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Post by piccadillypilot on May 6, 2005 8:25:43 GMT
Now you District people had better watch out!!!
The Tory candidate, Justine Greening, has won the seat and wants to sort out the District Line.
You have been warned.
(Pssst, does she have a clue?)
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2005 13:51:54 GMT
Oh dear! From her website: Justine Greening is campaigning for an improved service on the District Line tube.
Along with hundreds of local commuters who have already signed up to the campaign, Justine is demanding...
improved frequency of trains between Wimbledon and central London
more direct trains to/from central London, with fewer lengthy waits at Earls Court
cleaner trains and cleaner stations with a crackdown on litter and graffiti.Erm, excuse me, but when did she last travel on the District? The trains are always cleaned at Wimbledon on almost every trip anyway! If the lovely customers decide to make a mobile rubbish skip of the train between Wimbledon and her getting on, that's just unlucky. If she's coming towards Wimbledon, then she can relax in the knowledge the train will be cleaned at Wimbledon! Improved frequency? On the Wimbledon branch? They already get a train every few minutes! OK so many of those trains go to Edgware Road, but I don't agree with the "lengthy wait" at Earl's Court unless we have signalling problems. Perhaps she'd like to persuade NR/LUL to renew the signalling on the Wimbledon branch? Good luck to her... |
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Post by Dmitri on May 6, 2005 16:25:56 GMT
Perhaps she'd like to persuade NR/LUL to renew the signalling on the Wimbledon branch? Good idea, I think. At leash, it will keep her busy  . |
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Post by piccadillypilot on May 6, 2005 16:30:22 GMT
If she makes the time and effort to understand how the railway works so that her suggestions are practical then indeed good luck to her.
However, she does seem to be suffering a significant disadvantage, that of being an MP. ;D
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Colin
Advisor
My preserved fire engine!
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Post by Colin on May 6, 2005 18:03:30 GMT
I live in Essex, where the average frequency for a train to central London is every 30 minutes. They should be grateful that their service is 4-5 minutes, and 10 mins in the evening. I wished!!
I can sympathise with the fact that the reliability at the moment has been poor - but at worst they've had to suffer a 10 minute wait. Most other underground user's would love to get the service level that the Wimbledon branch currently enjoy's!
Also, it's only customer's that use the public areas of trains, so if they treat it like a pig sty, what do they expect? In the morning peak, every train that arrives at a terminus has got a stations worth of metro newspapers all over the floors and seats. I'm all for leaving the odd paper for a driver to read another customer, but when every car has got 100 copies in it, it's like walking into a newsagents!
Good luck to Ms Greening, it'll be interesting to see how far she gets!!
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Post by tommy on May 6, 2005 18:07:28 GMT
I think I'll just add she won PUTNEY so she'd be boarding at any station from East Putney - West Brompton if my memory serves me correctly. She would get a higher frequency there than on the actual Wimbledon branch 'cause of the bay platform at Putney Bridge.
On the cleaner side of things, people can mess up trains in 3 stops quite easily!
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Post by Admin Team on May 6, 2005 19:02:07 GMT
If she makes the time and effort to understand how the railway works so that her suggestions are practical then indeed good luck to her. However, she does seem to be suffering a significant disadvantage, that of being an MP. ;D But that suggests that she's truly interested in the public transport system and not simply vote grabbing - surely that couldn't be the situation? I'm sure there's a number of people around the line who'd be more than happy to clarify things to her, not forgetting to mention of course that Queen margaret was a little implicated in the lack of investment that's been the problem for *several* years........ |
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Post by q8 on May 6, 2005 20:07:53 GMT
The Tory candidate, Justine Greening, has won the seat and wants to sort out the District Line.
You have been warned....I have gone deaf
(Pssst, does she have a clue?)......Probably not
The only train she's interested in mate is the gravy one.
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Post by piccadillypilot on May 6, 2005 20:38:05 GMT
But that suggests that she's truly interested in the public transport system and not simply vote grabbing - surely that couldn't be the situation? Oh heaven forbid!! Who would think such a thing? For anyone that hasn't it's worth reading "London Transport And The Politicians" by Paul Garbutt. It's now twenty years old, but it identifies the problem and nowt's changed since, apart from PPP. |
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2005 0:41:38 GMT
Oh it gets better! Been doing a bit of research and found this gem ( LINK) "I’ve met up with London Underground District Line Manager, Bob Thorogood and senior London Underground management to make sure they are on the case about getting more tube capacity feeding our stretch of the line to improve the service. An extra carriage on the smaller Edgeware[SIC] Road tubes is now planned. It’s a step forward, but my next aim is making sure it happens in the next few months if at all possible, rather than years. I’ll be seeing Mr Thorogood every month if I can to make sure those plans for more capacity become reality and are not forgotten or “de-prioritised”. How on earth does she expect them to add an extra car to the C stocks in "the next few months"? Even if they did manage to lengthen a C stock by some miracle, it would then have to run non-stop from High Street Ken to Edgware Road because it wouldn't fit in the platforms! Nice election promise which obviously worked, but there's no way it's gonna happen. |
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Post by Admin Team on May 7, 2005 7:26:16 GMT
Oh it gets better! Been doing a bit of research and found this gem ( LINK) "I’ve met up with London Underground District Line Manager, Bob Thorogood and senior London Underground management to make sure they are on the case about getting more tube capacity feeding our stretch of the line to improve the service. An extra carriage on the smaller Edgeware[SIC] Road tubes is now planned. It’s a step forward, but my next aim is making sure it happens in the next few months if at all possible, rather than years. I’ll be seeing Mr Thorogood every month if I can to make sure those plans for more capacity become reality and are not forgotten or “de-prioritised”. How on earth does she expect them to add an extra car to the C stocks in "the next few months"? Even if they did manage to lengthen a C stock by some miracle, it would then have to run non-stop from High Street Ken to Edgware Road because it wouldn't fit in the platforms! Nice election promise which obviously worked, but there's no way it's gonna happen. Good for her - I'm sure Big Bob will enjoy her visits..... I'm sure he'll take great delight in saying 'nothing to do with me lady - we can only operate the trains through the stations that are provided to us under the terms of PPP - we no longer own anything or have any say in the infrastructure'. Perhaps he'll suggest that she directs her attentions towards Metronet - after all, they're the provider and I'm sure they'll be able to whip up a collection of compatible trailer cars and extend all the platforms in a few weeks. I can't wait to hear her reactions to the real world! |
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Post by piccadillypilot on May 7, 2005 7:33:33 GMT
How on earth does she expect them to add an extra car to the C stocks in "the next few months"? Hence my comment about her gaining some understanding of the railway so that her suggestions are practical. It probably hasn't dawned on her that Cs and Ds are two totally different types of train. |
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Colin
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My preserved fire engine!
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Post by Colin on May 7, 2005 11:18:43 GMT
I'd so like to be a fly on the wall when she realises!! ;D |
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Post by piccadillypilot on May 7, 2005 12:38:38 GMT
I'd so like to be a fly on the wall when she realises!! ;D Quite, and when she discovers that trains are the length they are 'cause of things like platform lengths etc etc etc. I'm also guessing that she has no knowledge or understanding of the history and/or politics of the railway either. I'd be interested in her reaction when she discovers the reality of that as well. |
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Post by Dmitri on May 7, 2005 15:02:22 GMT
How on earth does she expect them to add an extra car to the C stocks in "the next few months"? Aside from obvoius technical problems, would it make any sense to lengthen trains on Wimbledon-Edgware Rd service? Is it really overcrowded when everything works as expected? |
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Tom
Administrator
Signalfel?
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Post by Tom on May 7, 2005 15:56:47 GMT
In my experience, yes.
What really scares me is this:
I remember a time about four or five years ago (when covered way 112 was being rebuilt) where the district line service to Ealing was cut to a train every twenty minutes in order to feed Wimbledon's demand and work around the possession. The only time Wimbledon doesn't have a train every few minutes is late in the evening when all the trains are going back to depot.
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solidbond
Staff Emeritus
'Give me 118 reasons for an Audible Warning on a C Stock'
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Post by solidbond on May 7, 2005 18:07:21 GMT
Hence my comment about her gaining some understanding of the railway so that her suggestions are practical. It probably hasn't dawned on her that Cs and Ds are two totally different types of train. But you could really confuse her by telling her that the Edgware Road and the main service BOTH have 6 cars, so why aren't they making the main service trains longer as well |
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Post by Admin Team on May 7, 2005 18:56:38 GMT
I KNOW!!!
We'll send her a blank piece of paper, tell her how many trains we've got, that the residents of the other branches do too like a train every now and then, explain to her the intricacies of signalling (don't forget to slot in the occasional Circle and H&C BTW), the need for headways etc etc and let her come up with a workable system!
If she manages that, at least she'll have a career to fall back on when her parliamentary comes to an end.
If she doesn't she could still have a career in railways though..............
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Post by piccadillypilot on May 7, 2005 21:45:35 GMT
We'll send her a blank piece of paper, I dare you!!! Try writing to her at the House of Commons, she'll be into work soon. |
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Post by citysig on May 8, 2005 12:00:55 GMT
Can't see what all the panic is about really.
At the end of the day, when was the last time any politician carried out a pledge to "make things better." How many years is it since "Things Can Only Get Better" was the theme for our now returning government. So what has got better.
The only thing MPs are good at is messing things up. Our industry is a prime example. Maybe if her party, when in power, had given the money required to keep the tube in good shape, instead of starting the privatisation, maybe by now the Wimbledon branch amongst others would have brand new clean rolling stock.
Please remember that she "represents" (I use the term losely) the travelling public. And what attitude do they ever have to us? Exactly. Just another case of someone thinking they can do better, but as we know, politicians are all the same - which is maybe why I had such a problem when I looked at my ballot paper.
If they could run government like we run a railway, I wouldn't be paying half my wages in income tax and the other half on fuel and council tax.
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Post by piccadillypilot on May 8, 2005 13:06:43 GMT
If they could run government like we run a railway, I wouldn't be paying half my wages in income tax and the other half on fuel and council tax. Hmmmm, surely (according to the Treasury's line of thought) the measure of efficiency of Government is maximising income for itself? If that's true then perhaps thanks that they are not more efficient might be more appropriate? |
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Post by citysig on May 8, 2005 17:07:53 GMT
They would be that kind of "efficient" on half the tax as, let's face it, they don't put the money to that good a use.
There will always be arguments around what the government does or does not do. Of course if the MP featured in this thread was part of the governing cabinet, I am sure she would have all kinds of defences on how "they" do the job properly and use our money in the best way. So there is a touch of irony when she questions the way in which we operate.
Just 10 years ago, her party were in power and were the ones responsible for how we have turned out now. The people she should look to for the state of the railways are wearing the same colours as her on every election day.
When we have an on-time service our profits are the same as the bad day (more or less) and the same staff turn up the next day to try and achieve it again. I wonder what perks they award themselves when a job is well done.
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Post by guest2 on May 8, 2005 22:18:47 GMT
Please remember that she "represents" (I use the term losely) the travelling public. And what attitude do they ever have to us? In no small part, "the travelling public" get fed up of unions calling strike action seemingly at the drop of a hat. While nobody should have to work at risk of getting a brick thrown through their window (and so the latest dispute has some merit unlike some others in the past), the punters end up wondering why tube staff shout "strike!" when they apparently haven't tried to do or suggest anything else to solve the problem. That's what pi$$es the punters off, I'm afraid. |
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Colin
Advisor
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Posts: 11,346
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Post by Colin on May 9, 2005 1:11:46 GMT
In no small part, "the travelling public" get fed up of unions calling strike action seemingly at the drop of a hat. While nobody should have to work at risk of getting a brick thrown through their window (and so the latest dispute has some merit unlike some others in the past), the punters end up wondering why tube staff shout "strike!" when they apparently haven't tried to do or suggest anything else to solve the problem. That's what pi$$es the punters off, I'm afraid. Strikes are not called at the drop of a hat, rather they are called to get the attention of management by losing the company revenue. Situations build up over time and withdrawing labour is the last tool in our armoury to get things changed. Taking your example, we have been getting 'bricked' for years. The company and British Transport police have made promises of action, for years. Nothing of note has really been done to sort it out, for years. After waiting, for years, we're finally going to see something done about it, by refusing to go anywhere near these bricks! It's got absolutely nothing to do with gaining public sympathy (though it would be a bonus), it's about getting LUL to tackle the problems rather than waiting for the brick thrower's to get bored and go away. Strikes over pay, which I suspect is yours and many other peoples main gripe, are no different. The public only get involved after months and months of negotiations and bargining. A lot of the time you will be told it's about pay and conditions - usually pay is not the issue, it's the conditions. For example, how much holiday, rota patterns, maximum hours without a break, length of meal breaks, etc. When the unions choose dates, yes they are chosen to cause disruption to the travelling public, because it is hoped the company will not want the publicity / loss of revenue, and will listen and put right the issue's concerned. The unions and LUL staff do not take stike action on a whim and will only use it as last resort after many, many months - even years of negotiations. |
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Post by trainopd78 on May 9, 2005 15:25:44 GMT
Aside from obvoius technical problems, would it make any sense to lengthen trains on Wimbledon-Edgware Rd service? Is it really overcrowded when everything works as expected? I've got to admit, the Wimbledon branch is always busy apart from at the traffic extremes. What soesn't help is that people with travelcards use the tube to go on a journey of one station eg West Brompton to Fulham Broadway or even West Brompton to Earls Court. Ok, further out the stations are further apart and the trains are emptier by then so its less of a problem. The Wimbledon branch takes 60% of the westbound passengers. The biggest problem with the wimbledon road is the NR operated bit between East Put and WIM. Its not only unreliable but even when working fine has a headway of only 2 1/2 mins because of the relatively inneficient NR multi aspect signalling system. Then ECS train of the SWT variety get mingled in and during the peaks the line is at capacity esp at WIM with trains coming in and out every 2 mins to give our 4 minute frequency with NR signalling restrictions. Since WTT 129, I think (apart from when it rains - getting embarrasing now!) we run pretty much ok. Go back 3 years with our badly written timetables and you'll find we have improved immeasurably. Our wage slips are testimony to that, as It is rare to have to put in overtime for late running. Before then it was every day! |
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Post by q8 on May 10, 2005 17:17:18 GMT
At the end of the day, when was the last time any politician carried out a pledge to "make things better."
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The last time an Elephant flew! Come to think of it that may not be so long ago as I seem to recall that there ara lot of "Dumbo's" at Westminster.
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Post by igelkotten on May 10, 2005 19:06:56 GMT
Heh.
Here in Stockholm, we have had a county politician who seemed to be obsessed with the idea of running freight through the tube network, thus abolishing a lot of delivery lorries etc in the inner city.
Questions about where exactly he planned on having the reloading facilities, how through workings were supposed to work, since the Stockholm tube loading gauge is not compatible with the mainline loading gauge, how to get around the interesting part with health and safety regulations -fire prevetion especially, and not least, who where the supposed customers, anyway?, were all met with a sneering dismissal of "old economy stick in the mudi-ism" , as he went forth on his crusade.
Fortunately, his party took a critical hit in the elections a few years ago, and he lost his seat.
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Post by c5 on May 11, 2005 0:58:31 GMT
I have to say that I agree with Ms Greening, there should be more trains on the Wimbledon Branch to Edgware Road ONLY ;D Joking aside tha part of the Railway gets a very good service about 5-7 minute for most of the day (until it rains or SWT decide to run some from East Putney) As for the state of the stations, I think she and fellow Wimbledon Branch passengers might like a visit to the Easy End. The stations down to Wimbledon are very nicely kept, with flowers, little graffitii (apart from all that london 2012 rubbish at Putney!) As has already been said the trains are cleared of newspapers and other litter at Wimbledon and Edgware Road. So all in all its a pretty good branch and lets hope it stays that way at 6.45 this moring when I am going home ;D By the way she has set up a survey on her website: www.wandsworthconservatives.com/campaigns.php?ID=8www.wandsworthconservatives.com/survey/survey.php?surveyid=10C5 |
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Post by igelkotten on May 11, 2005 2:31:00 GMT
Holy Metacones, C5!
Your avatar is almost 400 kB in size! Would you please change it to somethig smaller? I am on a broadband connection myself, but I suspect that those on dial-up are gritting their teeth.
The "resize avatar" function of these boards is somewhat deceptive: It only resizes the image displayed in the forum view -the actual image linekd to remains the same, and at the same size.
/Igelkotten
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Post by q8 on May 11, 2005 6:47:08 GMT
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