|
Pages: [1] 2
|
 |
|
 Author
|
Topic: It's just the same between Reading and Paddington..... (Read 7382 times)
|
|
C Shearn
|
Having moved from Bath to Reading, it's the same old story......
At first I bought first class tickets to get a seat..... no seats so I thought I might as well buy a standard ticket if I'm standing for 35 - 45 mins. I then bought an upgrade when a seat was available in First, only to be arrested for fare evasion at Reading and held for 1 1/2 hrs at the barrier in freezing conditions. It cost me £900 in fines and fees to avoid a criminal conviction.
I want to rip the heads off the FGW management & staff - I guess many people who have registed here will share my level of frustration with the company
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Graham Ellis
|
Indeed, there's a very great deal of frustration with the company! It would be dangerous for me to comment on any specific case, but overall I agree with the operating companies enforcing fare collection. Having said that, they need to ensure that their systems are such that they're fair, that the customers can easily understand and work their systems, and if there's any doubt as to the whether a customer had broken the rule intentionally or by accident, it should be rapidly be treated as an accidental transgression and the matter closed. I'm not convinced that First group's policy is to be fair and compassionate - I see a great deal of evidence to suggest that they put maximising income, minimising expenditure, and so increasing profit and dividends higher up their scale. Their annual report talks about increasing shareholder dividends by 10% per annum, on the back of (amongst other things) fare rises. Of course, in other documents fare rises are talked about as funding service improvements and there's probably an element of both. They're the incumbent company, though. And I believe that our best way forward as passengers / users of the train service is to work with them, learn what makes them tick and see if we can establish mutual goals which we can then achieve. Better the devil you know that the devil you don't. On that basis, for example, I'm liaising with First with regard to a single extra carriage to run every two hour between Swindon and Westbury from later this year. Getting them income, getting us a train service. Such a train (there are 4 of them lying idle in the sidings at Eastleigh!) would make a HUGE difference for travellers from Trowbridge (county town) to Swindon, from Chippenham to Salisbury, and from Melksham to anywhere, and the scale of the problems / issues show elsewhere on this forum prove just how cheap it would be for FGW to do it in comparison with other issues. But we have a danger if we push on the door in the wrong way of pissing operartors and the DfT off, and having them conclude that next time they mothball trains, they'll be careful to store them out of public view  |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Lee
|
They're the incumbent company, though. And I believe that our best way forward as passengers / users of the train service is to work with them, learn what makes them tick and see if we can establish mutual goals which we can then achieve. Better the devil you know that the devil you don't. On that basis, for example, I'm liaising with First with regard to a single extra carriage to run every two hour between Swindon and Westbury from later this year. Getting them income, getting us a train service. Such a train (there are 4 of them lying idle in the sidings at Eastleigh!) would make a HUGE difference for travellers from Trowbridge (county town) to Swindon, from Chippenham to Salisbury, and from Melksham to anywhere, and the scale of the problems / issues show elsewhere on this forum prove just how cheap it would be for FGW to do it in comparison with other issues. But we have a danger if we push on the door in the wrong way of pissing operartors and the DfT off, and having them conclude that next time they mothball trains, they'll be careful to store them out of public view I think a balance has to be struck. While I agree that we have to positively engage with FGW / DfT , NOT pointing out that there is a problem risks our views being ignored completely. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
penman
|
I commute everyday from Reading to Paddington and the standard of service one receives at Reading Station in the morning is shockingly abyssmal .
I have travelled in third world countries and have received much better treatment.
The indicator boards always claim that the trains are on time even when that time has long past .
The announcers never mention let alone say sorry about the delays.
The staff hide away from the commuters and are extremely rude and ignorant .
The lifts to station concourse generally smelll of human urine and waste.
When the train does arrive the staff are only concerned with pandering to the first class passengers.
First Great Western have a slogan "Transforming Travel", which they do in a particularly disgusting and revolting manner
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
WyvusArconius
|
From Lee: I think a balance has to be struck. While I agree that we have to positively engage with FGW / DfT , NOT pointing out that there is a problem risks our views being ignored completely.
I agree. Whilst positive dialogue is needed, FGW MUST be held accountable for their shortcomings. No operator/Govt Dept has the right to ride rough shod over everyone and get away with it. Surely it is in their interests to take our views on board, and make improvments where needed. Otherwise, it would be the metaphorical equivilent of opening a shop and then swearing loudly at everyone who comes in... Bad for your reputation and not good business sense. Lets keep making noise! Daniel |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Graham Ellis
|
I agree with so many of the comments - yes - keep making noise, but keep maiking it fairly. We cannot blame First for "everything", and we shouldn't look to being agressive and forcing a fight unless necessary. But, yes, I look wryly at "transforming travel" too, Penman, and understand that in Melksham it means getting on the bus and walking across Chippenham where there used to be an afternnon trains - that's 10 minutes from leaving Melksham to leaving Chippenham expanded to about an hour (20 mins bus, 20 mins walk, 20 mins wait for train).
You would think it was in their interest to look after their customers, wouldn't you? But perhaps we're not the customers they want. Commuters are expensive because they all want to use the trains at the same time of day, and the trains then are underused for the following 8 hours. And ex-Wessex passengers pay around 20p per mile, whereas main line passengers travelling long distances pay over 50p per mile. And more of them are carried per train, too. Looking for a profit? Which customer groups would YOU want to keep happy, especially if the other groups end up using your company's buses anyway!
Two things I recall.
I recall being told that the Twingo car (was it Renualt?) got the thumbs down from more than half the people who looked at the design before it was released. But the company carried on anyway and it was a roaring success because the othe people LOVED it. And it train terms, First want the long distance lucrative traffic.
And I recall Alison Forster addressing TravelWatch in Taunto last April; proud of the new frachise, she was telling us how they had identified that there are an extra 1.5 people who would be willing to travel by train on their expresses for every 1 who travels at the moment, with appropriate marketing. In other words, they're looking to more than double their main like takings. I think she had the term "Non user, none objector"s or Nunos, but that was a while back and I may be wrong.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Graham Ellis
|
I knew I had seen this somewhere. A report of a conversation with the Regional Manager for FGW in our region, confirming that they have no intention of leasing more trains for peak services: He predicatbly said that FGW could lease more coaches but as they are a commercial company, they will not do this because they would not genereate revenue for most of the day. . So "Tough, you're going to be overcrowded if you travel in the peak", I think?? And a confirmation that the traffic they're going after is the stuff that speads itself out through the day, bu***r the commuter. (See 10th Jan post by tonya in this thread for context of the comments) |
|
|
|
« Last Edit: January 14, 2007, 09:18:18 AM by Graham Ellis »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Graz
|
So those trains just sitting at Eastleigh are going to be rusting away (or sold to someone else) because FGW don't care about its passengers, the state of its local services, nor the timetable improvements that could be brought about with these, and other trains if a little money was spent to lease them. It's just sad. Although have they considered that by leasing more trains, more people would travel = more revenue?
I bet the DFT just see this, sit back and smile with the smug satisfaction of knowing they don't have to get involved with anything. Of course, they could provide some financial grants to FGW for extra trains on the network- but they won't.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Graham Ellis
|
But .. you know ... I can understand the need to make best use of resources and not having them sit idle through the day. It's always been a problem, and with the current systems and rules making everything so expensive when running a train service, it becomes critical and it does beome commercially important for the company to try to spread the load as best as it can. IMHO (and the HO of others), they may have gone rather too far.
Yet .... every cloud has a silver lining. My interest is in Swindon - Westbury, with no peak hour or day time service what so ever since December. And our "please run a train from 05:45 to mid evening, every two hours" DOES push the right buttons with the First statement. A rare, rare piece of good news that we should capitalise on. And, yes, First ARE lloking seriously at the timetabling and financing aspects of this.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Fat Cat
|
Sir,
An excellent site, and your users are practical people, who know this whole debacle is about money.
Did they know, that a Director of Great Western Trains Company Ltd (one of the companies through which the FGW franchise has been run) in the year ended 31 March 2006 had total emoluments (pay plus bonuses plus benefits) of £391,000, down from £431,000 in 2005. This information is available from the company accounts, which cost £1 from the website of Companies House. Now looking at the accounts of First Group plc, this person doesn't appear to be Dean Finch, who is on both companies boards. It is possible that this person is Alison Forster - if so it is an amazing amount of money for running a monopoly type business, which debatably requires little entreprenurial skill.
It appears to me the only way to run such an organisation profitably (and get the reward!) is to keep costs down by packing shorter trains, and thus keep the dividend flowing to First Group plc - last year it was £24.5m. Passenger income was £346m, so in effect £1 out of every £14 the passenger paid went to the shareholders!
Ask yourself where the money is going to come from to keep fuding these dividends, and paying a premium to the Government? I can guess!!!
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Lee
|
I knew I had seen this somewhere. A report of a conversation with the Regional Manager for FGW in our region, confirming that they have no intention of leasing more trains for peak services: He predicatbly said that FGW could lease more coaches but as they are a commercial company, they will not do this because they would not genereate revenue for most of the day. . So "Tough, you're going to be overcrowded if you travel in the peak", I think?? And a confirmation that the traffic they're going after is the stuff that speads itself out through the day, bu***r the commuter. (See 10th Jan post by tonya in this thread for context of the comments) I argued in an earlier post that this principle could work the other way round / be taken even further (quote below) Here is a link to the JSPTU Rail Vision. http://www.jsptu-avon.gov.uk/publications/documents/railstrategy.pdfYou will notice from the Figure B map on page 5 of the link above that only certain stations were proposed to be served by First Great Western. The rest were proposed to be served by a "future local service TOC." Does anyone honestly believe that such a TOC will be set up? The signs dont look good to me. Here is a quote from the from the JSPTU Rail Vision. "The strategy is to promote an increase in rail use in offpeak periods that will increase train utilisation sufficiently to effect a steady reduction in external financial support. Because the stimulus of regular traffic congestion will not be here to move travellers from cars, the Councils will need to co-operate with train operators and community groups to build and market an attractive service." I could not agree more. However , if a process of cutting services is embarked upon , then less passengers will use them. My belief that the current round of cuts mark the start of a continuing process is strengthened by these quotes from the Terms of the Greater Western Franchise Agreement : "1.1 The Franchisee shall, as and when reasonably requested by the Secretary of State, provide information to the Secretary of State on the extent of the use by passengers of the Passenger Services. In particular and when so requested, the Franchisee shall provide information relating to: (a) the number of passengers travelling in each class of accommodation: (i) on each Passenger Service; (ii) on each Route; and/or (iii) at any station or between any stations; and (b) the times of the day, week or year at which passengers travel." 1.3 The information specified in paragraph 1.1 shall be provided by the Franchisee: (a) in such format and to such level of disaggregation as the Secretary of State may reasonably require in order to assist the Secretary of State’s decision-making on future service level commitments, infrastructure, station and rolling stock vehicle investment, the best use of the network and the alleviation of overcrowding." Contributors to this forum have already witnessed such surveys being carried out. An example can be found in the link below. http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=249.msg659#msg659The DfT have lodged a complaint with the ORR about the prices being charged for leasing rolling stock (link below.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5123898.stmHowever , you need to bear in mind that , whatever the cost of hiring a unit , neither the DfT or First are likely to allow it to lie idle for large parts of the day while it waits to form a skeleton "essential" service. They are very likely to withdraw such services instead. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Graham Ellis
|
However , you need to bear in mind that , whatever the cost of hiring a unit , neither the DfT or First are likely to allow it to lie idle for large parts of the day while it waits to form a skeleton "essential" service.
They are very likely to withdraw such services instead. Agreed. The more open door to push on is the one that has a unit running from 05:45 throough to 21:30, and carries fare paying passengers who would otherwise clog the roads or not travel at all on every journey. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
PennyF
|
I have been using the Reading to Paddington line for the last 18 months and have noticed a sharp deterioration in service since late last year - presumably related to the cuts in service further out West. The trains seem to be more packed than ever before. This morning I finally cracked.
I am used to standing for the duration (I long ago gave up even trying to get a seat) but this morning the aisles in the first class carriages and the vestibules in between on the 7.35 were more packed than I have ever seen before. Being pregnant I tend to keel over if standing for more than around 15 minutes and sure enough I started to feel faint. Normally I would just sit on the floor. This morning it was so packed that I didn't even have the room to turn to sit down. I managed to crouch down for a few minutes to prevent completely passing out. When I finally made it to Paddington and my ticket wouldn't go through the barrier causing me more delay in attracting the attention of the one guard manning said barrier.
"Why so angry?" he said. I couldn't quite bring myself to reply. This is the latest in a long line of defective trains, go slows, breathtaking overcrowding, surly staff and of course, constant increases in the price of my season ticket.
Anyone else up for a fares strike on the Reading to Paddington stretch?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Graham Ellis
|
Penny, I know how you feel ... I travelled up to London with FGW yesterday evening. Ticket trouble (wrong ticket issues - single at 41 pound rather than return at 42). Conductor says "go to ticket office to get it sorted at Paddington". Excess fares clerk says "Can't do that here" and lets me out through the barrier, directing me to the ticket office. Seated behind bullet proof glass (I wonder why!), ticket clerk says "Too late - you've used it") and I've no option but to spend more money to get home.
Frankly, I feel cheated by FGW.
And my story is, perhaps, different to many others - but it's of the same style and genre as so many other tales. It turned into a very expensive evening - it would have been far cheaper (and far less harmful to the blood pressure) for me to have driven.
[rant]
Did you know ... 1 pound of every 14 paid to FGW goes back up the chain and on to their shareholders? And that their franchise payment of 1.1 billion pounds is the equivalent to a fee (tax?) of 2 pounds on every passenger arriving into and leaving from Paddington for the 10 years?
Did you know that they cancelled all 4 out of 4 services on the Swindon to Westbury line yesterday, leaving Melksham without a single stopping service. Line problems? Not really - they showed that the line WAS functional by diverting a couple of expresses over it!
[/rant]
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Graz
|
^ If that happened to me, I would have demanded a refund, or failing that ask to speak to the station manager. I'm not normally so outspoken - but that is nothing less than daylight robbery!
Penny, I can sympathise with you. It proves that the West isn't the only area FGW have got wrong- Reading passengers are also suffering at the hands of an awful timetable. Drastic changes are needed throughout the entire network as clearly the current levels of service just can't cope with peak time demand.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: January 17, 2007, 06:32:15 PM by Graz »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pages: [1] 2
|
|
|
 |
