ECML Farce - OHLE down

[yorkie]

I arrived at King's Cross at approximately 20:10, in good time for the 21:00 Newcastle-bound HST, but found the 20:00 "cancelled", but all other services "on time", although the board was informing passengers that GNER were not operating due to OHLE damage and that passengers should go to St Pancras.

The line was now open - the problem was that drivers were out of hours.

No announcements were being made, and the boards soon changed to show all GNER/HT services as "delayed", but it soon became apparent that passengers were arriving back *from* St Pancras, finding staff and informing them that the advice to go there was incorrect, as it was, by now, too late for the last connections from Sheffield and Nottingham to ECML locations. The farce continued as passengers were sent between the two stations due to poor communication.

The only information available on the main concourse was a single GNER employee, who was telling all passengers for Peterborough and beyond that there would be no GNER service from King's Cross for the time being, and that passengers should take the 20:51 FCC to Stevenage, for an "onward bus" to Peterborough. Many passengers were, understandably, reluctant to go to Sttevenage without assurances that they'd not be stranded there. He refused to confirm GNER would call at Stevenage or not, dismissing the question as irrelevant. He refused to answer whether the 21:07 FCC to Peterborough (fast to St Neots) would be a better option, all he would do was repeat the bus option.

Athough many people did take his advice, many others had concerns and did not. After all, this was not being announced. I would like to know what happened to those passengers who went to Stevenage, because subsequently the 21:00 to Newcastle (which departed at 21:45) did NOT call there; and the next FCC calling at both Stevenage and Peterborough would have been a long wait (21:21 ex-KGX), and not arrived at Peterborough before the GNER. In fact, why on earth was this employee suggesting we get a bus when trains were running?! Looking back, I wish I'd said something at the time.

At approx 21:20, the 20:30 to Leeds (advertised as 21:00 to Leeds), formed of an HST, departed.

Passengers for Hull Trains were being told (again, no announcement - they had to approach staff) that they were trying to couple two Meridian units "outside King's Cross", to create more room for passengers due to previous GNER cancellations. I do not have any details but it clearly did not go to plan as Hull Trains' service was cancelled due to "train failure" and all passengers were told to board the (by now very overcrowded) 21:00 Newcastle service.

Right now I am sat in a very full 1st class (no ticket check, no at-seat service). Passengers for Lincoln and stations to Hull are being provided with replacement coaches from Newark and Doncaster respectively.

I'd like to know:-
* What happened to the passengers who caught the 20:51 to Stevenage? Was a bus really provided? Did they make the delayed 21:00 at Peterborough?
* Why were no announcements made?
* What really happened to the Hull Trains service? If they could not couple 2 trains, why not run 1 as booked?
* Why can staff at St Pancras an King's Cross not give out the SAME information?

 

[theblackwatch]

I have voiced my opinions on GNER before - they are fine until things go wrong, but appear unable to cope with problems. I won't foget the occasion when the wires were down near Stevenage, and we set off from Kings Cross on time (no annoucements of any problem) only to join a queue of trains for around 3 hours waiting to go north. Then there was the occasion when, 2 hours late at Newcastle (at 00.30) everyone was put onto a replacement bus for York, arriving there 3 hours late!

 

[compsci]

When I arrived at KX at 6:30pm for the 6:45 to Cambridge, it was running, but the entire station had gone into cattle market mode, with the concourse outside platforms 1 to 6 fenced off, guarded by gnomes who probably knew nothing. My train was running from 7, but to get there I had to squeeze around the bottom of the main departure boards, and then through the single three foot wide gate that was opened onto the platform. At this time all GNER passengers were being given the FCC to Stevenage and then bus to Peterborough advice. Thankfully my already packed train did not call at Stevenage.

 

[CallySleeper]

• What happened to the passengers who caught the 20:51 to Stevenage? Was a bus really provided? Did they make the delayed 21:00 at Peterborough?

Hi Yorkie, I don't understand why you're worrying about what happened to some other people when you're now presumably home, safe and dry. After all, it is unlikely that we can do anything but speculate.

• What really happened to the Hull Trains service? If they could not couple 2 trains, why not run 1 as booked?

How can you be sure that it was a coupling failure and not an actual train failure? Also, they may have needed both trains in Hull.

• Why were no announcements made?
• Why can staff at St Pancras an King's Cross not give out the SAME information?

Probably a mix of,

• lack of communication,
• different information getting sent to different places (i.e. St Pancras being told a different story to what KX was hearing)
• and a 'chinese whispers' effect of passage of information between employees.

The only information available on the main concourse was a single GNER employee, who was telling all passengers for Peterborough and beyond that there would be no GNER service from King's Cross for the time being, and that passengers should take the 20:51 FCC to Stevenage, for an "onward bus" to Peterborough.

...

the 21:00 to Newcastle (which departed at 21:45) did NOT call there; and the next FCC calling at both Stevenage and Peterborough would have been a long wait (21:21 ex-KGX), and not arrived at Peterborough before the GNER. In fact, why on earth was this employee suggesting we get a bus when trains were running?!

Mixup of information? He was saying that there wouldn't be trains for a while.

This disruption had been ongoing for most of the afternoon and into the evening. Therefore, could you not have prewarned yourself earlier in the day through WAP information or otherwise that there were problems and arrive at a station earlier given that your journey was likely to take longer? Were there other options available to you having arrived earlier than 20:10 at either KX or Pancras then your tickets would have been accepted on these services.

 

[yorkie]

Hi Yorkie, I don't understand why you're worrying about what happened to some other people when you're now presumably home, safe and dry. After all, it is unlikely that we can do anything but speculate.

ok, well I can't make you understand.

How can you be sure that it was a coupling failure and not an actual train failure? Also, they may have needed both trains in Hull.

I can't, which is why I asked the question.

Probably a mix of,

• lack of communication,
• different information getting sent to different places (i.e. St Pancras being told a different story to what KX was hearing)
• and a 'chinese whispers' effect of passage of information between employees.

But none of this explains why no announcements were made.

Mixup of information? He was saying that there wouldn't be trains for a while.

But the 21:07 to Peterborough was on the board as running, and as far as I can determine did run. The bus information was clearly out of date, yet some people believed it and went to Stevenage where trains to Peterborough went through non-stop. It's not on!

This disruption had been ongoing for most of the afternoon and into the evening. Therefore, could you not have prewarned yourself earlier in the day through WAP information or otherwise that there were problems and arrive at a station earlier given that your journey was likely to take longer? Were there other options available to you having arrived earlier than 20:10 at either KX or Pancras then your tickets would have been accepted on these services.

I don't understand what you are trying to say here, and if GNER said this to me I'd not be happy. It's very reasonable to turn up 50 minutes before departure - in fact, I'd say that's extremely generous! Oh, and the journey didn't take any longer - less in fact due to us going via the mainline rather than the Lincoln avoider. I think the time I arrived at the station is not at all relevant; my complaint is over poor, confusing, and conflicting information being given out.

 

[CallySleeper]

But the 21:07 to Peterborough was on the board as running, and as far as I can determine did run. The bus information was clearly out of date, yet some people believed it and went to Stevenage where trains to Peterborough went through non-stop. It's not on!

OK, I grant ye about getting a bus from Stevanage. But surely then catching the 21:07 as far as Peterborough would mean leaving KX earlier than the train you got, presuming the GNER train called at Peterborough?

I don't understand what you are trying to say here, and if GNER said this to me I'd not be happy. It's very reasonable to turn up 50 minutes before departure - in fact, I'd say that's extremely generous! Oh, and the journey didn't take any longer - less in fact due to us going via the mainline rather than the Lincoln avoider. I think the time I arrived at the station is not at all relevant; my complaint is over poor, confusing, and conflicting information being given out.

It may have took less, not taking into account the 45 minute late departure and the severe overcrowding?

OK, maybe I didn't phrase that quite right. What I'm trying to say is that by allowing extra time (in this case, a couple of hours, knowing that trains were infrequent as it was but also disrupted) for your journey, that is, intending to leave London at some time before your intended 2100 departure, then there may have been more options available to you other than the train you eventually got, meaning you could arrive at your destination at an earlier time. For example, given an extra 30 minutes allowance, you could have catched the 2000 train, had it not been cancelled.

 

[yorkie]

OK, I grant ye about getting a bus from Stevanage. But surely then catching the 21:07 as far as Peterborough would mean leaving KX earlier than the train you got, presuming the GNER train called at Peterborough?

Yes, the 21:07 was IMO a far better option. Though anyone who did get it would have had no chance of a seat at Peterborough.

It may have took less, not taking into account the 45 minute late departure and the severe overcrowding?

People booked trains before the 21:00 experienced a delay (some very signficant), but the 21:00 departed 45 late and went straight up the main line (avoiding Gainsborough) so arrived York 7 late and was slightly early into Darlington, Durham and Newcastle.

OK, maybe I didn't phrase that quite right. What I'm trying to say is that by allowing extra time (in this case, a couple of hours, knowing that trains were infrequent as it was but also disrupted) for your journey, that is, intending to leave London at some time before your intended 2100 departure, then there may have been more options available to you other than the train you eventually got, meaning you could arrive at your destination at an earlier time. For example, given an extra 30 minutes allowance, you could have catched the 2000 train, had it not been cancelled.

Maybe, although I think I'd have had to have left significantly earlier to gain anything, given that I was on what I believe to be the first through train from King's Cross to Newcastle. My complaint is not about delays, it is of the appauling lack of information and also wrong information being given out. No amount of arriving earlier (which no-one is obliged to do anyway) would help that.

 

[Ascot]

Yorkie, here is something to answer all your questions...

THe left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

When a 66 messed up at Daw Mill last year we was stuck for 2 hrs in Leicester, knowone knew and a bus was put on place, i got a taxi home with the driver and guard as i knew them, and we see the bus pass as we was on the M69, according to other people the next morning they didn;t get home till gone 10 as i was home before 9. And i knew more than the driver of the service what was happening because i was talking to someone at Nuneaton who saw the whole thing and i was telling the Driver.

Just because they work for GNER does not mean they know everything going on MML and up the line.

 

[CallySleeper]

You know what, nothing is perfect, life aint fair, and things go wrong. Certainly none of us can answer your queries Yorkie, nor are we here to defend the companies involved. Perhaps a letter is in order?

What's the point? If you do get a reply back it usually is a defendant reply and/or doesn't answer your original query. Anyhow, they can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so why should they be bending over backwards for thier customers?

 

[Tom B]

When a 66 messed up at Daw Mill last year we was stuck for 2 hrs in Leicester, knowone knew and a bus was put on place, i got a taxi home with the driver and guard as i knew them, and we see the bus pass as we was on the M69, according to other people the next morning they didn;t get home till gone 10 as i was home before 9.

Shouldn't the driver and guard have stayed with the train until the RRBS arrived?

 

[Ascot]

Shouldn't the driver and guard have stayed with the train until the RRBS arrived?

nah they got instructed by TCS to wait outside for the taxi to New Street.

The guard had alot of money etc.. and it's cheaper to get a taxi than charge any more over time for them so about 4 of us excluding the driver in one ABC Cars taxi, the driver got lost in Brum as well so that was a laugh tryin to get him round the one way system and the M6 closure.

 

[Techniquest]

Laptop battery about to run out...So I'll do a better reply later.

This was a HUGE farce. Typical that it happens when I go to the ECML for the first time in a very long time!

I am officially complaining to GNER though, with a well-written letter expressing my concerns. I'll reply to the rest of this thread later, I need to go get the power cable for the laptop.

 

[Guinness]

Laptop battery about to run out...So I'll do a better reply later.

This was a HUGE farce. Typical that it happens when I go to the ECML for the first time in a very long time!

I am officially complaining to GNER though, with a well-written letter expressing my concerns. I'll reply to the rest of this thread later, I need to go get the power cable for the laptop.

Were you travelling that night?

 

[Techniquest]

Posted again as when I do edits it always logs me out...cratch:

Laptop battery about to run out...So I'll do a better reply later.

This was a HUGE farce. Typical that it happens when I go to the ECML for the first time in a very long time!

I am officially complaining to GNER though, with a well-written letter expressing my concerns. I'll reply to the rest of this thread later, I need to go get the power cable for the laptop.

EDIT: That's better.

Right, Peter B I was also booked on the 2100 last night. Guess what time I turned up at Kings Cross for it...Go on, I dare you...

It was...

1611.

Yes, I was there that early. Of course, I wasn't really going to veg it out at Kings Cross for nearly 5 hours, that would be mental. I was meeting a friend there, who had arrived there around 1445, when things were still up the creek. After a bit of a wait to see what happened (which led to me FINALLY clearing my 365s with 508!), we went to The Euston Flyer on Euston Road. Nice pub, quality ales too! After a while, Martin came over to meet up with us, then a bit after we went to Kings Cross again. Everything is still up the creek at this time. So it was time to make decisions. In the end, the original thought about going to get the 1953 to St. Neots and bus onwards (expected to take an HOUR to Peterborough!) with connecting train was dismissed after the better idea of going to the Pan for the 1925 to Leeds. After all, a HST is much better than a 365, connecting bus and possible long wait or something at Peterborough for a 91!

So off to the Pan. No more beer moves, great. We discover First Class is declassified, which I like the sound of. Thought it would be at the front for some reason, so ran up there for it. Whoops, it's at the back. It's already jammed by 1904, so back out of the set for a run to the TGS. Jammed too, along with the rest of the train. Only 1906 or so at this time. More and more passengers kept coming up for the train, the amount of moaning I heard about it being busy...One girl said 'Well they're not used to London commuter trains' or something when I said there was no room. I believe I commented that this is not the Tube or something, we don't have the room on these trains!

1926 and we finally leave. 43049 leaves with a nice bit of noise. Thankfully I'm by the window, so I can enjoy the thrash out of the VP185! It gets better after Luton, then Kettering saw us lose quite a few people, Leicester it was much better. By Sheffield I managed to get up the train for a cup of tea and an FC seat. I alighted at Doncaster around 2213. Nice long trip that, good few HST miles!

After a 2.5 hour or so fester at Doncaster, we got 43112 and 119 on the 0034 to York. Thrash-fest is an understatement. The set left the way all HSTs should, with a lovely amount of noise and actually moving faster than 5mph out of the station! FGW could learn lessons from GNER...

Connecting train was rancid 91111. Great, bloody MK4s to Darlington. Definately not comfortable at all, I was glad to alight at Darlo. 35 minutes wait for the 0225 (0140 ex-Newcastle) 185 to Manchester, which arrived 10 minutes early. Nice run actually, with a 25 minute wait in York for the RA! Arrived Manchester (after a doss from Leeds) around 0447, nice and early. Hung around Manchester then for ages hunting my 185s for sightings. Now got 28 of them cleared for sightings, with 4 bashed.

175112 eventually arrived into Manchester for the 0638 to Milford Haven. Fun, this bloody thing again. Eventually arrived into Hereford around 0847, maybe 0848. Off then to the bus stop for the 0900 home, a nice thrash out with the Spectra. Nice. Got home around 1005. After about 2 hours, in which time I had my breakfast and a hot chocolate (lush!), I gave up, sorted out fresh bedding and almost collapsed into bed ready for some proper sleep. With some interruptions later on, I eventually got back up around 1820.

Then of course it was onto t'internet, where I found this thread and decided to have a bit of a moan/trip report.

 

[CallySleeper]

Posted again as when I do edits it always logs me out...cratch:

Laptop battery about to run out...So I'll do a better reply later.

This was a HUGE farce. Typical that it happens when I go to the ECML for the first time in a very long time!

I am officially complaining to GNER though, with a well-written letter expressing my concerns. I'll reply to the rest of this thread later, I need to go get the power cable for the laptop.

EDIT: That's better.

Right, Peter B I was also booked on the 2100 last night. Guess what time I turned up at Kings Cross for it...Go on, I dare you...

It was...

1611.

Yes, I was there that early. Of course, I wasn't really going to veg it out at Kings Cross for nearly 5 hours, that would be mental. I was meeting a friend there, who had arrived there around 1445, when things were still up the creek. After a bit of a wait to see what happened (which led to me FINALLY clearing my 365s with 508!), we went to The Euston Flyer on Euston Road. Nice pub, quality ales too! After a while, Martin came over to meet up with us, then a bit after we went to Kings Cross again. Everything is still up the creek at this time. So it was time to make decisions. In the end, the original thought about going to get the 1953 to St. Neots and bus onwards (expected to take an HOUR to Peterborough!) with connecting train was dismissed after the better idea of going to the Pan for the 1925 to Leeds. After all, a HST is much better than a 365, connecting bus and possible long wait or something at Peterborough for a 91!

So off to the Pan. No more beer moves, great. We discover First Class is declassified, which I like the sound of. Thought it would be at the front for some reason, so ran up there for it. Whoops, it's at the back. It's already jammed by 1904, so back out of the set for a run to the TGS. Jammed too, along with the rest of the train. Only 1906 or so at this time. More and more passengers kept coming up for the train, the amount of moaning I heard about it being busy...One girl said 'Well they're not used to London commuter trains' or something when I said there was no room. I believe I commented that this is not the Tube or something, we don't have the room on these trains!

1926 and we finally leave. 43049 leaves with a nice bit of noise. Thankfully I'm by the window, so I can enjoy the thrash out of the VP185! It gets better after Luton, then Kettering saw us lose quite a few people, Leicester it was much better. By Sheffield I managed to get up the train for a cup of tea and an FC seat. I alighted at Doncaster around 2213. Nice long trip that, good few HST miles!

After a 2.5 hour or so fester at Doncaster, we got 43112 and 119 on the 0034 to York. Thrash-fest is an understatement. The set left the way all HSTs should, with a lovely amount of noise and actually moving faster than 5mph out of the station! FGW could learn lessons from GNER...

Connecting train was rancid 91111. Great, bloody MK4s to Darlington. Definately not comfortable at all, I was glad to alight at Darlo. 35 minutes wait for the 0225 (0140 ex-Newcastle) 185 to Manchester, which arrived 10 minutes early. Nice run actually, with a 25 minute wait in York for the RA! Arrived Manchester (after a doss from Leeds) around 0447, nice and early. Hung around Manchester then for ages hunting my 185s for sightings. Now got 28 of them cleared for sightings, with 4 bashed.

175112 eventually arrived into Manchester for the 0638 to Milford Haven. Fun, this bloody thing again. Eventually arrived into Hereford around 0847, maybe 0848. Off then to the bus stop for the 0900 home, a nice thrash out with the Spectra. Nice. Got home around 1005. After about 2 hours, in which time I had my breakfast and a hot chocolate (lush!), I gave up, sorted out fresh bedding and almost collapsed into bed ready for some proper sleep. With some interruptions later on, I eventually got back up around 1820.

Then of course it was onto t'internet, where I found this thread and decided to have a bit of a moan/trip report.

This backs up my opinion then that arriving hours early for a train during mass disruption does help.

 

[yorkie]

This backs up my opinion then that arriving hours early for a train during mass disruption does help.

How does it? He spent all afternoon, then because he didn't want a 91 (fair enough, his choice) he got to York 1 hour after me, as our booked train was a 91 vice HST.

The train we were both booked on departed KGX 44 late, got to York 7 late and was then early into Durham, Darlington and Newcastle.

He chose to do what he did for the HST thrash, and I don't blame him for that, but in terms of an ordinary passenger, no it didn't really help.

 

[CallySleeper]

How does it? He spent all afternoon, then because he didn't want a 91 (fair enough, his choice) he got to York 1 hour after me, as our booked train was a 91 vice HST.

The train we were both booked on departed KGX 44 late, got to York 7 late and was then early into Durham, Darlington and Newcastle.

He chose to do what he did for the HST thrash, and I don't blame him for that, but in terms of an ordinary passenger, no it didn't really help.

He left over 2 hours before you mate. Had it not have been late evening he wouldn't have waited around for a connection. Given a push travel to York would have been available anyway.

Yorkie, did you actually want to get home at a reasonable time?

 

[AlexS]

Yorkie, here is something to answer all your questions...

THe left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

When a 66 messed up at Daw Mill last year we was stuck for 2 hrs in Leicester, knowone knew and a bus was put on place, i got a taxi home with the driver and guard as i knew them, and we see the bus pass as we was on the M69, according to other people the next morning they didn;t get home till gone 10 as i was home before 9. And i knew more than the driver of the service what was happening because i was talking to someone at Nuneaton who saw the whole thing and i was telling the Driver.

Just because they work for GNER does not mean they know everything going on MML and up the line.

You got lucky - I was stuck there from 1630 till 2215 and arrived at Birmingham New Street at 2310.

 

[Tom B]

nah they got instructed by TCS to wait outside for the taxi to New Street.

The guard had alot of money etc.. and it's cheaper to get a taxi than charge any more over time for them so about 4 of us excluding the driver in one ABC Cars taxi, the driver got lost in Brum as well so that was a laugh tryin to get him round the one way system and the M6 closure.

So passengers were left with nobody on the train in the middle of nowhere?!

 

[yorkie]

He left over 2 hours before you mate. Had it not have been late evening he wouldn't have waited around for a connection. Given a push travel to York would have been available anyway.

Yorkie, did you actually want to get home at a reasonable time?

I do not understand what you are trying to say.

What I am trying to say is that passengers should not have to leave 2 hours earlier than booked, and in this case the passenger who did that did not do any better off than me. The train that we were booked on did leave very late but arrived in Newcastle early, as it did not go via Gainsborough for route learning reasons.

Would I have cut my London trip short by a few hours on the basis that I might have got back slightly earlier? No. Should I feel obliged to do so? Certainly not.

 

[Techniquest]

I ought to clarify my actions...

I booked on the 2100 on this trip because it was booked for a HST. I booked this way back on the 28th of December 2006 around 2218. Man it was a long time coming from that time until the day of the bash...

I arrived 4 up in the end (due to massive slack timings!) after being 10 down at Bristol Parkway (due to being routed onto the Up Relief out of Newport until just beyond East Usk, at which point I scored one of my last EWS 66 (which almost saw me go to the buffet for a celebratory beer) before we got back to the Up Fast. 1306 into Paddington, I was happy.

Anyway, before the HSTEG Pub Meet I was planning to go to Harrow and Wealdstone, Clapham Junction and London Bridge before King's Cross for the meet. Had to miss London Bridge in the end, arriving into KGX at 1611 or so. This was the point when I found things were stuffed up, and had been since around 1445, as the person who I was meeting at Kings Cross had been there since that time.

Point is that I did not know that things were stuffed up before that point. After a while, we left around 1645 to go to the pub for a couple of pints. We figured after this we ought to go back and see if services had restarted. Which they hadn't. Cue a massive rush of trying to decide what to do. After about 40 minutes of making this decision, I settled on a move to the Pan for the 1925.

That much we've already discussed. The points I am trying to make are:

- I wanted a HST bash, the ONLY reason for booking this trip in the first place.

- I wanted some thrashtastic HSTs with GNER, because quite frankly they are brilliant, so much more so than FGW's HSTs.

- Having no luck with GNER (no-one expected ANY GNER services to run for the rest of the day), the next move was obvious. Once I had got someone from GNER to say I could go and get something with MML, that was done. OK, so no GNER HST for haulage and massive mileage, especially over a new route, but a HST with MML would do me!

- Landed with VP185s, but they were nice and thrashy. Certainly did a sterling job of getting me up North.

- I did not know until the day after that the 2100 did actually run, albeit 44 or so down. I did not know, either, that it was a 91 set. If I had known, then I'd have gone out of my way to avoid it anyway!

- The fact that I ended up with 91111 to Darlington after all from York was irritating but I wasn't going to wait in York for over 2 more hours...Besides, that meant a new bash for the day and cleared that 91 for haulage. I'll do them when I absolutely have to, but when there are HSTs to get instead then the choice is obvious.

Oh, and I was just glad to have been able to get up North for my 185 to Manchester and Arriva TW unit home. I was sick to the back teeth of things by now (not helped by being very hungry), and I was very tired, so going home was the most important thing to do!

Final thought is that I had NOT arrived into KGX hours early for the trip home. I just happened to be meeting someone there, which was rather handy in the end. I would have preferred to have turned up around 2030, which was the original plan after having had a few pints and something to eat. At that point I had planned to be getting some shots of the HST before we left for Newcastle via the Lincoln Central avoider (again, this was the only reason for me doing this trip). Of course, none of the day's plan happened after 1611!

 

[Tom C]

As I have said before this is an enormous problem which plagues just about every TOC in the land and to be honest it is getting worse.

The "gnomes" who are on the gateline know nothing because they have been told nothing and if they try to get any information they are usually filled with out of date and inaccurate information or are given the cold shoulder by service control who are "too busy" to help.

 

[Tom]

More to the point, I think the moral of Julian's story is that it was booked, not guaranteed.

Booked & guaranteed are 2 very different things...

 

[Ascot]

So passengers were left with nobody on the train in the middle of nowhere?!

Yes Leicester station with aload of Platform staff. Welcome to the real world mate, not the perfect passenger world.

 

[CallySleeper]

91 vice HST

I neither like nor understand that word, was it an HST or a a 91?

Given WSXFan's situation, if he wasn't so bothered about traction - the HST is one of the best trains, no question about it - nevertheless arrival into York by 9PM would have been possible.

Also, in these scenarios allowing extra time may not have provided any benefit, but Yorkie are you implying that this is always the case?

 

[Tom]

91 vice HST

It means a 91 covered a HST diagram.

 

[yorkie]

Given WSXFan's situation, if he wasn't so bothered about traction - the HST is one of the best trains, no question about it - nevertheless arrival into York by 9PM would have been possible.

He was booked on the 21:00 (9pm) from King's Cross. He chose to leave earlier for the traction - which is his choice (i'd probably have done the same!) - but it didn't get him to York any quicker.

Also, in these scenarios allowing extra time may not have provided any benefit, but Yorkie are you implying that this is always the case?

How can it "always" be the case? You said "This backs up my opinion then that arriving hours early for a train during mass disruption does help.", and it does not back that up.

Leaving earlier, before a problem is fixed, by an obscure route, may get you home earlier - but equally it may not if the route is subsequently fixed.

 

[Max]

No offence Peter B but why are you being so hugely defensive of the TOCs when this thing was to be honest a huge farce and a mess, which could have been dealt with much better by GNER and MML. I don't see why cross-communication would be impossible, it only takes a bit of planning/effort on the part of the staff. They should have checked the timetables before sending people over to St Pancras after the last train with connections to Yorkshire! It all seems a complete shambles to me. Couldn't staff all be called to a meeting for 5 minutes to be briefed on what advice to deliver, or carry walkie-talkies connected to a control room? And it seems daft that there were no announcements!

 

[Techniquest]

Like I said, I went for the HST thrash. Then I ended up on MML because there was not a soul who believed things might be fixed within, say, an hour or whatever. If they had told me that NR had told them services should be able to run again within the hour or whatever, then I'd have gone to the pub for a pint and come back. As it is, no-one expected to be able to leave London with GNER that night!

In any case, I'm going to have a moan at GNER via one of their comments forms. As many people have already done that night...

 

[Craig]

More to the point, I think the moral of Julian's story is that it was booked, not guaranteed.

Booked & guaranteed are 2 very different things...

Very true. In these conditions TOC's are generally more concerned with getting passengers to their destination rather than catering for [anything else].