Hottest day of the year since records and time began

Last night I got to Cannon street and guess what all the trains into Kent were cancelled. Any announcements no any idea when they will be moving again. Nope that would be remotely useful to the hot and sweaty commuters. I gave up turned round and went down into the depths of hell (or the London underground as it’s known).   The Tube was free as the rail service was all cocked up.  So me and my intrepid travel buddy Andy made our way to St Pancras for the HS1.

When we got there we demanded a free upgrade as we bought a ticket of southeastern to get us home and again they were failing to do so. Why should we have to shell out £5 for their incompetence? The poor lady selling the tickets said we cannot do that we are not allowed. “That’s not good enough” was Andy’s response. “I can get the manager you can talk to him”. The call went out for Tony Ellis the train line manager at St Pancras and guess what he was not there. He chose the time when angry commuters were turning up at the station to go off and see how things were running at Stratford station. His job is to support the passengers and staff. How can he possibly do that if he is not there?

£5 later we were on the train heading home to get in 20 minutes later than we would have if the service was any good. To upset me some more that Southeastern PR machine stepped into high gear. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13935739 “Commuters forcing Southeastern train doors cause delays” The gist of it is on the hottest day of the year so far a train stopped outside Dartford for 3 hours. 

After three hours the people opened the doors and went along the tracks to get some water and stop themselves from dying. If you locked a dog in a car on a summers day for three hours without a window open the RSPCA would be called. So maybe we should stop Southeastern from keeping any people for 5 years they obviously cannot look after them properly. The other thing is how bad is the line that having one train rail turned off in Dartford breaks every bloody train coming in and out of London.

I have my complaint form and will update the blog if I get any response from SouthEastern gobshites 

Nick.

 

State the obvious and not really give any info

At Cannon street this morning the announcer told us we were 10 minutes late.  This was due to 3 minutes stuck outside Orpington and 2 minutes delay in the Tonbridge area.

Ok so that’s 5 minutes covered where were the other 5 then?

Did they just disappear in the tear in the fabric of space and time around London Bridge?

He probably thinks that he is doing a fantastic job for Southeastern, informing the customer regularly of what is happening to their service. Sits back with a cup of tea and a smug grin and thinks that will make their lives better. I have follow procedure 345 in the keep everyone happy manual.

Well not really you just stated the bleeding obvious really; we know we were delayed at Orpington. We do this journey every day and when the train stops for no reason we notice, (oh that’s a new garden or warehouse I am staring at).

Just for a laugh why not have a go at telling us why.  And don’t use the “a car crashed into a bridge” one I have heard that so many times.

I think the reason is not stated because they don’t really know. They are surprised as us when a train turns up on time.

Nick.

Cannon Street has new gates lets use them for no reason.

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According to my wife I can argue with Southeastern about anything. She is right

So I had a little trip from London to Ebbsfleet the other evening. I usually go from London to Ashford but I was meeting in Bluewater so I thought I will get the fast train to Ebbsfleet and get the bus from there. I looked on the Southeastern website for info and this is what it said

UPGRADE + HS – this is shown on a supplement ticket and must be accompanied by a Southeastern ticket that is not valid on high speed services. Please note Earlybird ticket holders are not eligable for a high speed upgrade.

So I thought alright must be valid as there are no other trains that got to Ebbsfleet apart from the High Speed so you can just have a normal ticket to Ebbsfleet to upgrade.

I bought my upgrade at St Pancras, just missed the train (the law of sod strikes again) and sat around for the next 18 minute journey to Ebbsfleet.

I jumped on the next train and sat back for my quick journey. The guard or "onboard assistant" as he announced himself came around checked my ticket punched a hole in it and even looked at my original ticket.

I jumped off at Ebbsfleet the new concrete jungle in Gravesend don't know why they renamed it. Was Gravesend not glamorous enough. I put my ticket into the machine and it just spat it out and didn't open up  the gates. I showed it to one of the 2 guards (not sure what official name they have but I shall call them "gate inspector team twat officers" or Gitto's) . The Gitto looked at my ticket and said can I see your original ticket. I showed him my monthly ticket and he said "that says Ashford, you will need to go to Ashford its not valid" at this point my blood started to boil, Me "That is not what your website says and it wasn't pointed out by the onboard assistant! ". Gitto "I am only going on what our training says sir, it says you have to have a valid ticket to the destination to get an upgrade" . Me "Well I am only going on what your website says!"  Gitto "I am sorry sir you will have to buy a full ticket" Me "no I wont" at this point getting out phone to show him the website. Me "what must I do I look on the site I get my ticket checked on the train and at the end of my journey you tell me I have the wrong ticket, What else can I DO YOU TELL ME!" at this point starting to get agitated . Gitto opens the gate and walks with me to a counter and hands me a complaint form "I am letting you through sir and giving you a complaint form."  ME "you can bet I am going to use it" and off I saunter with a bit of a spring in my step. In my youth I would do a lot to avoid confrontation but now days it makes me feel alive.  Southeastern Tut tut etc. 

Nick.

What the Delay repay means to us.

This is a mail sent to Roger Gale from Mike Gibson from Southeastern to outline what the Delay Repay compensation means to us poor sods who use the rail to get to work.
You will notice that they hope to have it up and running by summer, I will not hold my breath waiting for it to happen. Also I bet it when it happens, us poor plebs who use the service wont be told. It will just slip through quietly.  I plan to use it every time I can as i hope every one will.


Delay – Repay” compensation
Following the announcement last week that Southeastern was to introduce a “delay – repay” compensation scheme, you may have been approached by local rail users asking if the scheme applied to train cancellations. I accordingly thought that a short note outlining how the scheme works might be helpful in dealing with any constituency enquiries.

• The scheme is based on the principle of compensating passengers for a delay in the journey to their final destination of 30 minutes or more. A delay of 30 minutes or more will entitle the passenger to 50% of the single fare, a delay of one hour or more, to 100% of the single fare. So assuming the passenger’s train is cancelled and the next service to their final destination is not for 30 minutes then compensation would apply.

• However should there be another train to that destination, say, 10 or 15 minutes later, and the delay was below 30 minutes, then it would not.

• In the event of a cancellation leading to a missed connection, then again, assuming the delay in arriving at the final destination is 30 minutes or more, then compensation would also apply.

• The deciding factor for compensation is a delay of 30 minutes or more in the journey to the passenger’s final destination.

Introducing the scheme requires amendments to our Passengers’ Charter and we are statutorily required to consult with Passenger Focus and London TravelWatch before doing so. Discussions are currently underway and we expect to have the scheme up and running by the summer.

Dispatches

So did you catch dispatches on channel 4
Richard Wilson was traveling the country to see how shocking the rail service is in this country.
I am disappointed that he didn't say "I don't believe it!!" not once I say it myself at least once a month when I buy a ticket.
There were outraged people talking about how much it costs to get to Manchester from London etc.
I think it focused a bit to much on the easy target of how much it costs to use these crappy trains and not enough on the shoddy service we receive for the huge outlay.

There was a guy Chris who was discussing the SouthEastern performance on how the fairs have risen 13% and the service has got worse and they were insulting people by offering them a £20 Marks and Spencer voucher.
Well I am really insulted not to even get the insulting voucher. I have been complaining for months and have only received two emails which are the same patronising bullshit that they send out all the time. With the according to the passengers charter we don't owe you shit now pissoff! phrased slightly differently but that's the general gist of it.

Nick

Helpful staff at London Bridge

Monday night I was working a bit late.
I got to London Bridge to get the 6:50 train to Ashford, and surprise surprise it was late.
There was no real info about what was going on, as per usual.
Not even an announcement on the 190 decibel speakers they have at London Bridge.
( I would hate to live in one of the flats around there, hearing the drab dull voice of someone saying the blah blah to blah blah is ready to depart on platform 5 in a really loud tinny voice would drive me slowly mad. I think I would get a sniper rifle and take out those speakers at night. Mind you I wouldn't be at the mercy of total waste of time Southeastern.)
The info ( I use the term loosely ) board just had it expected at 6:58 that time came and went no train ah well it should be here soon. I wandered off and had a stroll around looking at the other sad faces standing around waiting to get out of their own little hell. By the time I got back to the board the train had disappeared. Gone like it was never there. Did I go into a coma and miss it I thought. Followed by mother f^&kers they have done it again.
I went off to find one of the helpful guards that hang around to ask where my train went? did it take a wrong turn and get lost?
The very enlightening answer I received was "Err well the 7:19 will be along soon".
What kind of answer is that I ask you. Absolutely bloody useless.
Still on the 7:19 I got to meet some fellow blogger complainers of the Southeastern kind.
i am terribly sorry I have forgotten your name. Comment and I will update if you want to be name checked,
Maybe we should come up for a name for a group of unsatisfied Southeastern commuters.
A gripe of commuters, A Clea of commuters Ideas on a postcard please.

Nick.

82.04% Are they having a laugh.

So now it is the 21st day in January and the closest I have had to getting into a station on time is 3 minutes late. Last night the train I rushed to the station to get was 15 minutes late into the station.

Luckily I couldn't be arsed to stroll far up the platform because the train that turned up was only 4 carriages long not the usual 12. So it was a little cramped on the train. It finally strolled into Ashford like a teenager being taken to the shops by his mum, 28 minutes late.

So how did they come up with the 82.04% figure for trains on time. Last year was appalling as it had the snow in February and the snow in December. which basically made those two months were a no go so how did they manage to get the rest of the year on time?

One of the little tricks they have used is to implement the emergency timetable. This means that the figures for all the trains that would have been cancelled on a normal timetable are not counted.

The other is that they fast link is used even though it's on its own track and is brand new.

There is no accountability for anything when running a rail franchise. They get the government subsidy even if they do nothing they get that. They could change all the trains with those handle push trains and make us pump our arms into work put the price up and still get a subsidy.

There should be some kind of accountability, train later that 30 minutes you can get a refund. 15 minutes late you can get a free ride on the fast train.

I am also pissed off with the complete bullshit explanations' that are sprouted as the train is only 8 carriages due to there being 4 carriages short. WTF thats not an excuse that is stating the f%*king obvious.

Start as you mean to go on.

So this morning was my first day back at work after a nice relaxing Christmas/New Year break.
The first shock I had was the cost of my ticket. I have to put up with a 13% increase. So the service will be at least 13% better wont it. Hahaha.

Then the fun started. My train the 6:57 was delayed by 7 minutes according to the mechanical woman announcement the next train into London was the 7:22 and that was cancelled. a couple of other trains appeared on the board then my train just disappeared from the list. WTF were my words. I strolled off up the platform to find a hi vis wearing womble to find out what was going on. They are hard to find when anything goes wrong they scurry off to their hole very quickly. "Where is my train?" response "Err not sure we seem to have lost it, I think that one there might be it" How the F$*k can you loose a  train. I put it down over there and it seems to have fallen down the back of the sofa..... Good to see that the communication that they were talking about on the news is working. Finally a train pulled in. It was my train, that surprised not just me but the guards running the platforms as well. It finally got into London 28 minutes late. Then on the way home I was delayed another 20 minutes. I dont think they are 82% on time in my book so far this year for me its been 100% delayed, Fail!!!!!

I wrote a complaint on the contact us thing at southeastern shysters web site I doubt I will get a response but I am going to fill one out each time I am delayed and reference each complaint I have filled out.
One thing I would like is to get hold of  Charles Horton's mobile number. I would ring him every time his trains were delayed and ask him if I have pissed him off as much as he pisses me off every day.

Nick