In message , Huge
writes
As opposed to FCC at Bedford, who spend most mornings playing what I call
"Platform Roulette". I think they do it just to **** people off.

They play the same game at Luton and Luton Airport Parkway. Sometimes
they don't announce the platform until after the train has arrived: by
the time passengers get up the stairs and down the other side, the train
has left. I've complained to FCC about it more than once: it's clear
from their replies they don't see this as a problem (for them). The
passengers have paid for their ticket already, and they get to their
destinations eventually, probably not quite late enough to be able to
claim a delay repay. And they blame it (perhaps correctly) on Network
Rail.

--
Clive Page

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On 4 Mar 2011 15:06:45 GMT, Huge wrote:

On 2011-03-04, Tristan Miller wrote:

I used the Deustche Bahn for
years when I was working in a German city, and while delays were not
uncommon, platform changes were almost unheard of. I can't think of
a single occasion on which my train departed from a platform other
than the one listed on my ticket, even when I had bought the ticket
days or weeks in advance.

As opposed to FCC at Bedford, who spend most mornings playing what I
call "Platform Roulette". I think they do it just to **** people off.

Err why do you think FCC decide the platforms? Surely it is Network
Rail who signal the trains / set the routes into the platforms? The
drivers simply do what the signals say - providing it is safe of
course!

FCC are sometimes responsible for changes of platform. I get the 15:15
from the Cross to Cambridge fairly regularly. It normally goes from
platform 9 in the current timetable. Having checked with staff at the
information desk I arrived at platform 9 one afternoon a week or two ago,
checked with the barrier staff who confirmed that the train in 9 would
form the 15:15, checked with a cleaner who said the same and spoke to the
driver who also said it would be the 15:15.

However, just after speaking to him we heard an announcement that the
15:15 would be going from platform zero, as the announcers put it. He was
as surprised as I was!

It turned out that FCC had decided to swap units around between the 15:06
and the 15:15. They left late given how little time passengers were give
to get to them.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 2011-03-04 19:06:08 +0000, Paul Corfield said:

On Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:14:12 +0000, Tristan Miller
wrote:


I suspect that in many cases trains actually do leave from the same
platform on a consistent basis - it just doesn't feel like it.
Stratford is a great big jumble of a station and yet many services use
the same platforms day in, day out and passengers know exactly where to
go. Trains are also shown on indicators well in advance of their
arrival time and certainly before they will have left Liverpool Street
(for e/b services).

Of course they leave from the same platforms consistently, at least at
Liverpool Street. One of the problems caused by the late advertising of
platforms is that by the time you get onto the platform you find it's
full already as the regulars know which platform the train almost
always uses. It puts you at a real disadvantage when seats are short.

Note that I'm not talking about Tristan's complaint, that platforming
by destination is not consistent. He's right, but individual services
do, much more often than not, leave from the same, allocated, platform
every day.

If anyone doubts that platforming is planned in why do they imagine
that the railway so often makes platform alteration announcements? It's
not because they've changed their mind (advertised it first at one
platform then another), It's because the train will not be using its
booked platform, the one that all of the regulars expect it to use.

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

I suspect that in many cases trains actually do leave from the same
platform on a consistent basis - it just doesn't feel like it.

Absolutely. Although they change from one timetable to the next sometimes,
which platform I leave Cambridge from rarely changes for the same train
from one day to the next.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 4 Mar 2011 23:03:15 GMT, Huge wrote:

Why do I give a **** who decides what? As a customer, all I want is a
service. I don't give a flying Philadelphia **** who has to do what
to provide it.

Because it would be a flying Philadelphia ****ing waste of time
complaining to the wrong company?

--

Ian D

On 5 Mar 2011 18:46:45 GMT, Huge wrote:

On 2011-03-05, Ian Dalziel wrote:
On 4 Mar 2011 23:03:15 GMT, Huge wrote:

Why do I give a **** who decides what? As a customer, all I want is a
service. I don't give a flying Philadelphia **** who has to do what
to provide it.

Because it would be a flying Philadelphia ****ing waste of time
complaining to the wrong company?

I'm sorry, but all you're doing is proving my point.

So all you're prepared to do about it is weep? Want to borrow my
handkerchief?

--

Ian D

In article , Huge wrote:
Like all the other
people who choose to travel by some means which is cheap, reliable,
comfortable, door to door and departs when they want.

I'm not sure I can think of any mode of transport that combines *all*
of those (clearly desirable) elements. At least, not one that would
be suitable for inter-city distances. For local journeys, walking
fits the bill nicely, though.

-roy

In message , Huge
writes
Bing-****ing-go. Another ****ing railway geek.
Why do I give a **** who decides what? As a customer, all I want is a
service. I don't give a flying Philadelphia **** who has to do what
to provide it.
This from a man who was pointing out only a few posts ago how little
someone else knows about trains:-)
--
Clive

In message , Tristan Miller
writes
Contrast this with what is typically observed at London rail stations: the
passengers aren't informed of their train's platform in advance, even for
regular commuter services. This means that, much of the time, the entire
ticket hall is packed with people standing and staring at the departure
board, waiting for the platforms to be announced. This makes the station
difficult to walk through. Once a platform is announced (often only a few
minutes before the train departs), everyone waiting for that train suddenly
rushes to the departure gate, resulting in a queue and further congestion.
May be, it's to do with a train being unattended and punters are only
allowed onto that train once a driver or other responsible person has
arrived.
--
Clive

On Sun, 6 Mar 2011 12:34:28 +0000, Clive
wrote:
May be, it's to do with a train being unattended

No need; if that were the case you just lock the train doors, and
people can spread down the train and wait to board. The other
argument is that it allows the platform to clear when the train
arrives. But that is not stuck to - twice last week the 0852 off
Paddington was called on 2 just as another packed HST arrived on 3.
The result was a rush in both directions rather than a trickle in one
direction.

It's an outmoded practice from the days before central door locking.
It only occurs at London termini, and they would do well to pack it
in.

Neil

--
Neil Williams, Milton Keynes, UK