Not so Greater Anglia

[jon0844]

The whole multicoloured 'One' idea was crazy. At least National Express eventually saw sense and thought it a better idea to keep its own identity and use a much nicer design - which the 379s demonstrate.

I think they had a 'moment of madness' and I feel for the passengers who use these trains day in day out. Still, the one good thing about the 317/5s is that when someone pukes up on the floor, it doesn't show.

 

[bezzer]

I would spend the money. They had promised that the Customer would come first. I had travelled from Hull to Doncaster by coach on the same day and I rate that coach better that Greater Anglia's current stock. I have never complained about trains before because im absolutely in love with them. However I do think that National Express and now Abellio are taking the mickey. I'm a particular fan of mk3 coaches and I think its sad that they have reached the dilapidated state that they are in with Greater Anglia. and they don't seam to have even started refurbishment.

I would suggest that if you don't like reading of the gritty side of the railway then don't read my posts. Because I shall always speak my mind and the truth of the matter, weather it insults some people or weather it embarrasses employees of a TOC.
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Got that right. First Group would be Great. Im hoping they will get the ECML too. Isn't it the First Barbie Doll livery that most of the 360's carry?

You must work for the railway because you have more money than sense.

However, would hate to work for any company you would run, would be bankrupt and out of a job before you even started.

Besides I love reading 'gritty' comments of people in cloud cuckoo land, gives me a laugh and reminds me that I live in the real world (and I work for the railway too).

 

[ChristopherJ]

The whole multicoloured 'One' idea was crazy.

I think they had a 'moment of madness' and I feel for the passengers who use these trains day in day out. Still, the one good thing about the 317/5s is that when someone pukes up on the floor, it doesn't show.

The 'one' livery wasn't even that impressive, it was just a few multicolored horizontal lines to attract the attention of passers by to go "look at that" - a baby in a cot would of drawn up something more inspirational.

NXG, this is how you do a proper multicolored refurb...

 

[317666]

What's happening with the deep cleaning of units? What's happened so far?
The class 315's are in a terrible state They're filthy

A lot of the 379s are filthy on the outside. I was unfortunate enough to have to endure 005 on the 0425 Cambridge to Liverpool Street yesterday which calls at every station round the Seven Sisters loop and takes one and a half hours. Some of the light covers were rattling, one of the gangways doors wasn't working at all and another kept opening and closing by itself.

Personally I like the interior colour scheme on the 317/5s, they feel quite cosy inside compared to the refurbished /6s or 379s, which are just white and grey and feel quite depressing inside if you ask me.

 

[paulclass43]

You must work for the railway because you have more money than sense.

However, would hate to work for any company you would run, would be bankrupt and out of a job before you even started.

Besides I love reading 'gritty' comments of people in cloud cuckoo land, gives me a laugh and reminds me that I live in the real world (and I work for the railway too).

I shall tell you a little about myself then.

I am a young, working class Permanent Way engineer from Hull. How ever I have worked in the past as a volunteer consultant for the design of not only P-Way but also of interior design for Scot rail class 380's. I am by no means a rich man and never want to be as there are far more important things to life and the Railway than money. I have travelled on every one of the UK's passenger DMU's EMU'S and locos. And cab ridden the majority of it freight loco fleet apart from the class 70's which I would love to do and one of the class 66, Freightliner's 66512. I have also driven a GNER HST on the mainline, power car 43096 Stirling Castle from Hull to Doncaster with if im remember correctly 43117 Bonnie Prince Charlie on the rear.

I can only hope that Greater Anglia have at least cleaned there trains before people start arriving for the Olympics. What a welcome they will be giving other wise.
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Can't believe im posting on here again. But I like this guy bezzer, he seems to be a bit of a challenge. I like that.

Any ways look, I've had some of the best experiences of my life on the railway, the driving of the GNER HST probably been up there with when I got my first PTS card. I've also had some of the worst experience of my life on the railway, I've seen two people killed one a guy stood right next to me simply walked off the platform at ended up the front of a 225, one of the most chilling and humbling things I've ever witnessed.

And through the bad I simply cannot stand anyone that views the Railway as something of an inferior investment. Its something that National Express got painfully wrong and I beg of Abellio not to make the same mistake with Greater Anglia.

 

[bezzer]

I shall tell you a little about myself then.

I am a young, working class Permanent Way engineer from Hull. How ever I have worked in the past as a volunteer consultant for the design of not only P-Way but also of interior design for Scot rail class 380's. I am by no means a rich man and never want to be as there are far more important things to life and the Railway than money. I have travelled on every one of the UK's passenger DMU's EMU'S and locos. And cab ridden the majority of it freight loco fleet apart from the class 70's which I would love to do and one of the class 66, Freightliner's 66512. I have also driven a GNER HST on the mainline, power car 43096 Stirling Castle from Hull to Doncaster with if im remember correctly 43117 Bonnie Prince Charlie on the rear.

I can only hope that Greater Anglia have at least cleaned there trains before people start arriving for the Olympics. What a welcome they will be giving other wise.
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Can't believe im posting on here again. But I like this guy bezzer, he seems to be a bit of a challenge. I like that.

Any ways look, I've had some of the best experiences of my life on the railway, the driving of the GNER HST probably been up there with when I got my first PTS card. I've also had some of the worst experience of my life on the railway, I've seen two people killed one a guy stood right next to me simply walked off the platform at ended up the front of a 225, one of the most chilling and humbling things I've ever witnessed.

And through the bad I simply cannot stand anyone that views the Railway as something of an inferior investment. Its something that National Express got painfully wrong and I beg of Abellio not to make the same mistake with Greater Anglia.

I would love someone to invest millions on all routes out of Liverpool Street but that means that the DfT has to get it's arse into gear and give a company 15 years to actually make a go of it and have some chance of making money. (Which at last it has decided to do). Afterall no one is going to invest for the love of it.

As has been said earlier GA has only been at it for 5 months picking up all the c**p that NX left behind. If in 2 years time they have not got the contract they only have themselves to blame and they deserve to lose it.

But NX had 8 years and still couldn't get it right, so it is a bit unfoarto expect dramatic improvements in 5 months. if you want to blame anyone blame DfT for messing everyone arouns

 

[Pugwash]

The 'one' livery wasn't even that impressive, it was just a few multicolored horizontal lines to attract the attention of passers by to go "look at that" - a baby in a cot would of drawn up something more inspirational.

NXG, this is how you do a proper multicolored refurb...

At least there is no 3+2 seating - I could live with that.

 

[jopsuk]

At least there is no 3+2 seating - I could live with that.

Count the seats again.

 

[dk1]

Count the seats again.

Its all that colour. Plays havoc with the eyes.

 

[Pugwash]

Its all that colour. Plays havoc with the eyes.

It must have.........

 

[CC 72100]

NXG, this is how you do a proper multicolored refurb...

Ah the refurbishment of the RER stock. I only travelled on one in the refurbished state as the photo above shows, but they felt very light, airy, and most importantly given some of the areas we travelled through, safe. (I used them on the RER D)

The seats are not that comfortable mind, but fine for >30 minute journeys.

Only thing I thought was that the CCTV presence was not very noticeable, nor were there dot matric info screens (well in prominent places anyway), but the French have a slightly different way of approaching things.

 

[colchesterken]

The first OAP Railcard train from my local station Colchester Town is 858 arriving in Liv st at 1014. 1 Hr 16 Min for 52 miles ..That shows the lack of investment on GEML
I know we are talking about a stopper but it is still not good
Even the Norwich expresses take about 45 Mins to big Colchester thats non stop
Come back Brunel we need you

 

[yorkie]

The first OAP Railcard train from my local station Colchester Town is 858 arriving in Liv st at 1014. 1 Hr 16 Min for 52 miles ..That shows the lack of investment on GEML
I know we are talking about a stopper but it is still not good
Even the Norwich expresses take about 45 Mins to big Colchester thats non stop
Come back Brunel we need you

This post doesn't make much sense, and there isn't an OAP Railcard, I am guessing you mean Senior Railcard.

The first train you can get depends on the destination on your ticket; you can't generalise like that. For example if your destination is somewhere outside the Network Area, e.g. Rugby, then you can use a Railcard discounted Off Peak ticket at absolutely any time from Colchester to London.

 

[bezzer]

The first OAP Railcard train from my local station Colchester Town is 858 arriving in Liv st at 1014. 1 Hr 16 Min for 52 miles ..That shows the lack of investment on GEML
I know we are talking about a stopper but it is still not good
Even the Norwich expresses take about 45 Mins to big Colchester thats non stop
Come back Brunel we need you

Off course, what you would like is a bus too your front door, persoanl chauffeur, servant to carry your luggage, your own train with first class that stops exactly where you want it too stop (ie nowhere) probably serving Gin and Tonics.

Well we all have our dream rail network and would like our own personal trains that serve just us and our needs.

Dream on.....

 

[colchesterken]

Yes of course the 309 s did have a bar and a drink on the way home was nice
you get me wrong the point I was making was compared with Rugby. Reading,Peterborugh or other major towns outside london out timings are slow due to lack of investment

 

[GB]

The timings have little to do with lack of investment. The issue is capacity with so many trains sharing so little available track.

 

[NathanPrior]

They're not selling advance tickets for September 22nd due to the fact you have to take a replacement bus service, what a load of ****.

 

[eastdyke]

The timings have little to do with lack of investment. The issue is capacity with so many trains sharing so little available track.

On the other hand timings may have quite a bit to do with lack of investment - especially in available track?

Whether or not more investment is economic or desirable would depend upon your point of view.

 

[island]

They're not selling advance tickets for September 22nd due to the fact you have to take a replacement bus service, what a load of ****.

Not in the slightest. Advance fares are there to fill trains which would otherwise be carrying fresh air. It makes sense for them not to sell cheap fares when they have to hire coaches in.

 

[NathanPrior]

Not in the slightest. Advance fares are there to fill trains which would otherwise be carrying fresh air. It makes sense for them not to sell cheap fares when they have to hire coaches in.

According to GA twitter when I asked them, they will be selling advance tickets for the date soon..which is pretty odd as you can book advance tickets for other dates after the one I want to travel.

 

[142094]

According to GA twitter when I asked them, they will be selling advance tickets for the date soon..which is pretty odd as you can book advance tickets for other dates after the one I want to travel.

Often when engineering work is being carried out the exact timings for those dates are not known in advance, which is why the advance tickets for that weekend may be released later than normal. Certainly I've travelled on services on the ECML which have had a partial bus replacement with advance tickets.

 

[colchesterken]

I have a couple of Ideas would not cost too much in railway terms
Upgrade the loops at Witham to speed up entrance and exit to the fast lines.no trains to stop on fast line platforms that would allow overtaking
Chelmsford seems to have space in the middle of the tracks streach out the aproaches
easy on the country end build up the embankment at the old GPO depot london bound would need to widern the viaduct for a few hundres yards ( ops Metres ) that would allow a bi directional passing line
I was inpressed with this working on chiltern I was on a local and the train stopped in a local station waited for a few mins while 2 fast trains overtook on the middle road.
Could save a load of money by getting the work done by big local builders rather than the usual international companies. I could not believe what reinstating the loop at Beccles cost |I think it was £3 to reinstate something that was there till the 60s

 

[NathanPrior]

So Advance tickets on sale for London to Ipswich on 22nd September, but NO Advances at all for the return leg the same day, great work GA!

 

[eastdyke]

All gone?

Ipswich are at home to Charlton, also bustitution from Witham (to Billericay).

 

[NathanPrior]

All gone?

Ipswich are at home to Charlton, also bustitution from Witham (to Billericay).

I am a Charlton fan you see

Nah not all gone yet, I doubt most people will go if Ipswich are charging match tickets at £35, which is more expensive an a return train ticket

 

[eastdyke]

I am a Charlton fan you see

Nah not all gone yet, I doubt most people will go if Ipswich are charging match tickets at £35, which is more expensive an a return train ticket

I wondered if that was your reason, advance fares are available on most services ex Ipswich up to the 12.09. But I guess you would want to see the match

Methinks GA has seen you coming!

 

[NathanPrior]

They replied to me on Twitter that it could be a problem with uploading them and to tell them if they're still not appearing by the end of the week

 

[F Great Eastern]

Well I used the line for the first time since the franchise has changed last week, using a few local services on 170's as well as on the 90's and without doubt the trains are being kept cleaner and the staff are much happier, they've also introduced quite a few more ticket machines so already things are much better than they were under NX.

Of course there are still a lot of issues with the franchise, but a lot of these require investment in rolling stock and refurbishment etc which I'm not stupid enough to think they can do this in a short franchise. But what they have done in the few months so far, even if it is little things, is encouraging.

 

[Rick1984]

I've only experienced one problem so far. Our train to norwich from london was late. They were spoofed to hold back the yarmouth train, the last of the day. As we walked up to the train the guard was about to shut the doors. The train left 2 minutes late! Hadley held.

This was made worse by the fact my wife bad only just recovered from broken ankle. We had to make our toward the front of the london train and could only do so once it slowed down and was still a struggle for my wife. As was having to hurry to yarmouth platform.

Would be interesting to know if they'd have reimbursed the cost of taxi if we missed connection

 

[47421]

did anyone see tweet the manager with the MD Ruud Hackett the other day #ttmga ?

was a bit of a farce - over 500 questions submitted and only 100 or so answered. They said something about following up with more answers but I dont hold out much hope, the responses Mr Haket provided were all very generic and he did not give the impression of someone who had his finger on the pulse of the issues passengers were raising

I am looking forward to the DfT publishing the franchise agreement so we can see what they committed to do and by when