Monday 4th January 2016 - Rail Chaos/Meltdown predicted

[mwmbwls]

Newspapers all over the country will be polishing up their template stories. You know the one the one generated by the Clichés R Us App that begins.

"Angry/furious/outraged/disgusted rail commuters were angry/furious/outraged/disgusted when their journey to work was cancelled/delayed/slightly late following improvement works to the railways during the Christmas break. Insert passenger name here - insert age - insert Facebook status".

Don't forget the following editorial principles:

(Under no circumstance ask passengers whether they have looked outside the window during their week's break, watched the news or read a paper mentioning the storm damage. Don't ask them about the long shifts that PW and S&T staff have been putting in to make sure that as far as possible everything is back in place for the start of service and whether they would like the job.
Under no circumstances ask them when else they would like the work to be done)

(Don't forget to interview the local MP - capture every voter schmoozing expression of sympathy and promise that heads will roll for this.)

(If you have the faintest idea of how railways work disqualify yourself from this assignment)

Perhaps Forum Members might like to name and shame the most inept rail related stories they come across.

 

[deltic]

Said article must also contain the word "slammed" "admitted" and reference to Network Rail bonuses

 

[talldave]

It would make a surprising, but pleasant, change if someone actually wrote an article praising the Network Rail staff who've been out in all weathers over the festive break working on infrastructure improvements as well as unpredicted repairs. As a passenger, I am truly grateful to them for all the work that's being carried out.

 

[deltic]

It's good to see Network Rail PR people being very active on Twitter showing the various projects that the orange army are working on over the holidays - shame it is not picked up more by dead tree media

 

[Ianno87]

Said article must also contain the word "slammed" "admitted" and reference to Network Rail bonuses

Don't forget a few dashings of "chaos" and "misery" too.

 

[gtr driver]

Don't forget "hard pressed commuters," whatever that means. Up against each other presumably?

 

[ainsworth74]

Definitely needs to talk about 'railway bosses' as well. The media love talking about 'railway bosses'.

 

[swt_passenger]

Don't forget a few dashings of "chaos" and "misery" too.

I don't think the media rules allow for just 'misery' on its own, it has to be 'misery for commuters'. "Passengers' is never knowingly used these days of course...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It will be especially hostile in Wales with ATW not expected to run any trains.
At least Mark Carne spent time out on the track over Christmas instead of being in Barbados like the vilified Environment Agency boss.

 

[Class 170101]

When are these people allowed to go on holiday?

 

[Hadders]

And add in all the bad publicity about the fares increases...

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Perhaps Forum Members might like to name and shame the most inept rail related stories they come across.

Front page of The Daily Telegraph today.

DfT being referred to, for some unfathomable reason, as DoT. I can only conclude the writer is some sort of imbecile, given he writes "The Department for Transport (DoT)".

 

[Minilad]

Don't forget "hard pressed commuters," whatever that means. Up against each other presumably?

Are they the same as the "hard working families" politicians seem to love

 

[Tw99]

"Angry/furious/outraged/disgusted rail commuters were angry/furious/outraged/disgusted when their journey to work was cancelled/delayed/slightly late following improvement works to the railways during the Christmas break. Insert passenger name here - insert age - insert Facebook status".

You forgot to mention that these angry/furious/outraged/disgusted people will also be angry/furious/outraged/disgusted about the January fare rise, and also need to include what someone said on twitter...

 

[Aldaniti]

It would make a surprising, but pleasant, change if someone actually wrote an article praising the Network Rail staff who've been out in all weathers over the festive break working on infrastructure improvements as well as unpredicted repairs. As a passenger, I am truly grateful to them for all the work that's being carried out.

Quite right. There's never a good time for engineering works and the chaps on the ground floor do a damned good job in often unpleasant conditions.

 

[edwin_m]

Don't forget to get "shambles" in at least once, not in connection with York.

And in the case of the Express, random words must be SHOUTED.

 

[Andrewlong]

Don't forget the old cliché - "new year hangover".

Network Rail and the TOCs should look at how the Crossrail PR machine works with their interesting update videos.

The GWML electrification project is a case in point where it lurches from one problem to an other - or that's how it comes across to the man in the street.

 

[AM9]

Surely they will be scouringing the country for a RMT or ASLEF spokesperson to provide some comment that can be taken out of context, and then provide some supplementary information about the union-inspired nanny-state Health & Safety rules have added an even greater cost through tea breaks and extra premium-rate overtime to increase the agony of the poor hard-working commuters.
Then we will get a snap 'estimate' of the billions of pounds that the late running, (on just the 4th of January) will damage the economy.
At least the Daily Mail won't claim that European countries never have these problems, (they'll invent an argument that makes them responsible for it)!

 

[Andrewlong]

Surely they will be scouringing the country for a RMT or ASLEF spokesperson to provide some comment that can be taken out of context, and then provide some supplementary information about the union-inspired nanny-state Health & Safety rules have added an even greater cost through tea breaks and extra premium-rate overtime to increase the agony of the poor hard-working commuters.
Then we will get a snap 'estimate' of the billions of pounds that the late running, (on just the 4th of January) will damage the economy.
At least the Daily Mail won't claim that European countries never have these problems, (they'll invent an argument that makes them responsible for it)!

And for good measure, the RMT may well mention that this is another good reason for bringing back BR because a nationalised Railway never had these problems!

 

[IanXC]

Is anyone aware of any particular projects which appear to be over running?

 

[dggar]

Is anyone aware of any particular projects which appear to be over running?

Why on earth would that matter?

 

[jimm]

Why on earth would that matter?

Well if there is to be chaos, then some work would have to over-run, wouldn't it?

But all the work due to be completed over Christmas or at various points this week appears to have finished on time - as noted in several press releases here http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk - and the Swindon Advertiser ran a story and lots of pictures on Monday recording the successful replacement of the Stratton Green bridge in the town over Christmas http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/...tratton_Green_Bridge_replaced_over_Christmas/

So unless something is going badly wrong at Purley or Borough Market, there may not be any chaos whatever next Monday morning, with the only mention of it anywhere being this thread. And never mind that the problems 12 months ago outside Paddington and Kings Cross were on, er, December 27, not after New Year...

 

[Bald Rick]

So unless something is going badly wrong at Purley or Borough Market, there may not be any chaos whatever next Monday morning, with the only mention of it anywhere being this thread.

A major component of the work at Purley - a bridge replacement - was cancelled yesterday due to the forecast high winds meaning the massive crane that was to be used can not be. So an overrun there even less likely that it was (the job has been on time throughout the work).

London Bridge is on time too.


Regardless, there will still be the headlines under the fare rises banner, with reference to the problems LAST Christmas.

 

[mbreckers]

Why on earth would that matter?

IanXC is secretly a Daily Fail reporter

 

[bluenoxid]

Carnage!!!

Seems to have been missed

 

[Phil.]

Newspapers all over the country will be polishing up their template stories. You know the one the one generated by the Clichés R Us App that begins.

"Angry/furious/outraged/disgusted rail commuters were angry/furious/outraged/disgusted when their journey to work was cancelled/delayed/slightly late following improvement works to the railways during the Christmas break. Insert passenger name here - insert age - insert Facebook status".

Don't forget the following editorial principles:

(Under no circumstance ask passengers whether they have looked outside the window during their week's break, watched the news or read a paper mentioning the storm damage. Don't ask them about the long shifts that PW and S&T staff have been putting in to make sure that as far as possible everything is back in place for the start of service and whether they would like the job.
Under no circumstances ask them when else they would like the work to be done)

(Don't forget to interview the local MP - capture every voter schmoozing expression of sympathy and promise that heads will roll for this.)

(If you have the faintest idea of how railways work disqualify yourself from this assignment)

Perhaps Forum Members might like to name and shame the most inept rail related stories they come across.

Well I could mention last Christmas at Finsbury Park - have you forgotton? Did the Daily Mail make that up?

 

[Ianigsy]

Mystic Meg seemed to have started work at Menston when I passed through a couple of weeks ago- there were notices up to encourage annual season ticket holders to renew early, claiming that 4th January 2016 would be the busiest day of the year!

 

[bb21]

Has anyone already mentioned it or shall I throw driver's/union boss's wages into the fire?

Hell, while we are at it, let's not leave out "scandalous" profits TOCs make too.

 

[6Gman]

Said article must also contain the word "slammed" "admitted" and reference to Network Rail bonuses

Bonus points for referring to:

a) leaves on the line
b) wrong type of snow.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Quite right. There's never a good time for engineering works and the chaps on the ground floor do a damned good job in often unpleasant conditions.

To be fair the Metro ran a piece before Christmas featuring an engineering chap who had volunteered to work Christmas Day so younger colleagues (with children) could be at home.

 

[Blindtraveler]

If dammage to Lamington Viaduct is as bad as currently thought then the job will I assume be stopped on the Scottish end of the WCML for a while, an ideal target for journos. Other than that ful creddit to all for by and large a smooth and productive festive period.