BBC Documentary 'The Railways'

[IanD]

And to add I really do not think that there was any wrong in that as I would laugh at someone with wierd shaped eyebrows as well. It may have been wrong if they laughed in her face.

She'd just turned her back so may as well have been in her face. Can't even claim it was 'in the edit'.

 

[Monty]

They'll probably cover SWT and FGW at reading?

I doubt they'll really go into any great detail about SWT's operations at Reading. The only staff based there are train cleaners and to my knowledge no SWT traincrew were interviewed for the series.

Could be wrong though.

 

[RobShipway]

I doubt they'll really go into any great detail about SWT's operations at Reading. The only staff based there are train cleaners and to my knowledge no SWT traincrew were interviewed for the series.

Could be wrong though.

I wonder if any filming was done along the route from Reading along the line to Waterloo? However, I think it is probably more likely that they filmed along the GWML routes instead.

 

[tsr]

I wonder if any filming was done along the route from Reading along the line to Waterloo? However, I think it is probably more likely that they filmed along the GWML routes instead.

"Today, dozens of commuters stranded at Reading who are awaiting a train to Longcross are getting increasingly frustrated at the poor service."

That probably doesn't quite work, eh?

 

[RobShipway]

"Today, dozens of commuters stranded at Reading who are awaiting a train to Longcross are getting increasingly frustrated at the poor service."

That probably doesn't quite work, eh?

True and I think that there is engineering work in and around Martins Heron station even though the trains are still running as the drivers keep tooting their horn before pulling away from the station as I can hear from where I live which is 5 minutes walk away.

 

[willc789]

Has anyone seen the short 3min clip available for tomorrows episode? It certainly seems like Network Rail is in for a bashing, it mentions a 3 hour wait for the accident investigators to arrive which they never do apparently? Should be rather interesting!

Also as a uni student, I hear folk continually complain about the railways (although we live on the cross city line in b'ham so I cant blame them :P), but many have said to me that how this series has actually taught them so much more about the industry, and a train isnt delayed just for fun as so many seem to think, including from friends who I would never have thought to taken a blind spot of notice about the railways! Regardless of what us 'enthusiasts' think about the true representation of the railways, I personally feel that the series has been an excellent indication and education to the ordinary commuter or traveller who fails to look beyond the guard or staff at the station

 

[43074]

Also as a uni student, I hear folk continually complain about the railways (although we live on the cross city line in b'ham so I cant blame them :P)

That's ridiculous. The Cross City line is every 10 minute frequency over the core of the route, what is there to complain about? In addition to the 6tph the route gets in the form of local 323s, University to New Street get an hourly train to/from Cardiff and another to/from Hereford! I'm sure many elsewhere in the country would be grateful of a half hourly or even hourly service - you are rather lucky in Birmingham! [rant over]

 

[willc789]

I agree, the frequency is great and there certainly is demand for it, but recently the LM trains have a nasty habit of not turning up as of late (I think its down to the driver shortage but I stand to be corrected), which isnt great when you have an advance ticket for a connection elsewhere as I learnt the hard way...I even had to watch the voyager I was due to catch fly past in the other direction!!

 

[rebmcr]

I agree, the frequency is great and there certainly is demand for it, but recently the LM trains have a nasty habit of not turning up as of late (I think its down to the driver shortage but I stand to be corrected), which isnt great when you have an advance ticket for a connection elsewhere as I learnt the hard way...I even had to watch the voyager I was due to catch fly past in the other direction!!

If you have a single Advance ticket (i.e. not two tickets for each side of your connection) then the restriction would be waived for the second leg if you missed it through no fault of your own.

 

[willc789]

Fortunately that was the case once I had asked the guard on the XC train, but this was a short while back before I had taken a significant interest in the railways and assumed an advance ticket was very much 'do or die'!!

 

[Searle]

That's ridiculous. The Cross City line is every 10 minute frequency over the core of the route, what is there to complain about? In addition to the 6tph the route gets in the form of local 323s, University to New Street get an hourly train to/from Cardiff and another to/from Hereford! I'm sure many elsewhere in the country would be grateful of a half hourly or even hourly service - you are rather lucky in Birmingham! [rant over]

I feel like you're missing the point of the post somewhat :P

 

[Sidious]

I suppose the time of day changes, though. Every time I go on the Eurostar, for example, early on a Saturday morning, the bar area is usually full of people knocking back the booze from 8am onwards.

The 'railway' has a bit of a double edged sword: If people were not permitted to drink on trains, there would be certain journeys which would not be undertaken.

Every (other) year three friends and I travel to Edinburgh to watch the Scotland v England Rugby. We think nothing of knocking back a bottle of gin between us, even though it is a morning train. If we weren't allowed to drink, then we would probably go by car which would take £300 revenue from the railway.

At the extreme are the imbeciles on the Ale Trail who are so ridiculously p***ed they are falling on to the tracks. That is totally unacceptable behaviour, and they should be arrested. Once again an idiotic minority spoil the fun for the majority.

 

[68000]

Has anyone seen the short 3min clip available for tomorrows episode? It certainly seems like Network Rail is in for a bashing, it mentions a 3 hour wait for the accident investigators to arrive which they never do apparently? Should be rather interesting!

Aren't the accident investigators RAIB and not Network Rail?

 

[FGW_DID]

The women in the FGW HST shouldn't be complaining at all as if you look carefully you can see the door is unlocked and she could easily get off and get on the next train!!!!!

No she couldn't, you couldn't see the FGW dispatch staff, just off camera, brandishing the firearms that they used to force the passengers onto the carriage at gun point in the first place

 

[Flamingo]

No she couldn't, you couldn't see the FGW dispatch staff, just off camera, brandishing the firearms that they used to force the passengers onto the carriage at gun point in the first place

That's the best bit of the job.

You also can't see me at the end of coach E with my trusty old SMG stopping anyone from leaving coach E to get to the empty seats in the rest of the train, or the Customer Host with cattle-prod forcing everybody out of the First Class vestibules into coach E.

 

[DarloRich]

The people shown on the recent prgrame on the "real ale trail" in West Yorkshire were not real ale drinkers. They were chavs. Real ale drinkers do not dress up in "fancy dress"

 

[Jordeh]

The people shown on the recent prgrame on the "real ale trail" in West Yorkshire were not real ale drinkers. They were chavs. Real ale drinkers do not dress up in "fancy dress"

Not to single your post out as there's been a few like this but I think this is all getting very snooty amongst some of the real ale drinkers on here. After all, all you need to partake on an ale trail or be classified as a real ale drinker is to drink real ale. You don't have to be a completely civilised CAMRA member or real ale enthusiast to partake. It's by no means ludicrous to suggest what you call a "Chav" would drink ale, especially if they're on a real ale trail. in addition to this we simply didn't see what they were drinking in the pubs so it's unfair to suggest otherwise.

Whilst they may well be bringing real ale into disrepute, I don't think some CAMRA members do themselves any favours at times either.

 

[Jeni]

That's ridiculous. The Cross City line is every 10 minute frequency over the core of the route, what is there to complain about? In addition to the 6tph the route gets in the form of local 323s, University to New Street get an hourly train to/from Cardiff and another to/from Hereford! I'm sure many elsewhere in the country would be grateful of a half hourly or even hourly service - you are rather lucky in Birmingham! [rant over]

To be fair, yes it has a very high relative frequency, but as someone who uses it 2-3 times a month it does seem to be fairly unreliable, often with big gaps in service due to (seemingly the most common reason) signalling problems.

I'd much rather commute on a reliable hourly service than an unreliable 10 min service!

 

[DarloRich]

Not to single your post out as there's been a few like this but I think this is all getting very snooty amongst some of the real ale drinkers on here. After all, all you need to partake on an ale trail or be classified as a real ale drinker is to drink real ale. You don't have to be a completely civilised CAMRA member or real ale enthusiast to partake. It's by no means ludicrous to suggest what you call a "Chav" would drink ale, especially if they're on a real ale trail. in addition to this we simply didn't see what they were drinking in the pubs so it's unfair to suggest otherwise.

I think, with respect, that you are wrong. You don’t seem to understand the concept of CAMRA or of enjoyment of real ale. CAMRA takes a very strong position against binge drinking and any associated anti social behaviour.

I will guarantee that almost all the people shown in that film are not real ale drinkers, for one point they do not fit the demographic of real ale drinkers! Further I would suggest that the types of pubs that serve real ale would not be the sort of pubs the people shown on the film would want to visit, Weatherspoons apart!

Drinking real ale is not about getting smashed but in trying and savouring different ales from around the country in a civilised fashion. I would suggest that the people shown in the film will have been drinking strong larger or cider in vast quantities or a bitter like John Smiths. Trust me when I say you can not drink enough real ale to make you that drunk that quickly!

 

[MattRobinson]

Sadly, from what I know of the ale trail, it started off as a civilised thing where real ale drinkers would go to sample the ales and pubs of that area; however, it has since turned into what was shown on the program where people just want to go out and get drunk.

 

[Cletus]

I suppose an answer might be for CAMRA to start a Ale Trail 2 and keep it secret!
I'm sure there must be another line that could be used?

 

[eastwestdivide]

The people shown on the recent prgrame on the "real ale trail" in West Yorkshire were not real ale drinkers. They were chavs. Real ale drinkers do not dress up in "fancy dress"

For an alternative viewpoint, take a look at this CAMRA event:
http://www.camra.org.uk/article.php?group_id=8672

"National Winter Ales Festival 2013
23 – 26 January
Sheridan Suite
Manchester
...
On Saturday there is a fancy dress option with the theme Beer Angels"

Maybe they're not mutually-exclusive groups?

 

[D1009]

Beat me to it! I don't think I've ever been to a CAMRA beer festival where there hasn't been anyone wearing fancy dress!

 

[ex-railwayman]

Hmmm, too be honest, that's not usual. I've attended various yearly CAMRA beer festivals in Nottingham, Derby and beyond for the last 25/30 years. The one in Nottingham is held in The Castle grounds and I've not seen many fancy dress wearers, the usual fraternity are Students and middle aged men and women who appreciate fine ale and other liquid niceties, they do have live music events, and junk food outlets all over the place, etc, but, I haven't seen any yobbish behaviour for ages, they are stewarded quite well from the various organising committees, I think DarloRich's points were quite well made to those of us who attend these annual conventions regularly.

And as regards this real ale trail, it isn't something organised by CAMRA, it's just a group of beer swillers having a good time dressed up in all manner of guises and behaving stupidly afterwards, it was first featured in 2009 on the BBC's Oz and James Drink to Britain, see the website for details - http://www.realaletrail.net/

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

 

[LexyBoy]

If you have a single Advance ticket (i.e. not two tickets for each side of your connection) then the restriction would be waived for the second leg if you missed it through no fault of your own.

In fact it does not matter whether the journey is made with one or multiple tickets. Provided that minimum interchange times are adhered to when changing, you will be conveyed to your destination on later trains or alternative transport if delayed during your journey.

(Going OT a little but needed clarification).

 

[D1009]

Hmmm, too be honest, that's not usual. I've attended various yearly CAMRA beer festivals in Nottingham, Derby and beyond for the last 25/30 years. The one in Nottingham is held in The Castle grounds and I've not seen many fancy dress wearers, the usual fraternity are Students and middle aged men and women who appreciate fine ale and other liquid niceties, they do have live music events, and junk food outlets all over the place, etc, but, I haven't seen any yobbish behaviour for ages, they are stewarded quite well from the various organising committees, I think DarloRich's points were quite well made to those of us who attend these annual conventions regularly.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

I agree, it's just I am not of the view that real ale drinkers are all beer gutted old fuddy duddies that don't know how to enjoy themselves

 

[Butts]

I agree, it's just I am not of the view that real ale drinkers are all beer gutted old fuddy duddies that don't know how to enjoy themselves

You forgot to mention the "Beards and Sandals" in your description

 

[stut]

Is it a good time to link to some Half Man Half Biscuit?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djIXYW9X3Qg

 

[Scotty]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod..._Keeping_Britain_on_Track_Standing_Room_Only/

Some of the most overcrowded trains in Britain are the rush hour trains between Reading and Paddington, and every morning, thousands of commuters resignedly squeeze on to packed trains at Reading. It's a packed schedule and when a train accidentally cuts through some vital signalling cables, the track staff are under intense pressure from their bosses to get the hundreds of irate passengers on the move again.

There's good news though - a multi billion pound overhaul of the line will bring faster, longer and more trains to the route, but to get there, the commuters have to endure line closures, building works and delays. For the railway staff, they're stuck between a rock and a hard place - as many people complain if they do the work, as those who complain if they don't. With Christmas approaching and Paddington empty for the holidays, up the line in Reading, hundreds of track workers are putting the festivities on hold with just 3 days to knock down and rebuild an entire bridge and re-build the platforms.

 

[GodAtum]

Ha I'm lucky because I go the other way from Paddington - Maidenhead in the morning!