TRANSPORT - TRAINS

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Hundreds of commuters endured lengthy delays after train driver refused to work because his seat was damp. The driver on the Southeastern train from Hastings in East Sussex to London 'categorically refused' to take to his seat after finding out it was soaked through. But instead of putting a jacket over the wet patch or seeking a solution to the 'crisis', the driver walked off, leaving hundreds of commuters forced to wait another 30 minutes to get to work.

Managers at Southeastern, which was slammed by passengers last month after diverting a commuter train through a giant train wash, admitted that 'water had got into the cabin' and the driver was 'unable to sit' on the damp seat. Angry commuters, however, failed to see why the driver couldn't have simply put his waterproof jacket over the seat before setting off.

A spokeswoman for Southeastern said, "It may seem like a fairly trivial and strange incident. We are investigating what the situation was because obviously we go round and check the windows are up, so this sort of thing doesn't happen. The water did get into the cabin and did soak the inside of the cabin. Unfortunately, when you're driving the train, from our staff's perspective, going on a shift and having to stand for hours on end isn't practical for the driver to do." (Source: Daily Telegraph, Feb/11)

New trains which have been introduced on several southern England routes have experienced track problems and rail delays because of their heavier weight. The trains have been brought in by Southern, South West Trains, and Southeastern companies. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said the heavier trains were "causing a different sort of wear to the track". Network Rail has blamed more track faults in part on "heavier trains with stiffer suspension". The trains have been brought in over the past two years.

A spokesperson from Network Rail said, "As part of the programme to allow new trains on the railway south of the Thames, Network Rail invested £440m on the Southern Power Upgrade scheme. The new trains are heavier and have stiffer suspensions than their predecessors so Network Rail is working to deliver a maintenance regime that is appropriate to the conditions." He said Network Rail's new role in participating in the design of future trains would ensure that new trains would be even better designed, safer and lighter.

Although the number of temporary speed restrictions due to the condition of the track had fallen by the period prior to June this year, there was no decrease in South East England. An ORR spokesperson said, "Train companies will have to work out a different maintenance regime. The heavier trains are causing a different sort of wear to the track." In its report, the ORR said it was concerned that the delays attributed to Network Rail had increased and that it was especially concerned about one route in particular.

ORR chief executive Bill Emery said, "We are seriously concerned about Great Western and we have met with Network Rail to make sure they are fully aware of our concerns." He said too many trains are being delayed and cancelled because of infrastructure problems. Gerry Doherty, of the TSSA rail union, said, "This could only happen in Britain where we have such a fragmented rail network." Michael Lee, of the ORR, said, "It was predictable only up to a point. I don't think you could call this a mistake." (Source: BBC News, Aug/07)

I decided to go by train from Derby recently and was amused by the way the train station was run. I went on to platform three, where there were a lot of people waiting for the Bournemouth train. There was about a dozen seats on the platform and obviously some building work going on.

All the seats were taken. I commented to a member of the staff that there were too few seats and was this the result of the building work? She said no and added, "We've never needed any more." She ignored the fact that there were quite a few people sitting on the ground and on ledges because there weren't enough seats, and appeared to be most irritated by my question.

Not only that, an announcement was made that said the Skegness train would be the next train to arrive at our platform, so those wanting to go to Skegness came on to the platform. However, it didn't come to platform three at all, it came to platform two. No announcement was made. It seems that the idea of service and customer care does not exist at the railway station in Derby.

A member of the public asked an attendant how to get on to the train as all the doors were locked. Obviously he had the good sense not to have travelled by train very much. She looked at him contemptuously, and said, "Press the button", then shook her head in bewilderment. I think I will stick to my car or the bus in future. Sandra Hill

MidlandMainline spokeswoman Debbie Mather said:

"We are sorry to hear that this customer was unable to find a seat when waiting for a delayed train. In addition to seating on the platforms, we do provide a large waiting room next to the concourse area and also on platform four. However, we appreciate that during the busier times there may not be seating available on the platform, especially during the improvement work.

When we design platforms we need to ensure good access. This does limit room available to provide seating. We know how frustrating it is to be given the wrong details, so we always aim to give our customers the most accurate information. If a train is delayed the departure platform may change, sometimes at the last minute. An announcement should be made. We're sorry if this was not the case.

We were surprised and really sorry to hear that this customer found a member of our staff to be unhelpful. Our customer service record is very important to us."

Midland Mainline is trying to work out what to do with seven new Meridian trains. The company ordered the nine-car units when considering extending its London-Sheffield service to Leeds. They formed part of a £160m order for 23 new trains, 16 of which are four-car units, to provide enough capacity to serve the extended route.

But, in June 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority issued a draft route utilisation strategy, a blueprint for future rail services, which suggested that the route would be better served by another operator. Without the route extension, the four-car trains will provide adequate capacity for most of the time.

Rumours about what will happen to the nine-car trains include the possibility that they could be "given" to another train operator. An insider said, "What a surprise to learn that the vehicles will be utilised by Virgin on the Euston to Holyhead route. I wonder which company will perhaps inherit the time-expired Virgin high-speed trains displaced by the Meridian trains. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Midland Mainline."

Midland Mainline has confirmed that there is some doubt about how the nine-car trains will be deployed in light of the SRA's strategy, but it denied that plans existed to give them away.

Passengers who use trains between Derby and Birmingham will see a reduction in the number of services operated from now on. It was announced in January that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) was looking to cut more than 100 rail services a day in the UK as part of a nationwide effort to improve the punctuality of trains. The SRA has said the plan is aimed at easing congestion to help trains run on time.

Among services that have been cut are those operated between Derby and Birmingham by Central Trains and Virgin. Central Trains is keeping its Matlock to Birmingham via Derby service at peak times in the mornings and evenings but some services during the day will terminate in Derby. Virgin CrossCountry will maintain its current service of two trains every hour between Derby and Birmingham but some trains will no longer stop at Burton. Midland Mainline, which operates services to London, Derby and the north, is not affected.

Passengers also face a double whammy as the cuts to services coincide with fare increases. Virgin and Central are yet to announce their fare increases but train companies have stressed that the fare rises are a normal feature of the new summer timetable. A spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies said, "Let's wait and see whether or not the changes lead to improved performances."