What is your controversial railway opinion/idea?

[Bletchleyite]

Ironing boards are comfortable and should be fitted in more trains.

 

[tsr]

The railway should have dedicated replacement buses in all areas, not just a select few (eg. bits which have seen First Rail Support as a mainstay). These would be sent out surprisingly often - even more often than the many times people say on here that it’s not worth it. They would probably earn their keep at weekends alone.

It is a little-known fact that there are many bus staff around the country who are effectively dedicated to providing rail replacement transport, either full time or part time. However, when a disparate or already-booked fleet of third-party buses is called for, it makes everyone’s jobs much harder, and often makes thousands of journeys more difficult.

I’ve just walked past a Southern station where replacement buses and their drivers are in near-constant residence. This doesn’t just apply at heavily disrupted TOCs like GTR. There are many places around the country where diversion routes are sadly non-existent or untenable, and therefore much of the system is at the mercy of random companies which may well be unable to dig out a bus, and if they can, quality and ETAs vary hugely.

 

[Fuzzytop]

Class 700 trains are the best designed multiple unit post-privatisation.

 

[STKKK46]

First Class for over 21s only.

 

[Megafuss]

Intercity TOCs should provide First and Standard class Bus Replacement services during planned engineering works

 

[Parallel]

I thought we wanted people to use any newly opened/reopened branch lines!

Ha! Selfishly, I quite like 143s and 144s and I’m also working on the principle that all trains are better than no train.

—
I’d also ban all reservations on services, with the exception of 4 or more tickets booked at the same time, or if a passenger booked through the disability/mobility assistance dept. The ban would also include removal of block reservations for commuters.

 

[leightonbd]

Bring back old style, centrally controlled BR buffets. Avocado green china, pots of well brewed tea, tomato soup in vats, hot meat pies in a glass box at the end of the counter.

Night trains where you just kipped across the three seats on your side of the compartment, going from end to end of the country (I’m thinking Swansea to Glasgow, c 1976). Thrash the stock because you have it and because you can.

Well, this is a fantasy thread, isn’t it?

 

[alangla]

Ok, here goes...

BR was crap and any member of rail staff or union that suggests returning to it should have their pay reduced to BR levels (inflation adjusted) this particularly applies to drivers / ASLEF. (NatEx Scotrail wasn't great, but I now see that the mid period with First is probably as good as things get in Scotland and better than BR)

Shortened HSTs are a waste of money and fuel, both for Scotrail & GWR and should either be replaced by Voyagers or more IEP type units for journeys under 3 hrs.

Market forces should be allowed to control rolling stock leasing, so stock over about 15-20 years old should be dirt-cheap to lease or scrapped in favour of new stock.

Track access charges should be increased for diesel stock not fitted with EGR/SCR/DPF or any of the other pollution control equipment generally found on modern road vehicles. Electrics should pay per MWh

Privatise DRS.

Flame away!!!!

 

[dangie]

Scrap the buffet car and convert to cycle storage.

 

[Bevan Price]

At least one carriage per train should be reserved for zombies

Does that include the large numbers of phone zombies who wander about oblivious to anything apart from their smart phone screen ?

 

[adrock1976]

Another one from me:

Use the Class 142s to introduce a London Victoria - Brighton limited stop service, calling at Clapham Junction (u), East Croydon (u), Redhill, Haywards Heath, and Brighton. Run these as a 6 sets coupled up train, with one of the middle sets converted to a First Class dining/refreshment area. The bellows between the coaches could be used to provide a complementary shower, with the footwells used for a complementary footbath - with the caveat being that it would be dependent upon the weather i.e. raining.

As Govia Thameslink Railway has a thing with brands, this could be branded as the "Brighton Belle" although not exotic or sexy as the former Pullman Company. GTR could also pretend that this would be a separate Train Operating Company, and charge premium fares.

 

[johnnychips]

The York and Sheffield Taps should serve proper beers like Stella and Guinness instead of those strangely tasting German beers they do on tap.

 

[hassaanhc]

The railway is a laughing stock for it's poor resilience, customer service, and value for money.
The ownership of rail companies should not matter as long as the service is reliable with reasonable fares.
No toilets on suburban trains (definitely inner suburban, possibly outer suburban and minor branch lines).
Local stopping services should be considered at least as important as longer distance services. Stations should not automatically be missed out when a four-track route is reduced to two tracks during disruption. If the train is able to run and there is a platform for it to stop at, it should do so, and the station should receive no less than half the usual frequency. Additional stops added in other services to help if the usual service is not running.
Stevenage is not the centre of the universe and there is nothing wrong with trains making stops closer to London to make full use of train capacity. 30 (and even 40) minutes is still a good journey time to London for somewhere that far away.
More generous delay compensation for passengers, especially season ticket holders.
Loco hauled trains are overrated.
The GWML OHLE looks fine and in any case looks aren't important if it isn't super reliable and heavy duty. Either do it properly or stick to diesel.
The so-called ironing board seats are far more comfortable than the IC70 seats.
Tables are not necessary on all trains.
There is nothing wrong with legroom on trains. An increase in legroom for the few tall people is unfair for everyone else who will have less seats in total.
DOO is nowhere near as unsafe as the RMT say.

 

[Holly]

Abolish standard class.

Move Hartford station a mile Northwards.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The Trans-Pennine main line scoffs at FirstGroup's measly attempts to run just 6 trains per hour along it. It can easily take 10tph!

TOPS numbering is logically flawless.

Any passenger who can identify the manufacturer of a type of seat on their train by sight, is forbidden from taking a seat. They should instead be accommodated on a plastic patio chair (with one leg slightly shorter than the others) positioned in the gangways between coaches.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Does that include the large numbers of phone zombies who wander about oblivious to anything apart from their smart phone screen ?

Of course needs to be totally inclusive - we can't discriminate against any type of zombie be they from Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Zombies II or Zombie Apocalypse (other zombies are also available).

 

[deltic]

All refreshments provided in First Class must be paid for

 

[yorksrob]

All trains (except inner suburban) should have toilets.

All trains (except inner suburban) should have tables.

If there's a reasonable assumption that a class of train might operate services outside of the inner suburban area, the above should apply.

InterCity carriages should have two toilets per carriage.

AP tickets should not include a reservation unless specifically requested by the passenger.

A pound spent connecting a town to the railway network is better value for money than one spent shaving ten minutes of an existing journey.

BR wasn't as bad as some people make out - at least in the late 80's and early 90's.

Moquette should be used for all train seats - all leather ones just look tacky.

Dr Beeching should have stayed at ICI.

Earnest Marples should have emigrated around twenty years earlier.

 

[Panupreset]

1. Nobody who uses C2C should be able to complain about punctuality.
2. Greater Anglia should announce to reduce costs the Stadler intercity's are being binned and replaced with cascaded Pacers.
3. 4 star overnight hotel accommodation and a taxi to your depot for any duty starting before 0700. And you can bring your wife.
4. No replacement bus should be newer in age then the train it replaces. Service operated by an old rattler, you get a Leyland National as a replacement.
5. Chris Gayling to be fitted with a mute button.
6. Penalty fares should be scrapped. Anyone caught without a valid ticket shall be sent to the penal asteroid of Rurapente, there to spend the rest of their natural lives.
7. Poets day should be exactly that. P*** off early, tomorrow's Saturday.
8. A minimum IQ should be required to possess a smart card.
9. Duvet days should be built into the base roster.
10. People caught leaving their coffee cups behind should be punished by having to do a month of nights as a cleaner.

 

[Pyreneenguy]

All long distance trains should have private compartments offering Thai Massage and all the associated sundries, both gay and straight. Political corrctness exige !

 

[The Box Photter]

What of child enthusiasts visiting with their parents?

Good point. They can visit on "normals" days when it will be compulsory for there to always be someone standing in front of a major exhibit so that a familiy member might take their photo "... standing in front of the choo-choo train" using a smartphone.

 

[whhistle]

If you are hurt by:

Being trapped in the doors.
Playing on the railway line.
Falling down an escalator.
Falling in a huge hole without there being a warning.
Slipping over on a wet floor, even if there's no wet floor sign.

It's your fault.

People need to learn to look instead of expecting to be told everything.

 

[OuterDistant]

The railway exists to move people from A to B, and nothing else really matters.

 

[jfowkes]

The UK railway either needs to a) seriously invest to get much more freight running on it or b) remove it entirely to free up capacity for passenger services.

 

[bionic]

The railway should be run as a public service not a private cash cow. Not a return to British Rail but something new such as a workers and passengers cooperative.

Every train should have a driver and guard as bare minimum crew and every station should be staffed.

Fares should be reasonable, or better still abolished.

How should we pay for all this? Abolish money and property of course (I realised my top points weren't controversial but just basic common sense so I've added this last one to keep in with the theme of the post).

 

[backontrack]

Good point. They can visit on "normals" days when it will be compulsory for there to always be someone standing in front of a major exhibit so that a familiy member might take their photo "... standing in front of the choo-choo train" using a smartphone.

Seems a bit exclusionist. If you block out young enthusiasts on 'enthusiast days' for being too young, who will become the enthusiasts of the future?

Anyway, that's debate so that's enough of that.

A pound spent connecting a town to the railway network is better value for money than one spent shaving ten minutes of an existing journey.

Unsurprisingly, I agree with yorksrob, on the above especially.

 

[47802]

Stop investing in the Railways

We have Network Rail Electrification Scheme vastly late and vastly over budget.

A New Timetable which is complete shambles

Suppliers who are unable to supply modified trains and in some cases new trains in anything like the originally proposed timescales. eg MK3 door mods., 769's, 385's, 710's etc.

PRM mods should have been started much sooner, to leave it this late was sheer incompetence, Tuesday on an Ex GWR non PRM Compliant 150 had to watch a guy get out of his wheel chair and struggle to walk to the Toilet with the help of his companion and another passenger.

A workforce which is militant and inflexible

Lets switch some investment to road instead.

 

[Mikey C]

While Beeching made some mistakes, a lot of the branch lines closed were hopelessly uneconomic. Keeping them open would have diverted resources away from upgrading the railway services that people do use.

 

[stut]

The railway has been turned into a tool to prevent wealth and opportunity from leaving London and the South East.

 

[B&I]

Railways should be a major mode of transport in this country, with investment accordingly, rather than something to do on a spare Sunday when you're not using the Beemer. (This would appear to be a controversial opinion among many on this forum.)