Not so Greater Anglia

[tunster]

Yes, probably. NX let everything go to pot because of their money troubles with EC. GA have done a good job fixing things so far, and hopefully things stay clean. Just like its easier and quicker to clean a slightly dirty room than a filthy room, and you are more motivated to do it because it is an easier job. Well done to GA for doing what NX seemingly never did.

I must agree . Apart from the unfortunate problems at Liverpool St plus other issues down the line at the same time this week, it's been much better. There's been a few instances earlier on that caused some huge problems at Chelmsford (train failure and having move passengers from one platform to the other and than back again).

Although, I've got to congrat GA for pushing the customer service via twitter. The guys and girl on that team do an amazing job to get info out there quickly. A personal response is always better than a late text or ill-updated website. Hope they continue on that theme as some ideas may have slipped through to upper management (especially the deployment of resprayed doors to red on the already white cars). I guess customer service should be key until the 15 year franchise comes along with new trains and further investment on the line which is badly needed post Olympics.

 

[SprinterMan]

I must agree . Apart from the unfortunate problems at Liverpool St plus other issues down the line at the same time this week, it's been much better. There's been a few instances earlier on that caused some huge problems at Chelmsford (train failure and having move passengers from one platform to the other and than back again).

Although, I've got to congrat GA for pushing the customer service via twitter. The guys and girl on that team do an amazing job to get info out there quickly. A personal response is always better than a late text or ill-updated website. Hope they continue on that theme as some ideas may have slipped through to upper management (especially the deployment of resprayed doors to red on the already white cars). I guess customer service should be key until the 15 year franchise comes along with new trains and further investment on the line which is badly needed post Olympics.

I hope they do repaint the Blue/White 317s/321s, but I doubt it, as they have only just been repainted.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49799937@N06/6952976642/in/photostream/

Is 170201 going off to be repainted?

Adam

 

[387star]

Very excited about this. I did hear the they would head for a repaint. Will look just like 357s but with red doors! I reckon the livery may suit them better than the 315/317/321 stock as the bodysides appear more streamlined
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
PS why did National Express remove Great Eastern branding on the side of class 321s but not from the front?

And why did the white stripe end at a funny angle on the class 156s with the advertising livery?

 

[jopsuk]

Appeared three car 170s were on the Cambridge-Ipswich service yesterday- presumably because of the racing at Newmarket? Didn't realise the usable platform at Newmarket was long enough

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

3 cars have been on used on the Cambridges vice 2 cars on some services since the temp footbridge was built at Kennet, and no it isnt long enough!!

 

[Central Trains]

Appeared three car 170s were on the Cambridge-Ipswich service yesterday- presumably because of the racing at Newmarket? Didn't realise the usable platform at Newmarket was long enough

The Guard can ''de-select'' the rear carriage at Newmarket and Kennett(Towards Cambridge)

 

[SprinterMan]

Very excited about this. I did hear the they would head for a repaint. Will look just like 357s but with red doors! I reckon the livery may suit them better than the 315/317/321 stock as the bodysides appear more streamlined

Yeah, it's gonna look really good
Its a shame 170270 didn't go 1st, as it is in most dire need of a repaint.

PS why did National Express remove Great Eastern branding on the side of class 321s but not from the front?

And why did the white stripe end at a funny angle on the class 156s with the advertising livery?

It ends at a funny angle becuase NX applied it badly in the 1st place probably, like they did with one of the CT-livered 156s.
Do you mean 156402?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elettra1143/6782826385/lightbox/

Adam

 

[Aictos]

The Guard can ''de-select'' the rear carriage at Newmarket and Kennett(Towards Cambridge)

I'm sure that what they do at Whittlesea too.

 

[SprinterMan]

I'm sure that what they do at Whittlesea too.

Yeah, Whittlesea, Nemarket and Kennet have at least one 2 carriage platform, so either the front or rear carriage is deselected. I have only ever seen it announced as "rear 2 carriages only" at Kennet eastbound platform, but then we were on a 2 carriage train at the time, which was quite amusing :P, so I don't know what happens when a 3 car train stops there.

 

[Pugwash]

the 7.40 from Chelmsford was formed by an 8 car 317 ( ex stansted express ) which broke down in Liverpool St about 5 metres from the buffers,

 

[jopsuk]

whilst the 0717 Cambridge- LST (12 car 379) failed to leave Cambridge...

I've noticed when using the 12 car 379s from Cambridge that a Bombardier fitter/technician/class specialist deployment implementation operative/whatever assists with the coupling up procedure.

 

[jon0844]

Bombardier fitter/technician/class specialist deployment implementation operative/whatever

Work experience most likely!

 

[iphone76]

There was a brief loss of power at Liverpool Street this morning so not sure if the breakdown was related to that. Thankfully power was restored very quickly, so we were only about 5 mins late.

I see there is a broken rail at Colchester Town and a deer has been hit by the 11.00 from Norwich at Diss.

Just an average day in GA land!

 

[Tomonthetrain]

A deer has been hit by the 11.00 from Norwich at Diss.

oh deer oh deer

 

[SprinterMan]

the 7.40 from Chelmsford was formed by an 8 car 317 ( ex stansted express ) which broke down in Liverpool St about 5 metres from the buffers,

Are we talking 317/7s or 317/8s?

 

[Aictos]

Are we talking 317/7s or 317/8s?

317889 and 317892 were the pair that Pugwash was referring to,

 

[SprinterMan]

317889 and 317892 were the pair that Pugwash was referring to,

Oh ok thanks
Great!
I had a horrible feeling 317/7s were back, with their minuscule number of seats and murderous inter-carriage doors.
Adam

 

[dk1]

oh deer oh deer

Caused a broken brake pipe & what fiasco that poor deer (R.I.P) has caused today.

 

[SprinterMan]

the 7.40 from Chelmsford was formed by an 8 car 317 ( ex stansted express ) which broke down in Liverpool St about 5 metres from the buffers,

What is the 0740 supposed to be normally, 321s?
(This is the 0729 Witham-London we are talking about, right?)
Adam

 

[jopsuk]

Noticed this morning that the 379s may have had a software update- previously after coupling the driver has had to go to the new front cab (an eight carriage walk in the morning at Cambridge) to release the doors so that passengers can can board- now they seem to be able to release from the cab they used to couple. Progress!

 

[Pugwash]

What is the 0740 supposed to be normally, 321s?
(This is the 0729 Witham-London we are talking about, right?)
Adam

3 x 321's 2x317's really does not have anything like the required capacity.

 

[Aictos]

Oh ok thanks
Great!
I had a horrible feeling 317/7s were back, with their minuscule number of seats and murderous inter-carriage doors.
Adam

The power of TRUST,

 

[SprinterMan]

The power of TRUST,

Thanks
Have added 317889 and 317892 on to here:
http://headcodes.info/tractionHistory.php?sd=120508
Adam

 

[tunster]

Looks like GA are actually going to spend some money at last! Thought one of the 321s had an early upgrade with grey seating, and red coloured bars. Looked very swish! I think it was the 7.35 sometime last week. Got a hint from one of the GA twitter staff that it could be happening

http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/about-us/news/2012/05/train-upgrade-underway-at-greater-anglias-clacton-depot

 

[bezzer]

Have to agree. I sat on one of them the other day and it was very clean, spcaious, airy and looked good.

Unfortunately why would a company spend millions on the service that they may not get in 24 months. If they get the 15 years then I reckon we will see new stock and bog improvements. Where money is being sent is staffing. Lots more revenue protection officers, cinductors, Safety Officers. People are beginning to realise that THEY HAVE TO BUY A TICKET TO TRAVEL. Good God, what is the world coming too. You cannot get out of Liverpool Street for Revenue proterction Officers. Staff are much more visisble.

I have just joined Greater Anglia as a driver and I can tell you they are a very profesisonal outfit compared to many I have worked for, inlcuding NX and fill me with confidence. They actually look as thought they know how to run a railway and shock horror they care about the passenegers.

All NX worried about was getting trains in on time. GA are totally different. ALL staff are going through a programme at great expense to give staff a better service and poeple have spoken too can see a difference.

 

[jon0844]

If you put enough money into revenue protection and prosecute lots of people, the message may indeed get through - and then you'll increase revenue.

Presumably GA has worked out that it can make a lot of money during its time in control if it does a good job.

 

[SprinterMan]

I recently had a bit of an explore on GA with an Anglia Rover ticket and they are worlds away from NXEA. Things are clean, staff are happy, optimism can be sensed at Norwich Station for the first time since late 2007.

NXEA was like living with a spouse you didn't get along with; it was only after they left did you realise how bad things had got. Dirty trains, brown windows, fleas in seats, trains in several thousand different liveries, no customer service, general apathy from management etc. GA righting all of these, like a sexy new girlfriend to continue the metaphor :P

I was concerned when their first move was to withdraw the 317/7s, as I though they were gonna be worse than NXEA, but they have proven otherwise. Once all the Ilford duds were returned to service the 317/7s weren't needed anyway, and my hatred of their inter-carriage doors helped me forgive GA :P Clean trains are really not too much to ask for. Well Done Ruud Hackett and GA!

Adam

 

[ginger]

Looks like GA are actually going to spend some money at last! Thought one of the 321s had an early upgrade with grey seating, and red coloured bars. Looked very swish! I think it was the 7.35 sometime last week. Got a hint from one of the GA twitter staff that it could be happening

http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/about-us/news/2012/05/train-upgrade-underway-at-greater-anglias-clacton-depot

no they are not.....Dft stipulation int he tender for a "minor interior refresh" - see thread under Traction and rolling stock. This should have been carried out 4 years ago but NX and the Dft fell out and it got canned.

these horrible dog of units are now fast approaching 25 years of age.....5 years ago a full code 1 refurb should have been carried out but the crooks at NX and the Dft conspired and quietly didnt make it happen.....thus robbing the good people of Essex and Suffolk of a decent journey environment and condemning us to travelling in dirty rolling flea boxes.....

In any event....the curse of the Margeretting signal failue strikes again......what a debacle this morning!

VERY poorly handled by Not So Greater Anglia
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

They actually look as thought they know how to run a railway and shock horror they care about the passenegers.

OH NO THEY DONT!!!!!!!!!!!! Complete shambles!

 

[bezzer]

Ginger you do speak tosh. If it is so bad why not get the bus or car. You can always do something about it.

I thought Greater Anglia handled it well. Regular updates and at the end of the day no one can be blamed for the signals failing. What do you want them to do on a 2 road railway. Make them fly. People need to get in the real world and get on with life.

 

[cj_1985]

no they are not.....Dft stipulation int he tender for a "minor interior refresh" - see thread under Traction and rolling stock. This should have been carried out 4 years ago but NX and the Dft fell out and it got canned.

these horrible dog of units are now fast approaching 25 years of age.....5 years ago a full code 1 refurb should have been carried out but the crooks at NX and the Dft conspired and quietly didnt make it happen.....thus robbing the good people of Essex and Suffolk of a decent journey environment and condemning us to travelling in dirty rolling flea boxes.....

In any event....the curse of the Margeretting signal failue strikes again......what a debacle this morning!

VERY poorly handled by Not So Greater Anglia
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


OH NO THEY DONT!!!!!!!!!!!! Complete shambles!

lets once again cover the main points that people are choosing to forget...

Greater Anglia have been running the show for less than 6 months...
They are operating services to/from 168 stations (according to wikipedia)
Operating over 200 trains (locos, DMUs and EMUS)
with several hundred staff... front line and behind the scenes...
operating services in an area that BR electrified on the cheap... something that is still having a lasting effect.

GA are NOT National Express... they have taken over the running over the franchise for an interim period, and have a lot of work to do to meet up to the commitments they have made to the DfT, and to try and undo the problems left by National Express.

All you can blame GA for, is saying that they didnt need/want the class 317/7s...

As regards the condition of the stock... again, this is down to NX not doing their job correctly... and if you think that in roughly 4 months, that any operator could clean and/or refurb every loco, unit or carriage that is over due... then you are out of your bloody mind.


If you really are that unhappy with the service provided.. why not write to the DfT stating your issues rather than coming online and moaning about everything even when/if its outwith the TOCs control...

i mean is it fair to blame GA for issues related to the infrastructure... or is it fair to blame any TOC if they can't (this meaning a case where the TOC and its staff are prepared to work, but can't) operate services due to severe weather ie. the snow last year.
or is it the TOCs fault if a farmer decides to just drive across a crossing when its not safe (or clear) to do so, and colides with a train...?
away from the railways, would you blame a taxi driver for not transporting you from A-B quickly, when the road/s are blocked due to a fire?.

everyone is entitled to their own opinions... but moaning for the sake of moaning is pure stupidity...
if things are genuinely worse (or atleast no better) this time next year...then fair enough, you may have a point.
But what do you think you could do in less than 6 months to completely turn around the state that the Great Eastern Franchise was in (morale, comunication, and lack of cleaning) when NX finally were sent packing...