Train information on the media

[robbierunciman]

I think it would be nice if BBC Kent reported the railways like they do the traffic news.

Often a big thing is made of a delay at a roundabout near maidstone - affecting one man and a dog, whilst information that a train had failed causing delays or of congestion at LB is barely mentioned. I worked out that an 8 carriage train carries 400/450 people, in traffic jam terms (assuming a car is 3m long, is 1 m from the car in front and behind and is used only by the driver), a 'tailback' of 2000m.

this morning, the BBC said 'one shortformed train on network'. That is a bit like saying, there is a set of temporary traffic lights in Kent this morning.

[Richard Trevithick]

Jan 17, 2009 0:38:46 GMT robbierunciman said:

I worked out that an 8 carriage train carries 400/450 people,

In the peak, you'll find it's closer to double that, at around 800 people! 10/12 coach trains regularly drop off in excess of 1,000 people in London each day (and take them home again in the evening!).

Some excellent points about the way things are reported though. I've never thought of a single train as being a 2 mile tailback! ;D

Richard

[moggycat]

As an 'early riser' I listen to Steve Ladner. I like the humour first thing in the morning (he is on from 5am to 7am and it beats Sarah Kennedy) and they USED to have a Southeastern person from the Tonbridge Call Centre place who gave a full breakdown of any problems - was it every 15 or 30 mins? Several times I listened to him and made an extra cup of tea when he said my train was cancelled or (more frequently) 'was starting from Ashford'. It was very useful telling us about cancellations, late starters, short formations - also useful to know if those TWells or legions of extra Sevenoaks people would invade our already overcrowded train - brace yourself etc. I suspect that SE put a stop to it as it was a useful add on for which they receive no revenue. So much for communication. If others think it is useful I will email Steve's programme and see if we can get it back.

[paolo]

I remeber those radio bulletins! Very useful they were indeed. I think they ceased when South Eastern took over from SE trains.

[heofgreatwisdom]

Dear Moggycat. I think you will find that Radio Kent will say it is down to listening figures. More people are likely to listen to travel bulletins in their car than they are on a train and hence their listener figures are enhanced. All good PR for RK and the Beeb.
I fully agree with your sentiments. By all means have a go.
HOGW

[genehuntisking]

The reason that they ceased was that BBC Radio Kent decided they didn't want the information.

South Eastern in all their various guises would have liked to continue with the broadcasts. The various media organisations have a habit of getting the information they are given wrong.

The Gene Genie

[Shortformed]

Hi. I agree that rail travel news on RK gets short shrift. I can throw a little light on this from a reliable source . Once upon a time Network SE, then Connex staff in their control centre used to voice the rail travel news live on RK themselves as part of a travel news sequence that included the AA and Dover Harbour Board. But the rail voices usually sounded laughably jobsworth - rather like the recorded voice on the PA at Victoria who warns about "smoking not being allowed anywhere on the station" etc. Also, there were complaints from the public about the accuracy of the information. Despite voice coaching from BBC experts things did not improve so the rail news was taken "in house" by the BBC and read by a presenter using information sent through by the rail operator.
The AA later stopped doing live travel news so the BBC compiled and read all the travel news themselves using info from Connex/SET for the rail part. It is still annoyingly inaccurate - standing on the windswept platform at Headcorn looking at the indicator saying Cancelled when the voice on the radio is cherily telling you everything is running normally (but then.. what is normal??) The train should have left Ramsgate nearly an hour earlier - had nobody at SET noticed it was missing and thought to tell anyone?
The other factor might be human - I doubt anyone at RK in Tun. Wells actually commutes by train and so has no personal interest in this part of their service - but it's major news if there's a small pothole in an unclassified road in Tonbridge!

[heofgreatwisdom]

Dear Shortformed. Welcome you old(young) cynic!! In France they say, C'est la meme chose!

HOGW