New Met Timetable Commencing 11th Dec 2011

Having the doors in "customer open" mode is an option to the driver - but is not widely adopted at present whilst the stock is bedding in and customers get used to the stock.

Once everything is ironed out, this feature will be used much more frequently in open sections, with all doors only opening in city areas.

I can see the point if it is a short term measure to improve reliability while the S stock is brought in and the A stock phased out.

But I don't see how an improved service on the Uxbridge couldn't be achieved whilst still keeping in the fast services from Amersham and Chesham. Surely if the trains run fast, then less will be needed to maintain the same service frequency. And do the stations from North Harrow to Northwood really need 8tph?

Sorry but after travelling on the Met today, this timetable is a joke

Well I've been a harsh critic however it's unfair to judge it purely on the first day with a few leaves still around.

so the only people who benefit are Harrow - Uxbridge (quite a few there I reckon!)

Harrow - Northwood (got to be more than one man and his dog surely?)

Oh - don't forget Preston Road and Northwick Park - they benefit too!

according to the figures below (always take Wiki with a pinch of salt mind!) almost as many people use just Preston Road & Northwick Park as Ricky - Chorleywood - C&L - Amersham/Chesham combined

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_London_Underground_stations

Do the sums and tell me what's not fair about the changes ? ? ?

All the lines quoted are 2 track railways, the Met is a 4 track railway!!!

The one thing the Met has offered for nearly all of its existence is the provision of fast services, due to the distances of the outer sections from Central London.

It's not just a business, it's a service, or have people forgotten that?

It has been mentioned that demand is low on the outer sections. However, this timetable is hardly going to improve that.

It's not a business. It's a public service. It's serving the public now, it's just doing the bare minimum and it's driving people away.

MetControl, Shedcompnodosh
Come on guys, let’s get real now. It is clear that this timetable has been forced on you by LU management and I admire your steadfast support for it; loyalty to one’s organisation is a worthy trait.
I am not a user of this branch, neither do I read the Evening Standard, but I see the undeniable facts that have been presented to you repeatedly over the past few months; customers at Moor Park and beyond will see a deterioration in their service at a time when rail services generally are improving. For many months LU have been told of the potential repercussions by passengers, the press, politicians (God forbid) and, most significantly, by members of this forum, yet they continue burying their heads in the sand by arguing that a slower and less comfortable service is an improvement. Today’s outcry was predictable and it will only get worse. You should be aware that at last Saturday’s meet the question of this timetable was raised with the response (paraphrased) that “Amersham, Chesham, Rickmansworth (etc) customers are of lower importance to LU, unlike in the days of the A stock.”
Please now stop trying to defend the indefensible and make an effort to persuade your superiors they should either restore the original timetable or publicly justify a service reduction in the face of their own persistent advertising which promises improved services for all. Any organisation which treats its customers with contempt does so at its own peril and the inescapable conclusion will be drawn that their ultimate aim is the close the LU service beyond Moor Park and allow Chiltern to handle all the traffic.

It is true that my management would have introduced this timetable with or without me, but I and a couple of my colleagues did have an input and certain changes were made which hopefully have improved what may have been.
Thing is, disregarding the fact they pay my wages, overall this change is for the better, as it gives more reliability to the Met during times of disruption. It's not all about loyalty. Sometimes in business, you have to look at what is being demanded, and supply what you can based on the assets you have.



More through services to the city, all day long, than ever before. Better reliability to and from the Chesham branch. Hardly a deterioration.



The passengers and politicians (ok those south of Moor Park - which is the majority) demanded the service they have today.

Customers from Amersham, Chesham, Rickmansworth etc are actually now of equal importance to the rest of the Met Line. And this, I feel, is the real crux of the matter. Those residents no longer get the priviledged fast service they once languished on. They now have to travel all-stations, just as those from Ruislip or Northwood or Pinner have had to do for years.



I won't be persuading my superiors to do any such thing. My views were shared at the first meetings. As time has progressed I have seen the benefits that this timetable will bring. Hopefully soon so will the customer - although to be honest, unless they read forums such as this, they may not realise it.

Reliability has been brought about by having an increased service on the local lines. In the event of disruption, diversion of 1 service will never again result in the sort of gaps we have seen up to now.

Should services run late from the city, we now have clear main lines onto which we can divert trains to recover time - without inconveniencing people, as there are more alternative services. We now have additional measures to ensure that every train that is booked to Chesham can run to Chesham, and not suffer the previous waits at Chalfont northbound before diversion to Amersham.

We do not treat our customers with contempt and Chiltern will not be taking over the Met north of Moor Park any time in the foreseeable future.

Thats like saying passengers from St Albans should stops at all stations just because the London Overground does!

Hey guys I think individual finger pointing is wrong. You're forgetting this forum is free and we should appreciate Lu staffers informing us of decision making and reasoning we'd never normally see and let's face it, would've happened anyway.

Mcmaddog is absolutely right, we must make it absolutely clear that this is not personal and there is no point in shooting the messenger. MetControl, in particular, is highly respected by his colleagues and on this board, and the considerable effort he makes to provide information to this forum is much appreciated. I have several reservations about his latest comments which I will post later but let's make it totally clear that any criticisms are not directed at him.