Not so Greater Anglia

[HH]

Wow, he ONLY answered 100 questions at the time. Shame on him!

 

[dk1]

So strange how things have changed & social media makes managers answer questions from passengers almost at once. Under good old BR when i was a lad you would have to either take it or leave it, simples!!

 

[47421]

Answered is not really the right word. he attempted to respond on 100 tops, but most responses were standard issue customer relations type responses which did not fully address the issues raised. Overall the session was v disappointing in my view

 

[F Great Eastern]

Don't worry, there is another FCC forum coming up in the middle of September when I'm sure a certain gentlemans interesting questions may amuse you about seat moquettes and radiator designs!

 

[Skimble19]

Ah yes, I do look forward to my quarterly dose of information on the finishing of the heating grills

To be fair, in the old days he used to get some interesting information out of them, but these days they don't seem to bother properly responding to anyone..

 

[F Great Eastern]

Yeah, it was much better in the days that Elaine Holt was doing them, she was pretty straight at answering the questions most of the time.

 

[Clip]

Answered is not really the right word. he attempted to respond on 100 tops, but most responses were standard issue customer relations type responses which did not fully address the issues raised. Overall the session was v disappointing in my view

How do you fully address questions in 140 characters?

 

[tunster]

How do you fully address questions in 140 characters?

You can to a degree or at least expand on them on the public website afterwards if they took it seriously.

Being honest, the answers didn't provide anything new apart from obvious developments of the crossrail take over of the metro line and oyster card going up to Shenfield as of next year. My questions of...

- Why was the 7.40 from CHM to LST reduced to 8 carridges when that's one of the busiest trains during rush hour?

Response: Get the later train that starts at 7.49.

- Can meet the managers done at stations be done later in the day in future as 4:30pm starts seem to miss main train users (commuters)?

Response: Dates and times are displayed in advanced at targeted stations.

That don't help anyone who doesn't finish until 5:30/6pm when the session is pretty much finished.

I'm not surprised, but it hasn't won me over anymore confidence to how the franchise is being run. Maybe Abellio is running a tight ship just doing what they need to before expanding any major changes. However, I do want to see some solid promises that I never saw from that twitter 'meet the manager' session with the MD. To be fair, there were some harsh comments from a few going around making it sound like the Greater Anglia service is the worst in the country. No way is it.

 

[SprinterMan]

Greater Anglia have put pictures of rolling countryside on the inside of all their toilet doors on trains to give them a nicer ambiance as the toilets have no windows. Good idea from GA there, top marks!

Adam

 

[a1a.a1a]

Greater Anglia have put pictures of rolling countryside on the inside of all their toilet doors on trains to give them a nicer ambiance as the toilets have no windows. Good idea from GA there, top marks!

Adam

Yeah, nice idea on the windowless 'dangerdoor' bogs but it looks a little silly on the proper toilet doors, not least as it finished abruptly 2/3rds down the door....

Wonder how scratch/graffiti resistant they are? Tidy to Tatty in one period??

 

[CDM]

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

You could look at it that it's a good thing that they gave you information in advance to ensure you did catch the last train (by telling you they couldn't hold it for long and that you should move forward in the train and which platform to go round to)?

If you'd missed a booked connection with the last train of the day, because the train you were on was delayed, they'd have provided a taxi at their expense (i.e. billed direct back to them, not requiring you to pay and claim back).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

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
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.

Witham loop platforms are already used for this in the current planned timetable and also unplanned, when there are delays?

One particular pain at Witham is for trains stopping at the fast down platform, they have to be cautioned into it adding extra time, because of the foot crossing outside the country end of the platform. Something to do with in case the train didn't stop in the platform, it could run someone over?

All up this line, level crossings are a major pain to the performance of the route.

 

[GB]

One particular pain at Witham is for trains stopping at the fast down platform, they have to be cautioned into it adding extra time, because of the foot crossing outside the country end of the platform. Something to do with in case the train didn't stop in the platform, it could run someone over?

All up this line, level crossings are a major pain to the performance of the route.

The crossing/signalling is fitted with stop/non stop controls. If the train is booked straight through the signaller will operate the non stop button on his workstation which means the crossing will close to the public before the train reaches the station. If the train is booked to stop the clearing of the country end platform signal is delayed, this is so the crossing is not closed too long which invites crossing mis use. It doesn't cause any extra delay to stopping trains.

 

[Aictos]

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

I disagree, most of the comments were unfair and bias against Greater Anglia considering that most of the complaints made were the responsibility of National Express.

Yes Abellio has been in charge since Feb 2012 BUT National Express has been in charge since 2004 being sole responsible for the the Greater Anglia franchise.

That's 8 years of underinvestment which cannot be blamed at Abellio's door!!!

 

[dk1]

Greater Anglia have put pictures of rolling countryside on the inside of all their toilet doors on trains to give them a nicer ambiance as the toilets have no windows. Good idea from GA there, top marks!

Adam

Apparantley that was one of the franchise commitments. Was news to me.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The crossing/signalling is fitted with stop/non stop controls. If the train is booked straight through the signaller will operate the non stop button on his workstation which means the crossing will close to the public before the train reaches the station. If the train is booked to stop the clearing of the country end platform signal is delayed, this is so the crossing is not closed too long which invites crossing mis use. It doesn't cause any extra delay to stopping trains.

It is an over catious check though. Doesnt clear till you pass onto the magnet which means 20mph. Used to irritate me when we stopped here with the 170s. Luckilly i can now speed through at 100 unless the Braintree is on the drag.

This problem should be illiminated before long as a footbridge is planned & as far as i know agreed.

 

[Bald Rick]

It does delay stopping trains. Because the GEML down evening peak timetable is so tight, when the bridge is built it means the stoppers save a minute and as a consequnce the entire evening peak can be sped up by 1 min also.

Incidentally the bridge has taken at least 3 years in the planning because of strong objections from the local horse lobby (the path is a bridleway). Notwithstanding that a chum who used to live almost next to the crossing had never seen a horse in Witham....

Faster entrance / exit speeds means shortening the loops and/or moving all the pointwork at both ends, and moving a lot of signals and OLE. It has been looked at in connection with the forthcoming renewals, however I think it was the case that the extra cash was not worth the time saving for the relatively small number of trains that do and in future will use the loops.

 

[Rick1984]

You could look at it that it's a good thing that they gave you information in advance to ensure you did catch the last train (by telling you they couldn't hold it for long and that you should move forward in the train and which platform to go round to)?

If you'd missed a booked connection with the last train of the day, because the train you were on was delayed, they'd have provided a taxi at their expense (i.e. billed direct back to them, not requiring you to pay and claim back).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

That's good to know about a taxi. And it was good of them to inform us. However my point was 2 mins isn't really much of a wait. Also although the guard's announcements where helpful he didn't once pass through the train. If he did I could have made him aware my wife can't move very quickly or deal with an unstable train.

 

[dk1]

Incidentally the bridge has taken at least 3 years in the planning because of strong objections from the local horse lobby (the path is a bridleway). Notwithstanding that a chum who used to live almost next to the crossing had never seen a horse in Witham....

I can honestly say i have never seen a horse anywhere near Motts Lane.

 

[47421]

on the tweet the manager session GA have since said they collated all questions and are going to respond to them later, so have to wait and see if that actually happens

does anyone know if GA have submitted any timetable changes from December to network rail?

one of the responses to a question asking for some minor change was that they were not expecting any 'major changes', but do we know if there are even going to be any minor changes?

also do we know if there will be any more 12 car trains on west anglia? they extended the platforms at cheshunt, brox, sawb, stan mount but at the moment the only 12 cars are three cambs trains each way which dont stop at any of those stations

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It looks like Brampton on the East Suffolk line may be becoming request-only with the new hourly service (no times available towards Ipswich yet). For example: http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/Y11825/2012/12/13

 

[eastdyke]

It looks like Brampton on the East Suffolk line may be becoming request-only with the new hourly service (no times available towards Ipswich yet). For example: http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/Y11825/2012/12/13

Good spot but seems quite sensible to me. By far the least used station on the line.

Let's say 7500 customers per year, 20 per day average.
That would be around 1 per train average.

Can always be reinstated as a regular stop when (if) the usage goes up after 1tph in each direction?

I will be very interested to see what happens at Beccles when (post loop) they get the 1tph in each direction. Currently around 85,000 customers per year, around 240 per day average, say 12 per train. No better time for the TOC to do some targetted marketing - we will see!

All figures are very approximate!!

 

[dk1]

It looks like Brampton on the East Suffolk line may be becoming request-only with the new hourly service (no times available towards Ipswich yet). For example: http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/Y11825/2012/12/13

About time too. Will seem very strange to run through Westerfield non-stop (officially) for the first time since the early 1980s.

 

[colchesterken]

Sounds interesting , where can we find the questions to the GA managers

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

do we know if there will be any more 12 car trains on west anglia? they extended the platforms at cheshunt, brox, sawb, stan mount but at the moment the only 12 cars are three cambs trains each way which dont stop at any of those stations

There won't be any more 12 cars as there isn't the stock available to do it. There are still some 4 car trains in the peaks which would be made to 8 cars first before any more 12 cars are thought about, but like I said, there just isn't the stock there to do it.

The platform monitors haven't been commissioned at the stations you mentioned yet, hence why no 12 cars serve the stations. Also, the selective door operation on the 379's is so horrendously unreliable.

 

[47421]

think Brox and Cheshunt are open for 12 car trains - when was major disruption the other week the 1707 Liv St stopped Seven Sisters, Cheshunt, Brox and Harlow Town and only announced as front 8 only at Seven Sisters.

Seems odd that the platform work was done months ago at Sawb and Stan Mount but no one has got round to sorting mirrors and no one has any plans to stop 12 car trains there. Seems like a waste of money to have bothered doing the platform work?

Clearly there is the stock to run 3 peak hour trains as 12 cars but why not use them on services that stop at more stations - the Cambs services they are used on are not that busy - and Sawb in particular could do with more trains as it lost half of its Liv St trains last December replaced by Stratford stoppers that are slow and always the first trains to be cancelled whenever there is disruption

 

[SprinterMan]

About time too. Will seem very strange to run through Westerfield non-stop (officially) for the first time since the early 1980s.

Oh dear, poor Westerfield. It had direct London trains back in 2009, now it won't even be served by Lowestoft trains. Is there any reason they no longer stop there? Lack of demand or to speed up journey times?
Adam

 

[34D]

Faster entrance / exit speeds means shortening the loops and/or moving all the pointwork at both ends, and moving a lot of signals and OLE.

Surely you mean lengthening the loop? Assuming say a 75mph turn-in, then the train will do most of its deceleration in the look rather than slowing on the main to say 25?

 

[dk1]

Oh dear, poor Westerfield. It had direct London trains back in 2009, now it won't even be served by Lowestoft trains. Is there any reason they no longer stop there? Lack of demand or to speed up journey times?
Adam

You do get passengers on/off from the Woodbridge direction but on the whole its just a stop for token exchange & any patronage is in single figures. Those heading to/from Ipswich have the hourly Felixstowe service which is more than sufficient for the business on offer & a damn site more frequent than a few years ago.

 

[CockneySparrow]

You do get passengers on/off from the Woodbridge direction but on the whole its just a stop for token exchange & any patronage is in single figures. Those heading to/from Ipswich have the hourly Felixstowe service which is more than sufficient for the business on offer & a damn site more frequent than a few years ago.

So if you want to get on at Westerfield to go to Sax or Lowestoft you have to get on the Felixstowe train into Ipswich, then wait half an hour to come back, Marvellous

Maybe the best solution would be to make both routes every two hours alternating, this will still maintain a hourly stop

 

[Bald Rick]

Surely you mean lengthening the loop? Assuming say a 75mph turn-in, then the train will do most of its deceleration in the look rather than slowing on the main to say 25?

No, I mean shortening. The loop entry / exits are constrained by crossovers in the main lines. If the speeds are increased, the turnouts get longer, meaning that either:

a) to keep the same length of loop the toes of the turnouts have to move back, necessitating relocation of the crossovers in the main lines with the attendant extra costs, signalling and OLE implications, or,
b) the toes of the turnouts stay where they are, but the extra length of turnout reduces the useable length of the loop.

 

[F1Ken]

What strikes me is that the class 321's I believe are still the best GE have. Reliable old British workhorses. The 360's have aged badly. They have aged more in 7/6 years than the 321's have in 20 years.

I'd choose a 321 over anything any day. BREL knew how to build a train. Siemens don't.

Ken