Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

For the customers of Greater Anglia, FCC and Network Rail
daskier
Posts:36
Joined:Thu 19 Dec, 2013 11:02 am
Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by daskier » Fri 20 Dec, 2013 7:23 pm

I am wondering if I am just generally take a pessimistic attitude to rail operators.

After another cancelled train to HFE (Wednesday's 5.11), I am starting to form the opinion that train cancellation (apart from when there is a genuine fault) happens to artificial keep operators train "on time" records up.

Sure a cancelled train is a blot on the record, but having 1 cancelled trains with 2 trains "on time" versus 3 late trains, I am guessing operator prefer the former.

It's not great for the commuter as they have to get packed into a train , IF indeed they can get on.

Maybe getting how performance is monitored to say, 1 cancelled train for non-faults is equivalent to 1 hour late train may change what happens.

Amusingly, on Thursday on the way to work, due to the train running late, they *skipped* a stop (luckily I wasn't stopping there) .. surely that's another method to massage the figures, skipping stop should also incur a similar penalty too.

I must admit it's the first time I've seen a station skipped, anyone else experienced it before?

jasmine98
Posts:35
Joined:Sun 01 Dec, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by jasmine98 » Sat 21 Dec, 2013 12:52 pm

Seems to happen all the time with Greater Anglia. If a train is more than a few minutes late, they often skip stations or turn them short of their planned destinations enabling a catch up on timing. This also means of course that the return trip may start at stations some way into their originally programmed journey. Don't know how this affects performance figures but you can bet it is in the operators favour.

codek2
Posts:362
Joined:Tue 12 Nov, 2013 4:32 pm

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by codek2 » Sun 22 Dec, 2013 11:15 am

well if in the operators favour means that one service is mullered but subsequent services are therefore on time, then that is clearly also in the customers favour too. If the service continues then potentially it will remain late all day long. there's no other way to do it.

however; I've never seen this on firstcc before until the last few weeks, so it does either seem desperation, or a new policy!

daskier
Posts:36
Joined:Thu 19 Dec, 2013 11:02 am

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by daskier » Mon 23 Dec, 2013 9:46 am

Although it's not always possible to get on the train behind the cancelled train :-(
And when you do, it's going to be extremely packed.

So it's depend on which train you are on when a train is cancelled if it benefits you I would say.

JohnSmith
Posts:132
Joined:Thu 12 Dec, 2013 2:04 pm

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by JohnSmith » Mon 23 Dec, 2013 10:13 am

codek2 wrote:well if in the operators favour means that one service is mullered but subsequent services are therefore on time, then that is clearly also in the customers favour too. If the service continues then potentially it will remain late all day long. there's no other way to do it.

however; I've never seen this on firstcc before until the last few weeks, so it does either seem desperation, or a new policy!
First Capital Connect have been doing it for years. As the original poster says, it is to keep their figures good.

They have forgotten that their purpose is to move people from A to B, not empty trains.

codek2
Posts:362
Joined:Tue 12 Nov, 2013 4:32 pm

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by codek2 » Mon 23 Dec, 2013 6:36 pm

simply not true john smith, i've NEVER been on a service where they skipped stops. it seems we have another rgs rick on the forum, about time there was another troll around. Echoing kates comments - they do generally provide a good service and 90% of the time they dont is down to network rail.

JohnSmith
Posts:132
Joined:Thu 12 Dec, 2013 2:04 pm

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by JohnSmith » Mon 23 Dec, 2013 6:41 pm

codek2 wrote:simply not true john smith, i've NEVER been on a service where they skipped stops. it seems we have another rgs rick on the forum, about time there was another troll around. Echoing kates comments - they do generally provide a good service and 90% of the time they dont is down to network rail.
If someone can explain to me how I can upload a picture I can show you a recent example of FCC skipping stops.

I am not trolling, just telling the truth which some of you, inexplicaby, refuse to believe.

If you received this sort of service from a shop or restaurant would you go back?

Kateg28
Posts:254
Joined:Tue 03 Dec, 2013 9:53 am

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by Kateg28 » Mon 23 Dec, 2013 6:59 pm

If someone gives a bad review of a restaurant I would consider what that reviewer had to say but if all they ever said was against that restaurant then I would think they had an axe to grind or an ulterior motive and dismiss what they had to say.

JohnSmith
Posts:132
Joined:Thu 12 Dec, 2013 2:04 pm

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by JohnSmith » Mon 23 Dec, 2013 7:10 pm

From what I've read on here your station of preference is Hertford North but at least twice in the last week you've had to use Hertford East.

You're paying FCC a hell of a lot of money to inconvenience you. But if you're happy with it, well that's your choice.

robbiebgg
Posts:20
Joined:Tue 31 Dec, 2013 3:58 pm

Re: Train Cancellation/Station Skipping

Post by robbiebgg » Sat 11 Jan, 2014 7:57 pm

I don't use The Hertford North line as I use Welwyn North on the East coast mainline, but am saddled with using FCC. I can definitely confirm that when things aren't going well they skip stops to ensure the train reaches its destination on time (meeting targets is what it is all about nowadays - the customer is definitely not king). On the basis that most commuters do not claim compensation, then there is little loss to FCC. Ironically I did make a claim for one of these such situations and got a letter back telling me the train had run on time!! Needless to say, they got a sharp missive back to say that whilst the train had run to time, it was because it didn't bother to stop at a few stations along the way.

Post Reply