The words 'victim of its own success' spring to mind.
I agree with the general feeling on here that this was a better one. It showed plenty of people doing their best to keep the railway going in the face of adversity.
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BBC Documentary 'The Railways'
- Thread starter ralphchadkirk
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The words 'victim of its own success' spring to mind.
I agree with the general feeling on here that this was a better one. It showed plenty of people doing their best to keep the railway going in the face of adversity.
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R
RailUK Forums
The 0637 is usually a 158 (possibly with something attached) and certainly in some of the shots of that serivce there was a 158 at Man Vic. I think it is a regular job for the Lady, I used to work one of the services following her and you get to know the same passengers at Mills Hill, Castleton and Moston as you fight for space with them and they still ask for a ticket despite not having a chance of a seat so you do get to know them
There was one moment I said something like "Well go and drive for EWS, then." (which shows how in touch I am [!]). I don't blame him, though. People have an unfortunate habit of behaving like animals at just the wrong moment.
It could have been, that's what it looked like to me - but I thought all the 158s had the "Easy to see, easy to press" buttons but I've only seen them down South so I am a bit biased
Just reading this reminds me of the Lancastrian biomass driver at Stobarts!
On the service I was on, she seemed to just be guarding, though she may have checked tickets in the part of the train I wasn't in (there was someone else doing revenue protection)
From what I saw, she seemed good - mainly her running up and down to the local door to do the station calls. There was a kid who kept getting in the way of the internal door (150/1) by leaning over his seat too much and from what she said (both on the first time it happened and subsequent times of doing the doors) it felt like she had some endearment to her passengers
MidnightFlyer
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Usually a mixture of 144s, 155s and 158s - the other Calder Valley service however (Blackpool-York) is a 158 99% of the time however.
Morden Via CHX
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Really really good episode tonight. Well done BBC.
RJ
Established Member
I can resonate with the chap in the Information Point when he commented about the services people expect. I manned the CIP at the station where I worked when it was my turn in the rota. It's not just for rail information apparently - people see it as a place for eating their lunch on, temporary luggage storage, child minding, relationship/marriage counselling, free photocopying, internet browsing and printing, TOPS printout obtaining and so on. It can be quite difficult at times, especially when the service has ground to a halt. Empathy is key and I was quite disappointed at one or two of the sharp replies given to the distressed customers seeking information. Yes, people ask questions which you won't have the answer to but there's no harm in communicating more effectively with them. Anyone who works at a station knows roughly how long the period is between the fatality occurring and trains starting to move again. There's nothing wrong with providing a justified, educated rough estimate as to when trains will start moving again. It shows the passengers that you care, rather than them feeling that they're getting on your nerves as well as having their journey disrupted. I've been on my own in a CIP on a concourse with hundreds of people on it and still managed to keep those before me calm. Then again, I'd rather have been in that CIP than hiding in the messroom leaving the colleagues who can't hide to deal with it all.
Well done to the BBC for breaking the stereotypical image of what a "trainspotter" is. How many of the general public would associate that with a teenager eating a McFlurry on a summer's day?
I rarely get emotional but the part where the police officers had to deliver the tragic news to the young lad's mum was very poignant.
Well done to the BBC for breaking the stereotypical image of what a "trainspotter" is. How many of the general public would associate that with a teenager eating a McFlurry on a summer's day?
I rarely get emotional but the part where the police officers had to deliver the tragic news to the young lad's mum was very poignant.
MichelleFrance
Member
I am just about to watch it, so I hope it is a good as you say it is.
I have to say I disagree with you on estimates of service resumption during disruption. As a driver I have found giving educated estimates to be the worse possible idea as experience tells me that every situation is different and there is no average time to resumption. If you tell people 'they should be able to start running again within a couple of hours' and 2 hours later still no sign as there are added complications then people start to loose faith that you know what you are talking about. Often best to just explain what has happened and that current nothing is running.
MichelleFrance
Member
I am watching the documentary at the moment. What a great program, I think the network rail guys are great working hard to open the lines. Some of the customer service staff could do with extra training and how genuine was the police officer who had to deliver the tragic news. The funniest bit was the drunk trying to get up the escalator and not getting very far. As I am hoping to become a train driver from Blackpool I should imagine I will have to deal with my fair share of drunks. I thought the lady conductor had a great personality and appeared to enjoy her job and have respect from her customers. Hanif looks a great character.
ReverendFozz
Member
Yeah, that part got me too, it must be a coppers worst nightmare having to break that news...
I liked that Leeds Northern temple...he sounded like Karl Pilkington
ANorthernGuard
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Now thats how a Railway documentary should be! I thoroughly enjoyed it, roll on next week!
MattRobinson
Member
They did seem to make Yorkshire seem like it was a pretty bad place though- drunks, trespassers, cable thieves, etc. It's surely no worse than anywhere else?
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RJ
Established Member
Two hours is just a ballpark figure. It depends on various factors including how far into the disruption (if it's a fatality) it is. Normally it took around 2.5-3 hours for trains to start moving after a fatality on the line where I was. I don't think it's doing the customer a disservice, providing a tentative (and making it very clear it's a rough) and generous estimate of a minimum time for when things might start moving. It gives them the option of looking at an alternative route, or going to the food court and taking a seat overlooking the departure boards, instead of standing up on the concourse waiting for a train which isn't likely to be going anywhere for at least the next 2 hours!
If it's something like a signalling problem or electrical supply problem then there is no option but to explain the nature of the incident and say why an estimate cannot be provided. Generally people tend to be understanding and prepared to accept the situation with good grace if you explain as much as you can rather than give them the impression they're being fobbed off. I never got the "you're useless" type comments - sometimes, it was the passengers who reciprocated the sympathy, saying things like "I bet you've had a really hard day" or "I wouldn't want your job!"
Being abrupt is not the way forward in such circumstances.
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Enjoyed the show. That beer trail looks a nightmare, and not just for the driver, all I could think about was the poor conductor (but then I'm a tad biased)
On another note, I'm just wondering if we should split the thread for each episode.
On another note, I'm just wondering if we should split the thread for each episode.
I'm in agreement with A-Driver, will cause further complaints saying 2 hours, and then 2 hours later nothing is running still.
In the program, the incidence where the staff didnt know about when trains will start again was during the flooding not a fatality. They'd have no idea how quickly the flooding will clear or stop raining!
Who knows how many days of filming was required to get that footage, but it did seem worse than - say - King's Cross (or St Pancras) where I've regularly been after 11pm and before 2am. In comparison, you do have drunk people but never acting THAT bad, and rarely with BTP intervening.
Of course there are incidents, but they seem very rare. The BBC has now given the impression that Leeds has them 24/7!
gimmea50anyday
Established Member
It's on iPlayer. Kings Cross is still on there aswell
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And yes the rail ale trail is a nightmare to work. It's not so bad during the day but once twilight sets in and the alcohol takes over chaos descends!
CC 72100
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Although I wasn't exactly slating the first episode, I thought last nights was a lot better, actually following stories through etc.
Dealt with the PHBT very well in my view.
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I can imagine... Who foots the bill for the special 'officers' who were seen milling about on the platforms? (not BTP)
Dealt with the PHBT very well in my view.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I can imagine... Who foots the bill for the special 'officers' who were seen milling about on the platforms? (not BTP)
gimmea50anyday
Established Member
The rail response officers are contracted security staff, paid for by northern rail and TPE. Contracted out by Carlisle.
YorkshireBear
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Fares essentially.
CC 72100
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Thought the TOCs would shell out for them. Wouldn't hurt the businesses involved which profit and make the passengers this way (ie. the pubs) to chip in either...
I'm sure once upon on a time the trail was a civilised affair causing little trouble. As another poster has said, perhaps it has been a victim of its own success.
Well, it does seem to have its own special brand of obnoxious thugs
.YorkshireBear
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Leeds is like that though most weekend evenings, late nights back from kieghley on a saturday are not fun...
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pinguini
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Is this what it's like on the trains in the North?! Savage.
There are certainly parts of Manchester where what we saw on-screen is an unexaggerated day-to-day reality but there are 'nice' parts too.
I expect Leeds is no different.
D1009
Established Member
I thoroughly enjoyed the second episode, the only slight issue I have is showing real ale drinkers in a bad light, it should have been pointed out that most of the trouble makers on the real ale trail don't actually drink real ale.
To make a comment to those who are suggesting the the second episode was better than the first, most seem to be saying that it's because the second episode showed "the railway" in a better light, however that is not the purpose of a documentary. A documentary should show how things as they are rather than how we would like them to be, and to me the message came across that the staff working in and around Leeds have a more difficult job and do it more professionally than some of their counterparts working in and around Kings Cross.
(Can of worms open)
To make a comment to those who are suggesting the the second episode was better than the first, most seem to be saying that it's because the second episode showed "the railway" in a better light, however that is not the purpose of a documentary. A documentary should show how things as they are rather than how we would like them to be, and to me the message came across that the staff working in and around Leeds have a more difficult job and do it more professionally than some of their counterparts working in and around Kings Cross.
(Can of worms open
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