Thetford to Cambridge: Disgusting Journey.

[Richard1960]

Hi this morning i had the misfortune to travel from Thetford to Cambridge via Abellio Greater Anglia,their train was rammed there were countless people sitting in front of the doors,i got on but had to get off to allow a cylce to get on the cycle did not have a designated space but was allowed to occupy the space right in front of the doors.

I have been on Abellio trains before that have not left Norwich if there are too many cycles on board without a space.

The main line to liverpool street was closed (from Norwich) a bus repalcement service was in use so the lines to Cambridge were extra busy,surely Abellio is given enough notice by network rail to organise an extra service or to add carriages to existing trains,we can send a man to the moon but this is a problem problem that cannot be solved.?.

I would have upgraded to first but the conductor did not appear even though Abellio say you can upgrade on the train,how are you supposed to upgrade if the conductor is hiding ,the 10.11 from Thetford to Cambridge was a disgrace.

 

[jopsuk]

have you complained in any form to Abellio?

 

[Richard1960]

have you complained in any form to Abellio?

Oh yes.!

I even have photos of the overcrowding and the Cycle in front of the doors.

 

[jopsuk]

the cycle space is poorly marked on the outside and probably had people sitting in it- bikes in vestibules is common on trains around Cambridge

 

[Richard1960]

the cycle space is poorly marked on the outside and probably had people sitting in it- bikes in vestibules is common on trains around Cambridge

But i have been on trains leaving Norwich where the conductor refuses to leave if there are too many Cylces on board ,just what is Abellios policy on this.?

Bikes in front of doors seems to be a no no..

 

[F Great Eastern]

Really what can they do though? They're not exactly awash with DMUs, let alone high capacity ones would you rather they canceled services on other lines just to appease you?

I agree with you about the cycles however.

 

[Richard1960]

Really what can they do though? They're not exactly awash with DMUs, would you rather they canceled services on other lines just to appease you?

Nope they are talking in the next franchise of running a half hourly service to stanstead Airport really from Norwich .! They cannot even operate an existing service once an hour to Cambridge.!

The conductor kept apologising throughout the journey although i did not see them they must of been embarrased if they were not why would they have felt the need to apologise.?

I was aware i could upgrade to first class via the conductor how are you supposed to do this if they do not appear,a fact Abellios cutomer service have already acknowleged.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Yes, because to do that they are ordering new, longer stock. It's impossible with the current amount of stock that they have.

Right now they have
8 x 3 car 170
4 x 2 car 170
9 x 2 car 156
5 x 1 car 153

That is it, almost all of which need to be in service on a daily basis.

That's 55 carriages to run
Ipswich - Felixstowe,
Ipswich - Lowestoft,
Ipswich - Cambridge,
Ipswich - Peterborough,
Norwich - Great Yarmouth,
Norwich - Lowestoft,
Norwich - Sheringham,
Sudbury - Marks Tey

And that assumes every train is serviceable. Which it isn't right now, in reality AGA normally have less than 50 carriages serviceable at any one time.

 

[DarloRich]

Nope they are talking in the next franchise of running a half hourly service to stanstead Airport really from Norwich .! They cannot even operate an existing service once an hour to Cambridge.!

The conductor kept apologising throughout the journey although i did not see them they must of been embarrased if they were not why would they have felt the need to apologise.?

I was aware i could upgrade to first class via the conductor how are you supposed to do this if they do not appear,a fact Abellios cutomer service have already acknowleged.

just sit in first class and wait?

 

[Richard1960]

Yes, because to do that they are ordering new, longer stock. It's impossible with the current amount of stock that they have.

Right now they have
8 x 3 car 170
4 x 2 car 170
9 x 2 car 156
5 x 1 car 153

That is it, almost all of which need to be in service on a daily basis.

Yet they can offer extra services to Yarmouth and lowestoft now via DRS.

Why they cannot commision extra carriages on the Norwich - Cambridge route is beyond me,as network rail must give them enough notice.

Of closure on the main route into London.

 

[DarloRich]

Yet they can offer extra sericves to Yarmouth and lowestoft now via DRS.

Why they cannot commision extra carriages on the Norwich - Cambridge route is beyond me,as network rail must give them enough notice.

I realsie you don't want to hear this but: it is quite that easy

 

[F Great Eastern]

Correct me if I'm wrong but many of those stations along the Norwich to Cambridge line cannot take trains any longer?

 

[Richard1960]

I realsie you don't want to hear this but: it is quite that easy

Gieven the notice Abellio were given of the closure of the main line on a bank holiday wekend perhaps it was manageable i do not know but am willing to listen to arguments to the contrary.

Particularly the conductor not coming dowm the train to allow me to upgrade.

Abellio have already admitted you cannot upgrade without a concuctor allowing you to do so.,
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Correct me if I'm wrong but many of those stations along the Norwich to Cambridge line cannot take trains any longer?

Hmm can they not certainly Wymondham can,as can Attlebororgh,and the same can be said of many staions along this line most have long platforms.

 

[Agent_c]

,surely Abellio is given enough notice by network rail to organise an extra service or to add carriages to existing trains

Aren't they multiple unit jobs? If So, can one simply add carrages to a multiple unit?

even if you could do that, where would you like these cararges or trains and drivers to come from?

we can send a man to the moon but this is a problem problem that cannot be solved.?.

Not the man on the moon argument.... Sorry to burst your bubble, but we are not currently able to get a man on the moon, the best we can do is low earth orbit. To recover the technical capability to get a man to the moon would probably take about a decade with all the design and testing that would need to be done (remember many of the items we used on the Apolo programme are no longer produced, which in turn require further redesigns).

 

[Richard1960]

Aren't they multiple unit jobs? If So, can one simply add carrages to a multiple unit?

even if you could do that, where would you like these cararges or trains and drivers to come from?


Not the man on the moon argument.... Sorry to burst your bubble, but we are not currently able to get a man on the moon, the best we can do is low earth orbit. To recover the technical capability to get a man to the moon would probably take about a decade with all the design and testing that would need to be done (remember many of the items we used on the Apolo programme are no longer produced, which in turn require further redesigns).

Hmm do i believe this is a problem that cannot be resolved no.


Why because with enough notice as Abellio have proved with the Norwich/Yarmouth/Lowestoft routes the problems of overcrowding have been resloved by forward thinking.

 

[Agent_c]

Hmm do i believe this is a problem that cannot be resolved no.


Why because with enough notice as Abellio have proved with the Norwich/Yarmouth/Lowestoft routes the problems of overcrowding have been resloved by forward thinking.

Sure it can be solved. Maybe if we get Harry Potter and his friends to concentrate real hard and say "Expecto Locomotus" they can make a train appear out of thin air?

I think its clear you have some unrealistic expectations.

 

[Richard1960]

Sure it can be solved. Maybe if we get Harry Potter and his friends to concentrate real hard and say "Expecto Locomotus" they can make a train appear out of thin air?

I think its clear you have some unrealistic expectations.

Nope given the notice given by network rail to Abellio of the works carried out this weekend .

I beleive the expectations to be realisitc,what makes you think they are not.

After all the non appearance of the train conductor and multiple aploigies from said conductor over the tannoy ,must prove they were embarressed over the serivice.

 

[scott118]

Moan, moan, moan....why didn't you wait for the EMT service and change at Ely, if AGA, is continually so bad in your opinion, OP? If you yourself, knew of the disruption, why wasn't your journey times planned better, to accommodate this overcrowding oversight? Seems that you are no better at planning journeys than AGA are themselves...

Surely the AGA conductor's primary role, is the safety of the train, against revenue. If they are unable to carry out their duties safely, due to 'overcrowding', then, can you blame them for hiding away, as you put it.

Enjoy your complimentary ticket, the next time you travel with AGA, won't you, as i believe, this isn't your first complaint, that customer services or indeed James Reeve (on speed dial?), have received from you, about the appalling services, AGA provide.

 

[Richard1960]

Moan, moan, moan....why didn't you wait for the EMT service and change at Ely, if AGA, is continually so bad in your opinion, OP? If you yourself, knew of the disruption, why wasn't your journey times planned better, to accommodate this overcrowding oversight? Seems that you are no better at planning journeys than AGA are themselves...

Surely the AGA conductor's primary role, is the safety of the train, against revenue. If they are unable to carry out their duties safely, due to 'overcrowding', then, can you blame them for hiding away, as you put it.

Enjoy your complimentary ticket, the next time you travel with AGA, won't you, as i believe, this isn't your first complaint, that customer services or indeed James Reeve (on speed dial?), have received from you, about the appalling services, AGA provide.

Nope its not my first complaint mind you if AGA did not give me anything to complain abiout i would not complain would i.?

I did use EMT service this morning as far as Thetford so far rammed was it that i got got off at Thetford.

The main line to Liverpool street was a wrong that could have been forseen .IMO.

By the way i have printed out you abusive post about me having James Reeve on speed dial..

I thinnk you have shown your real light as you posted about my complaints history rather unfairly.

 

[F Great Eastern]

[/B]Nope its not my first complaint mind you if AGA did not give me anything to complain abiout i would not complain would i.?

I did use EMT service this morning as far as Thetford so far rammec was it that i got voff at Thetford.

The main line to Liverpool street was a wrong that could have been forseen .IMO. .

They do not have the trains to do what you are saying no matter if they could foresee it or not. The only thing that the main line being closed will do is make extra electric trains surplus, it won't free up diesel trains since they don't operate on the areas involved.

Note that the Ipswich to Cambridge line also requires higher capacity because it is another option to Stansted and people will be going that way rather than Via London, there will be increased demand on a number of local services for alternative ways to destinations because of the mainline closure, not just the line you are talking about.

 

[DarloRich]

lets ask the Op what he would like to see done as he isnt very clear on that. I always like to see proposals as well as complaints. Complaints are easy!

 

[Richard1960]

They do not have the trains to do what you are saying no matter if they could foresee it or not. The only thing that the main line being closed will do is make extra electric trains surplus, it won't free up diesel trains since they don't operate on the areas involved.

Note that the Ipswich to Cambridge line also requires higher capacity because it is another option to Stansted and people will be going that way rather than Via London, there will be increased demand on a number of local services for alternative ways to destinations because of the mainline closure, not just the line you are talking about.

Do not worry i wioll be visiting my MP with the abusive post by scott118.

Saying online i had complained before is not on.

Jemaes Reeve on speedial sickening.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

lets ask the Op what he would like to see done as he isnt very clear on that. I always like to see proposals as well as complaints. Complaints are easy!

Yes i have a solution i arreived at Thetford at 9.25am,the next train was at 10.11 am why Abellio could not run another train in between i do not know the line is not treally that busy.

 

[grumblingalong]

I was trying to think of something constructive to say but given that the OP is on a forum where Anglian DMU shortages are regularly discussed, who clearly takes an interest in railways so would be aware of the closure of the mainline and is yet so shocked and appalled by the service he has received that his shaking hands cause a distinct excess of punctuation I really can't think of anything else to add.

OP I think you would benefit from adjusting your expectations from what we'd all like to see to what is the reality in Anglia, once you have done that you may find your travel slightly less "appalling".

 

[bramling]

lets ask the Op what he would like to see done as he isnt very clear on that. I always like to see proposals as well as complaints. Complaints are easy!

To be fair, the OP does have a pretty fair point. The gist of the situation is a half-hourly rake of MK3s to London is effectively replaced by an hourly 3-car DMU, which already has its own normal passengers. I know the MK3s probably wouldn't have been full leaving Norwich, not everyone will travel on the diversion, etc, but nontheless it's quite forseeable that overcrowding is highly likely, particularly at popular times.

The Norwich sets have been dragged to Liverpool Street via Ely in the past, during the Ipswich Tunnel blockade, so it is (or at least was then) technically feasible.

 

[mirodo]

Do not worry i wioll be visiting my MP with the abusive post by scott118.

Saying online i had complained before is not on.

Jemaes Reeve on speedial sickening

Please don't waste your MP's (or anybody else's) time with such trivialities. Grow a thicker skin and live with it.

 

[Polarbear]

Whilst it's unfortunate that the OP had an unsatisfactory journey, it is not just a simple case of rustling up some spare trains.

As others have already said, Anglia already has very few DMU's & these are already stretched beyond capacity due to growth. That's why DRS have been contracted to help out in the medium term.

Those DRS trains have taken quite a bit of setting up. There are issues such as crew training, not to mention the significant extra cost to the TOC of running loco hauled trains.

Like Anglia, other operators are very often short of DMUs as well. There is no magic pot of spare stock just lying around, waiting for the occasional instance when the Norwich main line is blocked.

Putting additional loco hauled trains on is also a non starter. Mainly down to the fact that there just isn't that much spare stock available across the UK. Neither are there many spare DMUs as alluded to earlier. (New post - though why AGA couldn't operate some Mk3 sets via Cambridge as mentioned by another poster is a valid question)

As a fare paying customer, I can understand why the OP is upset, but realistically, there is little that can be done to resource additional trains to cover such circumstances, simply because they are not readily available.

 

[Robertj21a]

I think you will find that there is simply no spare stock available on a Bank Holiday Saturday in August.

 

[Richard1960]

Please don't waste your MP's (or anybody else's) time with such trivialities. Grow a thicker skin and live with it.

I am scott 118 posted my complaints history online i have phoned AGA customer sercvices and will show the printout to my MP saying i have James Reeve on speed dial is disgusting.

It can only have come from an employee.

 

[bb21]

I think we are done here.