The Best & Worst TOCs

[GNER 373]

MattE2010, you should add a vote to this and see who comes up trumps out of TOC's!

OK - please tell me how to because from my understanding you can only make them when creating a new thread[/QUOTE]

Sorry - Newbie Error!!!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

OK - please tell me how to because from my understanding you can only make them when creating a new thread

Sorry - Newbie Error!!![/QUOTE]

yep - poll's up now anyway. Happy voting!!!

 

[Pumbaa]

An additional question to consider: who is the best and worst OPERATOR?

Hmm. I agree with NX as worst; Central and Silverlink both were crap. Less said for NXEC and NXEA the better. Although c2c does alright, and so did Midland Mainline. Maybe down to individual management.

Best for me would be GoVia. They've done good jobs with SE and Southern, and are improving LM. They had a hell of an uphill climb with ex-CT/Silverlink, and managed to do this by having a massive staff clearout. They still can't do organisation on the spur of the moment, but its a work in progress.

First wouldn't do it for me. Bad fGW of old, fTPE doesn't rate that highly in my books. A recurring theme with First seems to be poor management/staff relations. fSR and fCC have both suffered very badly. fNW didn't fare much better either.

I wouldn't say Northern are the worst TOC. Considering the stock they have, and what the DfT will let them do (nothing), I think they do a pretty damned good job.

Yes - I rank Northern as one of the best operators out there. I think they do a stirling job with the little resources they have. I'd probably rate them second best operator out there.

Best operator for me is Southern I think. Good attitude from staff, good customer service, good use of resources and a "we-can-do-more" mantra.

 

[mindfeeder]

Best two would be Chiltern and WSMR. Worst two would be Cross Country and London Midland.

 

[transportphoto]

I will start a thread for a poll about the WORST and Link to It Here.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I will start a thread for a poll about the WORST and Link to It Here.

OK - was going to do it myself but feel free to do so.

 

[transportphoto]

I will start a thread for a poll about the WORST and Link to It Here.

OK - was going to do it myself but feel free to do so.

Sorry - Save You having to Type out the List again

The Thread Can Be found Here

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32964

 

[96tommy]

GNER has always been my favourite TOC since thats who I always travelled with. I also voted Grand Central, I have been on hundreads of there services and they have always been brilliant

 

[chris89]

For me the best are:

Virgin Trains
Scotrail
Chiltern

And the worst has to be Cross Country.

London Midland arn't too bad. but guess that is just the staff on the Kiddy - B'ham line.

Chris

 

[Aictos]

I can't see how FGW is the only TOC to do anything about fleet shortages as both NXEA and FCC are both introducing more seats by means of cascaded stock from LOROL and London Midland plus new fleets are on order in the guise of NXEMUs for FCC and 379s for NXEA.
Not forgetting of course the extra 23 377s that FCC are doing mileage testing for Southern,

Yes there still is some overcrowding on the GN but FCC is doing it's best to introduce more seats which it's doing though the Seats for You initive and though the Thameslink Programme resulting in longer trains ie 12 cars.

So in short, I think FCC will in Dec 2010 show a huge difference from Dec 2009 and be amongst the best TOCs,

 

[ajdunlop]

Worst:
FGW (most of my experience has been on Cardiff - Portsmouth line. I
can't believe they still have this as part of their franchise. Always
late, trains to short, trains always dirty, as little investment in
trains and stations as possible, trains break down at an alarming
rate),
Northern (purely based on the fact they have ended up with such bad
stock)

Average:
CrossCountry (Good things are their trains, levels of staff, useful routes. Bad is the length of their trans and therefore overcrowding, large
waits at key stations, I assume to fit around the timetables of the
multiple lines they use)

Best: SWT (This purely applies to services outside local London ones.
Trains are good and usually correct length for amount of use, they may
have too much automatic announcing but when things go wrong they seem
to be the only ones who can find out why, good at providing a good mix
of fast and stopping services and not afraid to split trains, some
investment in stations),
First TPE (ignoring the fact they shouldn't be running to Scotland,
good new trains, investment in stations),
Virgin (Good trains, investment in stations, good at pushing the
government into investment)

My views on SWT vs FGW may be disputed, but they are based on having
to use them both on my daily commute.

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

SWT wouldn't be too bad if it weren't for the constant announcements. Arrrgh! :mad:

I mean you can't even escape them in the so called Quiet Coach! Why can't they be like my lot on FGW, just enough to keep you informed. Lovely!

I dread it, I've got to go to Basingstoke and then on to Fleet for a meeting, so I've got a gorgeous HST to Reading, then either a 165 or Voyager, the former isn't too bad, I loath a Voyager, but then I know I'll have the wittering information system on either a 450/444 up to Fleet; I know by the time I get there I'll be bordering on insanity. Thank God, I'm going to be dropped off at Basingstoke by car on the way back, so no wittering 450/444 information system to complain about.

PLEASE SWT, STOP THE ANNOUNCEMENTS!

 

[Lampshade]

SWT wouldn't be too bad if it weren't for the constant announcements. Arrrgh! :mad:

I mean you can't even escape them in the so called Quiet Coach! Why can't they be like my lot on FGW, just enough to keep you informed. Lovely!

PLEASE SWT, STOP THE ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Have you ever travelled with TPE? hock:

 

[GNER 373]

Sorry - Newbie Error!!!

yep - poll's up now anyway. Happy voting!!![/QUOTE]

I knew you could do it!!!! Ha!

 

[thefab444]

PLEASE SWT, STOP THE ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Seriously, they aren't that bad. People go *majorly* over the top about SWT announcements. I travel on SWT every day at least twice and I've never found the announcements particularly annoying.

 

[bnm]

I know it's not scientific, but why skew the poll with only one former TOC? Surely if you are going to include GNER, you need to also include NXEC, Central, Wessex, First Great Eastern, Anglia, etc etc.

 

[Bellwater]

It's to please the ones who think GNER are going to come back, like the wierdos who think Elvis is still alive....

And if we did have former TOCs, i'd vote Central Trains.

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

Seriously, they aren't that bad. People go *majorly* over the top about SWT announcements. I travel on SWT every day at least twice and I've never found the announcements particularly annoying.

Well you're probably conditioned to them, I on the other hand am not, I'm used to the blissfully quiet HST fleet & albeit noisy 150/158s down here, where we get a nice peaceful journey, with just about the right amount of unobtrusive announcements.

That's why I'm dreading next Thursday's trip to Fleet! Even though it is only about 15 minutes, I know that I'll be near suicidal by the time I get there through that bloody auto announcers constant witterings about keeping your luggage with you, you must have a valid ticket and so on! Arrrgh!

The thought of it honestly makes me want to drive!

So for the record.

It's not the staff that drive me nuts, nor the trains (although the seats are like rock), they are fine too, it's just too many intrusive announcements, cut the number back and I will be very, very happy!

 

[GNER 373]

It's to please the ones who think GNER are going to come back, like the wierdos who think Elvis is still alive....

No-one thinks GNER are going to come back and indeed they would be sorely disappointed.

Its simply who you personally think is (or HAS) been the best TOC.

An no you wont win a prize for guessing who I voted for

 

[LE Greys]

It's not the staff that drive me nuts, nor the trains (although the seats are like rock), they are fine too, it's just too many intrusive announcements, cut the number back and I will be very, very happy!

[RANT]For me, it's the seats and the quality of the rolling stock. Yes, it's new and clean, but Desiros are stifling inside because of the lack of air movement, ride badly at speed and have plank-like seats (very cramped on 450s as well). When they replaced the 442s, it was terrible. :-x I used to enjoy travelling on those, with their wonderful noise, superb ride, comfortable seats and buffet cars. Now, if I go to Bournemouth, I take an HST from Paddington and a Voyager from Reading. Hard to believe that anyone would choose to travel on a Voyager. Rebuild the 444s and give them decent seats. They're horrible.[/RANT]

 

[transportphoto]

I know it's not scientific, but why skew the poll with only one former TOC? Surely if you are going to include GNER, you need to also include NXEC, Central, Wessex, First Great Eastern, Anglia, etc etc.

[RANT] TBH - The results will show the best current TOC - the fact that GNER was put on the list is irrelevant to the Current TOC Results (as we could just ignore it.). If it was only single choice then maybe it would but this is multiple choice. [/RANT]
The Rant is of my personal opinion - not representing any organization or group.

Oh before you go on to me for adding it to the Worst TOC poll I only copied what the OP did op this thread.

Vote for the WORST TOC HERE or by coping this URL and placing it in your address bar:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32964

 

[Aictos]

If it came to Electrostar ie 377s vs Desiros ie 450s, which would anyone prefer?

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

Electrostars by a country mile for ride quality, comfort = awful like most new stock.

Saying that the Electrostars have some stupid announcements too!

This is the Southern service to Littlehampton calling at: Blah, Blah, Blah, then on arrival at the station this is (Station name) this is coach X!

For Christ's sake I'm on a 3 or 4 coach train, I don't need to know which coach I'm in!
All of them fit in the platform, I don't care if I'm in coach 1, 2, 3 or bloody 4.

I tell you, with all of these wretched announcements, I'm giving serious consideration to saying sod the petrol money, sod the CO² & emissions. I'll drive just to get peace & quiet!

 

[Pumbaa]

Electrostars by a country mile for ride quality, comfort = awful like most new stock.

You have got to be joking! The Electrostars throw themselves around like anything! In almost all aspects, the Desiros are far superior. You get a Pendo go past on the WCML, you won't even notice unless you're looking out the window.

The only way that Electro* are better are that the doors close quicker, the PIS is more informative and clearer to read outside the train, as well as more PIS screens, the cabs have driver windows so it doesn't feel like you're driving a postbox and the 3+2 seating is marginally more comfortable.

On everything else, Desiros wipe the floor with Bombardiers sh*tty products.

 

[Proud Salopian]

WSMR no contest.

 

[Any Permitted]

Best: Wrexham & Shropshire, Chiltern and GNER

 

[thefab444]

The only way that Electro* are better are that the doors close quicker

I agree with that, the especially on 444s the doors are extremely slow to close, and at some stations where the track cant is particularly prevelant, they will refuse to open or refuse to close properly! Though I presume they are powered by compressed air of some kind judging by the noise, so this may be a sign that the air cylinder needs to be replaced as they were fine when first introduced? Apologies for the highly untechnical lingo!

 

[90019]

No-one thinks GNER are going to come back and indeed they would be sorely disappointed.

Worryingly, I think there are still some who do...

 

[GNERman]

they will come back...

albeit with Ian Yeowart ...

 

[Bittern]

I've never had any negative experiences that were the fault of a TOC, but let's not forget I'm still a "newcomer", if you like, to the hobby - only getting serious about it in mid 2008 and not seen my local TOC change hands yet.

First ScotRail have provided a very reliable service, and things only really get bad during times of extreme bad weather. And with that, it gives some rare things like a train from Motherwell > Hamilton > Cambuslang > Glasgow Central High Level - a train I was fortunate enough to join at Newton because the train I originally wanted (Cathcart Circle 314) brokedown just outside Newton Junction.

Of course, I've travelled with different TOCs. Twice with GNER (to and from Edinbrugh Waverley - Glasgow Central), once with Virgin (Motherwell > Glasgow Central), a handful of times with NXEC (to and from Edinbrugh Waverley - Glasgow Central) and the same with East Coast.

Some of the emplyess on the other hand....

One comes to mind. Glasgow Central in late 2008, and I asked a Virgin driver if he could tell me the name of the Pendolino that had just arrived and that he just got out the cab of. He told me it had no name. I saw that same Pendolino racing through Cambuslang a short while later, and it was named, as they all are.