What are "poor rail head conditions"?

[Kilted_Scot]

what are poor rail conditions?

A pain in the rear end!

 

[Bushy]

Have you ever regretted writing something like:

... autumn delays on Kent Coast line are nowhere near as frequent as they used to be.

The line has been diabolical this week. We were close to running to time on one of the five up journeys. Yesterday there was a train failure between Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. Today there was a traction power problem in the same area. They were reverse working the down line. Three of the MPVs were at Tonbridge being restocked.

This evening there was a signal system power problem in the Folkestone area with trains backed up to Ashford. Trains were diverted to Dover via Canterbury West and Sandwich.

Regards

Bushy

 

[tsr]

Have you ever regretted writing something like:



The line has been diabolical this week. We were close to running to time on one of the five up journeys. Yesterday there was a train failure between Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. Today there was a traction power problem in the same area. They were reverse working the down line. Three of the MPVs were at Tonbridge being restocked.

This evening there was a signal system power problem in the Folkestone area with trains backed up to Ashford. Trains were diverted to Dover via Canterbury West and Sandwich.

Regards

Bushy

Yes - and what's more, it's not just affecting the Kent Coast or the Hastings line. Redhill-Tonbridge Southern services were disrupted this morning due to a lack of available platforms at Tonbridge, and the same has happened this evening, due to the electrical and signalling problems (respectively).

(This is aside from the many problems Southern have had in the past few weeks, some of which have not been their fault at all, but some of which, of course, have.)

Putting it bluntly: Fail.

 

[Bushy]

... Redhill-Tonbridge Southern services were disrupted this morning ... (

And our conductor suggested that we should use Southern services to London Bridge via Redhill.

The most annoying thing is that, had they told us at Ashford, I would have paid the supplement to use High Speed as I had a 0900 meeting.

Bushy

 

[tsr]

And our conductor suggested that we should use Southern services to London Bridge via Redhill.

The most annoying thing is that, had they told us at Ashford, I would have paid the supplement to use High Speed as I had a 0900 meeting.

Bushy

To answer your first point: that would have worked, had any through services to LBG via RDH been running that were quicker than staying on a diverted SET service or waiting for any train London-bound at Tonbridge, and I doubt this was the case! Most TON>RDH>LBG services appeared to be either delayed, terminated at RDH and/or generally slow as usual.

To answer your second point: I believe ticket acceptance was in place on HS services at a relatively early stage during the disruptions.

 

[craigwilson]

To answer your second point: I believe ticket acceptance was in place on HS services at a relatively early stage during the disruptions.

Well, that's as maybe, but passengers on the delayed mainline trains still need to be told about it, and Southeastern can sometimes be far from perfect in this respect.

 

[tsr]

Well, that's as maybe, but passengers on the delayed mainline trains still need to be told about it, and Southeastern can sometimes be far from perfect in this respect.

I quite agree! The same goes for any ticket acceptance with any TOC - it seems that a new protocol is needed for audio announcements (in particular) regarding ticket acceptance.

Screen-based (other than dot-matrix) information is often better, but this can only be used where the infrastructure exists, and is no good if you can't see it over the crowds, if you are blind/partially-sighted, if the information provision isn't emphasised in various ways, etc.

 

[Bushy]

Have you ever regretted writing something like:



The line has been diabolical this week. We were close to running to time on one of the five up journeys. Yesterday there was a train failure between Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. Today there was a traction power problem in the same area. They were reverse working the down line. Three of the MPVs were at Tonbridge being restocked.

This evening there was a signal system power problem in the Folkestone area with trains backed up to Ashford. Trains were diverted to Dover via Canterbury West and Sandwich.

Regards

Bushy

Don't think the Tonbridge Rail maintenance depot were quick enough changing the treatment regime from leaf mulch removal to deicer.

There was a hard frost but then we had a dusting of rather wet snow.

On the 0700 Radio Kent travel reports there was mention of delays between Orpington and Chiselhurst. By 0745 the snow had moved down and our 375 had serious traction power problems between Ashford and Tonbridge. The driver shut all the systems down and restarted them at most stations and at one location between stations. We were detrained at Tonbridge and had to join a service from Hastings. That ran OK but we were 2 hours late into London.

Regards

Bushy

 

[biggus]

Screen-based (other than dot-matrix) information is often better, but this can only be used where the infrastructure exists, and is no good if you can't see it over the crowds, if you are blind/partially-sighted, if the information provision isn't emphasised in various ways, etc.

New york MTA and, i believe, our own LU have discovered the amazing power of station staff with photocopiers, lazer printers, flip charts with pens and various fastening means to create and post prolific signage to inform passengers at affected stations and interchanges across their networks in near real time whenever there are service alterations caused by disruption.

The failure of heavy rail operators to emulate this practice effectively can only partly be excused by the lower staffing levels. My own travelling experience leads me to believe there is a cultural element too, of disempowerment and "somebody elses problem."