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Reply ID 683

It's reported in the Mercury this morning that there will only be one tran an hour from Hertford East within those proposals. What they give with one hand they take with the other!

Reply ID 686

This is a real concern of mine. In fact ever commuter on the Hertford East-Ware-Rye House-St Margarets branch should be up in arms! If it is true and not some sick joke that they want to slash this vital commuter route to one an hour (or worse) then chaos will break loose on that route. By the time train get to Broxborne they are bursting as it is. It will affect us all – even house prices will suffer, whether or not we commute ourselves. Does anyone have any hard facts to back up or scotch the rumours? I'm going out of my mind just contemplating this disaster...

Reply ID 687

Hopefully WAGN would not be that stupid. I suspect the commuter services, which mostly run via Tottenham Hale, would stay much as they are, but outside peak hours they would run a service to Stratford via Seven Sisters. If you look at the new WAGN route map there is already a small scale link between the two. Even off peak, one train an hour would be a blow for sure, and they should certainly be subject to some ferocious local lobbying if they try it.

Reply ID 688

I asked at Hertford East station and was told although they didnt have any infomation they believe its all to do with the upcoming franchise and it was an idea put forward by National Express ???

Reply ID 693

National Express owns WAGN. It has just won a new 'super franchise' for all rail services in the East of England. Basically they wanted all services into Liverpool Street run by one train operator, rather than three (I think) as at present

Reply ID 696

So - once it gets down to only one train per hour then the next step is surely to cut it altogether and make everyone use Hertford North or change at Broxbourne/Stratford. Let's face it, they already see this route as the Cinderella service. The rolling stock is filthy and ancient and if something needs to be cancelled - it will be the Hertford East one. The same thing is happening in Kent where several stations are to be abandoned in favour of the Channel Tunnel routes - which is undoubtedly why they want to hook us up with Stratford. Nice if you fancy a day trip to Paris but not so great for your daily commute. Looking on the bright side, Hertford East station would convert in to a lovely little wine bar to serve all the new residents of the five storey flats they want to build next door......

Reply ID 697

They won't shut it down. While they could try the 'use Hertford North' argument on us, there are too many commuters in Ware and Hoddesdon who would be rioting in the streets if they did close it.

Reply ID 698

The loss of Hertford East station would be no laughing matter - despite the fact that the service at present isn't brilliant it is used by a large number of people. It also provides a service to the surrounding area by easing congestion at the North Station and also providing a useful alternative to the North Station in the event of a major incident (remember Hatfied?). If this line was cut or reduced then many people affected at Hertford East would presumably have to drive to the North station (as the bus service is non-existent so it seems before 9 AM) further increasing the rush hour gridlock of traffic, or cycle (in the non existent cycle lanes on the Ware road, risking life and limb), as would people in Ware. This seems completly counter to the Government's stated intention to reduce car use.

Reply ID 699

Well, then... are we agreed that if National Express decide to reduce our Hertford-Ware-Rye House service into London, they will be buried under an avalanche of complaints for the rest of their natural lives until the CEO is forced to emigrate and live at the top of a mountain in Tibet? Start sharpening the knives...

Reply ID 700

That's about right. It's pretty clear even from the reaction on this forum to their vague ramblings over the new franchise that feelings would run high. The acorn of a full-scale pressure group maybe...

Reply ID 701

Been there, seen it, done it, got the t-shirt. After the Hatfield crash, a load of us complained in droves and got our MPs involved. WAGN did absolutely nothing. I haven't commuted regularly on WAGN since September 2002 and haven't missed it one bit. I use it every once in a while and it amazes me how the service seems to get worse and worse. A pokey little coffee shop with extortionate prices on the platform at Finsbury Park doesn't make things any more bearable.

Reply ID 703

Of course, none of us would commute if we didn't have to, but as long as I need to use WAGN I will complain about it even if it won't do any good. I would tolerate certain changes – maybe if trains terminated at Broxborne and a quick connection was allowed for in the timetable. That would be annoying but workable. But if they slash the service down to a sort of Lower Nowheresbury skeleton link, then there'll be trouble. S'all I'm sayin'.

Reply ID 704

Believe me - having to change trains anywhere is much more than "annoying" when you do it daily - it can become the bane of your life with missed connections, cancelled trains, long waits and frrezing conditions. I spend about half an hour per day on the platform at Finsbury Park during my daily commute and it is freezing. WAGN's timetables don't allow for speedy changes! I bet that if the direct link was lost a lot of people would find alternative routes and before long the Hertford link would no longer be viable. We need to protest and make sure that it stays as it is - any Stratford link should be extra. Can anyone see the practical advantage of such a link - apart from day trips to Paris and getting to the Olympics (if we get them)? Why would you want to go to Stratford?

Reply ID 705

Good if you commute to Docklands, which quite a few people do. But should be alongside, not instead of, good service to Liverpool Street.

Reply ID 707

First an update on what I've found out. I emailed National Express and was told that they are 'consulting' on the timetable at present - when I emailed them back and said 'will you be consulting with passengers and how can we input into this process' they did not respond, so obviously they do not want our views . I have asked for a response from the Office of the Rail Regulator and am waiting for a response from them. I think I'm right in saying that National Express run coaches (think of the song by the Divine Comedy song 'On the National Express/When your life's in a mess...') run some kind of coach service to Stratford for people to pick up the Stansted Express from the rest of the UK. Of course, anyone who travels on our railways on a daily basis is used to the idea of a replacement bus service, so maybe National Express have been chosen as the ideal franchisee! Seriously, this is yet another example of how the lives of people in Hertford are being affected by the expansion of Stansted. It's clear that this route is only of interest to National Express because of the airport, and the commuters who pay £2,500 a year to get to work seem like a low priority.

Reply ID 708

Can I make a suggestion. It was something I discussed with fellow commuters a couple of years ago but never got round to doing. Why don't 100 of you chip in and buy 100 shares in National Express (currently trading at £6.91 each). Transfer the shares so that each of you has 1 share each. At the next National Express AGM, ask the board all of your questions which they have refused to answer. If the board try to ignore you, the rest of you stand up and let your feelings be known. Make sure that someone is there with a video camera to record what happens and hand it over to the press. WAGN / National Express have gradually run down the service for the last 4 years and will continue to do so unless someone makes an issue of it. I know that there are plenty of disgruntled passengers on the Hertford North and Hertford East lines. It needs someone to be bothered to organise things. I walked up and donw the carriages and stood at Hertford North handing out leaflets to fellow passengers urging them to complain to WAGN and their MP. On bad days I distributed the e-mail addresses of WAGN's directors to about 200 commuters and asked them to complain to them all. If I were still commuting I'd do it, but I've left all of that behind me now. Good luck.

Reply ID 709

I feel sorry for anyone who has to endure the appalling WAGN services. The one from North is no good -- can the other line be even worse????! I did try commuting with them, but gave it up pretty quickly. It was the UNUSABLY DISGUSTING loos at Finsbury park that finally did it for me. I now prefer to spend 1.5 hours driving into London, paying £10 a day to park + £5 Livingstone tax rather than put up with the intolerable mess they call a rail service. Oh, and by the way, which whizz kid came up with the idea of giving each station just ONE sign, helpfully painted in dark purple, so it's unreadable on dark winter nights? WAGN are crass idiots, to a man.

Reply ID 751

Might I make a suggestion? While WAGN run the trains they have to consult with HCC and,I presume EHDC. They, in the county plan HCC and planning persmission EHDC, allowed the additional housing in places like Ware and there is no way that they did not know that it would attract poeple who would need to use the railway to get to work. Personally if you wish to bring pressure and influence then target HCC and EHDC and ask them what they are doing about it. HCC prides itself on "joined up commuting" share a car, use a train and bus etc, well if there is no rail service (and I think the service from Hertford East is pretty poor) how will the roads out of Ware and the A10 cope?