on board so surely it can't be profitable.

More worrying still is the speed at which the drivers are now pushing those vehicles. I've followed a few lately and whilst my scooter will cruise at 65mph, these guys have flown/are flying past me on a regular basis. Last night was the worst I've seen so far. I followed the bus out of the sation and down Thorpe Road where the speed limit is 30mpg. Last nights bus was doing 45mph. As the bus isn't exactly quick off the mark, I overtook it as we joined the Nene Parkway and was soon up to my max cruising speed. Halfway between the Thorpe Road and Moat Hse roundabouts the bus shot past me at what I estimate to be 75mph+. It got worse. I was by now a few cars back as we joined the Soke Parkway where there is currently a 40mph restriction. I could see the bus puulling away from me so decided to try and catch it up but even at 65mph I couldn't.

Now I'm no saint and can and do break the speed limits every now and again (Last night for instance) and I'm sure the passenegers don't mind getting home a bit quicker than normal and the driver is obviously prepared to risk his licence and possibly job, but a company like GNER has a duty of care over it's customers and to me they look like they are ignoring this duty by ignoring the speed limit. What would happen if they crashed and somebody was badly injured or killed even and the driver is found to be at fault becasue he was speeding? Can you imagine the compensation claims and PR damage such an event would have?

After a period of relative calm, things seem to be going tits up for GNER lately. There was a noticeable lack of seat reservations on one of last weeks evening trains and yesterdays 0.70 from Tinsel Town. This morning the departure board just said the 07.20 was delayed but unuually it didn't give an estimated arrival time or state what the problem was.

I'd also like to know what's happened to Sean and Mick Jaques lately as I've not seen or heard from either of them for months now? Are they still in the company of have they jumped ship befor SS GNER sinks and morphs into Natex.

As I write I'm trying to call GNER customer services. To get the number I visited the GNER web site. As mine is a season ticket enquiry the web site tells me to dial 0845 225 225 which is the same number as GNER customer relations. I haven't dialed this number of course because I didn't want to pay over the odds for the call so I used the say no to 0870 website http://www.saynoto0870.com/ to get the direct dial number (which incidentally is 0191 227 5959).

After 10 minutes I got through to an opperator. 'Sorry' she says. 'Season Tickets are handled by the business travel team' and proceeded to transfer me. Here I am 10 minutes later and I'm still holding for a member of the business travel team. That's 20 minutes now and counting and all this to ask a simple 30 second question and listen to the 30 second reply and all because the GNER web site displays the wrong number.

Tosspots.

http://www.youreastcoast.co.uk/?page_id=4

Interesting.

Peterborough City council have had plans to build a new station in the Hampton area for a long time now. There's a rumour going round that these plans may now change and that the new station may well be built on the former Mushroom factory site at Yaxley.

Has anyone else heard about this?

If true I can envisage major conjestion problems in the future as there is only one road through Yaxley.

I've heard that Hull train have or will be training all their drivers to use the Hatfield loop. For those that don't know what the Hatfield loop is, it's a section of track which can be used to bypass the ECML between North London and Hatfield. Trains are often diverted through the loop if there are disruptions between the start and end of the loop.

If correct, and my scource tells me it is, there are only a few GNER drivers trained to use the loop but this begs the question why? I'll lay odds it's a cost issue but if Hull trains can see a value in such training, why don't GNER?

Been away with the kids for the last few days. Glad I was. Looks like more OHL probs south of P'boro again (yesterday being sunday impact ain't as bad) or were they just trying to fix it? I do seem to remember seeing something about engineering work. Anyway this was posted by CentralSimon: -

Fun and games again this (Sunday) morning.

Firstly the first northbound train out of KIngs Cross isn't until 0900. But today total chaos rained on the 0900 service. The OHL had come down AGAIN between Huntingdon and Peterborough - is this a monthly occurance now? - so GNER cancelled the 0910 Leeds train (I don't know why either), so the 0900 was retimed to leave at 0910, taking all the Leeds trains passengers and made additional stops at St Neots and Huntingdon. After leaving Huntingdon, noticed one of the power lines down on the London bound tracks and a big group of workers standing around. Didn't affect our train (so why cancel the 0910 Leeds train?). This is on top of the "planned" engineering work which closed Platforms 1-3 (so no southbound trains to London anyway!!!), which incidentally over-ran by 3 hours. This over-run should be noted against fairly decent weather we had over the past 24 hours !

Got this today from those nice people at www.traindelays.

Subject: BBC Radio 5 Live documentary

Hi there,

I wonder if you can help me - I'm working on a documentary for BBC Radio 5 Live in which we're going to compare public transport here with trains, buses and metros in Germany. I am looking for someone who has a fairly lengthy (1hr - 90 mins) commute into London every day, who might be interested in letting me follow him/her for a morning, and possibly going to Berlin to do a similar commute there. Do you have any regular contributors to your website who you think might be willing to participate?

Should I give a go. Ah but then everyone else will know who I am . If anyone else fancies a go e-mail Angela at info@traindelays.co.uk

With the first 3 day tube strike just hours away and my walking boots at the ready I thought I would post this little song about the London Underground. I first heard it a year or so ago but it seems quite appropriate today....enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYVJSOFZxDE