Why are trains late?

Posted on by April 3, 2014

flickr-piblet-3246648085Tom Edwards, BBC London transport correspondent, has written an interesting article on the causes of rail delays.  Among the findings:

  • only 4% of delays are due to severe weather
  • in total 25% of delays are due to external causes (weather, cable theft, etc) – which means that 75% are due to the rail industry itself.
  • routine maintenance funding for tracks has fallen by around 30-40 per cent in just four years
  • the number of earthwork failures (such as landslips) jumped from 61 in 2008 to 144 in 2012 – even before the recent wet winter

You can read the whole article at http://www.ethosjournal.com/topics/transport/item/502-why-are-trains-late

Thanks to Charlie Rose for tweeting the original reference.

Meet the Southeastern managers at Victoria Thursday 27 March 0800-1000

Posted on by June 12, 2022

SouthEastern will be holding one of their periodic “Meet the Managers” events on the Victoria concourse from 0800 to 1000 on Thursday 27 March.  If you travel through Victoria, please take a few moments to tell those responsible for your train service what you think of it and how it could be improved.  

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Poor Passenger Information? Tell us about it!

Posted on by March 25, 2014
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The Computer still says Yes! at Canterbury West on 3 December 2010 (credit: @set_railfail)

Many of us grudgingly accept that there may be disruption to rail services when there is bad weather.  However in the age of mobile phones and the internet there can be no excuse for not providing passengers with accurate, relevant, comprehensive and up to date information.  Good passenger information is going to be essential during the London Bridge rebuilding. We are working with some other groups representing Southeastern passengers on improvements we would like to see.  We would welcome your ideas, comments or examples.

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Sunday Diversions to Cannon Street: Southeastern and TfL need to join up

Posted on by March 23, 2014
If any rail passenger wants to use the Cannon Street Underground, forget it on a Sunday

If any Sunday rail passenger wants to use the Cannon Street Underground to save time – forget it!

For the last two Sundays all Charing Cross-bound trains have been diverted to Cannon Street because of engineering works.  That happens on 5 of the next 7 Sundays as well, and will keep happening as the London Bridge rebuilding proceeds. However, through a lack of joined-up thinking and passenger focus by Southeastern and Transport for London, no arrangements have been made to open the Cannon Street Underground station.

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