It's things like this that make it impossible for me to live in the UK. I get too angry.
The privatisation of BR seemed to go through without any resistance really.
Get a grip - something broke unfortunately
Yeah, something always breaks. That's my point, halfwit.
Not any need for that, is there? Bloke's making a perfectly valid point. I bet wherever you live has it's own share of problems.
COmiserations to everyone caught up in the grief - I've been there before, it's not fun knowing you aren't going to make the game and having to sit it out on a train in the middle of nowhere
You don't see it happening with such frequency in other countries. End of.
I've lived in both Spain and Italy for varying periods of time in the past. The train services there were absolutely appalling. They were cheaper, admittedly - and when everything worked well they were fine. When it didn't - they were absolutely atrocious. No information given, no refunds, surly staff - worse even than the arseholes who work for TOCs in the UK. I've been to Paris four times for work in the past two years. Every time I've been, there have been problems of varying severity on the Metro. People have a rose-tinted view of other countries' transport systems - whilst the UK is bad, it's not as bad as others - though it certainly is more expensive.
Years ago me and a mate going up to Carlisle the year we went up under lennie. Got to basingstoke train station at 4.50 to catch the 5.10 to waterloo. Hardly anyone one the station and by 5.30 getting worried only to find someone you said driver was sick and they couldn't find someone else, so either wait til the 6.10 or catch the slow train at 545 the fast one would get in first. Got that one but missed the train up north to make it in time tried but missed the whole game, never got a penny back and can understand how you feel.
Just got back home, aborted at Leicester got train to Birmingham and back to Euston from there. Saw my 15 year old son with a tear in his eye for the first time in a long while. Gutted isn't the word
I was on the 10.55. Got to Leicester at 3:10 and decided to call it, were a fair few Charlton about town.
So we spent £80 between 2 of us to watch the scores come in on BBC in 'Spoons, then had to wait another 2 hours for a train to London. I am very, very happy that we won but overall it was a wasted, expensive day which allllmost makes me want to get the coach again.
I was on the 10.55. Gave up & got off at Leicester at 15.20. Everything to Sheffield/London was cancelled. Asked a staff member who said trains were now running & listen for announcements. So decided to do that rather than start heading across country to Birmingham.
A train was announced soon after, so was back at St Pancras by 16.50. Listened to the 2nd half on player on someone's laptop.
What about others on the 10.55 ?
If you tried to get home via Birmingham, what time did you get back to London ?
If you stayed on the train to Sheffield, did you get to see any of the game & if so was it worth the extra hassle ? IE Did you get home as scheduled or were there continuing delays ?
Glad we won, but have to say am absolutely gutted I missed it.
Leroy I'm with Ashtray. Are we down there with Spain and Italy now. these are countries which throughout my life have had crap railways. Not surprising when one in my lifetime was a dictatorship, and the other has the Mafia as a significant layer of management in every walk of life. We invented the sodding railways, and w should be comparing ourselves to Germany not Spain or Italy - although note that both have made great strides with high -speed, and have far more kilometres of it than we do. UK railway privatisation was and is a stinking disgrace, which I'm happy to enlarge on. Of course what happened yesterday could happen anywhere. The point is that what happened yesterday is unacceptable. Unless it turns out that it was caused by stolen metal (and I haven't heard that yet from Network Rail), somebody didnt do their bloody job, and should be held to account. By which I mean the company, not hapless overworked individuals. Network Rail are in court over Grayrigg, don't forget. As for Chirpy Red saying "nothing you can do" well sod that.
Leroy I'm with Ashtray. Are we down there with Spain and Italy now? These are countries which throughout my life have had crap railways. Not surprising when one in my lifetime was a dictatorship, and the other has the Mafia as a significant layer of management in every walk of life. We invented the sodding railways, and w should be comparing ourselves to Germany not Spain or Italy - although note that both have made great strides with high -speed, and have far more kilometres of it than we do. UK railway privatisation was and is a stinking disgrace, a view I'm happy to enlarge on. Of course what happened yesterday could happen anywhere. The point is that what happened yesterday is unacceptable. Unless it turns out that it was caused by stolen metal (and I haven't heard that yet from Network Rail), somebody didn't do their bloody job, and should be held to account. By which I mean the company, not hapless overworked individuals. Network Rail are in court over Grayrigg, don't forget. As for Chirpy Red saying "nothing you can do", well sod that. They bought train tickets for the purpose of getting to the football. The tickets were not fit for the purpose. They should get a refund. Basic Sale of Goods Act stuff. Everybody should get together and loudly publicly demand a refund, together with the cost of ancillaries such as the match tickets. The British need to learn that we get crap service because we just meekly accept it. Organise it on this forum and get stuck in. If I'd been on one of those trains I'd be leading the charge.
Was on the 10.55, also gave up at Leicester. Went to get something to eat, found out about Jacko's goal in the queue at Burger King.
Went back to the station afterwards and hung around there looking at the board that said all trains were cancelled.
Was standing near a guy who was working who had a message come through on his walkie talkie that a train to London was coming soon. He said to a couple of us to go to platform 4, which we did, and managed to jump on the train (this was about 4 o clock).
As far as I know there was no PA message to anyone else waiting in the station, and the train was half empty!
Spent the whole journey back as a bundle of nerves, waiting for updates from someone listening to the game at home! The text at 16.48 telling me I could celebrate went a long way to making up for the day.
As the 10.25 & 10.55 were more than two hours late they should refund the full return fare, although they may try to hide behind the two journeys argument if you bought singles each way. On the other hand, the 18.27 was cancelled altogether.
Probably the most frustrating aspect of this was that having proceeded through the area of the fault they held the 10.25 outside Leicester for about 40 minutes, even allowing another train to overtake us into the station. Without that we could still have got into Sheffield just after 3pm.
Having said that, I was very suspicious that they were going to turn the train round at Leicester to make their life easier later and the train manager - who was good value in an impossible situation - made the case to her bosses for taking the Charlton fans on to Sheffield, which meant those who didn't get off saw the second half.
As for the idiot stewards who didn't want to admit the fans who arrived at half-time ("Shut the gate on them, quick!"), despite Wednesday knowing about the problem before 3pm, they were lucky it didn't kick off.
Airman, as a goodwill gesture, do you think Charlton or Sheff W, would consider refunding the match ticket costs, provided that you still hold the tickets as proof ?
Is this something you could officially put to the "board", when in work ?
Airman, as a goodwill gesture, do you think Charlton or Sheff W, would consider refunding the match ticket costs, provided that you still hold the tickets as proof ?
Is this something you could officially put to the "board", when in work ?
I cannot imagine Sheffield Wednesday would be interested, based on previous experience elsewhere (and given their staff didn't even want to let people in late when they had tickets), and they have the ticket money. I am sure we will discuss what happened tomorrow as I was in contact with Steve K throughout, but I don't know that we can help. In any event the people who got there at half-time will have unused tickets because we pushed our way in.
Airman, as a goodwill gesture, do you think Charlton or Sheff W, would consider refunding the match ticket costs, provided that you still hold the tickets as proof ?
Is this something you could officially put to the "board", when in work ?
I cannot imagine Sheffield Wednesday would be interested, based on previous experience elsewhere (and given their staff didn't even want to let people in late when they had tickets), and they have the ticket money. I am sure we will discuss what happened tomorrow as I was in contact with Steve K throughout, but I don't know that we can help. In any event the people who got there at half-time will have unused tickets because we pushed our way in.
I know Sheff W wouldn't do anything and obviously Charlton have zero obligation. I just thought they might, as a good will gesture. (Tell them that I also forked out about £200 in 3 train fares to/from Rochdale last season for me & Covered End Junior, as did you:-).
Anyway, I know you appreciate the situation & thank-you in advance.
I'm going up to St Pancras again to 'talk it over with them ' tomorrow. The E. Mids Trains delay form doesn't cover what happened yesterday as it only takes into account completed journeys that were delayed. I'd bought 2 single tickets and only got as far as Bedford with a 2 hour delay. They may argue that I could have got there via replacement bus and then another train but as that would have got me to Sheffield around 4.30 there was no point. Also the train I was to return on (19.27) could well have run and on time meaning I'd have no claim to a refund on that.
I'm going up to St Pancras again to 'talk it over with them ' tomorrow. The E. Mids Trains delay form doesn't cover what happened yesterday as it only takes into account completed journeys that were delayed. I'd bought 2 single tickets and only got as far as Bedford with a 2 hour delay. They may argue that I could have got there via replacement bus and then another train but as that would have got me to Sheffield around 4.30 there was no point. Also the train I was to return on (19.27) could well have run and on time meaning I'd have no claim to a refund on that.
I'll let you know how I get on.
They will claim compensation from Network Rail for the signalling fault, so I don't think they'll be unreasonable. If it is more than two hours late they refund 100 per cent of the return fare. Even allowing for the potential for them to argue you were making two journeys as you bought two singles, I can't see anything about you having to complete the journey and if the train is that late it's clearly reasonable for you to abort it.
Probably the most frustrating aspect of this was that having proceeded through the area of the fault they held the 10.25 outside Leicester for about 40 minutes, even allowing another train to overtake us into the station. Without that we could still have got into Sheffield just after 3pm.
I was on a train a couple of weeks ago to York for work and was thrown off at Grantham .We saw the next two trains go through before we were picked up by a local service and I then I needed to additionally change at Doncaster . I enquired of the very helpfull station staff and they explained that Network Rail and the Toc's do this to limit their financial exposure to compensation to a minimum amount of trains .
I can't understand when drivers have communication with BR staff, why signal failures can't be over-ridden with a radio or phone call. Why haven't Network Rail got contingency plans for these common occurrences?
Isolated signal failures on plain track dont cause too much bother,drivers can be authorised to pass them at danger.At junctions some one has to manually set the points on the ground,again shouldn't cause that much bother.This sounds like the software in one of these new "super" signal boxes has gone belly up and the signalman has lost miles of track.Over complicated signalling systems to save money on signalmans wages is probably the root cause.
How many times a season do people have this sort of thing happen when going to away matches by train?
I always travel by train to the aways, I find the trains very reliable, Oldham away two seasons ago we were late by an hour but still got to Manchester in plenty of time to spare. Yesterday must have been very frustrating particularly with the importance of the match
How many times a season do people have this sort of thing happen when going to away matches by train?
I always travel by train to the aways, I find the trains very reliable, Oldham away two seasons ago we were late by an hour but still got to Manchester in plenty of time to spare. Yesterday must have been very frustrating particularly with the importance of the match
I'm sorry but I simple have to ask: why Elsfborg? You're not Mathias Svensson in disguise are you?
If you tried to get home via Birmingham, what time did you get back to London ?
If you stayed on the train to Sheffield, did you get to see any of the game & if so was it worth the extra hassle ? IE Did you get home as scheduled or were there continuing delays ?
Glad we won, but have to say am absolutely gutted I missed it.
Some mates stayed on the train as they'd booked a hotel, and one called me at 16:44 having just made it into the ground.
We had a drink in Leicester and waited for it to clear up, except everything was still getting cancelled or had major delays. We eventually got one at 19:30.
I never use the train for any really important appointments,too unreliable and Network Rail shut the lines down for little enough reason.
Trust me, Network Rail try too keep lines open as long as possible! When I worked on the railway (and I was a Signalman) they would prevent the line being closed because they would lose money. I recall one incident at Paddock Wood where they had a woman who'd been hit by a train and still on the track alive. They refused to turn the live rail off until a Eurostar passed over the affected line, even though the said train was only just approaching Tunbridge. It the good old days of BR any person was able to call direct to the electrical control room to get the current off in an emergency. By the time I left the railway, you needed to first ask the Signalman who would decide if it was ok to do it! Its all about money and not the people who pay the money. Once you're on the train, they already have your money so tough!!!
How many times a season do people have this sort of thing happen when going to away matches by train?
First time I've had a serious problem in 20 years following Charlton away by train & I go to the majority of aways. First time I've ever missed a game or even part of a game.
Comments
COmiserations to everyone caught up in the grief - I've been there before, it's not fun knowing you aren't going to make the game and having to sit it out on a train in the middle of nowhere
A train was announced soon after, so was back at St Pancras by 16.50. Listened to the 2nd half on player on someone's laptop.
What about others on the 10.55 ?
If you tried to get home via Birmingham, what time did you get back to London ?
If you stayed on the train to Sheffield, did you get to see any of the game & if so was it worth the extra hassle ? IE Did you get home as scheduled or were there continuing delays ?
Glad we won, but have to say am absolutely gutted I missed it.
Pleased we won but..............
I'm with Ashtray. Are we down there with Spain and Italy now. these are countries which throughout my life have had crap railways. Not surprising when one in my lifetime was a dictatorship, and the other has the Mafia as a significant layer of management in every walk of life. We invented the sodding railways, and w should be comparing ourselves to Germany not Spain or Italy - although note that both have made great strides with high -speed, and have far more kilometres of it than we do. UK railway privatisation was and is a stinking disgrace, which I'm happy to enlarge on. Of course what happened yesterday could happen anywhere. The point is that what happened yesterday is unacceptable. Unless it turns out that it was caused by stolen metal (and I haven't heard that yet from Network Rail), somebody didnt do their bloody job, and should be held to account. By which I mean the company, not hapless overworked individuals. Network Rail are in court over Grayrigg, don't forget.
As for Chirpy Red saying "nothing you can do" well sod that.
I'm with Ashtray. Are we down there with Spain and Italy now? These are countries which throughout my life have had crap railways. Not surprising when one in my lifetime was a dictatorship, and the other has the Mafia as a significant layer of management in every walk of life. We invented the sodding railways, and w should be comparing ourselves to Germany not Spain or Italy - although note that both have made great strides with high -speed, and have far more kilometres of it than we do. UK railway privatisation was and is a stinking disgrace, a view I'm happy to enlarge on. Of course what happened yesterday could happen anywhere. The point is that what happened yesterday is unacceptable. Unless it turns out that it was caused by stolen metal (and I haven't heard that yet from Network Rail), somebody didn't do their bloody job, and should be held to account. By which I mean the company, not hapless overworked individuals. Network Rail are in court over Grayrigg, don't forget.
As for Chirpy Red saying "nothing you can do", well sod that. They bought train tickets for the purpose of getting to the football. The tickets were not fit for the purpose. They should get a refund. Basic Sale of Goods Act stuff. Everybody should get together and loudly publicly demand a refund, together with the cost of ancillaries such as the match tickets. The British need to learn that we get crap service because we just meekly accept it. Organise it on this forum and get stuck in. If I'd been on one of those trains I'd be leading the charge.
Went back to the station afterwards and hung around there looking at the board that said all trains were cancelled.
Was standing near a guy who was working who had a message come through on his walkie talkie that a train to London was coming soon. He said to a couple of us to go to platform 4, which we did, and managed to jump on the train (this was about 4 o clock).
As far as I know there was no PA message to anyone else waiting in the station, and the train was half empty!
Spent the whole journey back as a bundle of nerves, waiting for updates from someone listening to the game at home! The text at 16.48 telling me I could celebrate went a long way to making up for the day.
Still, I'd have taken that all day long to get that result.
Sid said he is gonna sort out our refunds and he's confident we will get our money back.
As the 10.25 & 10.55 were more than two hours late they should refund the full return fare, although they may try to hide behind the two journeys argument if you bought singles each way. On the other hand, the 18.27 was cancelled altogether.
Probably the most frustrating aspect of this was that having proceeded through the area of the fault they held the 10.25 outside Leicester for about 40 minutes, even allowing another train to overtake us into the station. Without that we could still have got into Sheffield just after 3pm.
Having said that, I was very suspicious that they were going to turn the train round at Leicester to make their life easier later and the train manager - who was good value in an impossible situation - made the case to her bosses for taking the Charlton fans on to Sheffield, which meant those who didn't get off saw the second half.
As for the idiot stewards who didn't want to admit the fans who arrived at half-time ("Shut the gate on them, quick!"), despite Wednesday knowing about the problem before 3pm, they were lucky it didn't kick off.
Is this something you could officially put to the "board", when in work ?
Anyway, I know you appreciate the situation & thank-you in advance.
I'll let you know how I get on.
Probably the most frustrating aspect of this was that having proceeded through the area of the fault they held the 10.25 outside Leicester for about 40 minutes, even allowing another train to overtake us into the station. Without that we could still have got into Sheffield just after 3pm.
I was on a train a couple of weeks ago to York for work and was thrown off at Grantham .We saw the next two trains go through before we were picked up by a local service and I then I needed to additionally change at Doncaster . I enquired of the very helpfull station staff and they explained that Network Rail and the Toc's do this to limit their financial exposure to compensation to a minimum amount of trains .
We had a drink in Leicester and waited for it to clear up, except everything was still getting cancelled or had major delays. We eventually got one at 19:30.
It the good old days of BR any person was able to call direct to the electrical control room to get the current off in an emergency. By the time I left the railway, you needed to first ask the Signalman who would decide if it was ok to do it!
Its all about money and not the people who pay the money. Once you're on the train, they already have your money so tough!!!
First time I've ever missed a game or even part of a game.