Before the last election George Osbourne promised billions of pounds in investment (HS3) so that transport between the northern cities as part of his Northern Powerhouse charade. When the Tories were elected literally the first thing he did was cancel all of it. Instead we'all be getting the investment total of... drumroll please.... nowt!
So when those Wizzy HS2 trains finally pull into Manchester (80, 100, 120 billion quid later?) the cities of the north will still be linked with Pacer train/bus things running on Victorian lines.
And they wonder why we're so cynical?
Like I said... an 'interesting' choice of priorities
So, an underfunded, I'll equipped mess of a service.
Unaccountable, overcomplicated and riddled with poor management and unnecessary bureaucracy.
And you lot are blaming the union?
What is? Southern's issue is that their staff are ****s. This isn't about underfunding. No idea why you're talking about voting, I didn't vote for GTR. No member of the public did. That's not how franchising works. Are you going to talk about British Rail as well soon? There isn't really much complexity either. It goes like this:
GTR: "we're changing your job description slightly, we'll give you a bonus, a pay rise and guarantee your job security for a good while though"
Southern: "no you ****ing won't, we're striking"
About The only way funding would help would be to train up a parallel workforce, so the strikers can be sacked properly. This just isn't an investment issue.
Instead we'all be getting the investment total of... drumroll please.... nowt!
Again, this isn't about investment, this isn't whinging that our service is inadequate, it's not, it's pretty good (on paper). This is a very specific example of the union shafting the travelling public.
I'm now on the 17.02 from Victoria. I had to ensure I was home at 19.15. The 18.03 should be good enough, albeit tight. The 17.02 actually left 26 minutes late, the 17.34 was "delayed" and the 18.03 already cancelled. I didn't fancy chancing my arm that the 17.48, the one train from London Bridge would actually run. That's shit.
This is not an investment, infrastructure or rolling stock issue. This is a staff issue.
Pacers - made from bits of old bus, fact!
[b]un-facted[/b], pacers are based on a steel underframe purpose made for rail use, with 4 wheels two at each end on an axle, and non steerable, the sides are infact from leyalnd national 1 bus pressed pannel parts, the roof and front is not a bus part as a bus is narrower than a train, the heating pod of a leyland national is also not fitted due to height restrictions under catenary and tunnels bridges.
At the time the pacer was a low cost alternative to the class 150 series and the hugely expensive 210 class, and was only designed as a short term replacement, all pacers are going to be withdrawn from Northern before 2020 due to access for disabled persons not being suitable, eg a step entrance.
Eh? I didn't say they were a bus on rails, I'm fairly sure buses don't have metal wheels, and I'm pretty sure Pacers have neither a steering wheel or accelerator pedal. Or indicators. They are made of bits of bus.
So the problem with the farcical transport infrastructure in this country is....
The staff?
But of course it is
You are Norman Tebbit, and I claim my free bicycle to get on
in the case of Southern, yes, that is overwhelmingly the problem at the moment. As someone who uses them every day. I'm unclear on how this is a difficult concept to grasp?
But no, the strikes aren't actually happening, media hype. They cancel trains because of a lack of investment. You're right. When did you last travel on Southern?
Sounds to me like somebody is a bit miffed at uppity working class oiks getting ideas above their station!
What will they be demanding next? The vote? 😆
Oh god. Has someone told them we operate a democracy?
June 23rd shows what happens when we let idiots vote.
Interesting that they've just raised HS2 on question time, from Wakefield, and the unanimous opinion (including a Telgraph journalist and a Tory MP) was that it was a complete white elephant, and a complete joke given the state of the present transport infrastructure in the north.
Someone gave the example that it takes over 3 hours to get from Wakefield to Liverpool.
A squillion quid well spent
It's not about geography. I used to live in Liverpool, I have experienced the dire transport links that cannot cope at peak times. The situation at Southern would be just as unacceptable anywhere, the happy coincidence for some is that it's both near that London and for convenience called Southern.
What do the strikes have to do with poor service on non-strike days?
Also they're striking despite being offered a pay-rise, bonus, and job security? Source please
And today's the day the Price increase is announced.
Let's hope that Southern are forced into a reduction of 25% 😛
Strikes aside, there are not enough carriages anyway - for example the Ashford international to Brighton has 2 carriages at rush hour, 2 ! I never got a seat in over 2 years.
2 cars all day
It's okay, Grayling's got a brilliant idea:
[url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/02/exclusive-network-rail-stripped-control-britains-train-tracks/?WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_iosshare_Am9Zq06PzLLQ ]Give maintenance to the TOCs too![/url]
Absolute moron.
I suppose if you're going to be one of them dead dead important 'Master of the Universe' types,
You mean Yorkshiremen?
How are all the Londoners going to get to the likes of media city as stuff is gradually relocated?
Just because the BBC was forced to move there (freeing up some prime real estate in the process) doesn't mean there will be an exodus of creativity/media from the capital.
They're being held to ransom by the union. I do agree they're a bit shit, but I place the blame for all this shit squarely at the feet of the union. Because that's whose fault it is. Simple.
No. No. No.
This is the Governments fault.
[url= http://www.londonreconnections.com/2016/railway-roulette/ ]Read and Learn.[/url]
Good article El-bent and shows that it's not a simple fix.
Grayling's plan for TOC's to perform maintenance should be looked at with that article in mind, and also the conflict between profit (at risk from overrunning or emergency maintenance) and safety.
There are already too many contractors on track IMO, and there have been incidences where large scale works undertaken by contractors have led to delays as their shoddy work is fixed by NWR track staff.
They've stopped checking tickets at night round here. Guard just waved people through.
