London Banter - View Single Post

Paul Corfield · February 18th 06, 09:12 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On 18 Feb 2006 12:37:21 -0800, wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

[snip]

Nice to see Saturday services back to x15 after being hacked back to x20 when One took over.

I don't remember the Saturday service being 15-minute intervals before
now in the 20 years I've been using the line - I'm pretty sure it
hasn't been in that period, as I use the line a fair bit at weekends. I
don't have any great desire to stick up for One, but I think this may
be a little unfair on them!

I'm pretty sure that WAGN operated a 15 min Sat service for at least a
year. It did revert to x20 under their stewardship (having checked an
old timetable) so I am being unfair to One.

Around 15 years ago a few ran fast from Liverpool Street to Walthamstow
St James Street in the evening peak, and I think v.v. in the morning
peak. I don't remember this lasting for more than one timetable though.

When I first arrived in London I used the line from St James St to
Liverpool St with the old slam door trains. It was a rather different
world from that I was familiar with. ISTR the "express" trains that
trundled rather than hurtled through Clapton, Hackney Downs and Bethnal
Green.

I see from other posts that the actual implementation has been a farce.
I don't use the line very much but the improvements are a good idea -
shame they are now delayed for the best of a year due to One's
incompetence.

I couldn't agree more. The timetable was revised two weeks ago, but
rather than revert to the previous incarnation One have selectively
cancelled some services on most, if not all, West Anglia routes. The
effect of this for the Chingford line is that there are several
scheduled half-hour gaps in the daytime, utterly spoiling the idea of a
regular interval service. One of the many cancellations across the WA
network is the first train from Chingford after the morning peak
restrictions, which is a truly fantastic idea.

Those sorts of timetable changes are just crazy but then that seems to
show the level of competence within the One management team. As you say
- why not revert to the old timetable which had the benefit of being
workable and something people were familiar with. It's just as well I
have a free pass for the line because I'd be upset if I had to pay for
that sort of service. Your comments have made me even less likely to try
it now as I'm not going to get myself in a situation of waiting for 30
minutes, rather than 15, for a train.
--
Paul C

Admits to working for London Underground!