Just a random thread where you can say random things about railways that irritate you. Could be about Railfanning (or trainspotting as most people like me across the pond say), model trains, just anything that irritates you about railways! I’ll start: One thing that irritates me is when I have an entire plan to see something rare, and it gets cancelled.
Travelling in a hermetically sealed tube, can’t open a door droplight anymore. Constant on train announcements. Network Rail’s inability to tidy lineside foliage so you can see the scenery from the train. The obsession with installing welded rail everywhere. Passengers babbling on their mobile phone even in so called quiet carriages. GWR inability to keep sufficient 9 car Cucumbers in traffic and substituting with a 5 car. Ironing board seats, even on long distance trains. Proper catering cars being replaced by (card only) trolley service. Gatelines at stations then you still get gripped on the train anyway.
Other foamers at events; something about events, shows, and open houses tends to bring the worst out of some many railfans. So many are rude, pushy, loud, obnoxious, and act unsafely. It's not everyone, but the ones that do behave as such tend to ruin it for the rest of us that just want to go out and enjoy some trains.
Passengers. They are the most annoying thing in existence. Whether it's asking for toilets (no, they're not on the platform, otherwise the sign you clearly walked past would've said so), which train is theirs (again, plenty of things around which tell you this). Or, and this really annoys me, when they're adamant that they can get from A to B despite me, who works at A, knowing all incoming and outgoing trains telling them otherwise. The customer is always right, unless they're after a train to London at 11'o clock at night, four hours after the last train to London has already left. There's a lot more that irritates me, but at that point I'd be writing several 50,000 word essays. There's a lot you can learn in regards to psychology just by working at a train station.
Graffiti. Art (or as I like to call it, vandalism) doesn't belong on other people's stuff without permission, no matter how appealing is may be to some. This goes for Banksy too, although I don't think his work is quite as destructive as paint.
Not to mention putting themselves in danger going on the line to do it. There was an incident in South London a few years back where two "graffers" got taken out by a train. My sympathy 110% with the driver and people who had to go and clear it up. That's why I get rather irritated sometimes at DTG allowing their artists to put graffiti on routes where IRL it would be necessary to trespass and put themselves at risk. In fact very surprised the likes of Network Rail or DB haven't looked at this stuff and applied a cease and desist on it.
Or that time I was cleaning a train and there was a lot of graffiti in the toilet and on the inside windows. Took three of us (as we were at the time) to scrub it off.
God almighty I'm fuming tonight. I have an aggressive form of Fibromyalgia and associated anxiety which stopped me leaving the house for years. I started going to football matches again and despite being in the Premier League my club really look after disabled fans. Then I started going back to see live bands and......the difference has been noticeable from the major ticketing agencies. Last week I had to give up on seeing one of my favourite bands, The Super Furry Animals, as they'd apparently sold out all seated and accessible tickets in the "pre-sale". Today I got an email from a London venue to say (without explanation) that the seated ticket I'd bought to see Sprints has been moved to the standing area and I can either get a full refund or stand despite paying extra for a seat. I won't name the agency but it seems like a scam. Emailed them back and the only option I have is to join the waiting list for an accessible seat. I've been down that road before, the gig is two weeks away so I know I won't be going, but I did email the venue to express my annoyance. Then checked my emails this evening to find that there's been a venue change for a gig I'd booked for in February. The original venue had kindly offered me a seat next to the stage as it was all-standing so I didn't inquire further about an accessible ticket at the time. Now the ticket agency has responded on this one too, "Did you buy an accessible ticket? If not, you'll have to join the waiting list". I am so close to giving up bothering but live music has been so important in my life. I've written to the managers of all three bands to ask for their comments. I hate taking-up accessible tickets as there are people who are in far more need than me. All I need is a flippin chair, maybe I should take my own. Sorry to unload, I needed to share.
I know it's not railway-related, but my word based on that I think we can allow it. Right? Did you at least plan to get there by train?
Ha, yes. I love traveling by train and use them whenever possible, it's the safest way to travel in my opinion. It'll be a Class 720 on the way and likely a Class 745 plus a taxi on the way home as the mile walk home at night from my station is up-hill, dark and a bit of a challenge for my rubbish body. One of the band, Sprints, may (please don't check this on the internet) have named themselves after the legendary Sprinter DMUs. On a serious note. I must offer my apologies, I failed to notice in my flurry of fury earlier that this is a "Railway things that irritate you" thread. Mods, please move my post, relegate me to idiots' corner or take away my ranting privileges for a few weeks as punishment.
The toilets on the class 700. I mean why would you make a toilet where the door opens and stinks out the carriage every time the train accelerates.
I wouldn't trust this labour government to renationalise my toilet. My point is BR should never have been privatised in the first place. Particularly as the Tories told so many lies to justify the decision.
So can I get this straight: Privatisation was bad. Renationalisation is worse than keeping the private companies. Have I understood correctly or have I missed something?
No renationalisation is good if done properly. Which wouldn't be the case with this shower of a government.
Since privatisation the trains are mostly on-time in my area. I remember the br days! Even if you left a couple of hours early you would arrive late.
London Bridge. As a Londoner from north of the river in AC land. It was always a confusing mess full of people crossing your path, loud confusing announcements and signs that seem to point you towards the long way to get you where you need to be. Today I visited it for the first time since it was rebuilt and......it's the same, just less dingy. First time on a Class 376 too. I wasn't missing much.
No, but the process had already begun before Labour took office after winning the last general election. Remember that TPE, Northern, LNER and a few others had already been taken over by the government under OLR agreements so basically the same as nationalisation.
I'd say the nationalisation process went back further. The end of Railtrack was the first acknowledgement that the privatisation model, as built by the Government of the day in the 90s wasn't working. Obviously safety concerns always trump the fact that owners of TOCs were struggling to make a profit or that the TOC model meant that money was going into the system and moving around with diminishing returns. Fares and subsidies were being fed into "the railway" and were being bounced around between TOCs, the track access owners and the ROSCOs. All of which cost money, led to red tape and reduced the "value proposition" for everyone. Once GBR is a thing and it's proving itself the next step will see the DfT step into rolling stock purchasing. I can see a time when GBR can do what BR once did; designing, building and maintaining trains in-house. It will lead to rolling stock standardisation. The new trains we've seen delivered under Privatisation, especially those built over the last 15 years may end-up not achieving their full service lives unless the DfT can buy them from ROSCOs. I should add, having worked for British Rail, a shadow TOC and a TOC, that Nationalisation will not cure all of the network ills unless the DfT ensure that railway people are employed from top to bottom and that they have open ears to ideas about improving and expanding the current network. A well run Privatised network is always better than a badly managed nationalised one. The hard work starts when GBR comes into being.
It doesn't matter who came up with the idea or when it started. What matters is what the current government decides to do with it. Literally every single decision relating to GBR is in Labour's hands while they are in government.
