Bye Bye First Capital Connect

[sten_super]

Well my first experience of the new operator (branded as Great Northern, at least for now) has been reassuringly shit.

They'd taken the time to make sure that the ticket machine was nicely re-branded as Great Northern. Unfortunately it was the same shitty 1980s train that picked me up and took me into Cambridge this morning...

...and I've just spent the past hour trying to buy a ticket online. I generally found FCC to be okay in this area - they had a good mobile app and an easy-to-use website and booking system. Unfortunately Great Northern have got neither. Despite having a brand spanking new app, it doesn't let you actually buy tickets - it simply directs you to the mobile version of the website. Highlights of the website included being offered approximately 8 million different ticketing options for one return journey (including open returns when I'd specifically said I was travelling out and back the same day), a random box on the booking form entitled 'Mobile Phone' with no explanation (I ticked it of course) and it refusing to accept my card for half an hour (until it then decided to work with precisely the same details).

Now, to top it off, I've had a booking email simply entitled 'Booking confirmation and receipt', with the booking reference hidden half way down the email (on the right hand side). Compared to FCC (where the reference was in the email subject, and then top middle in big bright lettering in the email) it's an absolute shower of shit.

 

[jcdenton08]

Well my first experience of the new operator (branded as Great Northern, at least for now) has been reassuringly shit.

They'd taken the time to make sure that the ticket machine was nicely re-branded as Great Northern. Unfortunately it was the same shitty 1980s train that picked me up and took me into Cambridge this morning...

...and I've just spent the past hour trying to buy a ticket online. I generally found FCC to be okay in this area - they had a good mobile app and an easy-to-use website and booking system. Unfortunately Great Northern have got neither. Despite having a brand spanking new app, it doesn't let you actually buy tickets - it simply directs you to the mobile version of the website. Highlights of the website included being offered approximately 8 million different ticketing options for one return journey (including open returns when I'd specifically said I was travelling out and back the same day), a random box on the booking form entitled 'Mobile Phone' with no explanation (I ticked it of course) and it refusing to accept my card for half an hour (until it then decided to work with precisely the same details).

Now, to top it off, I've had a booking email simply entitled 'Booking confirmation and receipt', with the booking reference hidden half way down the email (on the right hand side). Compared to FCC (where the reference was in the email subject, and then top middle in big bright lettering in the email) it's an absolute shower of shit.

Amazing post

 

[jcdenton08]

Does anyone else have any experience of Grand Central trains?

Used to get a DIRECT service (two stops then fast to London Kings X) from my old town Pontefract in West Yorkshire.

Formidable service, free tea/coffee at your table and strikingly decorated trains. Only three services a day, but easily the best operator I've been with.

Oh. And if you booked far enough in advance it was about £18 return from Pontefract (near Leeds) to London Kings X. Are they still going?

 

[sten_super]

Amazing post

Thanks(?)

 

[jcdenton08]

Thanks(?)

You're welcome. It was a brilliant anecdote, well told and thoroughly absorbing from first word to last.

 

[BlockDpete]

Well I guess even German trains have an off day.

We were in Munich last year, and on the Sunday we decided to take the train out to the Disney Castle (can't remember the name).

The train we were going to get had been cancelled. The next train was three carriages, including the middle guards/cycle van with no seats.

This train was rammed full, with the only place to go was to sit on the floor of the guards van, for the three hour journey. Incredible uncomfortable.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

I guess by using the word incompetence you have the full details of what failed, why it failed, the response time and how long it took to fix to be able to pass such a judgment?

Well there was a delay in repairs being made as Network Rail managers wanted to come to the site first as it was reportedly some recent work undertaken which had failed, these managers then failed to turn up, which in turn further delayed repairs being made. The actual fix didnt take very long at all. The issue was to do with track circuits.

Only 1 line was affected, but due to the amount of services which run via London Bridge at peak times, the congestion backed trains up and delayed them. The actual fault occurred just after 6AM as well.

 

[British Bulldog]

Well there was a delay in repairs being made as Network Rail managers wanted to come to the site first as it was reportedly some recent work undertaken which had failed, these managers then failed to turn up, which in turn further delayed repairs being made. The actual fix didnt take very long at all. The issue was to do with track circuits.

Only 1 line was affected, but due to the amount of services which run via London Bridge at peak times, the congestion backed trains up and delayed them. The actual fault occurred just after 6AM as well.

For managers to tell the techs not to fix something until they had attended it would have to be something of a very serious nature, in all my years on the railway that was something that was very rarely heard of apart from in severe circumstances.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

For managers to tell the techs not to fix something until they had attended it would have to be something of a very serious nature, in all my years on the railway that was something that was very rarely heard of apart from in severe circumstances.

Which is exactly what I thought. Obviously lots of work is going on in the London Bridge area, can only assume its related to the work.

There was a track circuit issue in the same area the other day too, perhaps its related.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

The fares depends on the journey and comparing like with like, but as someone who hasn't paid for a ticket in 35 years and will never , ever do so I am not in a position to comment about this and the price of tickets

I guess if you don't pay for it, it probably looks okay. If you pay through the nose for it, I can assure you it doesn't.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Which is exactly what I thought. Obviously lots of work is going on in the London Bridge area, can only assume its related to the work.

There was a track circuit issue in the same area the other day too, perhaps its related.

There have been issues almost every day since the August platform work was completed. Shoddy.

 

[British Bulldog]

Which is exactly what I thought. Obviously lots of work is going on in the London Bridge area, can only assume its related to the work.

There was a track circuit issue in the same area the other day too, perhaps its related.

So where does the incompetence bit come into it then?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The fares depends on the journey and comparing like with like, but as someone who hasn't paid for a ticket in 35 years and will never , ever do so I am not in a position to comment about this and the price of tickets

This attitude sums up the railways quite well.

 

[Ernest]

This attitude sums up the railways quite well.

I don't work for the railways so my attitude is of a passenger, non fare paying mind

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

So where does the incompetence bit come into it then?

Delaying the fix by nearly 45 minutes after they decided not to visit.

Signalling failure this afternoon at Haywards Heath as well. All track circuits between Keymer Jn and Haywards Heath stopped working and of course its unsafe to run any trains. Fixed within 45 minutes after a quick response by NR staff, credit where its due. Crap start for Thameslink though.

 

[British Bulldog]

Delaying the fix by nearly 45 minutes after they decided not to visit

I think your making that up to be honest with you, as I said yesterday it's only in extreme circumstances managers will tell techs not to fix something before they get there to examine it and for it to be that serious there's more chance of equipment being signed out of use than a simple repair done.

 

[Creaky]

No. I have claimed German trains are better. I have never quantified how much better. Stop trying to weasel out of this.

You claimed in post 47



I agree there is most likely one German service which is worse than the best UK service but overall I have comprehensively shown this is not the case.

PS in 2013 it was 93.1% http://www1.deutschebahn.com/ar2013...rt_2013/Customer_and_quality/punctuality.html

The UK still has some way to go to get up to this "dire" level would you agree?

Is it fair to compare the punctuality ratings for German and UK rail services when in one case cancelled trains due to weather, vandalism, trespass and cable theft are included in their figures, (UK), and the other, (German), doesn't

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Is it fair to compare the punctuality ratings for German and UK rail services when in one case cancelled trains due to weather, vandalism, trespass and cable theft are included in their figures, (UK), and the other, (German), doesn't

Please read the DB website a second time.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It's taking Ernest some time to dig out his much trumpeted figures. Will I be able to claim delay-repay?

 

[Creaky]

Please read the DB website a second time.

I have - they include delays caused by the reasons I gave but do not include, nor claim to do so, services actually cancelled by those causes.