The LNER Encyclopedia

I have just watched the TV programme broadcast by the BBC ( on iplayer) yesterday on the trials and tribulations of the new Kings Cross.

I have to say that I did not expect it to be a programme favourable to railways as it is the way of things that only "Bad news" is "Good news" in the media's eyes.

My fears were confirmed almost immediatley when the cancelation of a train was discussed due to lack of fuel, what was the reporters response to being told this " why did it run out of PETROL!!"

Enough Said!!

But if everything worked to "gold medal" standard (East Coast Manager's quote) all the time, there might have been much less to make a programme about.
However, it was a bit lightweight IMHO. The not-so-long-ago series on the Underground, though not completely different, did do more to educate the viewer. (Or am I biased because I know 'The Cross' so well?)

Looks like next week's is centred on Leeds.

NOTE: - First posts alerting to this series are in the "New BBC series starting 12th Feb" thread, in the "Railway Chat" forum, here :
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8360&p=80975#p80975

I thought the Mr Laxman theme running through the programme was quite touching, especially on his retirement. It illustrates just what a wealth of hands-on knowledge departs with a retiree, but many senior management do not seem to recognise that.

The idea that it costs £300 for a return to Newcastle was pure tv sensationalism. At no point was it mentioned that the figure quoted was for a first class ticket, or that if the person had booked some weeks in advance they would have paid much less.

I've recently spoken to a retired 'older hand' of King's Cross, who said Mr. Keshwara (Laxman)'s appearance (not to mention, work attitude) meant that he was the only person depicted who conveyed the sort of quality image that most passengers would like/expect.

I thought the progamme was very good, so many positive staff trying to do a difficult job. I hope the guy in the booking office who was totally negative is suitably embarassed when he see's himself on TV, words fail me with people like this. The over-crowding on peak time trains is just totally unacceptable, i fail to see how the HSE allow it to happen. EU rules on transportation of livetsock would not allow that degree of over-crowding. When are we going to get proper length trains and the flexibility in the system to add coaches to dictate trains at certain times of day. Was BR really that bad at the end of the day !!

I certainly won't make any judgments of the series on the basis of one programme but there was an air of negativity (with certain exceptions) that was not apparent in the excellent London Underground series last year. Is this a general attitude of many of the staff or just the angle the programme production team are taking?

howard9f wrote: " .... so many positive staff trying to do a difficult job. .... "

I do agree with that, and the negative and frequently-faced critical attitude of some 'customers' must be very difficult to counter and appear happy/smiley all the time. Just that for some it seems allowed not to look all that professional/smart.

Solario wrote: " I certainly won't make any judgments of the series on the basis of one programme .... "

Fair comment indeed.

Solario wrote: " .... Is this a general attitude of many of the staff or just the angle the programme production team are taking? "

Good point. It's probably easier than most think to be selective on what is broadcast, to give a certain impression that may not generally be a balanced true picture.

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I think that at least 'the Cross' is brighter now than I've ever known it, Micky !
You can even take photos of the St. Pancras spire etc. through the windws in the Euston Road end of the trainsheds !

Whole NR certainly had some time, my impression was that it mostly featured EC staff and shift managers, with FCC, FHT and GC not getting a look-in : Maybe they declined to participate rather than just being ignored, but could've been another of the film-making Co.'s choices.

StevieG wrote:I think that at least 'the Cross' is brighter now than I've ever known it, Micky !
You can even take photos of the St. Pancras spire etc. through the windws in the Euston Road end of the trainsheds !

Whole NR certainly had some time, my impression was that it mostly featured EC staff and shift managers, with FCC, FHT and GC not getting a look-in : Maybe they declined to participate rather than just being ignored, but could've been another of the film-making Co.'s choices.

As a former secondman at the Cross (and later driver on the LM) I must say that the way the drivers were portrayed was very disappointing. To be shown relaxing in between duties drinking their pints of beer hardly inspired confidence in them, or I imagine, pride in the job.

There was absolutely no doubt that Mr Keshwara, was the star of the show, being the most impressively turned out in both dress and attitude.

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I went back to the Cross only a couple of weeks ago and there is no doubt that it really is something else, come on mickey you infer that nothing should have changed, sure the old place once had loads of atmosphere but that was another time in a world long gone. I have to admit that some of the staffs attitude was a bit disapointing but I put that down to old BR attitudes. The trouble with this type of programe is that the editing does at times come over a bit disjointed and you feel that something useful has been left out.

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John C
I am sure they were not drinkoing beer between duties, surely if you had watched properly they were at a union meeting, which if things are as they were in my day are held on a Sunday, in a pub ,the only time you can get most of the guys together as they work in the week and DONT drink on duty, it's a sackable offence.

Boris wrote:John C
I am sure they were not drinkoing beer between duties, surely if you had watched properly they were at a union meeting, which if things are as they were in my day are held on a Sunday, in a pub ,the only time you can get most of the guys together as they work in the week and DONT drink on duty, it's a sackable offence.

Well, Boris, I know some shots were of the branch meeting, but not the ones where the guys were shown with pints in their hand. I don't know if the pub they now use is the same one as in my time, but then, drinks stayed firmly at the bar downstairs; they were not actually allowed to be taken into the meeting room upstairs.

I'm sure that it would have been easy for the public to believe that that's how drivers took their PNBs, cleverly edited as the sequence was by the producers.