Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Southern Rail STRIKE details
- Thread starter Ernest
- Start date
We all know Southern are shite at trains but this brand new car park at Haywards Heath is equally ****.
Machine will only sell you one days parking. If you need 2 days, you have to walk all the way through to the front ticket office, go back to your car and then back to the station. Takes 20minutes all in all.
Why is there not just a number plate reading pay and display or something in this day and age.
To add to the shit, trains are screwed and 45min wait for anything London bound
Machine will only sell you one days parking. If you need 2 days, you have to walk all the way through to the front ticket office, go back to your car and then back to the station. Takes 20minutes all in all.
Why is there not just a number plate reading pay and display or something in this day and age.
To add to the shit, trains are screwed and 45min wait for anything London bound
The Spanish
Well-known member
Dead pigeon stuck between carriages at Hayward Heath apparently caused a delay coupling an Eastbourne train today. This is beyond parody now. The driver claimed to have seen the pigeon "with his own eyes".
Deadly Danson
Well-known member
To be fair, bloody pigeons and pheasants stuck in the couplers can be a bugger. Stupidest animals in the world - they seem to aim for the train.
Deadly Danson
Well-known member
Bloody hell - that really is an outright lie. I don't know actual numbers but I didn't see any conductors working any of our trains yesterday, only managers and, as you say, why were they only running a skeleton service if so many guards were working. Utter nonsense.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 70,329
Fixed that for you ENREST 
danielson81
Member
A thought occurred to me this morning. I'll get my commuting credentials out of the way first - daily to East Croydon for over 9 years, the last 6 years from Seaford (so the added guantlet of making a connecting train at Lewes which I haven't done successfully for 3 weeks) - the whole conductor shutting the door thing - firstly I should say I have read this thread, all the leaks on twitter etc and consider myself to be well informed about the situation. I am also very much in favour of keeping the conductors as they are.
I know its a long term strategy to take conductors off the trains, on to platforms to close ticket offices etc, we all know the well rehearsed "no one will lose pay, there will still be a presence on the train" etc but has anybody actually said to them "How many tickets are going unsold and how many questions are going unanswered while the conductor safely closes the door?!
Let's see, everyone gets off and on, the conductor checks the length of the train from the platform, get's on board, locks the door, rings the bell thing to the driver and off we go - all of what, 90 seconds on average per station? Is it more detrimental to customers not having a conductor walk up and down constantly for the full journey asking if anyone wants to buy a ticket or having him or her otherwise engaged for a combined 10 mins of the journey so they can open and close doors safely?
I know its a long term strategy to take conductors off the trains, on to platforms to close ticket offices etc, we all know the well rehearsed "no one will lose pay, there will still be a presence on the train" etc but has anybody actually said to them "How many tickets are going unsold and how many questions are going unanswered while the conductor safely closes the door?!
Let's see, everyone gets off and on, the conductor checks the length of the train from the platform, get's on board, locks the door, rings the bell thing to the driver and off we go - all of what, 90 seconds on average per station? Is it more detrimental to customers not having a conductor walk up and down constantly for the full journey asking if anyone wants to buy a ticket or having him or her otherwise engaged for a combined 10 mins of the journey so they can open and close doors safely?
Dick Swiveller
Well-known member
- Sep 9, 2011
- 9,163
I just had this apology despite using the trains maybe twice a year.
Dear Dick Swiveller,
I apologise profusely for the disruption caused to you by this week's RMT strike action, which comes on top of ongoing high levels of train cancellations, and I know that this is having a totally unacceptable impact on your journeys.
Once again, this strike was completely unnecessary, and follows recent weeks when you have suffered the consequences of unprecedented levels of sickness absence amongst many of our employees.
To be absolutely clear, we are not removing staff from our trains. Under our plans, everyone who wants a job will have one, no one will suffer any cut in salary, and more of you will benefit from more visible staff entirely focused on customer service onboard your train. We are simply seeking, on our more modern trains, for the responsibility to close train doors to move to our drivers. This is a proven safe method of operation that's already in use across 40% of Southern train services.
We continue to engage directly with employees to implement the evolved role from August 2016, which will in due course improve both the reliability and quality of your Southern service.
Please be sure to claim any compensation that you may be entitled to, including strike compensation and enhanced compensation. Further details are available online at southernrailway.com/compensation. Please also continue to check our website for the latest information on planned strikes.
My sincere apologies for the impact that this strike disruption and the service we are presently offering is having on you, your family and your plans.
Yours sincerely,
Charles Horton
Chief Executive Officer
Dear Dick Swiveller,
I apologise profusely for the disruption caused to you by this week's RMT strike action, which comes on top of ongoing high levels of train cancellations, and I know that this is having a totally unacceptable impact on your journeys.
Once again, this strike was completely unnecessary, and follows recent weeks when you have suffered the consequences of unprecedented levels of sickness absence amongst many of our employees.
To be absolutely clear, we are not removing staff from our trains. Under our plans, everyone who wants a job will have one, no one will suffer any cut in salary, and more of you will benefit from more visible staff entirely focused on customer service onboard your train. We are simply seeking, on our more modern trains, for the responsibility to close train doors to move to our drivers. This is a proven safe method of operation that's already in use across 40% of Southern train services.
We continue to engage directly with employees to implement the evolved role from August 2016, which will in due course improve both the reliability and quality of your Southern service.
Please be sure to claim any compensation that you may be entitled to, including strike compensation and enhanced compensation. Further details are available online at southernrailway.com/compensation. Please also continue to check our website for the latest information on planned strikes.
My sincere apologies for the impact that this strike disruption and the service we are presently offering is having on you, your family and your plans.
Yours sincerely,
Charles Horton
Chief Executive Officer
That all seems very reasonable. What is all the fuss about?
Interestingly on a Virgin East Coast service to York. The train before was due to stop at Doncaster but was cancelled, with the next Doncaster to York train an hour.
Virgin made an additional stop. Southern could take a leaf out of their book
Virgin made an additional stop. Southern could take a leaf out of their book
Service? What service?
Arthur
Well-known member
Piss take on the Uckfield line this evening.
16:08 from London Bridge was cancelled from there due to lack of train crew. The train was there at London Bridge having come up the line. Obviously the conductor finished his/her shift. The conductor taking over was at East Croydon. So the train ran empty to East Croydon and started from there. To add insult to injury the next train (16:38) was running as 4 coaches instead of 8 so two train loads of people cramming into half a train.
That is why DOO isn't the doom and gloom people are making out. The 16:08 is fast to East Croydon and could have quite easily ran without a conductor with passengers on board.
16:08 from London Bridge was cancelled from there due to lack of train crew. The train was there at London Bridge having come up the line. Obviously the conductor finished his/her shift. The conductor taking over was at East Croydon. So the train ran empty to East Croydon and started from there. To add insult to injury the next train (16:38) was running as 4 coaches instead of 8 so two train loads of people cramming into half a train.
That is why DOO isn't the doom and gloom people are making out. The 16:08 is fast to East Croydon and could have quite easily ran without a conductor with passengers on board.
Or why not have the same guard and driver all day on same duty. Now there is an idea