Per mile more expensive than a business class flight (Railways in general)

Member Name: pixie1902

Product:	Railways in general
Date:	24/06/01 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: well, you get there - eventually, no need to fight for a parking space in London

Disadvantages: too many to list here...just read the op!

As part of their election campaign, the Tories decided that anyone travelling on a commuter train who didn't get a seat would be offered their money back for that journey. For some people, this would mean never having to pay train fares ever again. During the 14 months that I had to endure Connex commuter services into London I never once had a seat. (I sympathise greatly with anyone who has had to endure thm longer and for greater distances.) In fact, sometimes the train arrived at our station only to announce they would only be letting passengers off but not letting any more on and we would have to wait for the next one. The Tories planned to employ people to walk through the trains, refunding money to any standees as they go. Hmm...if there are people standing in the aisles how can anyone walk around with a ticket refund amchine strapped to his chest? Whenever I was on a train you couldn't even fit a knitting needle between the bodies, let alone a strapping Connex employee and his refund machine! Great idea by William Hague (I will always support something that means I travel for free!) but impossible to put into practice. But what more can we expect of politicians? Since they never use the trains anyway, they have no idea how cramped they get.

But don't the train companies and politicians realise that there are more important issues to tackle before we look at seats for all? I spend all day sitting at work anyway, standing for 20 minutes each way is not so tragic. However, smelling like an beer glass when I get to work is a big problem. As is arriving anything more than 1 minute late. Before bothering about seats, can't the train companies at least clean the trains and make them run on time? One of the most annoying theings is waiting for a train home at a London terminal. the train arrives but no one is allowed to board as the train has to be 'serviced' (as they now call it) and when you board you find nothing but
rubbish everywhere and this so-called servicing has delayed your train!


I realise that the litter on the train is largely due to other passengers' misbehaviour: the train companies don't deliberately fill the trains with old newspapers and soft drink cans. But don't delay my journey home even more under the pretence of cleaning my train and then make me sit in what resembles a rubbish bin.

The fact that not everyone gets a seat and some people aren't even able to board trains is at times also due to passenger stupidity. I have had enough of the 'door culture' - people who refuse to move from the train door. There is often plenty of space further down but no amount of yelling 'Can you please move down inside the train?' from the platform will make them budge. Instead, they look at you as if they don't understand English, look around, shrug and continue reading the FT. This selfish attitude of 'Well, I'm on the train. I don't care if you get on or not' has to stop. Many of them are afraid of being wedged inside the carriage and then missing their stop. On a commuter train, 90% of the passengers will be getting off at the same stop: the last one. There is no way anyone can miss this stop. Others just want to be the first off the train and so barricade the doors to stop anyone else being able to get off before them.

On the particular Connex line I used to use I was fascinated by the number of people who felt the need to travel one stop by train! They would stand at the penultimate station religiously, morning after morning. Sometimes they wouldn't be able to get on one train and have to wait for the next! All I can say is I would rather crawl on my hands and knees to work than pay extravagent fares to wait in the cold and rain, having to allow several trains to pass before one arrived with enough space for me to nestle under someone's armpit with a newspaper press
ed to my face and an umbrella in my ribs only to get off five minutes later!

I could go about the number of tourists and visitors to London who feel the need to travel by train at 8am and then complain that the train is full, but I think you all know what I'm getting at already!

So, although the passengers don't help the situation I still feel bitter at having to suffer the journey to work on a late, dirty train, travelling from a station where there is no shelter from the weather, the information boards constantly giving the wrong information, often no staff in sight at the station (and on the one occasion where I found a member of staff and asked him where this particular train was going he gave me the wrong information!)and at prices that, per mile, are dearer than long-haul business class flights. At least when I fly business class I have a seat (sometimes a bed), food is brought to me when I want it, clean toilets, entertainment, drinks from the bar, plenty of staff on hand to answer my questions, my luggage is carried for me, limo pick-up and drop-off, arrivals and departure lounges with showers, snacks, newspapers and office equipment...need I go on?

Where does all the money go?

I have now moved to a different area and travel by SWT. They are marginally better than Connex, but many of the old problems still abound. Let an airline take over the running of our trains (and I don't mean Virgin!)

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