On a non-strike day too - let's see how RMT/ASLEF is blamed for that one.
A few weeks ago, I had to go for a meeting in Angmering, my train was so late that I turned back straight away as I would have missed more than an hour of the meeting. I waited 145 minutes for a train; I returned to my...
I don't think you can blame the PR departments for that. The press, with the exception of the Mirror, are not going to print anything even vaguely pro-union. The press officers could be sending press releases tatooed on the bodies of semi-naked women and they'd still be ignored
It was only a guess as to why, I don't commute that way so don't see it. I can't work out why she's been so quiet; if there are lots of commuters, it could cost her in a marginal seat
It is a bit strange. I put it down to fewer commuters - Lewes has a lot of them, I'm not sure Eastbourne has so many.
On the other hand, Kirby's done nothing and Brighton has even more. I put that down to him being absolutely useless.
It's because their majorities are so big it doesn't matter if they lose a few thousand over this: the only one who might worry is Henry Smith in Crawley (I'm assuming Kirby is a goner anyway, he's been spectacularly useless). It's noticeable how active Caulfield has been, she must really fear a...
It would solve the problem, highlighted on this thread, that there's little incentive for a franchise holder to train staff as it's a drain on their resources and, while it's a long term issue, may not be something for the franchisee to worry about. That certainly seems to have been the case in...
But the franchise can't fail. Any company that doesn't rely on customers for revenue is in a secure position. It gets paid whether it has one customer or one million - it can't lose
I remember that happening at my local station, I didn't see it but saw the aftermath. And saw the young woman concerned going to work in her wheelchair a few months later.
I've also been on a train where the door opened (not quite sure whether it was by accident or some bloke being a prat) as...
But for how much longer? I predict that one of the big nationals will disappear within five years and many more locals. Wonder how long the Argus has.
I'm not wholly convinced by this "new jobs will appear". Yes, they obviously will but not to the same extent.
I started my first job in 1976...
Oh,I wish this were true - paper sales are massively down on what they were. There was a survey released last week that showed that 35% of journalist jobs in the US had disappeared in the last ten years and there's no sign that the trend will be reversed
But it has to be otherwise there's little point. When we had a wave of strikes in the 70s, the people that were hit were the public. When the bakers went on strike, there was no bread for people. When the miners were on strike, there were power cuts. When ITV closed down for several months...
Don't get this. Surely if you want a strike to have maximum impact, you'd have it on days when most people are affected. Would teachers strike on a Saturday for example?
To complain that thousands of people would be affected is missing the point. Union leaders are not employed to boost...
Twice, when travelling with SASTA, I've heard three separate reasons for the train being delayed. Is it any wonder that people don't believe them?
I don't think this can be right. As has been pointed out several times on this thread, Govia get a management fee for Southern so don't have to run...
I tried to get to Chi today as I was going to the theatre: no chance,. Three cancelled trains later, I'm heading for the office for a refund. The two German women behind me on the platform were not impressed, talking about the madness of the rail system. They were close to saying it wouldn't...
New level of incompetence at Lewes tonight. The platform indicator said the train was stopping at Falmer, the platform announcer said the train was stopping at Falmer: got on the train to be told by the guard that the train should have been stopping at Falmer but because it was running late it...
First Light? I'm going to that but can't leave early as I have to wait for Mrs G to get home to take over childcare. I'm hoping that Southern has its act together but I'm not holding my breath