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Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

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    Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

    jwdd27 wrote:
    Originally posted by Lang Spoon
    Thanks, I'm a wee bit more sus of RMT with their Brexit shite as well. Is there any type of journey in the UK where having a guard is for the best?
    Definitely needed where there are request stops on the line eg the Cambrian Coast line to Pwllheli, where about half the stops are requests (and are reasonably well used). The guards on these trains were excellent, looking after tourists' needs as well as chatting to their regular locals.

    I was again very impressed with Arriva Trains Wales and the service they deliver, although it is perhaps easy for them where I was as they don't really cross over with any other train companies, and the single tracks make it simple to plan routes.

    And I guess any train company looks good compared to Transpennine Express.
    What's your beef with TPE?

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      Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

      Big Boobs and FIRE! wrote:
      Originally posted by Lang Spoon
      Thanks, I'm a wee bit more sus of RMT with their Brexit shite as well. Is there any type of journey in the UK where having a guard is for the best?
      A guard in the traditional sense of having joint safety reaponsibilities and control of the door, then no, it is an outdated role.

      Guards used to be required for slam door stock as they would shut the doors, then could have their head out of the window watching the train out. With modern stock, the doors are automated so all close with the push of a button. The guard cannot see anything from then on as there are no opening windows. However, the driver has a large bank of cctv screens, either on the platform or actually in the cab. They can see if anyone is trapped.

      But should there be a second member of staff on the train, definitely. Relinquished of unecesary door or safety critical duties, then they can concentrate on customer assistance and revenue protection. This means more customer friendly staff can be employed. It also means on the odd occassion that the member of staff is not available, the train can still operate.

      The modern railway is set up for drivers to operate doors so it is safer for them to do it. Add to that the most attentinlve on train staff are those that dont have door or safety requirements, and it is a no brainer as to what should be future policy.
      In London, so many of the stations have ticket barriers. Is it worth having a member of staff on board, any more than it isn't on eg the Metropolitan Line?

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        Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

        Guy Profumo wrote:
        Originally posted by jwdd27

        And I guess any train company looks good compared to Transpennine Express.
        What's your beef with TPE?
        Just the overcrowding. They run a decent schedule, not usually that late, but at busy times of the day it's horrendous getting to Leeds and Manchester. Being someone who likes to get a seat, and doesn't particularly like other people, I would find it impossible to commute to either place, even though there are better jobs available there.
        I always opt for a Northern Rail chugger if it's an option, as they're usually half empty.

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          Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

          Tubby Isaacs wrote: In London, so many of the stations have ticket barriers. Is it worth having a member of staff on board, any more than it isn't on eg the Metropolitan Line?
          The role of the second member of staff (guard/conductor) isn't just revenue protection though, they also provide assistance to passengers and a deterrent against antisocial behaviour (even if they have basically no power to do anything, as far as I can tell.) I feel safer travelling in a staffed empty train at night than in an empty tube carriage. Also if you're lucky they might provide some top bantz over the PA.

          I almost didn't manage to get off the TPE train at my stop yesterday, the doors just wouldn't open when the train got to the station. I had to rush to the next carriage to exit quickly through the next set of doors just before they locked up, and then run to the guard at the end of the platform to let him know just as we was about to give the ok for the train to restart (there were more people stuck in that carriage, you see.) I'm not sure what this adds to the discussion on DOO, but there you are.

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            Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

            F
            jwdd27 wrote:
            Originally posted by Guy Profumo
            Originally posted by jwdd27

            And I guess any train company looks good compared to Transpennine Express.
            What's your beef with TPE?
            Just the overcrowding. They run a decent schedule, not usually that late, but at busy times of the day it's horrendous getting to Leeds and Manchester. Being someone who likes to get a seat, and doesn't particularly like other people, I would find it impossible to commute to either place, even though there are better jobs available there.
            I always opt for a Northern Rail chugger if it's an option, as they're usually half empty.
            Fair enough.

            I only tend to use them on TPESouthern to either travel to the ECML at Donny, usually quiet, or if I'm going to Manchster (weekends?), I'll book ahead (TPE or EMTrains)

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              Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

              Night tubes don't always feel great to me either.

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                Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                My other post disappeared.

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                  Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                  Fucking hell, have you seen this BTP video about the dangers of walking on tracks?

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU7ixU0xu7s

                  It's been in a few papers lately. The final clip is utterly terrifying - I was amazed to read that the guy survived, albeit paralysed.

                  (Warning: while not bloody, the final clip is certainly shocking.)

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                    Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                    If you want something a bit lighter...

                    Here is a recent episode of Timeshift from BBC4 which was about the final era of nationalised British Rail, and the modernisation projects including the HST and APT. It was great to see how proud the guys who worked for BREL on the HST were that their vehicles are still the workhorse of the mainlines 40 years later.

                    Featured in there were some clips from the programme British Transport Films (which no longer exists) made about the APT. The full thing is below, presented by Peter Purves in what is surely a blueprint for Alan Partridge.

                    https://[video=youtube_share;oSMSSdL...?v=oSMSSdL2yeo[/video]

                    (Don't be blue, Peter!)

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                      Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                      Crusoe wrote: Fucking hell, have you seen this BTP video about the dangers of walking on tracks?

                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU7ixU0xu7s
                      Ever seen The Finishing Line?

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                        Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                        I've seen a lot of those public information films. I try not to remember them.

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                          Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                          So Guy.

                          Meadowhall or Sheffield centre for HS2?

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                            Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                            It's got to be Meadowhell, to serve all of South Yorkshire, not just those tossers in Sheffield...

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                              Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                              How easy will it be to get from Rotherham or Barnsley to Meadowhall?

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                                Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                Very. There are existing busses and trains.

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                                  Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                  I'll go with Meadowhall then.

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                                    Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                    Mumpo wrote:
                                    Originally posted by Crusoe
                                    Fucking hell, have you seen this BTP video about the dangers of walking on tracks?

                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU7ixU0xu7s
                                    Ever seen The Finishing Line?
                                    Or Killing Time. Grim, even in this censored version, so be warned.

                                    The normal speed of an express train is between 175 and 225 kilometres an hour...

                                    Comment


                                      Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                      There's no direct trains up the Midland Main Line today because of a bridge collapse at Barrow upon Soar overnight.





                                      Network Rail have said there will be no trains through the area for the rest of the day. That looks to me like the line will need to be closed there for weeks, maybe months.

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                                        Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                        Messy.
                                        Rail News wrote: No trains are running between Loughborough and Leicester, and the site of the incident has also effectively blocked the alternative route south of Loughborough via Melton Mowbray and Corby to Kettering and London.

                                        As a result, Midland Main Line services have been seriously disrupted. Limited services are running between Leicester and London, but buses are replacing trains between Kettering and Corby.

                                        There are also limited train services running north of Loughborough to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.

                                        Although buses are also being provided around the closed section north of Leicester, East Midlands Trains says they are intended only for local passengers, and that intercity passengers between London and Derby and stations north should use trains from London Euston and Birmingham New Street, or from London King's Cross and Doncaster.
                                        In better news, Vivarail of Warwick have been converting old D78 Underground trains into small diesel-electric multiple units now known as the class 230. We had a thread a while back about that branch line to the Ricoh Arena which has a very limited service - these trains are going to be tested out there, and that will take the service up to a 3-car unit from a single railcar.

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                                          Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                          Star headline:
                                          London Cut-Off!

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                                            Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                            Heh. Will they have to divert via Doncaster then?

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                                              Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                              Lots of shots of Crossrail's rolling stock here.

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                                                Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                                HS2 meeting in Donny.

                                                That went well.

                                                http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-36951662

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                                                  Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                                  Olympia Driver wrote: Heh. Will they have to divert via Doncaster then?
                                                  That's the current advice.

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                                                    Broken & Late Ltd: Britain's Railways

                                                    Guy Profumo wrote: HS2 meeting in Donny.

                                                    That went well.

                                                    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-36951662
                                                    Apparently there were similar scenes and issues at an HS2 meeting in Rotherham (Bramley) a couple of weeks back.

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