Clever, effective or helpful things done by one TOC that should be coppied by others

[PhilipF]

Why don't you read a book or a newspaper, or would that be tantamount to "living in a cave"

Think that is awful when on a train, I'm always viewing out the window, always something fresh to see.

 

[northernchris]

Northern's 'how do I look' stickers are a good way of reporting cleanliness issues dealt with

 

[al78]

Think that is awful when on a train, I'm always viewing out the window, always something fresh to see.

Viewing out of the window? LUXURY!!! I've lost count of the number of times I have booked advance tickets on Virgin services and ended up in one of the few seats that is not near a window.

 

[8J]

I like Northern's stickers on the exterior of some of their fleet advising where the appropriate bicycle/wheelchair spaces are. Very smart!

 

[All Line Rover]

GWR's part-time seasons in Devon and Cornwall, limited to particular days of the week.

It's a great idea, but how would it work on longer distance routes where the weekly season ticket is almost always less than twice the price of an anytime return ticket?

SWT's labelling of "Quiet Coach" on the exterior doors.

SWT has uncompromisingly persisted with the quiet coach for years. I was pleasantly surprised to find a quiet coach on four car commuter trains. The signage clearly prohibits the use of headphones, unlike VTWC's signage which almost promotes their use and leaves the ineffectual management wondering why this might create 'friction'.

And LM's reasonable turn-up-and-go fares!

They're reasonable for long distance journeys but not necessarily for short distance journeys (e.g. Nuneaton to Milton Keynes, where most of the 'LM Only' fares are, bizarrely, more expensive than the VT-priced 'Any Permitted' fares).
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Actually, another one for LM - publishing formation length in the timetable (albeit for some reason only in the pocket excerpt ones and not in the main one). Very useful when selecting a train.

Example: http://www.londonmidland.com/download/114195.9/northampton-euston/

Must admit that while I don't know if this was one of his ideas, David Whitley introduced a number of very passenger-friendly initiatives to LM during his time there.

I knew of the peak time loading statistics they published but not of this, which is a very, very nice feature. Other TOCs would do well to replicate it.

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Both FGW and XC would do well to replicate the first class lounges offered by VTWC as well as EMT and the various incarnations of EC - but especially VTWC. The first class fares charged by FGW and XC are among the highest around (VTWC is comparatively good value for all but non-season-ticket-holder peak fares), but the amenities offered at stations are among the most basic. XC in particular has little excuse not to co-operate with other TOCs at, for example, Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street, Edinburgh Waverley and Sheffield.

 

[the sniper]

OH AND MAYBE A SCREWDRIVER FOR THE RATTLY 170S?

Built in Derby, maintained in Tyseley... There'll be a cold day in hell before those rattles disappear!

 

[krus_aragon]

PlusBus and encouraging links to 'non-railway' places come straight to mind. I do wish, however, that such schemes could be led on occasion by 'others'. It always seems to come from the railway budget but could just as easily come from bus company, council or anyone else's budget.

My greatest issue with PlusBus that you have to acquire your tickets at a railway station, even if you're starting your journey by bus. Some co-operation on that front would be welcome.

 

[Minilad]

Built in Derby, maintained in Tyseley... There'll be a cold day in hell before those rattles disappear!

They need to stop rationing the Tyso Tape

 

[The Ham]

My greatest issue with PlusBus that you have to acquire your tickets at a railway station, even if you're starting your journey by bus. Some co-operation on that front would be welcome.

Given that most bus companies have daily bus tickets it could be fairly easy to have to buy one on the bud and then get that money discounted off the cost of a train ticket including plus bus. There would be a reasonable amount of paperwork to facilitate that but it would be less prone to people buying the cheaper plus bus tickets and then not buying the train element.

 

[Bletchleyite]

SWT has uncompromisingly persisted with the quiet coach for years. I was pleasantly surprised to find a quiet coach on four car commuter trains. The signage clearly prohibits the use of headphones

The picture does, but the text doesn't confirm it, suggesting it is fine to use them if they are not audible to others.

I knew of the peak time loading statistics they published but not of this, which is a very, very nice feature. Other TOCs would do well to replicate it.

It's almost as good, as unless it's 4am "4" means "overcrowded, avoid", whereas "12" near enough universally means, except a few peak trains, "you'll get a bay to yourself at least if you sit in the second[1] furthest coach from the barriers at Euston".

It would be good to see loading data in timetables including the journey planners in addition to this, though, like the Swiss do.

[1] The front coach ends up *slightly* busier in cases where there are no table bays or priority seats with nobody in them, as people walk past the second coach without taking another seat but don't walk back when they find the front not quite as quiet.

XC in particular has little excuse not to co-operate with other TOCs at, for example, Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street, Edinburgh Waverley and Sheffield.

It would make sense really for First Class lounges to be a station facility rather than TOC specific, even if a TOC use them. Airlines "codeshare" on them often enough, so it's not as if there's not a precedent.

 

[HH]

To be quite honest, I would love to go and live in a cave and read books! The telly is rubbish, the news is propaganda and modern life is rubbish! Unfortunately, we get swept along in this new world where instant access to information is at the utmost importance to some people whether that be for work or leisure purposes so a decent access to the web does become the be all and end all. Me personally, I can take it or leave it.

TBH if you really need access to all this stuff 24/7 you need to:

1. Get a 4G phone and a suitable provider
2. Live in an area with good coverage

Train WiFi is rubbish anyway and always will be, as the pipeline has to be shared with every other user.

 

[ffm]

]

Northern's 'how do I look' stickers are a good way of reporting cleanliness issues dealt with

The dirtiest trains around if your journey is a Northern one around the North East, those stickers are a total joke. Get the Scotrail unit on the through Glasgow/Stranraer services on the Tyne Valley and see what a clean train looks like.

FGW are rolling out free wifi for all, like ScotRail, but these freely available systems mean that you are unlikely to get a good connection, too many people on.

 

[grumblingalong]

I like Northern's stickers on the exterior of some of their fleet advising where the appropriate bicycle/wheelchair spaces are. Very smart!

Seconded on that one, everyone else seems to persist with half hidden tiny stickers

 

[abn444]

One thing I would like to see more off (and this especially goes for Virgin Trains (West Coast) since I don't think they do this any more) is more named trains. I don't mean more specific units/locomotives that are named, I mean more train services that are named (e.g. Flying Scotsman, Golden Hind, Bristolian, etc)

 

[Butts]

One thing I would like to see more off (and this especially goes for Virgin Trains (West Coast) since I don't think they do this any more) is more named trains. I don't mean more specific units/locomotives that are named, I mean more train services that are named (e.g. Flying Scotsman, Golden Hind, Bristolian, etc)

Perhaps Northern could adopt this policy by naming their wonderful selection of Pacers

Pile of shi*e et al !!

 

[Railsigns]

So, any other aspect of a TOCs product, service, policy or practice that should be done elsewhere? It can be anything.

National Express voluntarily giving up their East Coast franchise in 2009 was the best thing a TOC ever did and it would be wonderful if more were to do the same.

 

[All Line Rover]

The picture does, but the text doesn't confirm it, suggesting it is fine to use them if they are not audible to others.

That's true, but I don't consider inaudible headphones to be antisocial, and I'm sure you are of the same mind.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Only have day-to-day experience of SWT and Southeastern but would love SE to adopt SWT's practice of adding train lengths to the scrolling platform displays. Not earth-shattering but would just help in a small way.

Here on Southern it would be nice if the train length was accurate !.

As for free Wi-Fi access. I think that is heading towards a basic level of expectation. To argue against it is like suggesting we should only have windows in first class !.
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Northern Rail's day rangers are an excellent way of encouraging leisure travel and getting people out and about and seeing the country. They have a fine heritage going back to Network SouthEast's network days. Other TOC's could learn a thing or two.

Southern used to do a day ranger ticket. Probably still do but being my patch I sort of have less excuse.

I know Midland did a day ranger - I cannot remember how for out of Birmingham it went. I have taken advantage of London Midlands cheap day out to get North of London.

The London one day travel card of course is useful. I cannot recall how I used to travel before its existence. All I know is that I mostly used, in the 1970s, a cheap day return from Strood to Charing Cross (or maybe Willesden Junction) and then walked the rest.

 

[amcluesent]

I would like Scotrail to have 1st class carriages.

 

[Butts]

I would like Scotrail to have 1st class carriages.

What, have they been withdrawn ?

Most of the primary routes do convey 1st Class , indeed on some of the secondary ones it is free as the trains are not supposed to have it.

 

[amcluesent]

No FC on the new Borders railway or the newish Helensburgh to Edinburgh, which is twice as long as Kings Cross to Peterborough and that stopping service has FC.

 

[cool110]

It would be good for MtoGo style ticket offices and first to last staffing to spread beyond Merseyside.

 

[Agent_c]

What, have they been withdrawn ?

Most of the primary routes do convey 1st Class , indeed on some of the secondary ones it is free as the trains are not supposed to have it.

Maybe he means there isn't enough of it, as it never takes up a whole car.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It would be good for MtoGo style ticket offices and first to last staffing to spread beyond Merseyside.

I actually don't see the sense in either. First to last ticket office staffing is expensive and unjustified on a city metro service (security guards patrolling platforms would be more use and cheaper), while the Mtogo concept appears to do neither thing particularly well, it would be better to have a coffee concession and TVMs.
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That's true, but I don't consider inaudible headphones to be antisocial, and I'm sure you are of the same mind.

Indeed not, and I regularly use headphones set to a low volume (not audible when removed from my ears) in quiet coaches.

The real scourge is playing devices out loud. Would love to see some Byelaw prosecutions for this.

 

[Muzer]

One very small thing is that I notice AGA have prominent announcements at every stop, as well as the slightly more common stickers, etc., reminding people to close slamdoors behind them. In this day of regular travellers on certain parts of the network being completely unaccustomed to slamdoors, let alone leisure travellers, it's an incredibly sensible idea. And it seems to work! I haven't counted, but from an informal look at travelling at weekends (where you'll get more leisure travellers and fewer commuters) on the FGW and AGA networks, AGA appear to get away with having fewer dispatch staff, and shorter dwell times, and I've noticed much fewer incidents where the guard (or a helpful enthusiast!) had to walk out of their way to close a slamdoor someone else had left open. These people aren't generally doing it out of spite or deliberate disregard for others; it's just that closing the door of a train is not something they are accustomed to having to do, so they can often forget in the moment; so having that extra reminder just before they depart seems to be really important.

I like a lot of things about SWT's operation. Their insistence on keeping the original super-comfy 158/159 seating is excellent. Their added insistence on having refurbished trains wherever possible, and also a plentiful supply of carriage washers, is also nice — I'm not sure I can say I've ever seen an SWT unit in the post-slamdoor era looking anything that could be described as tired looking or dirty (even on the outside), besides those 456s they got from Southern and didn't have time to immediately refurbish as the need for more seats was greater (but they started a refurbishment programme and I believe they're all done now and looking brilliant) — the same cannot be said about most other operators. I also like their £15 special offer tickets, their automated announcement systems (Phil Sayer is great, and Celia's not terrible either. I don't really mind The Only Woman that Southern uses — in fact, I think I prefer her to Celia as her voice is a bit better at carrying over the ambient noise — but their replacing Phil with her is not the best IMHO!), and their excellent abilities in maintenance. I don't like that they've adopted the proposed national signage standard over their old one as IMHO they're unreadable in the dark, but you can't win 'em all!

 

[Deepgreen]

Any chance of the extra 'p' in "coppied" being removed from the thread's title?

 

[Peter Sarf]

Any chance of the extra 'p' in "coppied" being removed from the thread's title?

Well spotted .

 

[PHILIPE]

This seems a nice gesture unless there's a catch in it somewhere.

www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=126328

 

[Peter Sarf]

This seems a nice gesture unless there's a catch in it somewhere.

www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=126328

There are always offers on the way out of winter and also on the way into winter. But TBH I do not think all TOCs do it - wish they did. I always remember noticing that when the summer timetable starts there are extra trains but it follows that these will not instantly fill up. It will take months for the weather to justify all of the extra seats. So various TOCs have their offers while the trains are more but the passenger numbers have not caught up.

I always remember back to the Boots 2-for-1 offers which always seemed to be in cold weather !. That might well have been back in pre-privatisation days as iirc the offer was valid on any intercity route and we were always going to Loughborough for 60s and Derby. Come to think of it I do not think I have gone up the Midland Mainline since !.

 

[sng7]

Maybe he means there isn't enough of it, as it never takes up a whole car.

When Scotrail Get The HSTs they should have more conventional first class carriages from what i have seen