Just looking through FB, and the UK Railways have a tonne of problems, 

TFW Overcrowding 
XC not enough trains/overcrowding 
EMR Norwich to Liverpool overcrowding
GC 180's reliability
Replacement for TPE Class 69
Northern's 156/153 replacements (apparently Northern want 185 for that)
Avanti as a whole 
Appauling state of the Class 800 on LNER/GWR (seats, relability etc)

I think the only good train company really is East Anglia 


An absolute dumpster fire

(15 Dec 2023, 5:56 am)Unber43 wrote Just looking through FB, and the UK Railways have a tonne of problems, 

TFW Overcrowding 
XC not enough trains/overcrowding 
EMR Norwich to Liverpool overcrowding
GC 180's reliability
Replacement for TPE Class 69
Northern's 156/153 replacements (apparently Northern want 185 for that)
Avanti as a whole 
Appauling state of the Class 800 on LNER/GWR (seats, relability etc)

I think the only good train company really is East Anglia 


An absolute dumpster fire

Don't forget about the wiring on the ECML. 
Lost track, but I'm sure there's been 3 incidents in the last 7 days with the wiring coming down. 

There's the failure of several TOC's and the voluntary (sometimes in-voluntary) handing back of the keys too.

And the creative book-keeping from Go-Ahead TOC's.

Add ancient crumbling infrastructure, particularly all those historic viaducts and bridges

Annoyingly, it's purely down to a lack of investment. The failed experiment of a privatised railway should be binned off, get the trains back off the leasing companies into public ownership, and stop paying the likes of First and Go Ahead to run the railways badly. All this money going to investors in dividends could be spent on maintaining and investing. Not to mention the fact that HS2 failing to come through is only going to make things worse on the already overcrowded mainlines.

(15 Dec 2023, 3:50 pm)deanmachine wrote Annoyingly, it's purely down to a lack of investment. The failed experiment of a privatised railway should be binned off, get the trains back off the leasing companies into public ownership, and stop paying the likes of First and Go Ahead to run the railways badly. All this money going to investors in dividends could be spent on maintaining and investing. Not to mention the fact that HS2 failing to come through is only going to make things worse on the already overcrowded mainlines.

In fairness, being public wouldn't be much better. Network Rail is being decimated to pieces lately to the stage that 90% of the workers, by a survey by the RMT*, expect a serious incident within 2 years (https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/major-railwa...rail-cuts/)

We need a government interested in public transport first, otherwise it's just moving it from one place to another. The public Metro up here isn't exact a gleaming story success either, if anything - it's worse.

*Note potential bias as it's an union.

(16 Dec 2023, 11:33 am)Storx wrote In fairness, being public wouldn't be much better. Network Rail is being decimated to pieces lately to the stage that 90% of the workers, by a survey by the RMT*, expect a serious incident within 2 years (https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/major-railwa...rail-cuts/)

We need a government interested in public transport first, otherwise it's just moving it from one place to another. The public Metro up here isn't exact a gleaming story success either, if anything - it's worse.

*Note potential bias as it's an union.

Yeah that's what I mean, it's all about investing in it. Like you say, no point in taking back control if there's no investment, both need to happen ASAP.

(16 Dec 2023, 3:21 pm)deanmachine wrote Yeah that's what I mean, it's all about investing in it. Like you say, no point in taking back control if there's no investment, both need to happen ASAP.

Totally agreed, it's a mess lately mind. The problem is when the DaFT get involved things spiral out of control. I know they ordered the Class 800/801 fleets and well less said on them better.

If only we had some rail heads at the top of Transport instead of Shapps, Trevelean, or whichever other loser they've found down the sewer lately. Hopefully big change will happen after the next election, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's much of the same.

Peak time Cross Country train into Manchester 4 Car Voyager (1 Car First Class) Rammed at Wolverhampton with 3 stops to go. https://x.com/njak_100/status/1735977213395141041?s=20 meanhwile as pointed out atleast TPE got a fleet renewel of pretty much their entire fleet, till the 67's go at the end of this month but alteast they can double up on the 185

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-g...t-68241768

Cold trains provide uncomfortable experience for passengers (and I presume, staff)