Public Transport Experimentation
Discussion
I don't do public transport. I really don't. You might recall the thread a week or so back when I decided to use it.
But, had a gig in Manchester last weekend, and with the car having just had a suspension rebuild, the wheels not aligned, no stereo at the moment and that exhaust, combined with the amount of sleep I was going to get I thought "Give the train a chance".
So, sixty odd quid later I'm on the train to Preston. Via Bristol on the way out.
And it was very good. Sitting there on a friday night, reading my book, listening to the iPod, drinking my beer rattling through the night.
Yes, I could have driven there faster, but probably not that much faster.
Came back Sunday. Everything was fine until I had to switch trains. Bear in mind I'm booked through, and confirmed on these things.
My second train didn't exist. No accident or anything. It had been cancelled due to engineering works, and they knew about it about 10 weeks ago but booked me on it anyway.
So my train was in fact a bus. Joy. A little tiny Transit in fact. Thanks for that. So I hang around for an hour for it to leave.
Get to Stroud. It appears that there are no trains running at all because they don't get any drivers. So my 3rd train which I wasn't even supposed to be on is also a bus. And because Stroud station is shut down, we have to stand around in the cold for half an hour or so.......
....cut a long story short it took seven hours to cover 180 miles. I'll save you the mathematics. That's an average of about 25 miles an hour. Twenty Five.
I know a number of people who could have done that trip faster on a pushbike.
I can drive it in 3.
I am now reminded of why I own a car.
------
Faithless were staggeringly good however. Really really good. Cracking croud, lots of arms in the air and leaping up and down. Top show. Happy Christmas to me.
We come one.
But, had a gig in Manchester last weekend, and with the car having just had a suspension rebuild, the wheels not aligned, no stereo at the moment and that exhaust, combined with the amount of sleep I was going to get I thought "Give the train a chance".
So, sixty odd quid later I'm on the train to Preston. Via Bristol on the way out.
And it was very good. Sitting there on a friday night, reading my book, listening to the iPod, drinking my beer rattling through the night.
Yes, I could have driven there faster, but probably not that much faster.
Came back Sunday. Everything was fine until I had to switch trains. Bear in mind I'm booked through, and confirmed on these things.
My second train didn't exist. No accident or anything. It had been cancelled due to engineering works, and they knew about it about 10 weeks ago but booked me on it anyway.
So my train was in fact a bus. Joy. A little tiny Transit in fact. Thanks for that. So I hang around for an hour for it to leave.
Get to Stroud. It appears that there are no trains running at all because they don't get any drivers. So my 3rd train which I wasn't even supposed to be on is also a bus. And because Stroud station is shut down, we have to stand around in the cold for half an hour or so.......
....cut a long story short it took seven hours to cover 180 miles. I'll save you the mathematics. That's an average of about 25 miles an hour. Twenty Five.
I know a number of people who could have done that trip faster on a pushbike.
I can drive it in 3.
I am now reminded of why I own a car.
------
Faithless were staggeringly good however. Really really good. Cracking croud, lots of arms in the air and leaping up and down. Top show. Happy Christmas to me.
We come one.
After a couple of similar experiences I haven't been on a train in years.
I've got tickets to see them in April
Mr E said:
Faithless were staggeringly good however. Really really good. Cracking croud, lots of arms in the air and leaping up and down. Top show. Happy Christmas to me.
We come one.
I've got tickets to see them in Aprilmechsympathy said:
Faithless were staggeringly good however. Really really good. Cracking croud, lots of arms in the air and leaping up and down. Top show. Happy Christmas to me.
We come one.
<hijack>
Nice one. They were that good I'm considering going again next year.....
</hijack>
forever_driving said:
Just to rub it in
Last time I went to Japan, a train derailed just outside Tokyo during the friday rush hour.
2 hours later, the train had been taken away, the track was repaired and the line reopened, would that happen here? No
Also, in Japan, they resurfaced the whole of the Pacific Highway IN ONE NIGHT!
Would that happen here? No - it would take at least a year
I f**king hate trains, it's made worse by the fact that I am currently without wheels. I make a point of only booking direct journeys because it's enough of a lottery for them to organise just one train to leave a pre-determined start point of their choosing, anywhere near the pre-determined time, proceed up a pre-determined straight route that's been negotiated thousands of times previously and arrive at a pre-determined end point in one continuous journey somewhere approaching the pre-scheduled time.
I wouldn't mind but what is the possible reason for being so catastrophically shit all of the time? There's almost no chance of 'surprises' like you would encounter on the road - you're not likely to find the 3:18 ahead of you has missed a turning and is now doing a three pointer round a blind crest; the 5:17 isn't likely to signal left and pull across you to turn right at the last moment, and trains aren't often piloted by pensioners who can't see anymore and aren't really sure if they've left the house yet.
Also, trains are pretty reliable machines. The odd breakdown is inevitable due to huge milages and stresses involved, but they're not made by TVR and are mechanically fairly well-maintained, so not much trouble there.
So what can be the reason for such towering ineptitude? How can we possibly sanction, given the comparisons on the continent and particularly in Japan, that it's fair to charge massive fees to carry people in squalid conditions of massive discomfort a few miles until some sadist decides that there's a leaf on the track and the whole shebang should decamp to a filthy f**king bus? Or worse, that you get to the station and find some c**k jockey has cancelled your train without anyone bothering to tell you or make suitable provisions (read any effort at all above a call to Stagecoach if you're lucky) to remedy the situation.
It's a hill of sh*t, there is no excuse for it having to be a nice surprise to find that you've arrived at your destination within a 10% time margin on the same train that you started on. And what's the solution?? Apparently to throw more money at the black hole, invest in high speed trains that aren't capable of travelling at high speeds and simply hope that people won't kick up a fuss.
I wouldn't mind but what is the possible reason for being so catastrophically shit all of the time? There's almost no chance of 'surprises' like you would encounter on the road - you're not likely to find the 3:18 ahead of you has missed a turning and is now doing a three pointer round a blind crest; the 5:17 isn't likely to signal left and pull across you to turn right at the last moment, and trains aren't often piloted by pensioners who can't see anymore and aren't really sure if they've left the house yet.
Also, trains are pretty reliable machines. The odd breakdown is inevitable due to huge milages and stresses involved, but they're not made by TVR and are mechanically fairly well-maintained, so not much trouble there.
So what can be the reason for such towering ineptitude? How can we possibly sanction, given the comparisons on the continent and particularly in Japan, that it's fair to charge massive fees to carry people in squalid conditions of massive discomfort a few miles until some sadist decides that there's a leaf on the track and the whole shebang should decamp to a filthy f**king bus? Or worse, that you get to the station and find some c**k jockey has cancelled your train without anyone bothering to tell you or make suitable provisions (read any effort at all above a call to Stagecoach if you're lucky) to remedy the situation.
It's a hill of sh*t, there is no excuse for it having to be a nice surprise to find that you've arrived at your destination within a 10% time margin on the same train that you started on. And what's the solution?? Apparently to throw more money at the black hole, invest in high speed trains that aren't capable of travelling at high speeds and simply hope that people won't kick up a fuss.
Buses annoy me the most. At least trains and trams don't clog up the roads and, when they are running properly, can get you to your destination quickly and comfortably.
I look at buses, on the other hand, and wonder 'WTF's been going on?'. They're slow, noisy, dirty, monumentally thirsty, badly designed, awfully equipped, have safety standards that were probably outlawed on cars in the '50s, they cost more to travel on, they cause massive congestion and they're full of chavs, misrablists and smelly weirdos who look like Father Jack. They make the average car look greener than a very green thing, even per person - and they're given their own lane FFS! Movement control and social engineering in one fell swoop.
I look at buses, on the other hand, and wonder 'WTF's been going on?'. They're slow, noisy, dirty, monumentally thirsty, badly designed, awfully equipped, have safety standards that were probably outlawed on cars in the '50s, they cost more to travel on, they cause massive congestion and they're full of chavs, misrablists and smelly weirdos who look like Father Jack. They make the average car look greener than a very green thing, even per person - and they're given their own lane FFS! Movement control and social engineering in one fell swoop.
Mr E said:
Get to Stroud. It appears that there are no trains running at all because they don't get any drivers. So my 3rd train which I wasn't even supposed to be on is also a bus. And because Stroud station is shut down, we have to stand around in the cold for half an hour or so.......
Was this due to all the drivers taking Sunday off? That happened with Midland Mainline yesterday. For some absurd reason the drivers contracts state that Sunday is not a working day. So if the drivers work it is on a voluntary basis and they get overtime for it. Result is instead of striking all they need to do is agree not to work on Sunday and chaos results.
How on earth can you run a public transport company without a guarantee of drivers every day of the week?
chrisgr31 said:
Get to Stroud. It appears that there are no trains running at all because they don't get any drivers. So my 3rd train which I wasn't even supposed to be on is also a bus. And because Stroud station is shut down, we have to stand around in the cold for half an hour or so.......
Was this due to all the drivers taking Sunday off? That happened with Midland Mainline yesterday. For some absurd reason the drivers contracts state that Sunday is not a working day. So if the drivers work it is on a voluntary basis and they get overtime for it. Result is instead of striking all they need to do is agree not to work on Sunday and chaos results.
How on earth can you run a public transport company without a guarantee of drivers every day of the week?
I am pretty sure that's about the size of it yes. Which is utter insanity, and will lead me to getting my money back as it's not industrial action.
Very irritating.
Oh well, have bought the other half something very skimpy and bedroom oriented for Christmas, so I'm now in a good mood. If skint.
I travel 16 miles to work every day, and take 2 trains and a bus to do so - it's much quicker that driving.
I take a train from London to Leeds - takes about 2.5 hours. Have driven it a few times and always takes at least 3 hours, normally a lot more.
Trains - generally quicker than cars during peak rush hour.
prelude4ws said:
"We should have bombed more of ÿour railways in the war, at least they would actually work now like ours."
Good old Herman the German (Harry Enfield)
The Lufwaffe didn't bomb more of our railways because they ran into W/Cdr Bader's Big Wing. After that the remainder got sent to Russia or the Med, and were left to do simple 'tip and run' raids which did no strategic damage whatsoever.
But - imagine if all our railways were destroyed on night - we have no money to build new ones anyway. Can't even manage the ones we have.
The Victorians managed it. And the post!
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