|
Post by metrailway on Apr 19, 2014 13:38:08 GMT
Hello I have a question about buying national rail tickets from LU ticket offices. I attempted to buy a super off-peak day return last weekend from Highbury and Islington ticket office. However, the ticket office was only able to offer me the more expensive off-peak day return. The intended journey was Highbury and Islington to Hatfield on a Saturday, taking Victoria line to Finsbury Park then changing to national rail. I wonder if anybody knows if LU ticket offices are unable to sell this ticket, or whether it was simply a case of the ticket office assistant not knowing how? Many thanks (PS the circumstances were a little more complicated, as I wanted a boundary extension and gold card discount too, but the essential issue was that I couldn't be offered a ticket based on the cheaper super off-peak fare) They should have been able to sell your super off peak ticket. All LU ticket offices have the ablility to sell tickets to a range of NR destinations (usually within the ex Network SouthEast area), with some ticket offices such as Harrow on the Hill (and I think H&I) being able to offer a slightly larger range of destinations. It is likely that the booking clerk did not know how to sell you the correct ticket. The training given to LU staff regarding National Rail tickets is very poor. I tend to find the staff who know how to issue the correct ticket are staff who have been with LU since before BR privatisation.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Mar 16, 2014 15:21:50 GMT
So, does this mean that a Rover ticket valid from Marylebone are also valid from Baker Street? Yes but as I stated before LU staff at Baker Street would probably prevent you from travelling if they spotted you with a rover. LU staff training regarding National Rail tickets is atrocious. Another problem for passengers is that neither LU or NR publish a public official list of inter-available routes.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Feb 15, 2014 14:17:31 GMT
Indeed, when you see a train from points north advertised as terminating at Green Park, it will (usually) tip out at Green Park then run to Charing Cross out of service, reverse there then re-enter service at Green Park, now running northbound. There has been the odd occasion reported where the train has been set up (mistakenly) with a Charing Cross destination, which no doubt provides confusion to those who are unaware that the Jubilee used to terminate there! I remember standing in Neasden during engineering works a couple of years back, and all the southbound trains displayed on the Dot Matrix Indicator stated 'Charing Cross'. Had a chuckle to myself but most passengers seemed to be baffled.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Feb 2, 2014 2:28:51 GMT
Heathrow expansion should have happened decades ago but the only reason it hasn't happened is because of the large swath of marginal constituencies near Heathrow.
Ironically, from what I have read, most of the locals near Gatwick actually want another runway at Gatwick!
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Feb 1, 2014 20:42:46 GMT
Running around the loco may have been difficult at Watford, particularly if the train was long - The Master Cutler generally ran with heavy loadings as it was the premier train between London and the East Midlands. I've seen an image with an A3 hauling 15 coaches on the Master Cutler. Gunnersbury immediately springs to mind as somewhere where things have tried to go the wrong way. *cough*I've been 'wrong sticked' a few of times as a passenger on the Met. One time my Aylesbury bound Chiltern arrived at Amersham (unusually Platform 2) and we were held for around 10 minutes, the reason was that signalman at Amersham thought we were a Met and routed us back towards London! Another time I was on a fast Met to Baker St, and the driver accepted the wrong stick to Harrow Platform 2. I have heard of a story in the noughties, that a new Met driver not only accepted the wrong stick into Harrow Platform 2 but also continued beyond Platform 2, accepting the route towards Marylebone! I believe soon after this incident LU put up signs warning Met drivers that the track south of Platform 2 was not electified.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Jan 28, 2014 23:35:22 GMT
National Rail tickets which allow travel between Marylebone and stations on the ex-Met/GC line are valid to/from Baker Street. Although at first glance, one would think this would just include stations on that line. However, due to an easement which allows any journey to Marylebone via High Wycombe being valid via Aylesbury, a huge array of NR tickets are valid to/from Baker Street. This includes tickets such as Birmingham Stations - London Terminals, Holyhead - London Terminals, Inverness - London Terminals etc. I suspect LU staff at Baker Street have no/little idea of this and would prevent you from travelling if they spotted you with such tickets.
Without knowing your exact ticket, it is impossible to confirm whether it is valid to/from Baker Street. However, as suncloud has stated, I suspect the barriers at Baker St are just programmed to accept London Terminals tickets.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Jan 27, 2014 22:36:28 GMT
Perhaps the indicators at Harrow will be modernised at that time. I hope not! The lightboxes are ideal for the job. Standard LU dot matrix indicators are IMO ill-suited for Harrow on the Hill.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Jan 19, 2014 12:25:48 GMT
A similar thing has happened to me on the Circle last year. I boarded a north/eastbound Circle at HSK which was scheduled to continue beyond Baker St (special timetable). The CIS announcements reflected this. Once we reached Edgware Road, the CIS suddenly changed to "This is a Circle line train via Victoria and Embankment." Cue everybody rushing out of the train whilst some on the platform entering the train as a result. The S Stock doors close and it continues towards Baker Street.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Jan 17, 2014 13:39:51 GMT
According to a disabled charity, disabled people were 'locked out' of LU stations 162 times last year purely due to staff shortages. Will these incidences increase with the planned staff cuts? www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25773911
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Dec 31, 2013 23:04:50 GMT
They have no chance of making the 2018 deadline now. Us lot on the Met were promised by the TfL bigwigs that once resignalling was finished, the increased frequency would more than make up for the lack of seats on the S Stock. Looks like a pipedream now. Maybe they should have upgraded the infrastructure and signalling first before axing seats!
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Dec 3, 2013 19:22:20 GMT
There are a variety of one day travelcards currently available - Zone 1 and 2; Zone 1 to 4; Zone 1 to 6; and Zone 1 to 9. Although it isn't clear in the BBC article, it seems that TfL are withdrawing all one day travelcard products bar the zone 1 to 6 travelcard.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Nov 23, 2013 10:32:24 GMT
Can you post a link re the announcement on phasing out of Oyster Cards please as I can't find one There was piece on the Guardian website a couple of days ago mentioning the phasing out of oyster. I believe on the TfL website it has been referred euphemistically as "simpler ticketing"! Under 18s etc can use contactless prepaid oyster cards, which will essentially be equivalent to PAYG. You don't need any kind of credit score to get one. I personally am surprised they didn't keep the TOs at the major Z1 stations - but I suppose they wanted to make a point. If TfL are intent in withdrawing Oyster, surely the above would not be an option? I'm no expert on contactless bank cards, but I seriously doubt they would facilitate third party products being stored on them, so that would surely mean end of the season ticket, travelcard, railcard discounts etc? It is interesting this TfL mentioned the 3% figure who start their journey with a purchase at a booking office. According to TfL figures 1.2 billion passengers use the tube yearly, which means that 3% is 36 million people per year or 100,000 per day, a not so trivial amount! I also wonder what the true ticket office usage figure is?
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Nov 21, 2013 20:31:11 GMT
I'm surprised no one has mentioned it here but along with the terrible news that there will be ticket office closures, TfL have announced the phasing out of Oyster Cards (along with the phasing out of cash) starting from 2014 but no confirmed end date. Instead we will all be forced to use contactless bank cards.
This eventually means bye bye to poor people on public transport in London as there are over 1 million people without bank accounts in the UK and that figure is rising. I guess they are going to have to walk miles to work....
I also wonder how under 16s are going to travel as well as most don't have bank cards? And what about tourists from countries without contactless cards?
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Nov 11, 2013 22:45:11 GMT
You could until a few years ago run suface stock to Hounslow west tunnel mouths theoretically, but practically only to Hounslow central where it could reverse (been there on a railtour) Afaik since then in the usual blinkered way an overbridge has been replaced to tube gauge but iI can't remember where.This has happened on the Northern line open section as well. In a similar way several overbridges on NR have been rebuilt to UK loading gauge rather than increasing the headroom at wery little if any extra cost. At least NR have learnt the errors of their ways - I think all new replacements allow for a UIC GB+ loading gauge.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Nov 11, 2013 22:19:40 GMT
@routemasterkeith
Good luck Keith. South Wales is lovely.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Nov 4, 2013 22:36:23 GMT
IIRC there was a rather frequent service between Amersham and London immediately after electrification?
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 27, 2013 19:28:44 GMT
Update on Mainline services:
Speed restrictions between Rugby and London Euston affecting London Midland and Virgin services in the morning, EMT not running any trains in/out of St Pancras until around 1000.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 27, 2013 16:47:59 GMT
According to media reports tonight's storm will be the worst since 1987. Have LUL/LO taken any measures to deal with the effects of the storm?
On the Mainline, Greater Anglia, Southern and FCC have already stated that they will not run trains before 0900 on Monday, Southeastern most likely will not run trains before 0900 or 1000, SWT not running before 0800 and a 50mph limit for the day, and East Coast and C2C are running an amended timetable.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 27, 2013 16:36:05 GMT
I should have stated that the times I have posted above are for Monday to Fridays.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 25, 2013 16:44:58 GMT
I don't have headcodes for the Class 66 RHTTs but I do have times:
Note all trains run as required
Aylesbury dep: 0313 Aylesbury Vale Parkway dep: 0323 Amersham arr: 0402
Amersham dep: 0410 Aylesbury dep: 0443 (via HWY) London Marylebone dep: 0550 (via AMR) Aylesbury arr: 0654
Aylesbury dep: 0941 (via AMR) London Marylebone arr: 1048
London Marylebone dep: 1055 (via AMR) Aylesbury arr: 1200
Aylesbury dep: 1311 London Marylebone arr: 1417 London Marylebone dep: 1428 (to Acton via HWY)
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 21, 2013 17:03:21 GMT
@londonstuff
It is interesting that you say French trains are modern. Many French immigrants to the UK say the complete opposite! There was an article in the Telegraph that had a French immigrant claiming that the French network is in a state of disrepair similar to the GB network in the late 1990s.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 19, 2013 19:21:41 GMT
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 15, 2013 13:40:51 GMT
I think most intermodal freight from Felixstowe going via the NLL is for terminals in the West Midlands (I may be wrong!) so I expect a large % of freight to be diverted via Peterborough, Leicester and Nuneaton.
There are many paths booked by freight operators but never used as demand varies from day to day. I'm no expert but I expect many of what would normally be unused paths to be put into use.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 15, 2013 10:22:08 GMT
I suspect Portobello yard was the name for the yard besides Westbourne Park (GWML) station as there was (is?) a Portobello Junction just west of the GWML station.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 15, 2013 0:27:16 GMT
I have seen the odd wheelchair, but never a mobility scooter. LUL have no size restrictions on mobility scooters/wheelchairs. Here is a LU guide for disabled travellers: www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/assistance-policy-disabled-customers.pdfStep-free LU map: www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/step-free-tube-guide-map.pdfIIRC it would be easier for you if you boarded the 4th car when travelling on the Victoria Line as the platforms are raised to match the car level. Do you know what time you intend to arrive in London? I would avoid peaks completely. Although the tube in Zone 1 is busy, you should be able to find a space for yourself and your scooter during off-peak times... if there is no disruption!
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Oct 9, 2013 8:41:39 GMT
I note that they have included buffers at the front of the mock up.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Sept 30, 2013 17:39:27 GMT
I find myself standing more often on the Met even in off-peak when in the past I was guaranteed a seat for my journey. I suspect this is due to a 33% seat reduction rather than a massive increase in custom! If I go to/from the country end of the Met, I use the Chiltern service instead - if I have to stand, I may as well stand on a service which is quicker.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Sept 10, 2013 21:12:29 GMT
In Locomotive and Train Working in the Latter Part of the Nineteenth Century by E L Ahrons, it mentions that the colour of District locomotives introduced in 1871 was a dull green.
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Aug 29, 2013 18:58:17 GMT
Thanks Graham; didn't see this film. Looks like early 60s? It is a shame that wagon-load traffic has disappeared from our network.
Found another film from 1954 showing L44 on a steam special celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Uxbridge branch:
|
|
|
Post by metrailway on Aug 29, 2013 17:50:18 GMT
According to the BBC London 6pm TV report, LU had been warned about the safety risks of the inner inter car barriers (particularly during an emergency situation) before they were installed...
|
|