andythebrave
Member
I am led to believe that it could be quite some time.
Also surprised that closing roads was not pursued further as there are alternative routes for all of them.
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Marston Vale crossing issues
- Thread starter DarloRich
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Also surprised that closing roads was not pursued further as there are alternative routes for all of them.
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Why not stopping at Lidlington/Millbrook?
andythebrave
Member
To maintain timetable due to slow running across the affected crossings services need to miss 2 stops each way.
There's also the issue of a PNB at Bletchley early doors that has to be maintained.
The 2 stops have obviously been carefully selected (anyone detect the heavy sarcasm there?).
The concept of an all stops emergency timetable has obviously passed these idiots by.
As has the concept of customer first.
It is fair to say that there are some ructions among the local populace, for some this will be the last straw and they will, unsurprisingly, not be using the railway again.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
The timetable on this line is not a promise. It is a suggestion as to the earliest time a train might arrive. The current situation is embarrassing and would not be permitted on a different line. Yesterday, of the 3 trains nominally available, LNWR managed to kick 1 into service. It has got to the point where either LNWR should withdraw service and offer a bus/cab OR get some bloody pacers in.
Passengers are fed up and are voting with their feet. The fantastic opportunity offered by the new trains has been totally squandered. Wasted. Pi$$ed away in an orgy of poor performance and poor reliability. It is shameful. Passengers have no trust in any statements made by LNWR. Passengers have been badly let down before this current farce and the general shambles that is rail the replacement service. It was taking 2 hours plus for people to get from Bedford to Bletchley last week with buses full or simply not showing up. That is not on.
This week is little better for passengers from Liddlington and the decision to skip this station is , prima facie, bonkers. It should be Millbrook and Kempston Hardwick. Even Fenny Stratford would make more sense ffs. If there is some technical/safety reason Liddlington has to be skipped it would be really helpful if LNWR would actually explain the situation in detail (I have heard that because trains have to be talked past signals they are not allowed to stop in section. If that is the case tell us!)
LNWR cant even say how long this mess will carry on for. I get it isnt entirely their fault but they are who the passenger pays their money to and they need to "man up", own the situation and get it sorted. Now.
There or will be are road closures in place
This could be the understatement of the year.
No.
Passengers are fed up and are voting with their feet. The fantastic opportunity offered by the new trains has been totally squandered. Wasted. Pi$$ed away in an orgy of poor performance and poor reliability. It is shameful. Passengers have no trust in any statements made by LNWR. Passengers have been badly let down before this current farce and the general shambles that is rail the replacement service. It was taking 2 hours plus for people to get from Bedford to Bletchley last week with buses full or simply not showing up. That is not on.
This week is little better for passengers from Liddlington and the decision to skip this station is , prima facie, bonkers. It should be Millbrook and Kempston Hardwick. Even Fenny Stratford would make more sense ffs. If there is some technical/safety reason Liddlington has to be skipped it would be really helpful if LNWR would actually explain the situation in detail (I have heard that because trains have to be talked past signals they are not allowed to stop in section. If that is the case tell us!)
LNWR cant even say how long this mess will carry on for. I get it isnt entirely their fault but they are who the passenger pays their money to and they need to "man up", own the situation and get it sorted. Now.
There or will be are road closures in place
This could be the understatement of the year.
No.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
apparently the emergency timetable is in use until at least Friday
andythebrave
Member
One of my wife's regular journeys is coming up this Thursday.
Lidlington-Bedford-Leagrave for Luton & Dunstable Hospital.
I've explained that she will need to leave home earlier because of the RRB to Stewartby and advised her to get down the road to the station one hour ahead of her usual time.
However, there is no RRB timetable so I have also advised her to be prepared to not be able to travel at all.
Quite how this even approaches acceptability is beyond me.
Lidlington-Bedford-Leagrave for Luton & Dunstable Hospital.
I've explained that she will need to leave home earlier because of the RRB to Stewartby and advised her to get down the road to the station one hour ahead of her usual time.
However, there is no RRB timetable so I have also advised her to be prepared to not be able to travel at all.
Quite how this even approaches acceptability is beyond me.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
there IS a RRB timetable. I have seen it on twitter but cant find a web link and don't know how to get it off twitter. The reports from users is that the bus generally does make the trains. Just. This has improved from last week when they didn't. There are also bus coordinators at Ridgmont and Stewartby. Anecdotal reports are that there isnt always someone there.
It is interesting that the LNWR website is showing there are no problems on the Marston Vale - glossing over the fact the train is not stopping at some stations!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Admittedly it was an ad-hoc one, but the last time I got a Marston Vale RRB there was nothing to say it existed other than the Twitterer saying it did, and I only even found it because I recognised the standby coach I'd seen at Bletchley earlier that day. The train was just shown as cancelled with no further information.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
standard. It tends to be left to the fantastic lady in the ticket office to sort out the mess. She seems to get no support despite Bletchley being a crew depot with managers on site. In fairness they could be trying to get answers out of control and arrange buses but they are certainly not visible to passengers left stranded.
many of us want to nominate her for a staff award because she is the only one who seems to want to help passengers get home and it isnt even her job.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Given how easy it is to put a note on the PIS against the cancellation and given that all LNR stations are on the same system I don't get why this isn't done.
Bedford however is the bigger problem as there are no LNR staff there. While things are bad I think they should seriously consider posting someone, or at least taxiing someone over (even if that results in e.g. a downstaffed booking office or barrier line) when it looks likely to kick off.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
last week there was a LNWR bus coordintor/helper on site at Bedford main station.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
That's an improvement.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
perhaps - the operation of the replacement service was still a disaster. Bus/ Taxis were not arriving promptly at intermediate stations ( including St Johns) nor were they connecting with the trains in a timely fashion.
I still don't understand why they didn't run the bus express form Ridgmont to Blethcley. It would have offered less delay to the passenger than dumping then at Ridgmont for the best part of an hour!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Having worked with coaches a few times, some drivers will flat refuse to do anything that wasn't on the original brief.
Saperstein
Member
Saperstein
Member
RRB timetable posted by LNWR on Twitter.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Is there actually the demand for people travelling *just* between Ridgmont and those other three with no connections? Maybe from Amazon warehouse workers?
DarloRich
Veteran Member
The biref should have been pick up to Stewartby. None stop thereafter to Bletchley
Cheers!
Not specifically. However the bus service is to ensure connectivity
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I know, I was referring to the journeys which don't appear to connect with the train.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
I think that was more to do with timings and knowledge of the route than anything else. On more than one occasion a colleague from had to act as a bus guide AND insist the bus stopped at certain stations. Twice he had to "commandeer" a bus and get the passengers from St Johns picked up! It isnt on.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
No, the timetable posted above contains twice as many bus journeys as trains. Only half the bus journeys appear to connect with trains.
If it's a minibus I half wonder if it's like that so people aren't delayed more than an hour if a big group shows up, e.g. walking groups on Saturday which you do get.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
Good spot. I didn't think of that
philthetube
Established Member
- Joined
- 5 Jan 2016
- Messages
- 4,162
Bang off complimentary emails to everyone you can think of, and get others to do similar, when you do make sure that you mention that she is the only one to help and point out what lousy service that is.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
Cancellations last night, large delays this morning. Super.
Done that many times and via twitter and via the users group. I wanted to tell the managers directly at a meet the managers event. It was cancelled because the train broke down!
Done that many times and via twitter and via the users group. I wanted to tell the managers directly at a meet the managers event. It was cancelled because the train broke down!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
When I heard of that I laughed out loud and hoped the managers enjoyed their RRB ride.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
they certainly beat a hasty retreat and have never been back................
andythebrave
Member
Alternate minibus services (theoretically) connect at Ridgmont for train to/from Bletchley and at Stewartby for train to/from Bedford.
It would make my day if someone came up with a photo of happy joyful customers getting on a bus at Lidlington whilst a train passes in the background.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
leave it with me!
Having been to Wye with its manually operated crossing about a year ago, a wait at the closed gates of 5 minutes for a train to come seemed quite commonplace. So why not run the trains and just stick a message out on the radio telling motorists that they might have to wait longer than normal at the crossing. It's not as though the barriers have come down without the warning lights illuminating first.
causton
Established Member
That is exactly what happened.
The barriers came down on a lorry without warning, as the crossing detected the train in the "wrong place"... when it wasn't.
It is related to the length/speed of the train as well, so it may not be just skipping the stops to keep the train "on time". It is actually because there is an error in the level crossing logic somewhere.
I'll pass it on
Definitely feel sorry for them!- Status