I'm on a Virgin Train right now.... Its a disgrace

[gazza285]

Integroo said:

98elise said:

So what does re-nationalisation bring to the party?

Stops hundreds of millions going into Branson's etc. pocket?

Is someone making a profit out of providing a better service something that annoys you? Everything that is wrong with rail transport today was worse when it was nationalised.

[monkfish1]

Integroo said:

Anyone up for a good old bit of nationalisation? Private ownership clearly ain't working.

You dont understand the current structure then.

Network rail IS nationalised, and the train operators dont do anything without consent or instruction from the department for transport. They are franchises let by the DaFT

Claiming its private is just a handy means for the DaFT to deflect blame.

[Integroo]

monkfish1 said:

You dont understand the current structure then.

Network rail IS nationalised, and the train operators dont do anything without consent or instruction from the department for transport. They are franchises let by the DaFT

Claiming its private is just a handy means for the DaFT to deflect blame.

I understand the structure perfectly well, thank you very much.

[Integroo]

gazza285 said:

Is someone making a profit out of providing a better service something that annoys you? Everything that is wrong with rail transport today was worse when it was nationalised.

No, but the service they are providing is appalling and not good value.

[Integroo]

nikaiyo2 said:

Still a thousand times better than when they were nationalised.

It isn't the early 90s anymore.

[monkfish1]

Integroo said:

No, but the service they are providing is appalling and not good value.

It is, because thats what they are contracted to do. By the DFT. The public body responsible for railways. You claim to understand, but you dont really do you?

Or are you just making glib "nationalisation" comments to provoke a reaction?

[anonymous-user]

Trains are st, why not move freight onto the railways, recognising it is an inferior form of transport and keep the roads free of trucks.

I hate trains. Why are they so fecking expensive and yet the quality of service is so terrible?

[monkfish1]

Schmed said:

Trains are st, why not move freight onto the railways, recognising it is an inferior form of transport and keep the roads free of trucks.

I hate trains. Why are they so fecking expensive and yet the quality of service is so terrible?

At the risk of repeating my post above, "because government".

[MitchT]

Baby Shark doo doo doo doo said:

Could be worse

I was going to say that's like Northern Rail, but it's not. Northern Rail trains don't have as many carriages.

[bloomen]

Schmed said:

I hate trains. Why are they so fecking expensive and yet the quality of service is so terrible?

It does depend on where you are. In the SW as long as you stay below Somerset they're cheap as chips. A day trip to St Ives is about £21 and 160 miles ish each way.

As soon as you head up country it all falls apart. It's less distance to Brum but £98.

[Krikkit]

bloomen said:

Schmed said:

I hate trains. Why are they so fecking expensive and yet the quality of service is so terrible?

It does depend on where you are. In the SW as long as you stay below Somerset they're cheap as chips. A day trip to St Ives is about £21 and 160 miles ish each way.

As soon as you head up country it all falls apart. It's less distance to Brum but £98.

And worse! Chester to Manchester is nearly £20! Crazy.

[Integroo]

monkfish1 said:

It is, because thats what they are contracted to do. By the DFT. The public body responsible for railways. You claim to understand, but you dont really do you?

Or are you just making glib "nationalisation" comments to provoke a reaction?

I do understand. I have done work for both NR and TOCs. You're not trying to falsely paint the relationship as one of straight subcontractor, are you?

[Digger]

Baby Shark doo doo doo doo said:

Could be worse

What’s the price of the average 1st class ticket?

[ApOrbital]

Not much by the look of that lot,£200 from mk to liverpool.

[And then she]

Alucidnation said:

HannsG said:

I keep thinking first class is full of Remain voters, don't see many coloured people like me in there. Will I be safe?

Oh no... I used that term beginning with C.

Jesus fking Christ.

The OP has a long and proud tradition of being a total numpty.

[craigjm]

Schmed said:

Trains are st, why not move freight onto the railways, recognising it is an inferior form of transport and keep the roads free of trucks.

I hate trains. Why are they so fecking expensive and yet the quality of service is so terrible?

Because we don’t have train tracks at warehouses these days. Logistics is built for road. Why don’t you propose we go back to using the canals to free up the roads at the same time

[Magnum 475]

Alucidnation said:

HannsG said:

I keep thinking first class is full of Remain voters, don't see many coloured people like me in there. Will I be safe?

Oh no... I used that term beginning with C.

Jesus fking Christ.

Exactly this - I wanted to respond to this comment, but couldn't find the words.

[w8pmc]

Magnum 475 said:

Virgin West Coast Pendolino,

1st class - great. Plenty of room, OK-ish food, comfy.

Standard class - ste. Cramped seats that many people don't fit in properly, if you can even get a seat at all.

Answer: make sure your employer will pay for 1st, or move to a job that will.

This (although without the move job bit).

I use Richard's train set most weeks for a Wigan-Euston return & make sure in all but the most extreme circumstances that i'm sat in the nice seats as if i choose an Advance First ticket & book more than a week in advance, the price difference between that & an off peak Standard Class ticket is negligible & in some cases less.

It does mean however that peak times are a no-no & every now & again i end up travelling the day before in the afternoon & staying over (usually always still cheaper than taking peak Standard class trains).

[Podie]

Got a Voyager this morning... on time, had a table of 4 seats to myself in cattle class. Don't get what the fuss is...

[monkfish1]

Integroo said:

I do understand. I have done work for both NR and TOCs. You're not trying to falsely paint the relationship as one of straight subcontractor, are you?

No, but in many cases its not that far off. The TOC's, certainly the newer let franchises do not have freedom to operate as most normal businesses do. Take the new IEP trains. The TOC HAS to use them, however crap and not fit for purpose they may be. As i said earlier, the TOC takes the flak, but really, its a result of DaFT's decisions (as tonker explains)

And a large chunk of todays railway issues, again, as tonker explains, are network rail, and that is nationalised. And it is utterly unfit for purpose. So your suggestion of "nationalisation" as a solution doesnt really stand up. You should be a newspaper editor..................