Changing face of railways

[Mickey]

A radio 4 feature reported on the 'extended' rush hours around the country that now basically start at 6:am and last until 11:am and then start again from 3:pm and last until 7:pm which means 'customers' paying out more for 'peak hours' travel. Under B.R. the morning rush hour was from 7:am-9:30am for example.

Also up to now if a train is booked to depart at 11:am for example and it didn't actually depart until 11:00:59 seconds it would be deemed as a ONE MINUTE LATE departure but from now on it will now count as a RIGHT TIME departure??.

[strang steel]

Nothing must get in the way of maximising profits to the company and its shareholders.

[Mickey]

The point was made that some people would now wait until after 7:pm to return home in the evening from work because it was cheaper to travel but in so doing obviously arriving home later and it was having a detrimental effect on the home life?.

[giner]

I think it's more to do with the general pace of life these days. We live in an instant society - instant communication, instant gratification, etc. Remember how, in the 1960/70's, we were preached to by futurists about how computers would do all the work, would free up our time, how we'd enjoy shorter work weeks, and so on? Didn't happen.

I'm not saying that today's way is bad, but it does have a lot of detrimental side-effects. For balance, the old ways weren't perfect either, so, in reality, not a lot has changed. It's just different now. Humanity's saving grace is its ability to adapt. It isn't the strongest who survive, it's the adaptable.

[strang steel]

Ah, but there lies the irony of the instant society vs the profit motive.

We may demand every thing at this precise moment, but if a train does not arrive at the precise minute printed in the timetable it is not deemed late if that would incur fines.

My point is that "on time" seems to have a 5 minute lee-way as far as some companies are concerned, so not everything has progressed.

[giner]

Agreed, SS. Sadly, it is all about the money now. Profit has always been the bottom line motivator for shareholders long before the digital age came along, but now every bloody thing is analysed to the nth degree and a dollar figure is assigned to every miniscule blip. Only one word comes to mind: greed.

[Paul B]

Ah, but there lies the irony of the instant society vs the profit motive.

We may demand every thing at this precise moment, but if a train does not arrive at the precise minute printed in the timetable it is not deemed late if that would incur fines.

My point is that "on time" seems to have a 5 minute lee-way as far as some companies are concerned, so not everything has progressed.

Try travelling by First Great Western - they don't offer compensation on their "High Speed" Trains unless they are over one hour late!

[52A]

Trans Pennine on strike today, Chester-le-Street loses most of todays trains. Have the other operators stepped in to help? You must be joking!

[PinzaC55]

There was a similar post on another forum to the effect "Who should we blame for privatisation?" and I replied "Anybody who voted Tory prior to 1996 when they promised to privatise the railways , and anyone who voted Labour in 1997 and later when Tony Blair promised to renationalise the railways and subsequently ignored that promise."
In other words blame yourselves.

[Blink Bonny]

I can well understand people not voting because, lets face it, all politicians:

a) are liars

b) are out for everything they can grab

However, seeing as people died to get us the right to vote, don't we, the public, have a right to see some honest, upstanding citzens who tell the truth and do not copy the pure glitz of an American presidential election?

We are now on our third Government who believes the US is a perfect society. I am sure those of us who live in the Land of the Free will agree with me that it is not perfect. It has its good points, but the British don't copy them. And I lived in central Mississippi for 18 months, so I've experienced Deep South culture first hand.

I'm waiting for the National Front, sorry British National Party to copy the Cluckers. That's the Klu Klux Klan for those of you not in the know. And if they ever get in, we're sunk. One was elected to serve in Cleckheaton as a councillor. He complained about the state of the public loos in the park. Cleckheaton park has no loos and never has had. Heckmondwike does.....

I'm off for a lie down after that. Rant over.

[Postman Prat]

Hi

BB - you are a cynic. And I agree with you!

Delivered the mail to a house one day and a lady I didn't know came to the door. Got chatting and she asked what the weather was going to do. I said I didn't know, but not having heard a forecast made no difference. Quote the Postie - Weather forecasters are like politicians, you never know whether they're telling the truth, telling lies, or telling you what they think you want to hear.
It then transpired that the husband of the lady was a (Tory) MP!! Nonetheless, she said she agreed with every word!!

[PinzaC55]

Blink Bonny said "However, seeing as people died to get us the right to vote, don't we, the public, have a right to see some honest, upstanding citzens who tell the truth and do not copy the pure glitz of an American presidential election?"

That's a superficially attractive argument which in reality carries no weight. People have died for all kinds of things - do I HAVE to do those things because people died for them? If I look at all political parties in an election do I HAVE to vote for one even if I disagree with all of them. In the UK we have an unelected royal family and house of lords - can I change that even if I vote for a party which says they will be abolished? Of course not.

Here's the late great George Carlin on voting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIraCchPDhk
It applies to the UK just as much as to the USA.

[giner]

Blink Bonny said "However, seeing as people died to get us the right to vote, don't we, the public, have a right to see some honest, upstanding citzens who tell the truth and do not copy the pure glitz of an American presidential election?"

That's a superficially attractive argument which in reality carries no weight. People have died for all kinds of things - do I HAVE to do those things because people died for them? If I look at all political parties in an election do I HAVE to vote for one even if I disagree with all of them. In the UK we have an unelected royal family and house of lords - can I change that even if I vote for a party which says they will be abolished? Of course not.

Here's the late great George Carlin on voting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIraCchPDhk
It applies to the UK just as much as to the USA.

1. No, we don't HAVE to do anything, but the very fact that we have the freedom, the choice, has been fought for and paid for by people's lives. I think it's worth remembering that.

2. If we don't vote for the party that promises whatever, then we have even less chance of change.

[PinzaC55]

"1. No, we don't HAVE to do anything, but the very fact that we have the freedom, the choice, has been fought for and paid for by people's lives. I think it's worth remembering that."

I do know it. But it is similar to the argument that Britain should apologise or make reparation for slavery. The principals of slavery on both sides are long dead and we should live in the here and now.

"2. If we don't vote for the party that promises whatever, then we have even less chance of change."

Change is arguably an illusion. Around the time of Blair the Tories and Labour convereged so much that they are practically indistinguishable from each other.

Tony Benn once said "All this (Tory) or ANY OTHER government (including his own party) wants from you is that you toddle along to a polling station every 5 years and put an "X" next to a name on a piece of paper. They don't even credit you with the intelligence to sign your own name. Then for the next 5 years they forget about you."

Anyway the LNER Forum isn't really the place for politics so having had my rant I'll say no more on this subject.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Ohh, I don't know' the pollies have forgotten about the railways, just as much as you or I, except at election time !

Have you noticed that nearly all of today's Pollies are "Lawyers" probably the most corrupt bunch of so and so's on the planet.


manna

PS.......come the revolution .....I'll put on a pink Tu-Tu and dance along the Mall