I have to get from Bromley to Henley on Sunday (and back). Engineering
work is taking place at Shortlands Junction and "no trains" according
to South eastern (via Bromley N instead, no problem). However the
journey planner keeps displaying an hourly fast service each way
between Bromley S and Victoria. Is this a real ghost train or am I
missing something?

Help!

MaxB

On Sep 9, 9:24*am, MaxB wrote:
I have to get from Bromley to Henley on Sunday (and back). Engineering
work is taking place at Shortlands Junction and "no trains" according
to South eastern (via Bromley N instead, no problem). However the
journey planner keeps displaying an hourly fast service each way
between Bromley S and Victoria. Is this a real ghost train or am I
missing something?

Help!

There is an ongoing issue with the Network Rail timetable database,
which all journey planners feed off - it potentially delivers wrong
information on weekends and bank holidays when there is engineering
works. FCC have a webpage describing the problems here (which affect
all TOCs and all journey planners):
http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?iCmsPageId=569

It's been ongoing since I think May, when Network Rail switched over
to a new tmetable system, and has been causing all sorts of problems -
the Office of Rail Regulation has (at last) just got involved to put
some fire up Network Rail's behind on this issue.

With regards to your specific issue, afraid I haven't looked at it but
I'd go with what Southeastern are saying on their website and their
posters, not what the journey planner says.

On 9 Sep, 09:55, Mizter T wrote:
On Sep 9, 9:24*am, MaxB wrote:

I have to get from Bromley to Henley on Sunday (and back). Engineering
work is taking place at Shortlands Junction and "no trains" according
to South eastern (via Bromley N instead, no problem). However the
journey planner keeps displaying an hourly fast service each way
between Bromley S and Victoria. Is this a real ghost train or am I
missing something?

Help!

There is an ongoing issue with the Network Rail timetable database,
which all journey planners feed off - it potentially delivers wrong
information on weekends and bank holidays when there is engineering
works. FCC have a webpage describing the problems here (which affect
all TOCs and all journey planners):
http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?iCmsPageId=569

It's been ongoing since I think May, when Network Rail switched over
to a new tmetable system, and has been causing all sorts of problems -
the Office of Rail Regulation has (at last) just got involved to put
some fire up Network Rail's behind on this issue.

With regards to your specific issue, afraid I haven't looked at it but
I'd go with what Southeastern are saying on their website and their
posters, not what the journey planner says.

From the South Eastern Railway website:-

Track improvements and maintenance are taking place from 02:30 on
12/09/10 to 04:00 on 13/09/10 between Nunhead and Bickley.

There are no train services calling at Beckenham Hill, Bellingham,
Bickley, Bromley South, Catford, Crofton Park, Ravensbourne or
Shortlands. However, there are connecting replacement bus services,
calling at these stations, operating in each direction between Denmark
Hill and Swanley; and Beckenham Junction and Orpington. These
replacement bus services also call at Peckham Rye, Petts Wood and St
Mary Cray, with a shuttle bus service operating between Beckenham
Junction and Ravensbourne.Furthermore, there is an additional Metro
train service that operates between London Victoria and Bromley North
calling at -in alphabetical order-: Denmark Hill, Grove Park,
Lewisham, Nunhead and Peckham Rye.PLEASE NOTE: Mainline train services
that are scheduled to operate between London Victoria, Bromley South,
Maidstone East, Ashford International, Faversham, Ramsgate and Dover
Priory, are diverted to call at Grove Park in order to make
connections with the additional train services operating out of
Bromley North.IMORTANT: BROMLEY SOUTH STATION IS CLOSED BUT BROMLEY
NORTH STATION IS OPENThis may also affect train services to or from
the following stations -in alphabetical order-:Adisham, Aylesham,
Ashford International, Barming, Bat & Ball, Bearsted, Bekesbourne,
Birchington-on-Sea, Borough Green & Wrotham, Brixton, Broadstairs,
Canterbury East, Charing, Chatham, Chestfield & Swalecliffe, Dover
Priory, Dumpton Park, East Malling, Eynsford, Farningham Road,
Faversham, Gillingham -Kent-, Harrietsham, Herne Bay, Herne Hill,
Hollingbourne, Kearsney, Kent House, Lenham, London Victoria,
Longfield, Maidstone East, Margate, Meopham, Newington, Otford, Penge
East, Rainham -Kent-, Ramsgate, Rochester, Selling, Sheerness-on-Sea
Shepherds Well, Shoreham, Sittingbourne, Snowdown, Sole Street,
Sydenham Hill, Teynham, West Dulwich, Westgate-on-Sea, West Malling or
Whitstable.

On Sep 9, 10:37*am, Paul wrote:

From the South Eastern Railway website:-

Track improvements and maintenance are taking place from 02:30 on
12/09/10 to 04:00 on 13/09/10 between Nunhead and Bickley.
[snip]
Furthermore, there is an additional Metro
train service that operates between London Victoria and Bromley North
calling at -in alphabetical order-: Denmark Hill, Grove Park,
Lewisham, Nunhead and Peckham Rye.
[snip]

Why alphabetical order - what's wrong with the order in which they
call at these stations (Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Nunhead, Lewisham,
Grove Park) - it's as though whoever wrote that couldn't be bothered
to work out what order these stations came in! It reflects the lack of
care that often goes into such engineering works notices, which is
daft considering that alternative train services are being laid on.

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Sep 9, 10:37 am, Paul wrote:

From the South Eastern Railway website:-

Track improvements and maintenance are taking place from 02:30 on
12/09/10 to 04:00 on 13/09/10 between Nunhead and Bickley.
[snip]
Furthermore, there is an additional Metro
train service that operates between London Victoria and Bromley North
calling at -in alphabetical order-: Denmark Hill, Grove Park,
Lewisham, Nunhead and Peckham Rye.
[snip]

Why alphabetical order - what's wrong with the order in which they
call at these stations (Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Nunhead, Lewisham,
Grove Park) - it's as though whoever wrote that couldn't be bothered
to work out what order these stations came in! It reflects the lack of
care that often goes into such engineering works notices, which is
daft considering that alternative train services are being laid on.

===========

I have raised the alphabetical issue with them before as it can easily
mislead someone. I suspect they are so pig-ignorant that they couldn't list
them correctly if they tried.

So far as relying on the SE site, I was; except that it says, for train
times, go to the Journey Planner!!!

Anyway there is a notice on the ticket hall door at Bromley South saying "No
trains".

Thanks.

MaxB

On 9 Sep, 14:26, "Batman55" wrote:
"Mizter T" wrote in message

...

On Sep 9, 10:37 am, Paul wrote:



From the South Eastern Railway website:-

Track improvements and maintenance are taking place from 02:30 on
12/09/10 to 04:00 on 13/09/10 between Nunhead and Bickley.
[snip]
Furthermore, there is an additional Metro
train service that operates between London Victoria and Bromley North
calling at -in alphabetical order-: Denmark Hill, Grove Park,
Lewisham, Nunhead and Peckham Rye.
[snip]

Why alphabetical order - what's wrong with the order in which they
call at these stations (Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Nunhead, Lewisham,
Grove Park) - it's as though whoever wrote that couldn't be bothered
to work out what order these stations came in! It reflects the lack of
care that often goes into such engineering works notices, which is
daft considering that alternative train services are being laid on.

===========

I have raised the alphabetical issue with them before as it can easily
mislead someone. I suspect they are so pig-ignorant that they couldn't list
them correctly if they tried.

So far as relying on the SE site, I was; except that it says, for train
times, go to the Journey Planner!!!

Anyway there is a notice on the ticket hall door at Bromley South saying "No
trains".

Thanks.

MaxB

They are pretty pig ignorant about where their tracks actually go.

A complaint about a train diverted via Sidcup still being advertised
at platform 3 at Lewisham got no joy. Their letter referred to "last
minute platform changes" being necessary.

My complaint made it clear that platform 3 had been physically
impossible to reach for at least half an hour and that there had been
no announcement of a platform change anyway, last minute or
otherwise. This has happened more than once.

As at London Bridge and Waterloo East frequently, they ran the train
"on time" and unannounced through a different platform from the one
that people were waiting on.

They are crap. But to be fair, only in dealing with the complaint.
The initial problem was caused by Network Rail not giving a ****,
because SET staff on the ground have no more information than the
punters.

"MIG" wrote in message
...
On 9 Sep, 14:26, "Batman55" wrote:
"Mizter T" wrote in message

...

On Sep 9, 10:37 am, Paul wrote:



clip

They are pretty pig ignorant about where their tracks actually go.

A complaint about a train diverted via Sidcup still being advertised
at platform 3 at Lewisham got no joy. Their letter referred to "last
minute platform changes" being necessary.

My complaint made it clear that platform 3 had been physically
impossible to reach for at least half an hour and that there had been
no announcement of a platform change anyway, last minute or
otherwise. This has happened more than once.

As at London Bridge and Waterloo East frequently, they ran the train
"on time" and unannounced through a different platform from the one
that people were waiting on.

They are crap. But to be fair, only in dealing with the complaint.
The initial problem was caused by Network Rail not giving a ****,
because SET staff on the ground have no more information than the
punters.

It is a shame. For my sins, back in the dark ages, I used to deal with SED
train complaints when information was really difficult, trunk telephone
lines, a few teleprinters, no photo copying and, of course, no computers.
But every complaint got investigated and individually replied to. Obviously
there are only a certain number of ways of saying "sorry your train was
late/cancelled/dirty/full" etc but we still tried to resolve the issue by
memos, phone calls and occasional site visits. We also had to correctly
punctuate and spell our letters!

MaxB

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Sep 9, 9:24 am, MaxB wrote:
I have to get from Bromley to Henley on Sunday (and back). Engineering
work is taking place at Shortlands Junction and "no trains" according
to South eastern (via Bromley N instead, no problem). However the
journey planner keeps displaying an hourly fast service each way
between Bromley S and Victoria. Is this a real ghost train or am I
missing something?

Help!

There is an ongoing issue with the Network Rail timetable database,
which all journey planners feed off - it potentially delivers wrong
snip

I have managed to get a "correct" train service list including the return
journey. I then printed it out as a pdf timetable only to find an extra 30
minutes added to the home trip (giving me 59 minutes to change trains at
Victoria). Ongoing issueS !

MaxB