2014 wishes (railway wise)

[clc]

Green light for Glasgow-Edinburgh HSR.

Decision made on solution for improving surface access at Glasgow Airport - light rail, people mover, anything that doesnt involve buses.

 

[60163]

Something to be done about/with the rotting 60s, 90s, 92s, etc...
More hired-in DRS loco hauled sets deputising for driver shortages
Flying Scotsman, City of Truro and Lizzie returned to steam
Aren't the SVR having a shed built over their Kidderminster diesel depot? Speedy completion of this project
D345 on a plethora of main line action
D7029 returned to service
More uses for Class 92s

Lastly, somehow procure more HSTs for XC, and halve the Voyager fleet by removing carriages and inserting them into other sets to make a smaller fleet but with more seats per set.

 

[Train jaune]

All pacers transferred from Northern to replace all the kit on Chiltern Railways. The denizens of Buckinghamshire can then enjoy the delights of "traditional" rail travel without being bothered by modern infastructure.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Extra services on the Cambrian mainline at long last.

A return of rail freight to rural lines using FMU's.

IEP scrapped and the money used to buy off the shelf existing designs in greater quantities.

All candidates at local and national level elections will have to proof they've worked on the railways for at least 10 weeks in the preceding 10 years.

 

[Intercity]

and halve the Voyager fleet by removing carriages and inserting them into other sets to make a smaller fleet but with more seats per set.

surely you'd just couple two sets together rather than ripping sets apart and having the driving cars sat in storage? :-?

 

[HowardGWR]

It needs to be much more then just some extra ticket facilities, I wish that in 2014 the cuts would be abandoned. Check out RMT campaign every job matters
.

That's a very unfortunate username you have chosen in the eyes of a Dutchman (look it up)! Welcome anyway.

 

[yorksrob]

That would be good, however with the devolvement of railways - I can't see it happening.

One that covered the whole of England would be a good start though.

I realise that some elements of my list are on the optimistic side !

 

[tbtc]

To be realistic:

A guide to what the franchise map will be like over the next five/ ten years so we can have some certainties

An announcement of what fleet cascades we can realistically expect (will all of the 319s go to Northern? Will the 387s go to Thames Valley or Transpennine? will FSR be getting more 380s?)

Maybe a couple of small electrification extensions, with an election looming, could be realistic too?

 

[Katada]

How about a nice and simple one... Managers / Members of Parliament / Media and the Public to... USE SOME COMMON SENSE?

Is that too much to ask for the future?

Doesn't exist in Britain, sorry I meant UK.

 

[Drsatan]

A wish I'd think we'd all like to see is a national fleet refreshment/refurbishment list, so that we can see which trains will be refreshed and refurbished at some point.

A few classes in particular are in need of refurbishment or refreshment. One class I can think of is FGW's 158s, which need a deep clean throughout, along with new carpets.

 

[yorksrob]

Perhaps more realistic, given the timescale, I‘d like to see rail devolution for the North fully supported and taken forward by central Government. I would like this to result in a revitalisation of services outside of the PTE areas, for example the restoration of proper services on the Snaith and Kirton Lindsay routes, and a better pricing structure designed to encourage more rail usage in these areas.

 

[ianhr]

Perhaps more realistic, given the timescale, I‘d like to see rail devolution for the North fully supported and taken forward by central Government. I would like this to result in a revitalisation of services outside of the PTE areas, for example the restoration of proper services on the Snaith and Kirton Lindsay routes, and a better pricing structure designed to encourage more rail usage in these areas.

Yes, I support that. Also orders for enough new stock so that ALL Pacers (142 & 144s) go for scrap asap and users of Northern & TPE do not have to fight for seats. Is it too much to hope for a plan to install more track capacity between Leeds & Manchester to eliminate endemic slow and late running due to congestion.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, I support that. Also orders for enough new stock so that ALL Pacers (142 & 144s) go for scrap asap and users of Northern & TPE do not have to fight for seats. Is it too much to hope for a plan to install more track capacity between Leeds & Manchester to eliminate endemic slow and late running due to congestion.

True. The TPE route always appears most susceptible to disruption of the routes radiating from Leeds.

Also, from a personal point of view, I‘d like to see those TOC‘s offering advanced fares to abandon compulsory seat reservations. TOC‘s should then be able to charge a small fee for anyone who wants a reservation (although in my experience these are just a pain in the backside).

 

[3141]

All pacers transferred from Northern to replace all the kit on Chiltern Railways. The denizens of Buckinghamshire can then enjoy the delights of "traditional" rail travel without being bothered by modern infastructure.

Isn't that a bit tough on the denizens of London, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands, and Worcestershire?

 

[colchesterken]

I am with 330094 on this one being selfish I want to see our railway improved
Start the Chelmsford loops next week. Reshedule fast trains to pass slow/freight at Witham, no slow trains stopping at the main line platforms at Witham
Refresh the mk 3, I would settle for new seat cushions and new lights I was impressed with the lights on east coast Mk3s on a receint journey
Find a way to put some seats in the DVTs or rebuild some MK3 as DSBOs
No new franchises let them drop into DOR on expiry, other operators may see no future in the gravey train and hand in the keys, no help on existing franchises if the operator cannot make it work, hand back the keys..renationalised operations at no cost!,then find a way to squese the ROSCOs

 

[Moonshot]

I am with 330094 on this one being selfish I want to see our railway improved
Start the Chelmsford loops next week. Reshedule fast trains to pass slow/freight at Witham, no slow trains stopping at the main line platforms at Witham
Refresh the mk 3, I would settle for new seat cushions and new lights I was impressed with the lights on east coast Mk3s on a receint journey
Find a way to put some seats in the DVTs or rebuild some MK3 as DSBOs
No new franchises let them drop into DOR on expiry, other operators may see no future in the gravey train and hand in the keys, no help on existing franchises if the operator cannot make it work, hand back the keys..renationalised operations at no cost!,then find a way to squese the ROSCOs

Absolutely not going to happen......the EU is encouraging others to follow in our footsteps.

 

[yorksrob]

[/B]

Absolutely not going to happen......the EU is encouraging others to follow in our footsteps.

And why wouldn't others follow the EU‘s encouragement.

Particularly since they‘ ve done so well in organising monetary union !

 

[YorkshireBear]

1. BBC banned from reporting on HS2 due to discovery of major bias and poor journalism all round.
2. East Coast franchise renewal postponed till after IEP introduction as it is clearly politically driven. Renew franchises that matter such as Northern.
3. HS2 get go ahead.

 

[Moonshot]

Oh I dont doubt that the monetary union is one we have done well to stay away from. But the 4th Euro rail package is drafted around competition both for the market and in the market....
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

1. BBC banned from reporting on HS2 due to discovery of major bias and poor journalism all round.
2. East Coast franchise renewal postponed till after IEP introduction as it is clearly politically driven. Renew franchises that matter such as Northern.
3. HS2 get go ahead.

Can we not add the Daily Mail to that as well?

 

[YorkshireBear]

Can we not add the Daily Mail to that as well?

Thought that went without saying!

 

[swcovas]

Just a minor one in the eyes of most Forum members I'm sure but my wish is to see just ONE extra daily return working working on the Heart of Wales Line! Doesn't sound like much to ask for does it?

 

[CalderRail]

Funding confirmation for Elland Station

 

[Tommy91125]

New seats in Northern Rail Class 142s especially 142029 sat on a seat and dust went everywhere. ( old Leyland seats) more intercity services at morpeth

 

[fowler9]

I'd personally like to see all multiple units scrapped and replaced with a new fleet of 37's and 50's pulling Mark 2 C's. I'd like to see the Pendolinos turned in to coke cans and the WCML trains put in the hands of a new build fleet of 87's and Mark 3's with no DVT's. I'd like a 4 tph service from West Allerton to Lime Street and the fare to be the same as it was in the 80's.

Meanwhile back in reality the world is glad I don't run the railways. Ha ha.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

[/B]

Absolutely not going to happen......the EU is encouraging others to follow in our footsteps.

If the EU want other countries privatised the way we have done it they have clearly been smoking something herbal.

 

[Moonshot]

I'd personally like to see all multiple units scrapped and replaced with a new fleet of 37's and 50's pulling Mark 2 C's. I'd like to see the Pendolinos turned in to coke cans and the WCML trains put in the hands of a new build fleet of 87's and Mark 3's with no DVT's. I'd like a 4 tph service from West Allerton to Lime Street and the fare to be the same as it was in the 80's.

Meanwhile back in reality the world is glad I don't run the railways. Ha ha.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


If the EU want other countries privatised the way we have done it they have clearly been smoking something herbal.

Ultimately, its the passenger who decides ........

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...8441/British-trains-among-best-in-Europe.html

I have to say that I have covered a lot of rail miles in the last few months, and one thing that always strikes me is the high levels of customer service skills displayed by rail staff.

 

[fowler9]

Ultimately, its the passenger who decides ........

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...8441/British-trains-among-best-in-Europe.html

I have to say that I have covered a lot of rail miles in the last few months, and one thing that always strikes me is the high levels of customer service skills displayed by rail staff.

I will never knock the service I receive to be honest, especially at my local station. I do question these surveys though because not once in just under 40 years have I been the subject of one. Who is actually being asked? If the only people being asked are people on HS1 and passengers using other routes that have just been upgraded then of course they will think it is the best thing since sliced bread. If they ask a load of people on a late running overcrowded Northern 142 then the results may be different.

I take on board a lot of what you say but more people using the trains doesn't mean more people like them, the same way that more people being treated for IBS doesn't mean people like having dodgy guts.

 

[Hyphen]

I do question these surveys though because not once in just under 40 years have I been the subject of one. Who is actually being asked? If the only people being asked are people on HS1 and passengers using other routes that have just been upgraded then of course they will think it is the best thing since sliced bread. If they ask a load of people on a late running overcrowded Northern 142 then the results may be different.

I was given one a few years ago whilst at Sheffield station - I stood waiting on Platform 2A for a morning TPE (08:11) to Grimsby. Out the corner of my eye I clocked a woman standing on the platform holding a clipboard, so had a good look over (just being nosey). She'd seen me looking and came over to offer me the survey. After handing me one, she then went over to plat 3A where people were waiting for a Northern 144 (I don't know how much better these are than 142s) - so it seemed they weren't just restricting themselves to TPE passengers.

The survey itself seemed to me to be very well worded so as not to actually ask your opinion on TOCs, trains, services, etc in general. It asks you to answer hard facts about this journey alone, such as: right time running; cleanliness; value for money of the ticket you are currently travelling on; upkeep of the train's accommodation; etc.

As I'd been travelling first class on a £9-odd advance (16-25), I remember walking away from it feeling fairly deflated as I felt I'd just given First an outstanding bill of health. OK, I know TPE is one of their best companies, but it was the principle of it

 

[MK Tom]

Those proposing a National Railcard, would that replace the 16-25 and Senior railcards, or would you have it be more expensive or less discounting than those?

 

[alwaystouchout]

Those proposing a National Railcard, would that replace the 16-25 and Senior railcards, or would you have it be more expensive or less discounting than those?

I think a National Railcard would have to offer 1/3 off the fare as well (and therefore effectively replace the 16-25/Senior railcards), anything less than 1/3 (say 1/4) and a lot of people probably wouldn't see it as beneficial.

 

[island]

A ban on publishing stories about the main rail fare increases more than once a year. Currently the newspapers did it yesterday when the changes took effect, in August when the RPI figure that will be used is determined and again four weeks before the changes are announced. I wouldn't be surprised if the man on the street thinks all season tickets go up three times a year.