Public Transport in your particular part of the region

[Pete]

Well that's the Scotrail system. I suppose it also somewhat disguises the fact they're constantly changing between different companies

[thegeek]

I suppose the current system keeps the vinyl sticker manufacturers in business.

I think I'm right in saying that the next franchise transfer is at the end of May, which will see a handful of Abellio Greater Anglia services passing to TfL: the Lea Valley Lines (Liverpool Street to Chingford and Cheshunt) and the funny little stub from Romford to Upminister transfer to London Overground; and Liverpool Street to Shenfield will be run by MTR Crossrail under the TfL Rail brand - an interim measure until the central tunnel section is open.

[WillPS]

Virgin East Coast seem to have wasted no time in slapping a big Virgin sticker on the locos of the 125s. The carriages still say East Coast.

Interesting they're going to spend £21 million tarting up the 125s and 225s despite the 800s coming in a few years. I wonder if it'll be with a plan of keeping these longer or whether its just a tart up to make it look like they're doing something after "public sector neglect"

£21m isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things. By the time you've taken the seat assemblies and what not out, recarpeted and reupholstered everything across the fleet you've probably not got much change left. It's a testament to GNER that their refurb was of such a good quality it's still looking good 10 years on.

[scottishtv]

I think I'm right in saying that the next franchise transfer is at the end of May.

The next change is the aforementioned ScotRail franchise which switches from First to Abellio from 1st April.

In addition, the Caledonian Sleeper services will no longer be part of the ScotRail franchise, instead managed as a stand-alone franchise from 1st April. These will switch from First to Serco.

[Alexia]

Indeed. Rather nice shade of greeny blue they've adopted.

https://www.sleeper.scot/

[cwathen]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33331772
Another week, another 48 hour rail strike voted for - now the 3rd one in just over a month. This time, it's because FGW have proposed to have driver operated doors and replace buffet cars with trollies when the ICEs start displacing the HSTs in a couple of years. The RMT is playing it's usual 'public safety' card in case the 'safety competent guard' is replaced with a 'customer service role' as a result of expecting the driver to operate the doors, which I rather suspect is actually a fear that FGW won't continue to pay stupid money and provide free travel in exchange for not doing very much. Is it me, or are railway workers determined to strike over something this year?

[scottishtv]

Abellio is trying to bring to an end the practice of ScotRail drivers volunteering to work on Sundays. Needless to say, the volunteering has stopped suddenly in reaction to this: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/sundays

[cwathen]

Abellio is trying to bring to an end the practice of ScotRail drivers volunteering to work on Sundays. Needless to say, the volunteering has stopped suddenly in reaction to this: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/sundays

I take it this is more 'how dare you try and force us to work on a sunday so that you can guarantee the public the availability of public transport on a Sunday' bullshit. Honestly, I don't understand why if the railway workforce feels so put upon and so badly treated that they don't just leave and do something else. Believe me, the grass is not greener anywhere else, and there are plenty of people who would gladly queue up to work on the railway in order to get the pay they have for the jobs they do and the perks that go with it (like their free travel). I suspect they don't leave because they know that. Indeed, as a train geek I went through a phase of actively trying to work on the railway, but found it impossible to access as turnover is so low despite it apparently being an appalling place to work. No doubt now I'd never be welcome since I'm not suitably pro-union.

I am fed up of having my commute to work being at risk of being fucked up for 2 days every time that lot throw their toys out of the pram.

[WillPS]

Cwathen, you are the epitomy of all that is wrong with our society. You clearly have the attitude that if you personally do not understand why something is needed then it must obviously be a waste of money.

It's insulting, frankly, and is the reason why every public service is being fucked over ruthlessly by the government and their mates in the private sector with idiots like you on the sidelines cheering them on.

You also clearly have a chip on your shoulder about how much you're paid - if it bothers you that much then fuck off and get a better job, honestly. I hear the role of conductor/guard/train manager pays well, but you do have to do some pretty mental hours, deal with some pretty mental people and do some pretty dangerous things.

[WillPS]

Abellio is trying to bring to an end the practice of ScotRail drivers volunteering to work on Sundays. Needless to say, the volunteering has stopped suddenly in reaction to this: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/sundays

I take it this is more 'how dare you try and force us to work on a sunday so that you can guarantee the public the availability of public transport on a Sunday' bullshit. Honestly, I don't understand why if the railway workforce feels so put upon and so badly treated that they don't just leave and do something else. Believe me, the grass is not greener anywhere else, and there are plenty of people who would gladly queue up to work on the railway in order to get the pay they have for the jobs they do and the perks that go with it (like their free travel). I suspect they don't leave because they know that. Indeed, as a train geek I went through a phase of actively trying to work on the railway, but found it impossible to access as turnover is so low despite it apparently being an appalling place to work. No doubt now I'd never be welcome since I'm not suitably pro-union.

I am fed up of having my commute to work being at risk of being fucked up for 2 days every time that lot throw their toys out of the pram.

Worry not, as my sources assure me ScotRail do not serve any stations in the South West of England.

[cwathen]

Cwathen, you are the epitomy of all that is wrong with our society. You clearly have the attitude that if you personally do not understand why something is needed then it must obviously be a waste of money.

Woah, woah, woah. I did realise that commenting on a rail strike was likely to 'stir strong views' and I was waiting for Alexia (whose views I will consider, since he does actually work within the industry) or you to come sweeping in with bitter resentment. I am big enough to take criticism. But your comments are offensive in the extreme.

You know nothing about me other than I'm a capitalist who sometimes posts strong views in an internet forum. You have no idea what contributions to society I make or what sacrifices for people I have made. That notwithstanding, you honestly believe that a strong-willed capitalist represents 'the epitomy of all that is wrong with our society'? If you actually believe that, you are either an idiot, or (what I believe is more likely) you are trying to impose your left wing idealist take on the world on everyone else, and branding anyone who doesn't share your view as an unenlightened fool. Essentially you are doing what you accuse me of, you just come from the other direction.

I am not pathetic enough to go crying to moderators for you to be banned or warned or have your posts deleted, but for that comment I would ask you to be big enough to accept you went too far and apologise.

You also clearly have a chip on your shoulder about how much you're paid - if it bothers you that much then fuck off and get a better job, honestly.

In my time I have been bothered by what I've been paid...so I did fuck off and get a better job. My point (not just in this post, but in others) is that having experienced the horrors of a retail work environment where staff are more or less expected to be married to a business in exchange for low wages and poor conditions, I don't see that the railway is such a bad place to work.

I hear the role of conductor/guard/train manager pays well, but you do have to do some pretty mental hours, deal with some pretty mental people and do some pretty dangerous things.

Which would be the whole point...they deal with all that shit so they are well paid in return. If they didn't have to do that, it would be hard to justify jobs like guards and station staff to be worth any more than minimum wage. What I don't understand, is that they (and I appreciate it's very easy to generalise 'they' - and I've been guilty of it myself, but then if you are willing to let a union speak for you than generalisations will occur) never seem to be happy. They are always appalled by everything ever proposed, they always need more money, everything's always a disgrace due to their management.

I honestly believe the RMT and the TSSA would not be happy with anything less than every decision made by a TOC or Network Rail to be run by them first for approval.

Do I have a right to moan about the 3rd proposed rail strike in barely over a month? Absolutely. I use the rail network extensively, I travel all over it for work (and I commute to work at that) and leisure. There are very few days in the year I don't make at least one train journey and I pay thousands of pounds a year doing so. Whether or not it is privatised, the railway is a public service in receipt of huge government subsidies provided by the taxpayer, as well as the public personally coughing up huge sums of money to use it. As such, we have a right to expect it to be available and not be constantly at risk of it being closed because the staff aren't happy or be told that certain things (such as sunday running) are only possible due to staff co-operation and others (such as boxing day services) can't happen due to a lack of staff willingness in the face of public demand. I have an honest belief that the railway exists for the benefit of those who use it, not those who work on it. Those who do work on it are suitably compensated by having a well paid job and if they aren't happy with that compensation they should go and work somewhere else rather than constantly try and battle with their employers - and if they did that I rather suspect they'd find that the railway wasn't so bad a place to work after all.

In your idea of a utopian society which would be at odds with that, how do you think it should work?