Good leadership is what’s missing and that stems from poor leadership within government departments.Investment. Good leadership. The right number of well trained staff. If the private sector can’t do it then nationalise they whole kit and caboodle. Our roads are third world and public transport would be a joke but I don’t think anyone is laughing.
So the only decent service was with LNER, which is nationalised....I had to go to London yesterday, Avanti west coast are fucking useless. There used to be trains between Manchester and London every 20 minutes, now it seems like its every 2 hours at least. I got to Stockport station and there was not a Train to London on the departure board. I asked the Avanti guy on the platform when the next one would he and he just shrugged his shoulders. He did not know.
Whilst at the station, over the tannoy was announced a Cross country service to Manchester was delayed by 29 minutes because of a fault at a level crossing, the train to Hazel Grove was delayed by ever increasing increments because of a track inspection, The train from South Wales was delayed by nearly an hour because of signal failure, a train from London to Manchester was 24 minutes because of congestion leaving Euston. I decided to get the train to Sheffield and get to London that way and that train was delayed by 32 minutes because of people on the track.
I got the train to Sheffield and it diverted to Chesterfield, no reason given. From Chesterfield I got an East Midlands train to St Pancras, I was in first class obviously because i am a Socialist and the train looked like it had been service 60 years, it was filthy and the service was fucking rubbish, i got a lukewarm coffee and a shortbread biscuit. I was offered a bottle of water declined it as we were almost at St Pancras.
I got to Euston this morning and cancellations all over the place, so went to Kings cross and got the train to Leeds, service was excellent on LNER , a top bacon butty and decent coffee although the steward said he only had three decaf coffees for the trip. The Azumos are brilliant trains though.
Got to Leeds and got the train to Manchester Airport, it was rammed, ridiculously rammed, I had to stand until Huddersfield because the organisation was fucking rubbish. No food/drink service available on the train either.
I remember British Rail, it was not brilliant, "soggy butties" and rubbish trains but at least there was a service you could rely on.
Like everything in this country the decline of the railways is indicative of the way austerity and Tory nationalisation has fucked our services up. Travelling by train in this country is so expensive it is a piss take, Manchester to London at peak times is so expensive its cheaper to fly and that is fucking madness. I got a train from Lisbon to Faro first class for 37 euros and its a 4 hour trip on a clean train that is enjoyable, if i wanted to do a trip 1st class tomorrow from Manchester to London it is £236 one way.
I love travelling on trains, its my favourite way to travel. As a nation though we are having the piss taken out of us, our trains are fucking wank, the service is shit and we are literally giving our money to shareholders and the companies who make millions from subsidies, a few of who are European train state owned companies.
Renationalise Rail NOW
Pay the rail workers properly
And if this "Northern powerhouse" is ever to see the like of day, it needs Investment,
It never made a profit. Some routes maybe, but not the network overall.Towards the end of the 80’s it became a good service. Comparably better than most rail services in Europe, and I seem to recall it was one of the first nationalised rail passenger services to make a profit.
Then the Tories fucked it.
Sorry, not my experience commuting to and from Preston from Dean Lane through Manchester Victoria Either delayed, cancelled altogether or broke down on route, bus replacements from Bolton. List is endless. I would sound like Reggie Perrin most daysTowards the end of the 80’s it became a good service. Comparably better than most rail services in Europe, and I seem to recall it was one of the first nationalised rail passenger services to make a profit.
Then the Tories fucked it.
I resemble that remark!They seem to let any old **** be a conductor or driver
Alas, the railway service in much of mainland Britain is in a sorry state.They seem to let any old **** be a conductor or driver
The roads have never made a profit either. Or the police. Or the education system. I'm always confused why people think that public services should be required to make a profit. Obviously you can use ticket prices to reduce the amount you need to subsidize them, but you will always need to subsidize them. And that's why it's dodgy when those subsidies are helping provide dividends for shareholders rather than investment in the rails.It never made a profit. Some routes maybe, but not the network overall.
'Bacon butty' you say? :)I had to go to London yesterday, Avanti west coast are fucking useless. There used to be trains between Manchester and London every 20 minutes, now it seems like its every 2 hours at least. I got to Stockport station and there was not a Train to London on the departure board. I asked the Avanti guy on the platform when the next one would he and he just shrugged his shoulders. He did not know.
Whilst at the station, over the tannoy was announced a Cross country service to Manchester was delayed by 29 minutes because of a fault at a level crossing, the train to Hazel Grove was delayed by ever increasing increments because of a track inspection, The train from South Wales was delayed by nearly an hour because of signal failure, a train from London to Manchester was 24 minutes because of congestion leaving Euston. I decided to get the train to Sheffield and get to London that way and that train was delayed by 32 minutes because of people on the track.
I got the train to Sheffield and it diverted to Chesterfield, no reason given. From Chesterfield I got an East Midlands train to St Pancras, I was in first class obviously because i am a Socialist and the train looked like it had been service 60 years, it was filthy and the service was fucking rubbish, i got a lukewarm coffee and a shortbread biscuit. I was offered a bottle of water declined it as we were almost at St Pancras.
I got to Euston this morning and cancellations all over the place, so went to Kings cross and got the train to Leeds, service was excellent on LNER , a top bacon butty and decent coffee although the steward said he only had three decaf coffees for the trip. The Azumos are brilliant trains though.
Got to Leeds and got the train to Manchester Airport, it was rammed, ridiculously rammed, I had to stand until Huddersfield because the organisation was fucking rubbish. No food/drink service available on the train either.
I remember British Rail, it was not brilliant, "soggy butties" and rubbish trains but at least there was a service you could rely on.
Like everything in this country the decline of the railways is indicative of the way austerity and Tory nationalisation has fucked our services up. Travelling by train in this country is so expensive it is a piss take, Manchester to London at peak times is so expensive its cheaper to fly and that is fucking madness. I got a train from Lisbon to Faro first class for 37 euros and its a 4 hour trip on a clean train that is enjoyable, if i wanted to do a trip 1st class tomorrow from Manchester to London it is £236 one way.
I love travelling on trains, its my favourite way to travel. As a nation though we are having the piss taken out of us, our trains are fucking wank, the service is shit and we are literally giving our money to shareholders and the companies who make millions from subsidies, a few of who are European train state owned companies.
Renationalise Rail NOW
Pay the rail workers properly
And if this "Northern powerhouse" is ever to see the like of day, it needs Investment,