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 Some companies have withdrawn some tickets and replaced them with more expensive tickets.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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New Rail Forum Launched.

A new rail forum for employees and enthusiasts working on and around the East Coast Mainline has recently been launched by our friends at Eastcoastchat.co.uk. Launched only in March the site has seen steady growth with a solid user base.

The forum has something for everyone whether you’re a steam enthusiast or working on a station platform. If your interested in anything to do with the East Coast Mainline we would strongly suggest you pay our friends at at Eastcoastchat.co.uk a visit.

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.

50 MPH speed restriction on East Coast Mainline

Notwork Rail have issued a 50MPH Emergency Speed Restriction for all trains between Stevenage and Berwick, and Between Stevenage and Royston as from 0900 to 1500hrs”A blanket 50mph ESR will be imposed from Stevenage north to Peterborough and from Stevenage north to Royston on Wednesday 12th March from 09.00 to 15.00hrs. National Express East Coast and First Hull Trains will be further affected by the restriction which runs as far as Berwick. ”

The following trains have currently been confirmed as Cancelled on Wednesday 12 March.

09.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
10.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross
10.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
11.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
11.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross
12.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
12.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross
13.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
13.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross
14.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
14.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross

NXEC HST broken down at Sandy

Update: Normal Services have resumed.

We are currently receiving reports that an NXEC HST train has caught fire between Hitchin and Sandy. This has now been confirmed as a MTU engine fire

There were several NXEC cancellations due to this:
10:35 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 12:54
11:10 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 13:41
11:35 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 13:55
12:40 Leeds to London Kings Cross due 15:05
13:40 Leeds to London Kings Cross due 15:58

10:30 London Kings Cross to Aberdeen due 17:38
11:30 London Kings Cross to Newcastle due 14:47
Both started from Peterborough

NXEC takes down the wires at Biggleswade AGAIN.

What was it NX promised when they took over GNER? A new era in train travel?

Well they certainly exceeded expectations today!!

Shortly after 12pm this afternoon reports came through of several sections of the overhead wires on the ECML tripping out.

Another train was sent to investigate and reported that the wires had come down and were wrapped around an NXEC pantograph.

The Notwork Rail overhead line team gave an ETA of 1 hour to arrive to check the lines. Shortly after this the slow lines in both directions were reopened to diesel traffic at 20mph.

NX as per normal decided in their infinite wisdom that everything was hunky dory and perfect until at 13:10 they finally added a message to their website. Though what that message was is anyone’s guess as it was just blank. At 13:15 the blank message turned into something of sense.
At the time of writing this entry the website is still showing the same message timed at 13:15. Nice to see that the people at NXEC know how to update the site.
NX also refused to add extra stops on their diesel services, stating that they would run to the timetable as normal.

Buses were ordered by FCC to take passengers between Stevenage, Hitchin and Peterborough. Services towards Cambridge were not affected at first. However after a while due to the trains being in the wrong places and NXEC trains hogging up the lines other operators services were delayed and then cancelled.

Eventually the go ahead was given to allow electric trains back on the slow lines at a maximum “coasting” speed of 40mph.

Services still had huge delays, due to their being only one line working instead of two and again due to the fact that NXEC trains were hogging up the lines.

Credit must be given to First Hull Trains for having the decency to stop at the little stations on the ECML such as Arlesey when they did not have to and could have run straight through these stations. NXEC could have so easily stopped at these stations but more then likely would have stated “that they would run to the timetable as normal.”

Compensation will be paid out as below.
First Capital Connect Claim Form

• Customers delayed on First Capital Connect services between 30 and 59 minutes will receive compensation of at least 50% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 50% of the cost of either portion of a return ticket (by ‘portion’ we mean either the outward or the return part of a return ticket).
• Customers delayed on First Capital Connect services over 60 will receive compensation of at least 100% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 100% of the cost of either portion of a return ticket (by ‘portion’ we mean either the outward or the return part of a return ticket).
• FCC Claim Form

NXEC Claim Form

• Customers delayed on National Express East Coast services between 30 and 59 minutes will receive compensation of at least 50% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 50% of the cost of either portion of a return ticket (by ‘portion’ we mean either the outward or the return part of a return ticket).
• Customers delayed on National Express East Coast services between 60 and 119 minutes will receive compensation of at least 100% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 100% of the cost of either portion of a return ticket (by ‘portion’ we mean either the outward or the return part of a return ticket).
• Customers delayed on National Express East Coast services for 120 minutes or longer will receive compensation of at least 100% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 100% of the cost of a return ticket (i.e. both ways, not just one way).
• NXEC Claim Form
  

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.