On Mar 16, 2:08 pm, "Tim Roll-Pickering" T.C.Roll-
wrote:
Edward Cowling London UK wrote:

Ok, my two pennorth on how to improve the NLL.
1. Get the stations manned ! That will give control over the fare dodgers
who seem to think the service is free. It will also give more control of
the huge amount of haulage that goes on. Plus it will get rid of the
impression that no one is in charge of it.

Agree.

2. Get longer trains now. Not in 5 or 7 years but make it a priority to
get the platforms enlarged and get the 4 carriage trains within the year
and extend to 6 carriages by 2012.

Good idea but... Some stations could have the platforms easily lengthened by
bringing back into service the extremes. Others can't - you're looking at
stations in cuttings or on embankments/viaducts where a lot of demolition
and construction would be needed, with all the planning permissions and
other hassles that involves.

3. Get all the mile long goods trains to run at night. No exceptions.
During the day it's for carrying Londoners, not bags of cement.

Yes but there's not much time at night and then the freight has to run on
other lines as well. How about that freight link bypass for London that's
been proposed on this group?

4. Get the staff trained in how to deal with the public. I see the
problems the Tube got rid of years ago. Not a huge moan about obviously
tired and harassed staff.... they just need training.

No comment - I either hardly ever see staff or the main stations I use
(Stratford, Highbury & Islington, Richmond) have other company staff so it's
hard to know who's who.

Strangely the freight bypass has, in part, recently been mentioned in
a RUS. Unfortunately not the part that would really help the NLL.

The recent freight RUS has suggested that re-
opening of the Oxford, Claydon, Bletchley line could offer a
preferable Up routeing option for Southampton container services.

Unfortunately for the NLL it the Felixstowe container trafic that is,
in part, clogging the NLL. To divert that we need the Bletchly,
Cambridge section, plus some!

Adrian