Southern Rail STRIKE details

[Ernest]

I think I'm going to make it in. It's getting home I'm worried about. I want to vote as well and think I might have to leave at lunchtime.

On another note, the vile nasty little company that Southern is, has forced the closure of the refreshment kiosk at my home station Barnham. They want to hike the rent and increase the proportion of takings. Why? The guy was just providing a regular service to us commuters, the amounts of money involved are minimal.

Horrible vile shitty company


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It's what they do, they did the same with the buffet at Lewes till all the commuters said they would boycott the new owners (Ponsy coffee hipsters) so they wouldn't make any money there. Southern/GTR have no value over anything bar profit for shareholders and bonus for the bosses.

 

[Ernest]

It does happen regularly on Coastway East and West.

The conductor would make his/her rounds regularly once we'd passed Falmer on the way to Lewes and beyond. He needed to sell tickets as the machine at London Road was often out of order.

You used to see me regularly , check tickets and a chat about the Albion

 

[The Albion Roar]

You used to see me regularly , check tickets and a chat about the Albion

Exactly. I miss those days.

 

[Ernest]

SASTA going for a record today, 702 cancellations or very late today

 

[Guinness Boy]

Police protection brought in tonight.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

SASTA going for a record today, 702 cancellations or very late today

Weather today's a fine and dandy excuse to throw away the timetable. Same as it ever was. Next week, if the sun finally decides to make an appearance, it'll be all about trackside fires and rails buckling at a temperature barely high enough to melt your ice lolly.

 

[Beach Hut]

Shambles, 06:22 from Shoreham changed at the Heath no Express, could not get back on the train I got off. Thameslink pulled in so caught that, got the Gatwick and saw an 07:34 non-stop Victoria on the opposite platform. My arse was it, bloke said not running so back to other platform and waited to go to London Bridge - fecking 10 minute walk to the tube now at the Bridge.

Home - late 17:27 changed at the Heath no train to Littlehampton till 19:15 - sort it out

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Shambles, 06:22 from Shoreham changed at the Heath no Express, could not get back on the train I got off. Thameslink pulled in so caught that, got the Gatwick and saw an 07:34 non-stop Victoria on the opposite platform. My arse was it, bloke said not running so back to other platform and waited to go to London Bridge - fecking 10 minute walk to the tube now at the Bridge.

Home - late 17:27 changed at the Heath no train to Littlehampton till 19:15 - sort it out

The only thing that gets most folk home to Sussex in the evenings is the sheer volume of trains being randomly sent down the line. The concept of getting a train that leaves at its published time, let alone arrives at its published time, has somehow passed into recent history. It's beyond pitiful.

 

[Ernest]

Shocking figures tonight, 1200/2600 either cancelled or deemed very late.

 

[Beach Hut]

The only thing that gets most folk home to Sussex in the evenings is the sheer volume of trains being randomly sent down the line. The concept of getting a train that leaves at its published time, let alone arrives at its published time, has somehow passed into recent history. It's beyond pitiful.

The only good news is we are relocating to smaller offices from February so as we have this hot desk business in a larger office where you have to book one etc I will only be travelling one day a week from then as opposed to two days now.

 

[biddles911]

The only thing that gets most folk home to Sussex in the evenings is the sheer volume of trains being randomly sent down the line. The concept of getting a train that leaves at its published time, let alone arrives at its published time, has somehow passed into recent history. It's beyond pitiful.

It's very odd the way their systems/software works. Spent well over an hour at Victoria seeing trains shown as on time, then a few minutes late then delayed then cancelled!

I don't get it! I thought they had gps on board so they can track position and estimate arrivals so how can they show as arriving then suddenly be cancelled? Are they disappearing into a black hole or what?!


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[Guinness Boy]

It's very odd the way their systems/software works. Spent well over an hour at Victoria seeing trains shown as on time, then a few minutes late then delayed then cancelled!

I don't get it! I thought they had gps on board so they can track position and estimate arrivals so how can they show as arriving then suddenly be cancelled? Are they disappearing into a black hole or what?!


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My guess is "control" - the people cancelling trains, moving crews and calling in delays - have as much idea on how to manage a rail system as I have on how to reconfigure a nuclear farking warhead.

 

[Ernest]

It's very odd the way their systems/software works. Spent well over an hour at Victoria seeing trains shown as on time, then a few minutes late then delayed then cancelled!

I don't get it! I thought they had gps on board so they can track position and estimate arrivals so how can they show as arriving then suddenly be cancelled? Are they disappearing into a black hole or what?!


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I would imagine the Control where all the information is sent out and Customer Information systems updated is in a state of meltdown today and not able to cope. It's what happens when you get rid of the staff who've been there for years and can run the job blindfold have been replaced by staff who wouldn't know a train from a tin of peas

 

[pasty]

Police protection brought in tonight.

View attachment 76027

Surprised it's taken this long to be honest.

 

[Deadly Danson]

I would imagine the Control where all the information is sent out and Customer Information systems updated is in a state of meltdown today and not able to cope. It's what happens when you get rid of the staff who've been there for years and can run the job blindfold have been replaced by staff who wouldn't know a train from a tin of peas

Yep. No one has answered the phone all evening so impossible to tell them where you are or ask where you go next. It's almost as though Southern don't employ enough people up there.....

 

[Guinness Boy]

My guess is "control" - the people cancelling trains, moving crews and calling in delays - have as much idea on how to manage a rail system as I have on how to reconfigure a nuclear farking warhead.

I would imagine the Control where all the information is sent out and Customer Information systems updated is in a state of meltdown today and not able to cope. It's what happens when you get rid of the staff who've been there for years and can run the job blindfold have been replaced by staff who wouldn't know a train from a tin of peas

Yep. No one has answered the phone all evening so impossible to tell them where you are or ask where you go next. It's almost as though Southern don't employ enough people up there.....

I would further assume this is why services are always so much more in the shit in the evenings, It's like a failing infrastructure project or a kitchen that's in the weeds. Unless something fundamentally unblocks the backlog it just keeps growing through the day until it becomes unmanageable. Plus handovers between shifts causing Chinese Whispers. Right? Or way off?

 

[oddsonlaughter]

It has been a shambles today, I can take trains being late- however annoying it is but the misinformation is horrendous

Waiting for train to Falmer at Polegate this morning, Brighton train due in one minute - message on tannoy to say stand back as train not stopping only for a train to stop one minute later- suddenly ended up with a flood of people jumping on the train assuming it was the Brighton train, no screens working on train and no announcements but luckily I was on carriage where tickets were being checked so got off at Lewes when told it was a delayed Victoria train ( not on timings screen and as I say was meant to be Brighton train as Victoria train had just gone through ) but dread to think how many were on the wrong train without realising

Then get to platform at Lewes to see screen state that the time was 7 minutes late ( expected ) followed by where it was calling and then a message to say this train has been cancelled- incorrectly as it turned out, just an utter shambles of miscommunication

Coming back was no better, had to change at Lewes while waited and waited and waited while looking at screens that went from a 10 minute delay up to a 30 min in the end but while also announcing it had been cancelled inbetween

I am just thankful I have a small commute!

 

[Deadly Danson]

I would further assume this is why services are always so much more in the shit in the evenings, It's like a failing infrastructure project or a kitchen that's in the weeds. Unless something fundamentally unblocks the backlog it just keeps growing through the day until it becomes unmanageable. Plus handovers between shifts causing Chinese Whispers. Right? Or way off?

Pretty much dead on. Communication on the railway has always been shocking and has got much worse in recent years. And definitely as the day goes on the situation becomes progressively worse until everyone more or less gives up.

 

[Ernest]

I would further assume this is why services are always so much more in the shit in the evenings, It's like a failing infrastructure project or a kitchen that's in the weeds. Unless something fundamentally unblocks the backlog it just keeps growing through the day until it becomes unmanageable. Plus handovers between shifts causing Chinese Whispers. Right? Or way off?

Basically there is nobody there experienced enough to sort out the shambles, even without the dispute today would have been shite from start to finish. Just look at other major disruptions where something early on has caused chaos all day, you run a job on a shoe string , you pay peanuts etc.

A few years ago if there had been something like today there would have been an emergency timetable running through Victoria and every station would have known exactly what was running

 

[clapham_gull]

Very odd PR from Southern

I got a email personally "apologising" - going into the problems with staff etc.. must have ordered tickets at some point.

Odd because the strikes have done little to effect me and two I'm hundred percent behind the staff.

It's had the effect of me hating the company more.