| Product: |
British Rail |
| Date: |
03/05/02 (91 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Flexibilty
Disadvantages: Lack of funds
As an employee of the rail industury, one question seems to reign supreme: "Were we better off before privatisation?"
My overall view is no BUT I do have major reservations about the way the system is being run.
The main benefit of the old BR system is that when we had a problem on the line i.e Manchester to London I would be able to find new route and send you on it, (via sheffield to St Pancreas usually). Now however I have to tell you the route then I have to send you to the Virgin ticket office to "discuss" (argue) with them to allow you to do this.
This is the major disadvantage at present is the fragmentation of the rail companies and the fact we have 26 TOCs (Train Operating Companies) who seem unable to work together to support the infrastructure.
However I do beleive that if that if we had stuck with BR we would have seen no new investment into the railways and hence we would never of seen any improvement in train punctuality and reliability.
I see it as a case of losing the flexibilty of travelling via any reasonable route for the fact that EVENTUALLY we will have a rail network we can proud of in this country than may compare to the rest of Europe. That I believe would never of happened during the days of BR.
What i would like to see happen however is a relaxation of the rules regarding ticket restrictions imposed on routing. A replacement brought in for the NRE (National Rail Enquirys) as they are absolutly useless. A reduction in the number of TOC's from 26 to single figures which would ease up the pressure on companies to provide new rolling stock (trains) and ease ticket restrictions.
:) I only wish arranging this to happen was as simple as saying you want it done!
Summary:
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Last comments:
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- 26/09/07 Some years on from you writing this review, I feel we are well on the way to a better railway. Thanks in a large part to many of the BR measures being re-instated..... |
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- 04/05/02 Nice op. We probably wouldn't have seen investment into the railways under BR but I don't see it under privatisation either. I commute from Surrey to Waterloo every day and the trains are all the old slam-door style with broken seats. They are always late (the most common reason being 'due to the late arrival of an incoming train at Woking' - but why was that train late - it isn't really a reason) and the attitude of the staff is one of pure indifference. |
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- 03/05/02 I do agree about routeing: the change from "reasonable" to "permitted" routes has gone more or less unchallenged, yet it has restricted choice a lot; for example a Manchester-Sheffield Cheap Day Return is no longer valid via the Hope Valley locals, which robs me of a nice scenic trip! |
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