gubba
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Post by gubba on Jan 16, 2009 13:33:47 GMT
Some of the peak time services from Tunbridge Wells to London have had their carriages reduced after manual passenger counts and having passinger-load weighing equipment install to increase the number of services run elsewhere on the network which is particulary galling as we have just had our ticket prices increased by 10%. Its quite weird as there was only standing room on the train as we got to London anyway. My question is has anyone seem their train services increase or their trains get longer? I am trying to find out where the missing carriages are!!
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Post by Superann on Jan 16, 2009 13:43:25 GMT
Well dont look for them on the Ashford line as the evening train from Victoria has been cut to 4 carriages from 6 reason given by Southeastern is that they have a limited number of rolling stock and have tried to increase the services they run, and they aim to use the carriages they have as efficiently as possible, and they need to keep some carriages back for maintenance. ( I got an email to that effect).
So has anyone seen an increase in carriages on the route they use?
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gubba
New Member
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Post by gubba on Jan 16, 2009 13:56:44 GMT
I got that response too!!
"Since 5 January we have made some changes to some specific train services and altered the number of carriages on several trains. Just to explain, we have a limited amount of rolling stock and we have tried over the past few years to increase the number of services we run. We aim to use the carriages that we do have as efficiently as possible, but every day we need to keep some carriages in reserve as a back up for maintenance and in the event of mechanical failure.
We always look at the number of passengers using services when we’re adjusting train lengths. We regularly carry out manual passenger counts and have installed passenger-load weighing equipment on our newer trains. These weigh the train at various points throughout its journey so we know approximately how many people are travelling on it.
I appreciate that reducing the length of the train that you regularly catch will not be popular but I hope that you will understand that we have to take a network wide view and utilise our rolling stock in the interests of all our passengers."
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Post by lordbarne on Jan 16, 2009 16:15:21 GMT
I have also noticed that a number of trains have been running with short formation, although this is normally blamed on lack of fit rolling stock - is the 465/466 stock meeting its' nemesis? For those joining at the beginning of the journey replacing 8 coaches with 4 of 5 is better than a cancelled train, but those joining later must find the conditions unpleasant.
A large number of trains are currently running with head codes of '00' rather than their normal numbers. Does anybody know the reason for this?
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Post by Richard Trevithick on Jan 16, 2009 22:50:57 GMT
Rumour at lastnights seance is the stock shortages are the fitters are on a go-slow / work to rule due to the recent sacking - sorry, I mean "redundancy" of their managers. I find it hard to believe that the people at the bottom are supporting those at the top, but perhaps the happy family of the Railway is coming together in times of need...
Bear in mind this is only a rumour and isn't confirmed!
RT
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Post by heofgreatwisdom on Jan 20, 2009 16:05:15 GMT
Lots of chat on local radio and in local press this week concerning short formed trains. Consensus seems to be that this is a result of the present economic climate. Depresssion = less passengers = less income =short formed trains=savings. Its as simple as that.
HOGW
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Post by O.V.S.Bulleid on Jan 20, 2009 21:32:41 GMT
Dear heofgreatwisdom I have to line up beside Mr Trevithick on this one. GoVex claim that the changes are due to their having placed weighing equipment on some units and the returned information gave them grounds to make changes. I believe that this may be true in a few cases (remember we are talking about a train company that has spent a lot of money on spin) but the shortage of rolling stock to cover other trains is due to lack of maintenance. A side issue but one that will raise its head in the same area is the reported visit to the Transport Minister of CEs from the main owning groups who now see income plans in taters. One hopes that Mr Hoon will have sent them packing with the message that they signed contracts in the full knowledge that the value of the passenger market can go up or down and that they have made contractural agreements which has cost passengers dear so far. On a lighter note please view me with my glorious invention of the 4DD units at uk.youtube.com/watch?v=22FWR3MmBIgthe best I could do within the loading gauge but it worked like a 376 at stations. Would it work better now with a single sliding door and standing only downstairs - what do you think? ...and wouldn't you like to have one of these in a 375 unit uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JAd4AcB1t1M...and from previous discussions here is the unit that begat the 508 - but notice the three sets of sliding doors per coach - it is where the 376 goes wrong and causes delays at London Bridge. uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri2wahilb80Yours sincerely O.V.S.Bulleid |
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Post by William Dargan on Jan 20, 2009 23:46:26 GMT
If you've ever seen the inside of a Class 375 at the end of service, there's enough left over booze and vomit to make it look and smell like the roughest of pubs!  (Usually complete with the drunk passenger who fell asleep during his/her journey and is now stranded 60miles from home). |
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Post by deetee1961 on Jan 21, 2009 12:12:58 GMT
Hi, I've been reading the message board since it was first set up, but this is my first contribution. On the subject of the 17.58 Victoria to Ashford, this train now no longer calls at Bromley South because of the chronic overcrowding caused by the reduction to 4 coaches! This means that Bromley South, which I believe is the busiest station (excluding the London termini) on the network, has gaps of 16 minutes, 14 minutes and 15 minutes in fast service departures from Victoria at the height of the evening peak. And Southeastern call this a "service imporvement" on their new poster!
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Post by genehuntisking on Jan 22, 2009 19:22:50 GMT
Since 5th January there have been several alterations to train lengths. In theory this has released an extra six 466s (two coach Networkers) as "spare".
The reasons given for this are somewhat variable. One was that it cuts down on the payments for electric traction current. Another that the number of coaches has been reassessed in line with the current economic climate (i.e. less people traveling).
However in a statement in response to the swathe of recent redundancies in South Eastern the TSSA responded that passenger numbers are not falling, just not increasing at the rate predicted in the franchise bid, and therefore there is a frantic cutting of costs.
Of course you might ask how the Networker fleet has still been running daily shortages, even with six extra 466s (i.e. 12 coaches) "spare". In actual fact these units haven't been spare, as pairs have been pressed into service to cover a shortage of 465s where a maintenance backlog has finally caught up.
A number of 465s have been given dispensations to push the mileage out between exams. However to gain this dispensation there are still various checks that need doing, and more and more time that should have been spent doing booked exams has been spent to do the dispensation work instead. As banks and most other companies have found out, you can only live on tick for so long.
So the wave of overdue exams has become a tsunami. The reason that some 376 exams have been outsourced to Ramsgate.
If you were a cynic you might think that running the "planned" short formations and blaming the economic downturn is a way of not paying so many fines for seat shortages. After all if South Eastern is being fined for still running short trains, how much more would be going out the window if they were booked to run an additional 12 coaches each peak?
Relief is on the horizon in two ways. I believe that at last the overdue maintenance exam mountain is being tackled, but slowly. In addition (assuming it goes ahead, and it is by no means a done deal) the Thameslink Key Output 0 alterations should throw up some spare Networker stock in March.
I also understand that whether the current planned short formed trains, get restored depends on customer reaction. Maybe now is the time to deluge them with complaints, assuming the people who deal with them haven't been done away with in the round of redundancies. You would think that dealing with complaints would be a job for life if ever there was one!
Alternatively there is a Meet The Managers session at Charing Cross on 29th January. Why not catch the earlier train that day so you have time to join the lengthy queue and get your point across?
The Gene Genie
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Post by genehuntisking on Jan 23, 2009 17:43:14 GMT
Word on the grapevine is that 07.20 and 07.42 Tunbridge Wells - Charing Cross and 17.41 and 18.28 Charing Cross - Tunbridge Wells will be reinstated to 10 coaches from Monday 2nd February.
Watch this space.
The Gene Genie
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Post by alteredworking on Jan 23, 2009 22:24:39 GMT
From 19/01/2009 Log:
PASSENGER COMPLAINTS OVER BOOKED SHORT FORMATION.
Advised by Elmers End that they had been inundated with complaints from passengers over 2K15 07.45 Hayes -
Cannon St being short formed. On ACWN the train is now booked to be 8 vice 10 as part of the amendments in
saving traction current payments that use six less 466 units.
"amendments in saving traction current payments" - i.e. to save money on electricity, we're deliberately short-forming the trains, leaving passengers stranded.
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Post by deetee1961 on Jan 26, 2009 12:31:56 GMT
Southeastern's website is today showing details of which trains will have carriages added from 2nd (or 9th) February
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Post by genehuntisking on Mar 13, 2009 8:14:15 GMT
Back as you were I'm afraid.
Having quietly cut the length of trains in January, then made great play of increasing the length of trains (to what the originally were) in February, it is March and time to cut back again.
From a week on Monday (23rd March) rumours abound that 07.20 and 07.40 Tunbridge Wells - Charing Cross and 17.41 and 18.28 Charing Cross - Tunbridge Wells will be reduced to 8 coaches from the existing 10.
Wasn't the Thameslink project supposed to give more stock not less? I don't suppose this will be broadcast on the South Eastern website.
The Gene Genie.
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Post by heofgreatwisdom on Mar 13, 2009 9:20:05 GMT
This week came the story of new sidings at Tunbridge Wells to enable SET to "increase" train lengths on the Hastings Line and now they are cutting the length of some services on the very same line.
Eh. Is it me?
HOGW
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