The Ticket Collector

Fares ‘revision’ 18th May.

On the 18th May the new revised fares will be coming into effect on the National Network. Some companies have withdrawn some tickets and replaced them with more expensive tickets.

In January 2008 the overall allowable average increase for regulated fares Peak day and Season Tickets was 4.8%, with variations by flow and ticket type up to a maximum 9.8% increase.

Some Train Companies did not use the full yearly increase and therefore will be increasing the tickets to the yearly maximum this time around.

National Express East Coast (NXEC) will be increasing their already expensive tickets some more in May. We have also received reports (from an unnamed travel centre clerk) that they will charge everyone without an advance ticket a seat reservation charge of £1 for each seat reserved. Is this to stop the season ticket holders reserving seats, or is it to pay for for a new seat reservation printer so they can finally put out reservations 07:20 at Peterborough and late night services out of Kings Cross?

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Guards on East Midland Trains to strike.

Guards part of the RMT union on East Midlands Trains (Previously Midland Mainline) are to go on strike on the first 3 Saturdays in May.

After voting for both strike action and action short of strike, the senior conductors, will not book on for shifts that commence between a minute after midnight and 23:59 on May 3, 10 and 17.

The dispute centres on East Midlands Trains plan to use managers and other grades to guard trains on Sundays and to impose a new grade of senior conductor with inferior conditions, outside existing negotiated structures.

“What started as a simple and easily resolved dispute about Sunday working has been escalated by the company into a total breakdown in industrial relations,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

“Using managers and other grades to cover guards’ work amounts to an attack on their safety-critical role, and attempting to impose new conditions without negotiation has escalated matters and undermined our agreed negotiating machinery.

“Not only has the company slapped a ban on RMT reps doing normal union duties, but we now understand that it is planning to ship in managers from other companies to cover guards’ turns, and that also has serious safety implications and can only escalate matters even further.

“The only people competent to operate a safe service on Sundays or any other day of the week are the professional, trained conductors who do it day in, day out.

“The solution to this dispute remains simple, but it involves the company stepping back from the brink and engaging in talks about Sunday running rather than trying to impose,” Bob Crow said.

Ticket names to change.

As if you were not already confused by the huge number of different ticket names, the powers that be have decided to change the names yet again.

So say goodbye to the SuperSaver, the Saver, the Cheap Day Return, the Standard Day Return and say hello to Super Off-Peak and Anytime.

The new ticket types are as follows.

Notwork Rail York to strike Easter Weekend

Update: We are now currently hearing reports that Notwork Rail have been told to make an 11th hour agreement. Furthermore if the strike does go ahead NXEC do not have an Emergency timetable ready.

Staff in Network Rail’s electrical control room at York are to strike for five days from 18:59 next Wednesday, March 19, over the company’s plan to cut the number of operators there by a third, from 18 to 12.

The union’s ten members in the control room, who voted unanimously to take action, will not book on for shifts that commence between 18:59 on March 19 and 06:59 on Monday March 24.

The electrical control room controls the current from York to Doncaster so services through that area will be effected. It also controls the current from Bedford to Moorgate West (TL). So FCC and EMT services could be affected.

Overhead wire problems at Thirsk

Services got back to normal later on Wednesday 13th.

Due to overhead wire problems at Thirsk (between Newcastle and York) servics have been suspended for the rest of the day.

The lines will remain closed until approximately 06:00 on Wednesday 13 February. On Wednesday, only three out of four lines will be available, so some alterations and delays can still be expected.

Train services are currently operating as follows:
National Express East Coast:
Train services are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation. Some services from Edinburgh towards London may terminate at Newcastle to ease congestion at Darlington.

CrossCountry:
CrossCountry services to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation.
CrossCountry services that normally start from and terminate at Newcastle are currently starting from and terminating at Derby. Customers travelling to/from Newcastle should use alternative CrossCountry services between Derby and York, replacement bus services between York and Darlington, and alternative services between Darlington and Newcastle.

First TransPennine Express:
Train services are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, and also between Middlesbrough and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation.

Grand Central:
The 16:50 London Kings Cross to Sunderland service will terminate at York. Customers should use bus services between York and Middlesbrough, and Northern Rail services between Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
The 06:46 Sunderland to London Kings Cross service on Wednesday morning is expected to be operating, but may be subject to a late start from Sunderland.

Customers using bus services between York and Darlington / Middlesbrough should allow at least an extra 60 minutes for their journey.

Alternative routes and easements:
Customers travelling between London and Scotland in either direction are advised to travel using Virgin Trains services between London Euston and Glasgow Central.

Customers travelling on CrossCountry services between Southern & South West England and Scotland via Newcastle are advised to change at Birmingham New Street to connect with Virgin Train services to Glasgow Central.

First ScotRail will accept National Express East Coast and CrossCountry customers between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh.

Customers may also use East Midlands Trains services between London St Pancras and Sheffield.

Severe weather warning - Friday 1st and 2nd February.

Severe weather conditions have been forecast by the Met Office for the UK for Friday 1 and Saturday 2 February. The weather warning is valid from 0001 Friday 1st until 0600 Saturday 2nd February.

The Met Office continues to forecast colder weather to spread southwards across the UK during Friday and at first on Saturday giving heavy snow in places. Areas most at risk include Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland from early on Friday, extending to northern and central England and much of Wales on Friday afternoon, and perhaps into southern areas on Friday evening. Northern areas could see accumulations of 10cm of snow, with up to 20cm on higher ground, and blizzard conditions and snow drifts could occur in strong winds. Southern areas could see accumulations of 2 to 5cm of snow by Saturday morning. Disruption to transport and power networks is likely and the public are advised to take extra care. This warning will be updated by 1200 Friday 1st February unless superseded by Flash warnings.

Update on GN route disruption.

Services back to normal from this morning.

22:15
National Express East Coast services are now running in/out of London Kings Cross.

21:50
Services are now running into London Kings Cross, Services continue to be subject to delays and cancelations.

19:05
All services into or out of Moorgate have been cancelled for the rest of the evening.

Services to Welwyn Garden City and Hertford are starting and terminating at Alexandra Palace. People wishing to use these services are advised to take the Piccadilly line to Wood Green underground station and walk to Alexandra Palace station.

Passengers for Cambridge and stations to Kings Lynn are advised to use underground services to London Liverpool Street and then ‘one’ railway services to Cambridge and then catch connecting train services to continue their journey.

Customers for Stevenage, Peterborough, Letchworth, are advised to use underground services to Finsbury Park station for replacement bus services to Stevenage and then shuttle train services to continue their journey.

18:50
Tickets are now being accepted on FCC Thameslink and East Midlands Trains from St. Pancras via reasonable routes.

18:38
Due to a major signalling failure in the Finsbury Park area services are unable to get to Kings Cross or Moorgate. Stopper services (to Hertford North and Welwyn Garden City) are being terminated at Alexandra Palace for an underground/bus connection.

Fast train services are also stopping at Alexandra Palace for connections with the stopper services, with the exception of the 12 Carriage services which will not fit on the platform.

Tickets are being accepted on London Underground, ‘one’ trains from London Liverpool Street and London Buses.

This is affecting Grand Central, First Hull Trains, First Capital Connect and National Express East Coast.

Further information will be posted on here as and when it is available.