What is it NXEC have against the 07.17? In order or regularity, on any one day you can be sure that one or more of the following will affect this service: -
1. Its a 125 set one day, a 225 for the next 2 and then back to a 125 for the next 2. Either way we never know what type of train is going to arrive and are consequently unsure where to stand on the platform or where seat reservations are. In addition and as mentioned in earlier posts, the unrefurbed 125 coaches are a fucking disgrace. £5500 to sit on a 30 year old seat that's had every substance known to man spilt on it at some point in it's life. Fuck of NXEC. You should be paying us to sit in that squalor and your staff should be on double time to work in it.
2. No seat reservations. OK this affects nearly every service but it's still bloody frustrating.
3. It's late. Goes without saying really and I think you can guess how frustrating this problem is.
4. There's a coach missing (Usually C or D) which again means we have no idea where our seat reservations have been moved too. At least we haven't until we're pulling out of the station and they finally get round to telling us at the end of the welcome aboard crap. Why they can't tell us while we're stood on the platform is beyond me.
5. It arrives well early. Not such a problem at all and no complaints from me if it arrives early. I especially love to watch the people who panic and leg it thiniing that they'd better run because if it arrives early, it will leave early. Eh, no it won't it will leave at 07.17 so stop panicing, stop running and stressing etc and take your time.
6. Either the train is back to front or one or more of the coaches are. Staff must get a bit of a laugh watching passengers sqeeze past each other through the aisle as they traverse the opposite end of the coach were their seat no resides. I do.
7. It often arrives early into Kings Cross even if it arrived into Peterborough late. Again, no complaints from me for arriving early however it does highlight just how much time NXEC have built into the time table to help them meet targets.
All in all there is no consistancy with this service at all. Don't get me wrong it's not THAT bad a service as it is usually on time at both ends. However, as a commuter we never know what to expect which many find frustrating. Not me mind as I've got to the point where I find most of the so called 'problems' minor and it sometimes makes me chuckle listening and watching other passengers moan like buggary. I've also invented a little game to brighten up the morning where you have to guess what will be wrong with it each day. You get 1 point for everything you guess right and lose half a point for everything you got wrong. At the end of the week you tot up the score and see who'se won. Seeing as I'm the only one playing, I win most weeks.
2008-07-16 @ 14:57