Who is your LEAST favourite TOC? - vote here!

[TheWalrus]

There was (and is) no need for a round 2. Voting can continue in this poll to determine who the least favourite TOC is, determined by the poll option receiving the most votes.

There was a need for a round 2 you just don't know my plans. Jees why are you moderators so boring?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If you wanted to find out what people think is the best TOC, why didnt you just poll it that way instead of all this elimination rubbish???

Becuse some tocs would receive the same number of votes. It's just a bit of fun to see what people think you are so boring :@ !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mike Redding]

but reading on the other poll that someone chose them becasue there train was late at reading, please note that reading is still one very very big bottle neck, and Ok, there is still a few late trains, but FGW can't help if its not there problem, like a signal faliure or a fataility can they?

Please think logically and not just becasue someone dosent like there livery or minor things like that...

rich

Hello, I'm presuming that you are referring to my post.

Firstly, i didn't just choose FGW because my train was late. I have in fact been caught up in 2 seperate sets of delays due to fatalities, One was in May, when there was a body found on the line in between Reading and Didcot, The staff on this occasion were very helpful, and someone (I'm presuming he was the on-duty manager) Actually stuck around on the platform, answered everyones questions and as soon as he got the information through the radio he told us and we were kept well informed of the situation. On another occasion about this time last year, there was a fatality at Southall, and i was stuck at Reading for 3 hours, as all trains were being terminated at Reading, And i found out later that i missed 2 trains to Newbury because no-one seemed to know anything. I know it's not anyone's fault in particular, so i didn't mention it before.

When i travelled through Reading last month, i was shocked how one part of the station (it's understandable that it's not at the top of priorities as its not often used) could be left like that, It really was bad. It's not the only time i've noticed it like that either.

The train i caught from Reading, as well as being extremely busy, had a flat spot on the wheel, and you could tell it was quite bad because of the noise. I recorded the sound on my phone if your really that interested.

All that aside, I'm actually quite looking forward to the projects that will be happening on the line, Crossrail, Electrification and the redevelopment of Reading, and it looks like things are slowly getting better for FGW, which can only be a good thing.

I will admit that i don't have much experience of travelling on other TOC's, as i've said before i used to live in Newbury until earlier this year and i've lived in that area for most of my life. I may just have extremely bad luck when it comes to train travel, and if that's the case then fair enough.

I ought to add that if i realised you could select more than one option on the poll, i might have voted for Northern too, as the leg room on units used on the Cumbrian coast (where i live now) isn't great as i'm 6ft tall, and i don't understand why they use a single 153 on some services to Carlisle, by the time the train leaves Maryport there's barely any standing room left.

I don't really have any problems with Virgin, as the staff are helpful, and generally the trains i've used are on time. There was one occasion where a Glasgow pendolino service was cancelled, so everyone had to catch the train to Lancaster, which should have been a pendolino too, but on this occasion was a voyager, That's another story though, and the only bad experience i've had with Virgin.

Hope that clears things up a little.

P.S - The FGW Barbie livery was shocking, but i actually quite like the Dynamic Lines one

 

[43021HST]

I hate the turbostars,they time it just right so when BHM is packed a 2 car arrives, and when its empty (0749) its a 3 car, wow whoever is in charge of allocation must have a masters degree in it!

You dont want to use a Voyager. I went from Reading to Bournemouth on one and I will never do it again because rubbish luggage space, no leg room, hot, crowded my worst nightmare espicially because I,m lanky.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You dont want to use a Voyager. I went from Reading to Bournemouth on one and I will never do it again because rubbish luggage space, no leg room, hot, crowded my worst nightmare espicially because I,m lanky.

 

[Dai.]

With all this you got to wonder what CrossCountry and NXEC are actually doing..

 

[monkey]

...well I have to say nxec is quite good (I voted by mistake). cross country is understandable, cramped awful smelly voyagers. but I still maintain the worst train company is tpe, those 185s are unforgiveable...

 

[ChrisTheRef]

...well I have to say nxec is quite good (I voted by mistake). cross country is understandable, cramped awful smelly voyagers. but I still maintain the worst train company is tpe, those 185s are unforgiveable...

What's the matter with them?

 

[monkey]

...for a new train, they are noisy, the rides bumpy and the seating is awful - far too firm, which is a real problem on a long journey from newcastle to manchester/liverpool or manchester to edinburgh. this is bearing in mind their current use, they'd be ok as local commuter trains for journeys around an hour - I don't mind them on a 50 min hop from leeds to mancheste but they're simply not equipped to be a long distance train...

edit: and despite software changes, it is freezing, due to the overzealous air conditioning... oh and first class is just joke...

 

[37401]

to all those who voted NXEC: note my sig

 

[monkey]

...I really don't understand the animosity to nxec. the only reason people hate them it seems is cos of the livery. true they have pretty much massacared the dining service, which is sad, but it wan't making money I guess, but I don't think a livery is enough to hate train company for. they do suffer from delays and problems, especially north of edinburgh, but thats due to track problems not their fault. I did prefer gner, but apart from the aesthetics nothings really changed, and thers been some welcome features such as free wifi for all...

 

[37401]

...I really don't understand the animosity to nxec. the only reason people hate them it seems is cos of the livery. true they have pretty much massacared the dining service, which is sad, but it wan't making money I guess, but I don't think a livery is enough to hate train company for. they do suffer from delays and problems, especially north of edinburgh, but thats due to track problems not their fault. I did prefer gner, but apart from the aesthetics nothings really changed, and thers been some welcome features such as free wifi for all...

I totally agree, many times ive heard

"Bring back GNER" they hate NXEC on the basis of who they replaced another one was about NXEC and the MTU errr GNER started it off! another good one "yay NXEC has gone, GNER or BR should come back" yup if you have a spare few millions in the bank!

 

[Daimler]

...I really don't understand the animosity to nxec. the only reason people hate them it seems is cos of the livery. true they have pretty much massacared the dining service, which is sad, but it wan't making money I guess, but I don't think a livery is enough to hate train company for. they do suffer from delays and problems, especially north of edinburgh, but thats due to track problems not their fault. I did prefer gner, but apart from the aesthetics nothings really changed, and thers been some welcome features such as free wifi for all...

Nothing's really changed? The wonderful and almost-unique-in-the-UK quality ambience of GNER has been lost. Part of this ambience was down to the livery and uniforms, etc. Much of it was down to the quality of service - the first class dining played a major part of this, and was one a wonderful tradition. First class service has also gone down the pan - cheap-feeling mugs instead of proper china and saucers, one measly pack of biscuits per passenger (left on the tables at the start of the journey to ensure this!), milk in stupid plastic sachets - it all counts towards the quality feel of the train, and NXEC has lost all of this. I believe someone on here came up with 'the crisp factor' to symbolise the decline in standards. GNER served Piper's and Tyrells crisps, NXEC moved this down to Walkers, and now it's Golden Wonder (if I remember the post rightly). It all counts. Equally, prices have shot up and they've started charging for reservations. They also wanted to put barriers up at beautiful, historically sensitive stations such as York (not to mention that at York the through route to the museum which would have been blocked is a useful cut-through!).

GNER made your journey feel special. They knew how to do that. National Express East Coast has seemingly done its best to ruin all of the things that made me enjoy my travelling on the East Coast.

 

[monkey]

^^yeah I understand that - I will admit it feels less special now, more like a coach - but it isn't bad compared to many train services today? I'm not sure about he first class experience, I used it once from edinburgh to newcastle, and I got a packet of penn state pretzels and a packet of classy looking ginger snaps from a steward. the tea was served in proper cups and as far as I remember I got little mug of milk, but this was a while back - about just over a year ago..

edit: lol at the decline in quality of crisps - I have to say I hadn't realised that till you mentioned it!

 

[Daimler]

I totally agree, many times ive heard

"Bring back GNER" they hate NXEC on the basis of who they replaced another one was about NXEC and the MTU errr GNER started it off!

See above! I actually think MTUs sound fine!

another good one "yay NXEC has gone, GNER or BR should come back" yup if you have a spare few millions in the bank!

I don't see why - GNER made a profit on its routes providing the service it did. The fact that it offered to pay the DfT too much is unrelated - a new company can afford to offer such a service (and hopefully will!).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

^^yeah I understand that - I will admit it feels less special now, more like a coach - but it isn't bad compared to many train services today? I'm not sure about he first class experience, I used it once from edinburgh to newcastle, and I got a packet of penn state pretzels and a packet of classy looking ginger snaps from a steward. the tea was served in proper cups and as far as I remember I got little mug of milk, but this was a while back - about just over a year ago..

The cheap mugs/biscuits/milk first class service issue is a relatively recent one - during 2009, anyway!

 

[Pumbaa]

Sadly for me, it's still London Midland. They are improving granted, but they still seem unable to grasp the concept of running a service.

 

[156499]

NXEC - Reasons being when in a delay (usually always) they never keep you informed as well as they should do why you are being delayed. The staff are cheeky Ba$T@rd$ and the seats are very uncomfortable, the old ones in the HST were far best, the new livery is horrible as well!

 

[monkey]

^^the seats are still milion times better than any other seats on the rail network. also I do think they keep you quite well informed, with text alerts and what not...

 

[156499]

^^the seats are still milion times better than any other seats on the rail network. also I do think they keep you quite well informed, with text alerts and what not...

I was meaning when onboard and theres a delay, mk2 seats are by far the best, you get a table, decent leg room and 'proper' seats

 

[monkey]

...AND you still get decent legroom and what not. I'm can't really remember what the mk2 seats were like, but I did sit in one of there sets that hadn't been refurbished in a long time (felt like since the 80's - dunno if that was an mk2) and found it v. uncomfortable and the seats unsupportive. that said I've never been delayed on nxec enough for it to be an issue for it to be anounced, and I've used them alot between york and edinburgh over the last year...

 

[156499]

...AND you still get decent legroom and what not. I'm can't really remember what the mk2 seats were like, but I did sit in one of there sets that hadn't been refurbished in a long time (felt like since the 80's - dunno if that was an mk2) and found it v. uncomfortable and the seats unsupportive. that said I've never been delayed on nxec enough for it to be an issue for it to be anounced, and I've used them alot between york and edinburgh over the last year...

I use the ECML to Newcastle/York about 5 times a year maybe and I have never had a journey thats ran to time, the worst one was last September i think it was the floods I was intending to York never got there it took me from 0650-2100 to do Glasgow-Darlington and back, 3 hours late on the way down the train should of been in London at 1241 and it was at Darlington at 1300 lol! on the way back it was a 4 hour delay... one hell of a journey got a full refund though

 

[monkey]

^^I think I must be lucky then, cos I've probs travelled on them so much, lost count - at least 15 times, but deffo more... but it seems most would agree with you - I've never been more than 5-10 mins late though...

 

[90019]

and the seats unsupportive.

They're horrible seats. They're uncomfortable and they give me a sore back :mad:

 

[Mr Spock]

The whole poll is just a shambles as one person has voted for every TOC, one has voted for nearly every TOC that is not part of First group and others have voted for more than one TOC.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Looking at the satistics NXEC and CrossCountry are most hated I can understand why NXEC are there but why are XC?

 

[The Box Photter]

FCC gets my vote because I am doomed to use their lousy class 319s every day to get to & from work. They trumpeted the introduction of new air-conditioned trains, then failed to deliver, then borrowed some but still failed to deliver them on any London-bound Thameslink Core services during the morning peak hours and vice versa in the evening peak hours. You seem only to be entitled to enjoy the comforts of a class 377 if you want to travel to or from North Kent or want to travel into London in the evening peak and away from London in the morning peak. GRRRRRRR! Now they are threateneing to introduce TV screens on the new Thameslink stock to blare out meaningless garbage because apparently that's what people they surveyed said they wanted.

 

[37401]

See above! I actually think MTUs sound fine!

Good man!

they do sound quite beasty on full power and if you love your clag the MTU is getting there , the other day 43321 had a wee valenta scream

 

[JustinStacey.x]

Probably because they don't like them.

Owned.

 

[thelem]

You seem only to be entitled to enjoy the comforts of a class 377 if you want to travel to or from North Kent or want to travel into London in the evening peak and away from London in the morning peak. GRRRRRRR!

That's a bit unfair. They are still adding to the 377 fleet, and as far as I can tell they are not particularly biased towards any particular time (other than being Brighton-Bedford route).

I regularly commute towards London during the peak on a FCC 377, although admittedly my train does arrive into London nearer 10 than 9.

 

[fgwrich]

Looking at the satistics NXEC and CrossCountry are most hated I can understand why NXEC are there but why are XC?

Becasue to be franks, theyve done absolutley bugger all here in the south and in other places around there network...

Down here in basingstoke all we usally get on the Manchester Picadilly to Bournemouth and vice versa services are single 220's, thats right, single...As usal there full and standing except for a few mid day services and very late evening services, Theyve actually cut the number of services down this way ever since they first started, there staff are hardly the most helpfull, Aswell as National Express, they have seriuosly ruined the catering facilities on board down to a mere trolly service of drinks and light refreshments...key word light...and to top that off...

We Just seem to Love the Extra fare increases that we get every few months...

Ok so they inherited the Voyagers from Virgin, but why is it Virgin trains have actually upgraded there Voyagers whilst Cross Country has to downgrade theres...

As for the HST's, ok, so they have HST's, not there desicion but the goverments...so whoever got the XC franchise would have had to introduce HST's back on it...But one thing i thaught the HST's were also for...To free up other units to increase capacity on other XC serivces...So Where are they Then ?

To Be honest i really am getting sick and tired of TOC's who love to come up with all sorts of excuses to increase the fares...yet run the service so shambolicly cheap its amazingly unfair...and you know, alot of people here in the south would rather actually have Virgin back than these arriva idiots!

And Another thing, why is it XC have this wonderfull habit to run quite a considerable amount of empty stock mooves ? take a look at several of the services that start in the morning from Reading - where do they come from? ECS from Eastleigh DBS depot...whilst several of the evening terminating services have also ran ECS to Central Rivers...Then there was last sat - freind of mine was waiting for the XC service to PZ - a Voyager - It was lat running... What did they do...Cancel it from Exeter St Davids...and where did it go? ECS to Laira... Why is it that with AXC, if something seems to disrupt there service pattern, they cancel the service...Again i feel, as with many other TOC's nowadays, its rapidly coming down to a case of Take the money, Sod the passenger...

So hence why i voted for the faliure that is Arriva Cross Country...

And if you want to Know another of the shambles that is a TOC, well, one of my votes certainly went to National Express East Anglia...Which, after just spending 1 week in the Wherry Lines - Great Yarmouth - i can quite simpley say is one of the worst Tocs ive ever come across...and i really do get the feeling that its a franchise being held togher by some of the staff... Or put put it another way, a Sticky Tape and paper franchise...

Most of the staff are helpfull and freindly, but on a few of the Wherry Lines services, ive had a guard who looked like he got dressed in the dark, another who walked through the train at Lowesoft shouting to all the passnegers to get your tickets ready for inspection, inspected them, then when i receved a call on said mobile i mooved out to the vestuble on the 156 only to be shouted at so he could check my ticket again !!! the only difference to me 5 mintues ago was that i was in the middle of a call and standing in the vestbule!

Then theres there totaly shambolic timetables, which going from Great Yarmouth to Sheringham, you have to wait just under a hour, becasue the Bittern Line service departs just as the Wherry line services from Gt Yarmouth arrives!!! despite what the timetable says...so my father heads off to custemer services to complain only to get the repsonse of that the platform had to be freed up...despite nothing being in Platform 4 and a single 153 in 6 so thats bollocks for a start...then theres Train Clenliness...Wow, i really have never seen such shabby and disgusting trains in my life! the interiors barley seem to get cleaned, the exteriors obviously havent been washed for years, as so much for the Scenic Bittern Line, If you can see out the flipping windows, becasue when i say there bad...i mean there bad...

How would i rate the state of the stations...1star...most of the staions i went to were in a confusing mix of Regional Railways, Anglia and One Liveries,Great Yarmouth... Drab and uninteresting and uncared for + still One liveried, Lowesoft - the most depressing station ive ever been to, shabby, stuck in a mix of One branded / colourd with a few hints of Reagional Railways in the ticket office - if you can ever get in there when its actually open, the track is close to becoming a garden, apart from the usual bus shelter theres very little other forms of shelter...the whole staion is in such a depressing state...yet odly it still retains the BR Eastern Region enamal sign still outside!

And Linking the XC ECS's to NXEA, why is it that the 14:18 Norwich to Great Yarmouth drag has to run back ECS after? when the same stock, has to traverse the same route again, with the same staff, all the way back to Crown Point? and what did i have to take me back to Norwich? how about a wonderfull:roll: pair of absolutly filthy 153's!

This really is one of, if not the worst franchise ive ever come across...

Another i voted for... C2C... quite literally one of the most bizare TOC's ive ever come across... Whilst the timetables arnt that bad, the interiors of the 357's are worn and some pretty scruffy, the toilet door on the unit i had today failed just outside of Limehouse, on a service to Southend, oh and by the way, for those who dont know it there is only 1 toilet on the 357's.... but by far the worst thing ive come across on C2C are the staff... Today i was moaned at twice just for taking pictures... With the main one at Upminster with LUL engineering locos and tampers etc in the LUL side of the station, but Mr C2C didnt like that and tried to order a group of us off the station... for taking pictures... of things with no relation to C2C...

So there...There are some of my reasons for voting for various TOC's... And you know, just to be kind to NXEA and EMT for that matter, i shall attach some pictures of the state of there trains...Also included is look closely at the Silver 156 and you an not only see the ex Central livery underneath, but look closer and ONE just appear through...oh and heres a sound recording of a very healthy 170202...By the way, if theres anyone from Crown Point on here, can you tell me weather NX washes there trains with river water, becasue why is there green slime and rust growing in and around the corridor area

Oh and yes the single 153 did replace the 170 in the morning on the Norwich -Cambridge services...

rich

 

[fgwrich]

Good man!

they do sound quite beasty on full power and if you love your clag the MTU is getting there , the other day 43321 had a wee valenta scream

Agreed... They really are roaring better than ever and each and every one sounds different

That's a bit unfair. They are still adding to the 377 fleet, and as far as I can tell they are not particularly biased towards any particular time (other than being Brighton-Bedford route).

I regularly commute towards London during the peak on a FCC 377, although admittedly my train does arrive into London nearer 10 than 9.

I can see where your comming from regarding the 319's but the delay with the Electrostars really was down to Bombardier and there suppliers, so nothing to do with FCC, plus, the main reason why the electrostars are working the North Kent route is bearing in mind they were originally order by Go Via for use on Southern, subleased to FCC / SouthEastern so i suppose its partly down to how many of the South Eastern crews are trained on the 319's compared to Electrostars, and how many of the Southern crew are avlible to take the 377s' on to Brighton, or FCC crews to the north...so again thats down to Crew avlibilty i guess... and at least look on the brightside, First Capital Connect have finnaly restarted the 319 refurbishment program again, so hopefully by the end of the year or so, the 319 fleet should be all nice and neat, at last...

 

[37401]

but why are XC?

Yo my friend have never been on a packed 2 car turdostar or packed voyager, I will back them up in terms of people saying "No AP" because its the holiday season and people are heading off to Cornwall,York,Scotland ect AP fares do exist but you have to be fast to get them, last year I got BHM-York for £9 AP rtn saved about £30 great stuff XC