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Post by ssibodkent on Feb 7, 2011 16:13:27 GMT
This morning on the way into St Pancras on the service arriving at 07:43 into St P, I overheard the train guard on the tannoy informing us that recently the train keeps getting stuck on the upward journey to St Pancras, and causing significant delay. He said it was happening too frequently and will report it to his managers. I haven't been on the service for awhile, today was my first time for a month, but a friend who is on it regularly has said it has been dreadful.
The down service she catches to Gravesend in the evening has been so delayed recently that several times they have dumped passengers at Dartford to 'avoid missing targets'.
Whats going on?
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paolo
New Member
Posts: 48
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Post by paolo on Feb 7, 2011 18:23:22 GMT
"dumped passengers at Dartford to 'avoid missing targets'."
This kind of behaviour is a disgrace and really makes me angry!
I would love to see some adjusted figures for performance that included these cancelled trains as late, I bet they would miss their targets by miles!
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Post by sibodkent on Feb 8, 2011 7:31:04 GMT
And yet again the 0722 from gravesend is showing as 12 minutes late. Marvelous. Stuck behind the Canon street service I see.
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Post by sibodkent on Feb 8, 2011 11:40:42 GMT
Hmm, apparently it was a freight train taking priority at Rochester that caused the delays. Are Notwork Rail allowing freight through before paying passengers?
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Post by Richard Trevithick on Feb 9, 2011 10:41:47 GMT
Sibod,
NR aren't supposed to put freight ahead of passengers, but they do on an all too frequent basis. London Bridge signalbox seem to take great pleasure in stacking the passenger service up on all four approaches to Lewisham (plus surrounding lines) whilst a late running freight train trudles through at 20 mph, and then denying any knowledge!
RT
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Post by sibodkent on Feb 9, 2011 11:45:33 GMT
Well it was late by 6 minutes again today.
Grrrr!
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Post by sibodkent on Feb 10, 2011 7:57:18 GMT
The trains are all over the place today. The 0722 was another 8 minutes late and the 0752 is now nearly 7 mins behind. It's departing Rochester that seems to muck it up. Freight train scheduling has caused ill the delays so far. I wonder what's going on? Ooh one is going through towards strood now.
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Post by Richard Trevithick on Feb 10, 2011 9:59:08 GMT
Back in the old days, many freight trains were put into loops during the peak so passenger services eren't affected. But due to cost cutting exercises, many of these loops were ripped out and only few remain (Otford-Kemsing on the Maidstone Branch being one). Now it is down to thoughtless diagramming and signalling.
RT
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Post by sibodkent on Feb 11, 2011 10:56:57 GMT
As confirmed today by the train manager on today 07:22 service, this problem has been going on since Christmas, and I don't doubt since the timetable changes in early december.
Someone mistimed a crossing and now the 07:07 from Rochester regularly gets stuck behind a freight train and causes delays all the way up the line.
We were in another 5 minutes late today, and the manager was handing out complaints forms - asking people to complain en mass to ensure someone up high notices.
He did say something about a 'changeover' is happening soon though?
Wouldn't the forms drivers have to fill in when they are late make a difference then?
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Post by Richard Trevithick on Feb 12, 2011 0:11:03 GMT
Wouldn't the forms drivers have to fill in when they are late make a difference then? No, according to many attendees at my staff seances, they are routinely ignored. Ditto with the guard/conductor/OBM delay forms. All that does get noticed is when something hits the bottom line. RT |
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