Politics

[Sweep]

3 hours ago, Traf said:

Northern Shithouse

Believe it or not, that's the name that comes up on my phone, when you call me 🙂

[frank_spencer]

13 hours ago, Winchester White said:

HS2 has been a disaster from the off, why are we so bad at large infrastructure projects?

Anyway, this Northern Powerhouse malarkey is going well isn't it...

 

Always have been it's not even a Tory government thing. 

One of the main reasons is we try doing things on the cheap so sit on needed projects as the problem worsens and the cost climbs. Then crisis point hits and you end up with a panic job done for about the same as the original estimate years ago but doesn't actually solve anything long term.

Other countries seem to just get shit done.

[Duck Egg]

11 hours ago, Sweep said:

.....because we have a terribly inefficient work force, is my guess

The poor transport options up here must surely effect efficiency? No surprise the North East and Wales are high on that list.

[Traf]

1 hour ago, Sweep said:

Believe it or not, that's the name that comes up on my phone, when you call me 🙂

I'll take that as a compliment xx

[Sweep]

11 hours ago, Duck Egg said:

The poor transport options up here must surely effect efficiency? No surprise the North East and Wales are high on that list.

Definitely, the train system in the North West is an embarrassment, in fact it's a scandal how bad it is. A few years ago, down here, we got all new rolling stock on the Peterborough to London and Cambridge to London lines (which are the ones I use) and then again last year, another new lot of rolling stock appeared. The trains are lovely, granted the service is sometimes not as good as it can be, but generally a train into London every 30 minutes, and generally no standing is required on the carriages, as they put enough on. The cost is still far too high, but at least it's a half decent service. Some of the stories I hear of folk trying to get a train even from Bolton to Manchester sound horrendous

[Casino]

i suppose its all but main line, but our london to ipswich train last time was a stunner

 

miles better than the west coast shit which obvs is miles better than the rest of the northern stock

[Spider]

1 hour ago, Casino said:

i suppose its all but main line, but our london to ipswich train last time was a stunner

 

miles better than the west coast shit which obvs is miles better than the rest of the northern stock

Got a train to Manchester last Thursday and have to say the new rolling stock is superb.

There’s nowhere near enough of it, like.

[BobyBrno]

Since the electrification of the Manchester to Preston/Blackpool line, there has been a huge improvement. I have very few complaints but I mostly travel off-peak. It was a bit of a nightmare when I went to the Test at OT though. Absolutely rammed at 8.30 am but a lot were doing the same as me and going for the cricket so I don’t know if that was normal. 

[Traf]

TPE rolling stock seems better than Northern's

[Not in Crawley]

my local train is very nice; either Thameslink or southeastern. Have no issues with either.

[Marc505]

2 hours ago, Sweep said:

Definitely, the train system in the North West is an embarrassment, in fact it's a scandal how bad it is. A few years ago, down here, we got all new rolling stock on the Peterborough to London and Cambridge to London lines (which are the ones I use) and then again last year, another new lot of rolling stock appeared. The trains are lovely, granted the service is sometimes not as good as it can be, but generally a train into London every 30 minutes, and generally no standing is required on the carriages, as they put enough on. The cost is still far too high, but at least it's a half decent service. Some of the stories I hear of folk trying to get a train even from Bolton to Manchester sound horrendous

It put things in perspective for me this week when making time plans for Reading, that there's a train from Paddington to Reading and back approximately every 4 minutes or so😂

[Sweep]

7 minutes ago, Not in Crawley said:

 

 

All our trains are like this one - usually a minimum of 10 carriages at a time, up to about 16 carriages at peak times, hence not very often you need to have to stand up - obviously the "train load indicator" helps make sure that folk don't all crowd into the same few carriages

[Ani]

The train services into Leeds are brilliant during the day. Rush hour is a disaster.  We are one stop from Leeds so trains are rammed when (if) they arrive. 
 

The biggest difference between London and rest of the UK is the range of public transport options. Leeds does not have a tram service and I have used a bus maybe 5 times in last 10 years. When we do aways in London usually meet some mates down there who 'plan' our journey. As everything is linked you just scan your debit card. Up here you need a different ticket for every step, bought before you board. But they have us getting trains, tubes, express buses. 

[Winchester White]

Our local station has been extended to fit the newer, longer electric trains. Only issue is since electrification the trains stop less frequently.

[mickbrown]

Read somewhere that since we announced HS2 China had built 24,000 miles of high speed track. 
 

 

 

[Spider]

4 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

Read somewhere that since we announced HS2 China had built 24,000 miles of high speed track. 
 

 

 

They can - and do - pay folk £1 an hour to do it.

And they have over a billion to choose from.

We are not the same

[Winchester White]

3 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

Read somewhere that since we announced HS2 China had built 24,000 miles of high speed track. 
 

 

 

I also read it was costing something like 10 times the average amount per mile than the rest of Europe.  Not sure if it is true or not but with figures of £100bn talked about just to get to Brum you can start to believe it.

I wonder if they started at Leeds and Manchester and worked South we would have the same reluctance to continue the project?

[mickbrown]

3 minutes ago, Spider said:

They can - and do - pay folk £1 an hour to do it.

And they have over a billion to choose from.

We are not the same

I know that but we’ve only got to go 200 miles. 
 

It was a shite idea anyway. I hope they fuck it off and get the local trains sorted.
 

But we know that’ll be a dogs dinner. I remember my line making a big thing about replacing those Pacer bus body disgraces with new stock. Was South West Rail hand me downs because they got new trains

[Traf]

They need to sort West to East out before spunking a gazillion pounds making London 7 minutes nearer.

[Spider]

Hmmmmm

 

[Winchester White]

Also rumours of a Sunday Times splash.

Any idea?

[Winchester White]

Interesting listen to improve inequality between the rich and poor.

 

[Not in Crawley]

2 hours ago, Sweep said:

All our trains are like this one - usually a minimum of 10 carriages at a time, up to about 16 carriages at peak times, hence not very often you need to have to stand up - obviously the "train load indicator" helps make sure that folk don't all crowd into the same few carriages

If I ever have to wait longer than 5 mins i get the right hump. Thankfully doesn't happen often and never bother looking at times before I leave the house. 18 mins to Victoria, 20 to Blackfriers. All good.

[Nowack]

32 minutes ago, Winchester White said:

Also rumours of a Sunday Times splash.

Any idea?

According to pobitch

"Fleet Street has been abuzz this afternoon with chat that one of the weekend papers is braced to drop an explosive story we hear will open up a whole new front on #MeToo."

[Mounts Kipper]

1 hour ago, Traf said:

They need to sort West to East out before spunking a gazillion pounds making London 7 minutes nearer.

I said this when it was first announced. Travel times east-west are pathetic.