ariotofmyown Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 We should just close all the railways down. We'll all by flying everywhere in helicopters soon enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 All public transport should be run for the benefit of, well, the public. Its proven that cheap (or free) public transport is a benefit for the economy as a whole. It goes against the profit driven thinking but people who travel tend to spend money on their way and when they get there. On race days at Uttoxeter they never put an extra coach on the train service. Its bonkers. There's often fights on the platforms after a race meeting because people can't squeeze on the trains to Derby or Stoke/Crewe. If train companies had to make a profit from customers they'd put an extra coach or two on for a couple of hours before or after each meeting. They obviously get government handouts for their shareholders without having to provide a service to satisfy their customers. Boycie, Cb1289, Alan Ramage 4 EVA and 4 others 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Sagan Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 12 hours ago, Grumpy Git said: Night games are the worst if like me, you live 100+ miles from Derby. Basically a non-starter. What a poor survey. This is a key point for me that stops me going to any night games at Pride Park - you can't even get back to London afterwards. Yet there was nowhere to raise the issue. 1of4 and SKRam 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1of4 Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 33 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said: What a poor survey. This is a key point for me that stops me going to any night games at Pride Park - you can't even get back to London afterwards. Yet there was nowhere to raise the issue. Yep, fully agree a very poor survey. Not sure what this survey is trying to achieve. If it's looking at how the rail industry can encourage more football fans to travel to games by train. Then it failed miserably. Carl Sagan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anag Ram Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 6 hours ago, uttoxram75 said: All public transport should be run for the benefit of, well, the public. Its proven that cheap (or free) public transport is a benefit for the economy as a whole. It goes against the profit driven thinking but people who travel tend to spend money on their way and when they get there. On race days at Uttoxeter they never put an extra coach on the train service. Its bonkers. There's often fights on the platforms after a race meeting because people can't squeeze on the trains to Derby or Stoke/Crewe. If train companies had to make a profit from customers they'd put an extra coach or two on for a couple of hours before or after each meeting. They obviously get government handouts for their shareholders without having to provide a service to satisfy their customers. The Cross Country service I rely upon on Saturdays runs from Plymouth to Aberdeen and so is catering for people travelling to and from family (often students) plus an array of football fans. So how do they respond? By putting on five coaches! By definition, some are travelling for five or six hours but there’s rarely a trolley service due to ‘staff shortages’. We play a regular game where I pay them, then wait to claim back some of that money because they were late arriving. Our rail service is shocking, except of course for the London commuter trains which politicians are most likely to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crewton Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 The last two posts illustrate what happened with my train on the way back from Exeter last week. It was supposed to be a 5 coach train from Plymouth, but they were a coach short - hence, some people without seat reservations had to stand because they "dropped" the unreserved coach. At Bristol, two trains to Manchester half an hour either side of ours had been cancelled due to a shortage of staff owing to a broken rail north of Brum preventing them getting to Bristol in time. . So all the passengers from the earlier train, and those from the later train who'd arrived early for their train were directed onto our already crowded, undersized train in order to pick up another connection at Birmingham. Even after Birmingham, it was standing room only until I got off at Derby. Miraculously, the train arrived pretty much on time, so the only compensation for passengers who'd endured a really unpleasant journey was 5% of the ticket price if they hadn't been able to get to their reserved seat. Rail travel in the UK is fast becoming like those images you see of overcrowded trains in India. Strikes are simply adding another level of disruption to passengers. The government and train operators aren't being inconvenienced at all as far as I can see, which is why the dispute hasn't been resolved yet. SKRam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cb1289 Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 I still cannot fathom how the people who set the train prices think that £225 for a return ticket to London from Derby is a reasonable price to pay. I know you can get it cheaper by booking specific train tickets a few weeks in advance but this is rarely practical and doesn't exactly encourage people to use the service. Crewton, 1of4 and SKRam 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Ram Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 We tried it once, to a home game. We wanted to get on the Matlock train and it was cancelled. So a packed platform with disgruntled Derby fans then a crammed railcar running an hour late put me off ever doing it again. By the time we got home the dog was crossing his legs! Boycie and SKRam 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Git Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 (edited) 8 hours ago, uttoxram75 said: They obviously get government handouts for their shareholders without having to provide a service to satisfy their customers. Utch, as I pointed-out in my earlier post, when Covid struck, the government guaranteed the TOC's (Train Operating Companies) income, by paying them a set amount, with ALL the money from ticket sales now going directly to the government instead of the TOC. So the TOC's don't give a feck whether the train has one passenger or is packed, they get the same either way, thus have absolutely ZERO incentive to put on extra carriages. Privatise the profits and nationalise the losses. Covid has made a few Tory donors extremely wealthy via varoius routes. Another bugbear of mine is the term 'customer', it's just marketing bullcarp, we're passengers FFS. 😡 Edited February 21 by Grumpy Git SKRam, uttoxram75 and archram 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Ramage 4 EVA Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 (edited) 20 hours ago, Returning ram said: 26 quid for two to Barnsley Saturday, not bad at all. Just makes a change for them not to be on strike. It should be straight forward TO Barnsley .But getting home is the problem ,EVERY time I go to Oakwell the return journey is mad .Starts by the lovely South Yorkshire p**s ,sorry police Kettling us all in for around 30 minutes ,then cramming everyone on one train ,causing overcrowding .Not fair on the public travelling and not attending football, the train calls at Meadowhall as well ,so Saturday afternoon shoppers get a shock . Surely with 5000(a large number travelling by rail)) Rams fans a football special would be an advantage for footy fans, train staff, the local c**tsabulary and the general public? Edited February 21 by Alan Ramage 4 EVA SKRam, uttoxram75, Rev and 1 other 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Git Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 10 hours ago, CBRammette said: It also makes me "smile" when a factual comment on why trains hadnt been used to get to a match with zero comment on the rights or wrongs of striking leads to rant to said poster Apologies CBR, it was not aimed at you, but I admit it did come across like that. 😳 CBRammette 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadAmster Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 20 hours ago, Kathcairns said: I would ask them politely for the seat. As would I but people preferred to stand rather than risk embarrassment or an argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angieram Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 (edited) Today's Martin Lewis poll. 37,000 votes so far and 92% in favour of re-nationalisation of railways. Says everything you need to know about the crap services we get. Edited February 21 by angieram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKHunter Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 11 hours ago, ariotofmyown said: We should just close all the railways down. We'll all by flying everywhere in helicopters soon enough. You must be rishi sunak. SKRam and ariotofmyown 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamworthram Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 26 minutes ago, angieram said: Today's Martin Lewis poll. 37,000 votes so far and 92% in favour of re-nationalisation of railways. Says everything you need to know about the crap services we get. Although I commuted daily by train to London for a year, then Birmingham for 3 years followed by Manchester for 3 months, I was one of the lucky ones. Whilst over that period of time there were the occasional delays and cancellations, by and large they ran on time (well, within 10 minutes or so) and I usually got a seat (although the Birmingham train was usually very full). The big negative for me is the cost. Not just the train but also parking. £9.10 for a daily ticket. That’s nearly as much as the actual return ticket to Birmingham. If I caught a train to Derby for home games it would cost me £17.20 for the train plus £6.40 if I parked at the station. There is no way it costs me nearly £24 to drive to Derby and back plus parking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Git Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Driving to Derby and back (~200 miles) would cost me about £33 in fuel and say £5 parking. Train fare (split tickets) off peak is ~£17 return, plus as much beer as my bladder can take. SKRam, SKHunter and cstand 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Spalding Ram Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 1 hour ago, angieram said: Today's Martin Lewis poll. 37,000 votes so far and 92% in favour of re-nationalisation of railways. Says everything you need to know about the crap services we get. Saturday match, my house at 10.45, bus to Spalding, 11.23 to Derby ( change at P/boro & Leicester) arriving at Derby 13.27. ….17.50 from Derby to Spalding (change at Nottingham & Sleaford) arriving at 20.27 and all for just £33, then home for a chippy supper at 9 o’clock. Midweek, no chance……….A16/A52 👍😁 A Football Supporters Association poll morphing into a political point scoring thread. ………………Who’d a thought it. SKRam, angieram, cstand and 1 other 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angieram Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 Interesting responses from those of you that use railways regularly, you seem fairly content with the prices and service. But factor in a second person, and the road prices always work out much cheaper. I travel with a partner, and rail just isn't an affordable option for us. Not to mention the overcrowding, lack of facilities, cancellations etc. Cb1289 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Git Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 I should have added, my Old Grumpy Gits Senior Railcard makes a big difference (-34% discount). I've also got a great local rail service and free off-peak travel (trains and buses) for all over 60's in our area, which helps a lot. angieram and Old Spalding Ram 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Git Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 7 minutes ago, angieram said: Interesting responses from those of you that use railways regularly, you seem fairly content with the prices and service. But factor in a second person, and the road prices always work out much cheaper. I travel with a partner, and rail just isn't an affordable option for us. Not to mention the overcrowding, lack of facilities, cancellations etc. With a "Two together" railcard, my journey would still be no more expensive than driving just taking fuel into account, (without any parking charges). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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