|
Post by celestine on Apr 8, 2008 14:12:40 GMT
Another moan from me...
It's the London Marathon on Sunday (no. not running, but I am working at it) and guess what....Line closed from Tonbridge to Ashford. Replacement Buses, journey time at leat 2 hours.
What are SET thinking of?? I know they have to do engineering works sometime, but this is one of the country's major sporting evenst (international indeed) And they put manky buses on! ARGHHHHH!!!
(Actually if I was running I'd be even more annoyed)
Rant over Cheers Cel x
|
|
|
Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on Apr 8, 2008 19:53:36 GMT
Well Cel - perhaps they expect you to run.....
OVS
|
|
|
Post by chapelwood on Apr 8, 2008 21:11:42 GMT
But don't blame Southeastern - it's Network Rail who decide when they want to dig up the lines
|
|
|
Post by celestine on Apr 9, 2008 14:06:33 GMT
Oh yes...but isn't it a case of joined up thinking? Shouldn't SET say NO to notwork rail since it is their customers who are being inconvenienced?
Anyway, my email to them has been forwarded to Head Office (no less) for comment. Oooer...I DO feel important!!
Cel x
|
|
|
Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on Apr 9, 2008 19:07:21 GMT
Gorgeous Celestine (I don't care if you have changed your sign-on it is nice to have glamour on the message board)
My guess is that Notwork Rail will say that the track HAS to be maintained and they have to produce a programme to cover the needs. In my day the Permanent Way Engineer consulted with the Operating Officer to ensure that works were planned so as to not coincide with major events and then organised things so as to cause minimum disrupton to any special flows of passengers. Now the highly commercial private operators have a contract with the Department for Transport who we know from so many examples are perfectly honed entrepreneurs so simply have to give up running trains when the contract says so.
The Train Operating Company (TOC) doesn't really lose out as Notwork Rail have to pay for the disruption to their fares box.
Remember your rail services are a gift for the legal profession and micro managed by Government Ministers (who will tell you that there is actually competion, even though many areas of the country have only one operator). The TOCs started out as competitive businesses but now simply have a service management contract.
Yours sincerely O.V.S.Bulleid
|
|
|
Post by chapelwood on Apr 9, 2008 21:14:04 GMT
It was of course one of Celestine's fellow Staplehurst commuters (a certain Tom Winsor) who drafted many of the original contracts that rail privatisation is based on.
|
|
|
Post by Richard Trevithick on Apr 10, 2008 0:13:00 GMT
Good morning, Whilst I wouldn't for one minute like to support Notwork Fail, erm, I mean "Network Rail" ( ), I am led to believe they actually plan engineering many, many months in advance. If it's a major project, it can be up to around 2 years planning. If the bustitution is for a major job, it may be a case that it was planned several years ago (long before the date of this years Marathon was agreed) and simply cannot be changed due to many factors, including track stock & ordering, staffing and machine hire, to name but a few. It pains me to say so, but I believe there is still some common sense in NR, and they wouldn't deliberately go and set a date for major engineering when they knew it would mess up a load of peoples plans. I would go so far as to suspect at the planning stage, there would have been some research into known events at the time and the work would have been planned around them. I suspect it would have been much easier for the Marathon organisers to contact NR and find out which weekends in April have the least engineering on ALL routes into London. Perhaps, indeed, this did happen, and with the whole country in mind and balanced into the equation, it was just this part of Kent that was worst affected...? Gorgeous Cel, dare I ask in which capacity you are working on the day? Good luck to all who are entering! Kind regards, Richard
|
|
|
Post by BecsFaversham on Apr 10, 2008 7:04:38 GMT
talking about engineering work, I take it mid week overnight ones are mergency in nature or what?
The reason I say is certain individuals were concerned that late trains earlier this week were replaced by buses furtherdown the Ramsgate line on a night that there were a large number of late night users being returning Chelsea fans. Luckily they won so aapparently fans were in a good mood in finding they were being transferred onto buses. Again surely this is a planning issue?
|
|
|
Post by celestine on Apr 10, 2008 9:14:14 GMT
Am deeply honoured to be considerd the "glamour" of the forum. How wonderful to have a niche in life!! Thank you!
I work for a charity and will be part of the "look after the team of 35 runners" squad. Probably the one leaping up and down on the sidelines and shouting loudly at bemused and exhausted competitors!
I did once run a marathon and think that, on the whole, it was the easier job...!
I add my own good wishes for all those running on Sunday. Anyone from here doing it and I'll give you a special cheer?
Cel x
|
|
|
Post by Becs Favsham on Apr 10, 2008 12:24:09 GMT
Celestine
I will also be in London supporting friends. What a novel idea to spend the day in London trevelling by train when I've done it all week!!!!
I still run having done my first half marathon a couple of weeks ago in Paddock Wood.
This forum is great, glad we could all keep it going.
|
|
|
Post by celestine on Apr 10, 2008 12:53:16 GMT
Ah well I suppose I get the novelty of the really-slow-bus alternative!
I was at the Paddock Wood Half too. we could have had a forum meet!
I shall be on the Vitalise cheering stand on Sunday - shout if you see me! Cel x
|
|
|
Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on Apr 10, 2008 18:09:13 GMT
...so you are suggesting all meeting at the The John Brunt VC or The Forester's Arms at Paddock Wood then...
(we are due to meet up again gents - and perhaps a certain lady from Marden as well?)
OVS
|
|
|
Post by heofgreatwisdom on Apr 15, 2008 12:19:15 GMT
I have been reading, though not yet all, the South London Route Utilisation Strategy from Network Rail. I am sure our etherial colleagues will have taken all this on board but for those others with an interest, I commend it to you as an indication of what is likely to happen over the coming years.
|
|
|
Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on Apr 20, 2008 19:41:39 GMT
Dear heofgreatwisdom
I think that for me it proves that professional railway engineers and infrastructure managers come second to politicians.
There is a lot of good thinking by Notwork Rail and I would comment it for comparison with the South East Plan by SEEDA - but I fear that there are some half-wits in the DfT who think they know better. They don't and come up with specifications that do not allow TOCs (Train Operating Companies) to deliver what might be a commercial business plan. This leaves GoVex in the position of delivering a service that they might not believe in to try and make a profit from a specifaction that set out to prevent any entrepreneurial spirit of which I tend to believe they are capable.
Yours sincerely O.V.S.Bulleid
|
|
|
Post by heofgreatwisdom on Jun 11, 2008 20:15:53 GMT
Now here's yet another pearl of wisdom from the mouths of our masters! Notwork Rail claims it will need to spend £50million upgrading Waterloo International because, and here comes the quote, "the platforms had not been designed to cope with commuter services". Is it me?
HOGW
|
|