The Ticket Collector

Request for Cash! and Ideas?

Ok so now this site has finally started getting popular, the server bills are starting to bite. Well the host which is currently hosting me actually deserves to have their bills paid.

The RailFares programme did take a lot of bandwith when it was hosted on this site, it is now hosted on a fellow bloggers site which we are thankfull for. link
But to the nitty gritty, this site needs cash*. We are considering offering people @theticketcollector.co.uk email addresses for a small donation, but that is one of many ideas.

We also need cash to build up an advertising budget. We are thinking about doing some stickers/polo shirts/merchandise to further promote the site.

On another subject we are asking you, our visitors to send in ideas on how to a)make the site more popular b)increase our cashflow c)anything else you think would benefit the site.

We are committed to making this site stay free, as most important of all you deserve to know the truth.

*or gift vouchers.

Now its overhead problems in Huntingdon AGAIN.

Some people at notwork rail really need to be a)retrained b)sacked c)shot and shot again. It was only a few weeks ago when the overheads failed at Huntingdon before.

Services are subject to severe delays and possible short cancelations due to the Overheads failing in the Huntingdon area.
GNER are currently running to an amended timetable for the rest of today which can be download here. An hourly shuttle GNER HST diesel train service will operate between Peterborough and Stevenage calling at Huntingdon.

First Capital Connect will operate a replacement bus service between Peterborough and Huntingdon. Services from London will terminate at Huntingdon.

Notwork Rail currently hope to complete repairs by 1400 this afternoon. Normal services will resume as soon as possible after the line reopens.

13:10 A normal service has resumed.
Residual alterations and delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected until 16:00

Here comes the rain again - Updated Monday 23rd

People are advised to check the relevent railway companies websites before traveling, if they are traveling in the next few days.

Currently problems are happening on Central Trains, Chiltern Railways, First Great Western and Virgin Trains

More information can be found at the very slow loading National Rail website.

Central Trains:
The Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central route is now open and a normal service is expected to operate.
The route between Birmingham New Street and Hereford will operate only between Birmingham and stations to Great Malvern due to flooding at Ledbury. Replacement road transport is not available due to poor road conditions.

Chiltern Railways:
Damage caused by flooding will affect services between Amersham and Aylesbury. It is expected that a near normal service will operate on other lines.

First Great Western:
The route between Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford will remain closed. A limited service is expected to run between Gloucester and Worcester.
Due to rising water levels in the River Thames in the Oxford area, it is expected that the route between Didcot and Oxford will close in the early hours of Monday morning and not reopen until at least 12:00. Replacement road transport will not be available.

A near normal service is expected on all other routes, subject to short notice alterations and cancellations.

Virgin Trains:
The route between Birmingham New Street and Gloucester has now reopened.
The route between Reading and Oxford has been closed and is not expected to reopen before Thursday 26 July.

Silverlink - three days of strike action. SUSPENDED

A new deal has been offered and we are awaiting confirmation of the suspension.
Guards, Retail and Revenue staff have voted seven to one to take action against Silverlink and parent company National Express after an insulting pay increase of 3.6 percent was offered.

Strike dates are currently set as July 30th, August 13 and 27th. August 27th is also the second day of the Notting Hill Carnival.

MORE THAN 350 members of Britain’s biggest rail union at Silverlink are to take three days of strike action in a dispute over the company’s below-inflation pay offer.
Guards and retail and revenue staff voted by more than seven to one to take action after the company tabled a 3.6 per cent pay offer - way below the industry norm and considerably less than offers made to other grades at the company.
Three separate 24-hour strikes have been set for shifts that commence between 00:01 and 23:59 on July 30 and August 13 and 27.
“Our members have made it clear to Silverlink with a massive vote for strike action that they are not prepared to accept what amounts to a pay cut,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.
“This isn’t just the worst pay offer in the industry this year, it is also way below the offers they have made to other members of their own workforce.
“If Silverlink’s parent, National Express, can afford to pay out £50 million in dividends to its shareholders on the back of £104 million in profits, they can afford to offer their workforce a reasonable pay deal.
“If Silverlink want to avoid strike action they should acknowledge our members’ anger, get real and sit down with us to negotiate a sensible pay deal,” Bob Crow said.

Problems on GN route Monday

FCC had some severe problems on their GN route yesterday.

The rumors are currently stating that 2 trains all failed in the Royston/Ashwell area. This caused a surge in power on the overheads and subsequenty the power failed. This is unconfirmed, so dont be telling your boss this is the reason you were late yesterday.

No services were running for a while first thing in the morning, this was due to another failed train somewhere in the Letchworth/Hitchin/Stevenage area. This affected FCC, GNER and Hull Trains.

Services started to get back to normal for Peterborough passengers, but passengers to/from Cambridge were subject to severe delays and had to get a shuttle service between Hitchin and Royston and between Royston and Cambridge.

According to National Rail the line re-opened at around 1730. Services got back to timetable at around 20:00

Arriva wins Cross Country - The in depth report.

Ok further to the previous post about arriva winning the new Cross Country Franchise here is what they plan to do.

Arriva has informed us that they plan to remove the on board shop and one toilet from each train set to provide extra seats and luggage space for passengers.

Catering provided to customers at their seats, including hot meals in first class on weekdays

You think you can get a trolley through a packed train during peak times? Haha

A new web-based ticketing system will be introduced from December 2009 which will allow customers to reserve seats up to 10 minutes before their train leaves, print tickets at home, receive and display tickets on mobile phones and receive customised journey information packs. The franchise will also accept smartcard tickets issued by other train companies;

Error the webpage cannot be displayed, due to another cockup by your train operator Arriva.

Wi-Fi access, which will be free in first class;

Yipeee, free internet on a train. Oh but wait dont GNER have this already and wait doesnt it only allow downloads at some pathetic speed of around 3Kbps.

Delay/Repay compensation arrangements.
50% of the price paid for a single-leg journey delayed by between 30 and 59 minutes;
100% of the price paid for a single-leg journey delayed by between 60 and 119 minutes; and
100% of the price paid for a return journey delayed by more than 119 minutes.

But you have to go to the shop to get proof you were on a delayed train, but oh no wheres the shop gone. Yep Arriva have done away with the shop to give you an extra seat. Ah but yes theres still the trolley, but nooo you cant find it - Techical Problems have foreced it off the train apparently. And the staff? All stuck at Birmingham New Street because they lost the train your on.

This is going to be one major cock up. Oh and remember Arriva is your friendly “lets go on strike every weekend” company. You think First Group are bad? Just wait till you see Arriva. Do the words Arriva Trains Wales ring fear into you? If not they should.

The next train to depart for somewhere up north is this lovely classic class 142 pacer, its a railbus. Imagine this on your 4 hour journey. It could well happen with Arriva.

Arriva wins Cross Country Franchise

God help us all is all I can say.

Virgin have lost the Cross Country Franchise and the company behind Arrivia Trains Wales and previously Arrivia Trains Northern (yes the one that went on strike every weekend) has won it.

It will be interesting to see how quickly they can bugger it up.

Arriva have no experince of running a long distance train company.