Do train companies act on your feedback?

Our Rail system once the benchmark for the rest of the world has been allowed to decay and decompose through lack of investment and maintenance. Now we must pay the price for this with overpriced engineering upgrades and maintenance which in turn create travel problems in the form of delays, overcrowding and overpriced tickets.
Only the UK was capable of ruining the most comprehensive passenger and cargo rail transport system with its inappropriate cuts and closures of the 1960’s. A clear case of how to mismanage a transport infrastructure that worked.
Now we as TAX payers and passengers alike are forced to pay for a very expensive catch-up while Government of the day allowed the whole system to fail with the appointment of inappropriate management and financial shortfalls.

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Wayne Lawrence says:

Train companies do not act on feedback. The compensation scheme means nothing as the delay statistics are calculated across the whole service and not the service commuters pay for. Train companies operate a two tier ticket system for which commuters pay a hefty premium yet they do not operate a two tier stats system which they should. i.e. calculate peak service availability and refund commuters on this.

Refunds aren’t fair either since the only thing this leads to over the period of the next year is increased fares to cover these costs. Train companies should be forced to reduce the fares in accordance with service availability each year. Effectively every delay commuters get refunded for in fare decrease the following year. (that is a fare policy)

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Jonathan Rickels says:

Saturday July 26th my wife & I returned from Brighton (Southern) via Victoria & Kings X to Arlesey.

The Brighton to Victoria train was over 30 mins late leaving and made very slow progress due to a broken down train aheda up the line, arriving at Victoria 1hr 30 mins late.

Southern made no attempt to limit the numbers of passengers who tried to board an already crowded train at the 3 intermmediate stops.

Nor did they attempt to add more carriages to a train they knew, (numbers of ticket sales?, traffic analysis, etc.) would likely be very crowded!!

On that day Victoria was a seething mass of people all seemingly moving in different directions; no particular flow to follow. Just as it was on the outward journey on Thursday July 24th.

By contrast Kings Cross was much more civilised.

This is a 50 mile journey that still takes 50 minutes on the fastetst trains, just as it did 60 years ago!!

By contrast the journey from Kings X to Arlesey, approximately 40 miles takes 33 minutes on the regular trains; an improvement over the years of some 7 minutes.

On our journey down to Kings X on thursday july 24th we were similarly held up, this time by a track worker who had fallen & broken his leg; needing unrestricted access & track closure for the ambulance & paramedics. That was cleared quickly & promptly.

That train was also crowded, & only eight carriages. Contrast this with standard practice on the Netherlands railway, the Spoorweg; where 12 double deck carriage trains with specific space provided for disabled, bicycles, prams, push chairs & large luggage are common on all services but the stopping trains, which are usually not less than eight carriages. And though they too have their share of obstructions, actual breakdowns are rare.

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Sam Kennedy says:

21 August 2014

Hi Jonathan, sorry to hear about that long delay and crowding. Have you put in a claim for compensation for your delay? Southern operate DelayRepay so you can claim for half your return or 100% of your single ticket from Brighton to Victoria. There’s information on how to make a claim on our consumer rights site – http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/action/how-to-claim-refunds-for-train-delays-and-cancellations.

I’m going to have to Google double-decker trains! Sounds very interesting.

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John Ward says:

The Southern Railway experimented with double-decker trains in the 1930’s and the coaches stayed in use for quite a long time on one route but the scheme was not extended across the network. The trains did provide additional – but not twice as much – capacity but at the expense of rather cramped seating conditions and awkward internal arragements. This caused boarding and alighting difficulties and protracted dwell-times at stations. Many continental trains include double-deck coaches in suburban trains; the ‘loading gauge’ [the space between tracks, through bridges and tunnels, and alongside platforms] is much more generous on continental railways so the carriages can be higher and wider than on UK railways. In North America and elsewhere I believe there are many long-distance trains with upper levels, sometimes used as observation cars or dining saloons. The favoured solution to capacity problems in the UK has been longer trains and higher frequency. Ultimately, because of unwise line closures in the 1960’s, we are also having to build entirely new limited-stop lines to provide relief to the busiest main lines.

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bruce cooper says:

When are Southeastern going to provide some sort of access for disabled passengers travelling towards London from Herne Bay? My partner uses a walking aid and cannot manage the stairs without assistance. When we have to travel towards London, I have to leave my partner or the walking aid while I take one or the other across. Luckily, we haven`t missed a train yet! No doubt that will come! Disabled people have to travel as well Southeastern!

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Brian Rosen says:

Although not disabled myself, I have become appalled on behalf of everyone who uses Victoria mainline terminus (a major hub for Southeastern Trains which you mentioned) and the adjacent London Underground station, at the lack of proper access for disabled people, people with heavy luggage (this is an international station serving Gatwick Airport), people with small children, people with pushchairs, and people temporarily affected by injuries, etc etc. It is truly pitiful seeing these people struggling to get through the station complex with all its different stairways. There has been no effort to improve facilities for decades. In response to a letter I recently wrote to Network Rail about this, I understand the earliest we are likely to see improvements for disabled access is 2018. Given the sheer numbers of passengers who use this station, this is totally unacceptable. Particularly symptomatic of the poor planning and decision-taking by those in charge, is that a whole new fixed stairway was recently constructed between the mainline station and the underground, whereas a set of escalators would (to me at least) have been an overriding obvious priority for using the same available space. Who makes these kinds of decisions, and why?

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John Ward says:

A massive improvement project is currently underway at Victoria Underground station and I assume that step-free access from street level to the platforms [and probably onto the trains] will be a priority feature. Getting onto the Circle and District line platforms there is especially difficult right now; at least there are escalators down to the Victoria line. As you say, the main Underground concourse should have a step-free connection provided to the national rail station concourse as a matter of urgency. Hundreds of thousands of struggling passengers also use this station en route to or from the Victoria coach station.

Transport for London [TfL] issue a tremendously comprehensive and highly detailed map and station index [even showing the height of the step into the train and the gap between the platform edge and the door threshold] for stations which provide accessibility [it’s called the “Step free Tube Guide” and is available on-line and as a printed leaflet] to help with journet planning. Unfortunately a large number of very important stations are still awaiting their accessibility upgrades

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Paul Goddard says:

I have travelled by train during most of the decades of my seventy plus years; the exception being the 1980s; this was largely because my experience of the railways was so very, very, poor in the 1970s. Todays trains are VASTLY better than then.
I do not travel during the rush hours these days, the times when both tracks and carriages are at their most overloaded; this may be why my experiences of present day trains are good, & others not. In particular, I greatly appreciate the Thameslink service both before and since First Capital Connect won the franchise. It rates poorly in Which? reports compared with simple in-and-out of London lines such as the one to Southend, but is this a fair comparison? The ‘Thameslink’ line is vulnerable to hold-ups not_of_their_making on both sides of London as well as passing through it.
Also, how many services run 24hours a day?

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Shirley vanderBijl says:

Often travel by Arriva train linking North Wales toe South, then on to Great North western, bOth companies have honoured their promises when trains have been delayed by weather. But the situation at Bristol Temple Meads with delayed trains was hopeless, crowds of people, no shelter,wet stormy night and to my knowledge over 100 people expecting assistance! Three hours being shuffled from platform to platform, without the help of an off duty trainee we would never have found our train. This situation needs to be resolved.

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Margaret Cooney says:

The station I use is Nunhead in SE London. Two companies run services through there; First Capital Connect and Southeastern. The services they operate and their reductions during the evening and at weekends are bewildering to the uninitiated. Baffling too as this is a busy line.

We are confused about who actually runs services or stations along the route. I know SE run our station and I know they are responsible for the other service that comes through there from Dartford to Victoria.

On Twitter I’ve complained about late running, cancellations, filthy overcrowded trains, platform safety and rude staff (usually FCC) to FCC as it’s their trains from Sevenoaks that are the problem.

They always abrogate responsibility and blame SE Trains. SE usually respond but its still not always clear who the responsibility lies with. Their staff are generally more polite though.

Here’s an example. At weekends it is sometimes necessary catch a connecting train home from Elephant and Castle, not a pleasant station. Usually trains that go via Peckham Rye and Nunhead leave from platform 4 which is up 4 steep flights of stairs up and this after you’ve navigated the appalling tube transfer and the Soviet style shopping centre with limited signage. On more than one occasion a platform change has been announced with only 2 minutes to spare before the service arrives. Everyone has to dash down stairs run across the horrible lobby and go up another four flights of stairs. This includes elderly people, those with heavy luggage and people with babies in prams and it is quite a scramble because it is busy. The train doesn’t wait either. It has happened on at least five occasions and I have tried to complain. I’ve been ignored and I have no idea who I should direct this towards as neither FCC or SE will take responsibility.

Also why do they allow full size bikes on what are incredibly busy services at all times? I saw a man get on at E&C with a full bike last week at 6pm. No response to that.

FCC are dreadful. Rude, unhelpful and ignorant. I saw one of their staff at Blackfriars being abusive to an elderly, confused lady who was politely asking for help on a quiet Sunday afternoon. No queues and a nearly empty station. I was appalled, but it really didn’t surprise me. It sums them up as a company.

I want to know who is responsible for which stations and services – specifically all between St Pancras and Nunhead and how to make them act on what are legitimate concerns.

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Sam Kennedy says:

21 August 2014

Hi Margaret, that’s a route I use lots too and I agree it’s very confusing who you should be contacting with one sending you to the other. You’ll probably be pleased to know that the franchise was recently awarded to Govia (who also run the Southern and Gatwick Express routes) for the whole of Thameslink and the vast majority of the services between Kent and London that are currently jointly operated by FCC and Southeastern will be incorporated into the new franchise which is running from September this year.

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John Ward says:

I am glad there has been a change of operator on this route. We use it quite a lot between Cambridge and London King’s Cross. Depite enormous expenditure by Network Rail on lengthening platforms to take 12-coach trains, FCC have persistently run 4-coach trains off-peak. There is no off-peak on this line. The high-frequency non-stop service and the attraction of Cambridge as a tourist, business and academic destination mean there is no slack and every train in both directions throughout the day is full and standing. They are also overloaded with travel bags and bicycles in the doorways. Doubling to eight coaches would make a big difference.

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Jennifer Beattie says:

I have problems using my Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Card on train journeys now that local stations are unmanned; the ticket machines don’t have a link for ‘concession’ fares other than Disabled Railcard holders – on-board ticket inspectors insist on my paying the full fare. I found buying a Railcard was a waste of money when I could travel on buses all round mainland Scotland for free. What has happened, of course, is the bus services are being reduced to an unacceptable level. Another issue is access to trains for wheelchair users; I dislike having to pre-book a ticket to make sure I can have ramp access.

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Mike of Somerset says:

1. Many of us do not have a local rail link without travelling some distance to it. So why waste billions on HS2 when we have yet to get the basics right? If oil becomes scarce in the near future – will our country be able to continue functioning with strategic mass transport for people & goods?
2. If I travel by car, coach or airplane, a personal seat and seat belt are regarded as essential for my safety. Why do the same safety considerations not apply to other forms of “public transport” such as service busses and trains? Why are people permitted to stand and why are they not supplied with safety belts on trains and busses? I don’t understand the reasoning.
3. If I pay a train company a lot of money for a journey, why am I not guaranteed a seat? If I am expected to stand, and in crowded conditions, should I not get a choice and a very much cheaper “cattle class” ticket?? Or should the standee be carried for free?
4. Why does the rail regulator turn a blind eye toward these issues?

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Dave Harsh says:

Mike,

For 1, The building of HS2 will actually help them to get the basics right. There is currently record investment in the rail industry and HS2 is just another part of the grand plan to free up capacity on our commuter lines for more train
For 2, bus and train drivers are paid professionals, not everyday numpties like you or I
For 3, you are not guaranteed a seat because the train companies cannot precisely predict demand and if you were to get a train when a football match is on, would you expect a seat then?
For 4, The rail regulator has absolutely no power, like ofcom, ofgem, which? etc. Regulators/associations are just something to placate the consumer, they don’t fight for us.

In summary, no-one will improve this situation unless we vote in a government that isn’t a genuine suck -up to all their corporate buddies.

We, as luddites believe that the governemnt will weigh up all the options and select the right one for good of the country, wrong.

Politicians will do whatever suits themselves best. This is our political system, until that changes, it’s probably best to move to Germany

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Dan Collins (Twitter - @RealDC80 ) says:

Abellio Greater Anglia and Network Rail are useless, daily delays thanks to train faults, and various daily faults with Network Rail’s infrastructure.

They never clean their trains, they’re always filthy, they never maintain them, always breaking down one way or another, yet we pay more per mile to use their services than anywhere else in the country, it’s a rip off and we’re looking at a fare increase, it’s an absolute joke.

Anyone who wants to join my AGA Complaints group on Facebook? Join it at http://www.facebook.com/groups/agacomplaints – Follow me on Twitter – @RealDC80 and Ian @Delayed_Again

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Ronnie Rees says:

It is hardly worth buying a ticket in order to travel on SouthWest Trains since an onboard ticket check is a rarity – and never more than the one on any long distance journey – with most stations open. In the last twio weeks I have twice travelled from Branksome (Poole) to London and had my ticket checked once out of the four outward and return journeys.

Similarly a recent journey from Branksome to Brighton via Southampton where Southern Railway takes over. Continuous repetitive automatic announcements – 4 on approach to every statiom then four more when leaving – led to my writing to Southern and – heavens above – back came an e-mail from someone in Customer Relations who had actually read and understood my complaints and who said, yes, that did seem very excessive and that she would get something done about it! At last – a Customer Relations Office that listens to a customer!

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Sam Kennedy says:

21 August 2014

Hi Ronnie, really pleased to hear you got a positive response to your email! Hopefully that will encourage more people to speak up, a big problem with rail is the huge number of people who have a valid complaint but don’t complain.

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trevor millar says:

20 August 2014

Every week my local train company (c2c) closes down most of the network for “engineering work”; in my opinion either unnecessary or completely bogus. For a whole year running up to the Olympics we had no trains at all on my line due to “engineering work to extend platforms to accomodate 12-car trains”, but neither during the games or since have we seen one single 12-car train! The whole thing was a scam to put money into the pockets of contractors! What did c2c get in return I wonder? And furthermore: whenever there is a major public event in London (Marathon, Notting Hill Carnival, etc) they transfer rolling stock from the Tilbury branch (my line) to the Basildon branch! Anyone relying on the train to get to work on Sunday, as I and thousands of others do, has to find alternative transport because they cancel half the trains!

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Brian Rosen says:

Does anyone seriously believe that shutting down huge swathes of the national rail network and the London Underground every weekend for I don’t how many years on end now, for alleged ‘essential engineering works’, is really as ‘essential’ as the transport authorities want us to believe? I’ve long thought while some engineering work is truly necessary, the sheer scale and frequency of the shut-downs has become a major scandal that passes unnoticed by the media etc. I don’t recall ever seeing the same level of weekend shut-downs in our neighbouring European countries. It’s got so bad that I actually avoid using the national network at weekends if I can, though for many people, it’s the only part of the week they can use for short breaks, visiting friends and relatives, etc. I’ve often wondered if ‘essential engineering works’ are a cover for some kind of scam or cover that somehow helps to Train Operating Companies make more profit. And just think, if rail workers’ strikes were to shut down the same amount of the national rail system every weekend, we’d never hear the end of it from the media and the rail system managers. It’s time the whole engineering works thing was investigated by an independent body.

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trevor millar says:

17 February 2015

I have it on good authority that the train companies actually COACHES their staff what lies to tell the travelling public! They sit them down in classrooms, and write the lies on a whiteboard, and point to the lies, word by word, and get the staff to recite the lies, such as, “In France the entire rail network shuts down for months at a time for maintenance”.

[This comment has been edited to align with our commenting guidelines. Thanks, mods]

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Brian Rosen says: