Sorry, I forgot to mention that my last post was an email I sent to Southern Rail and to London TravelWatch.
The 0811 this morning took 25mins to get to London Bridge!
It's funny. I?ve lived in HOP for about 5 years now and being relatively new I have seen it grown in popularity. Unfortunately the train service just hasn't upgraded with the area. I was on the 7:25()?) train this morning just because I can no longer get on the train at 8am anymore just because it is too full!!
Here is my early morning scenario.....Wait for train.....look at carriages to see how full they are......try and get the carriage less full......jump and squash in....leave people who are too polite to push on the HOP platform.......get to Brockley......more people push on in desperation and you hear the usual 'can you move down please' - when sometimes you just can't......wait for driver on speaker to say 'please can you stay clear of the doors...otherwise the train can leave the platform'....get to new cross....one poor person barges their way to try and get off the train...poor them really.......get to London bridge and everyone sighs a bit of relief as they thank the lord they are off and think they have probably been more physically intimate with a complete stranger on the train than they probably have to their partners recently......
perfect summation ping pong
I take the usually take the 8:03 or 8:13 train from HOP and I have to say I do usually get on (as long as the one before hasn't been cancelled or something). If you get on towards the end of the train there's normally room.
That said, it is getting increasingly crowded.
Email Southern! Here is the link:
http://www.southernrailway.com/contact.php
My main suggestions:
- were to increase the number of carriages to 8 on all peak services (by taking carraiges off the services which are not packed out) or divert some services on to inner london tracks.
- not to trumpet punctuailty and satisfaction when passengers are bring left on the platform.
I especially like the advert about passengers not being sardines.
Perhaps we should climb on the roof!
I emailed Southern at the start of last week. There's a note saying they respond in 7-10 days. Guess what, they're late!
Southern have a helpful poster to inform customers that they are not sardines.
http://www.southernrailway.com/main.php?page_id=456
And they are now soliciting feedback on this poster campaign: http://www.southernrailway.com/view.php
You are not a sardine
Peak hour trains can be extremely crowded. We know this not just because we see it, or because you take the time to contact us, but because our trains tell us about it. Passenger numbers on each train at each station are automatically worked out by a sophisticated weighing system. This step-change in the collection and evaluation of passenger numbers has enabled us to ensure that we make the best use of the trains available to us, putting more carriages where they are most needed. Southern is now recognised as an industry leader with the quality of data we have on passenger numbers and for the evaluation of this to improve the service we offer passengers. Commuter trains will always be busy, but thanks to our new system, giving you some more space is now easier to achieve.
Maybe their sophisticated weighing system is calibrated to the wrong person size.
Maybe I can be the first to say...sophisticated weighing system my ****!!
Perhaps they should send staff to occasionally try and board one of their trains in rush hour (or increasingly out of rush hour). Then they would see why their posters about sardines fall flat with travellers. Or maybe they think they ARE transporting fish!
I wonder if any of their directors actually ever travel by Southern trains??
Southern have a helpful poster to inform customers that they are not sardines.
http://www.southernrailway.com/main.php?page_id=456
And they are now soliciting feedback on this poster campaign: http://www.southernrailway.com/view.php
You are not a sardine
Peak hour trains can be extremely crowded. We know this not just because we see it, or because you take the time to contact us, but because our trains tell us about it. Passenger numbers on each train at each station are automatically worked out by a sophisticated weighing system. This step-change in the collection and evaluation of passenger numbers has enabled us to ensure that we make the best use of the trains available to us, putting more carriages where they are most needed. Southern is now recognised as an industry leader with the quality of data we have on passenger numbers and for the evaluation of this to improve the service we offer passengers. Commuter trains will always be busy, but thanks to our new system, giving you some more space is now easier to achieve.
Maybe their sophisticated weighing system is calibrated to the wrong person size.
Spin, spin, spin. I am getting dizzy now. Why cant they just say that their service is rubbish and be done with it.
Anyone has photoshop and wants to have some fun with that poster?
Anyone has photoshop and wants to have some fun with that poster?
Time for a forum competition!
[attachment=25]
Time for a forum competition!
I'll try that again...
[attachment=26]
Love the poster BarCar.
Now maybe a few of those should be printed and discretely placed around the stations and trains involved.
Legal disclaimer.
The above was just a random thought and should not in any way be taken as condoning any such action which would of course be entirely inappropriate..
That's great! Can we get these printed up? and posted all over the station? Does anyone know any cheap and sympathic printers?