Its no wonder the trains are still virgins - they never come

I choose not to drive, I find the Voyagers and Pendo's comfortable but its been a long time since I have been on an HST 125.

I think the 125 is largely regarded as one of the best trains ever built in the UK though. The voyagers/pendolinos are built by Astrom, a company owned by FIAT.

Tbone - I suppose the UK's system is very good in terms of its size, its just a pitty it still ins't reliable despite the government telling us different.

 

They're called Alstom. They're not owned by FIAT. In 2001 they bought a 51% stake of FIAT Ferroviaria, FIAT's railway subsidiary so if anyone's doing the owning it's Alstom.

They make many of the best high speed trains in Europe, including the French TGVs and the Eurostar trains.

Michael.

 

You think they would know how to make doors that work then

The TGVs are very nice trains though, I remember some where in France anouncing the average speed of this stretch is 176mph! Yet on our railways the maximum speed most intercity trains can go is about 80-90 due to poor track. I think there is a stretch south of Crewe were they do travel at 125mph but its only a small stetch.

 

yeah, waste of time having fast trains if the lines can't handle them in the first place...

 

Nah, theyre just hornby toys, this is a train:
http://www.gluckman.com/Maglev.html

 

Well they are putting the fare's up by 1/3, but I bet you anything the money will NOT go back into investment in the network it'll go into the boss's bonus schemes, running a public service should not be "for profit" all the money that is generated should go straight back into upgrading the system.
Dom, I'm sure the train operatores can claim the tax back on the fuel, can't beleive they would actually have to pay tax on it.
The government need to change their attitude towards public transport cos until they do, nothing will change.
I am glad to see that finally somone has been taken to task over the Hatfield train crash, Network Rail and Balfour Beatty fined at total of £13.5m plus costs, hopefully that will make them sit up and take rail safety serioulsy, though I will not hold my breath.

 

I know up to 2 years ago most of the rolling stock was owned by the banks, the train companies just leased them. I have to use puiblic transport and it it woeful, canceled, late, overcrowded and dirty after 10am.

 

Don't get me wrong - I don't mind paying if I see something worthwhile, but having to stand when I have booked seats that some oik's sitting in, having to wait for hours due to cancellations, having replacement buses when I've paid for a train etc really get my gripe.

If I saw all of this crap sorted for a fair fare increase, I'd be happy to pay. Lining fat cat pockets on the other hand ain't in my plan!

 

I agree

 

An unhappy client

The following is an exchange of correspondence between a customer and Irish Rail:
********************************************
Gentlemen, I have been riding trains daily for the last two years, and the service seems to be getting worse every day. I am tired of standing in the aisle all the time, on a 14-mile trip. I think the transportation system is worse than that enjoyed by people 2,000 years ago.

Yours truly, Patrick Finnegan
******************
Dear Mr. Finnegan, We received your letter with reference to the shortcomings of our service, and believe you are somewhat confused in your history. The only mode of transportation 2,000 years ago was by foot.

Sincerely, Larnrod Eireann
******************
Gentlemen, I am in receipt of your letter, and I think you are the ones who are confused in your history. If you will refer to the Bible, Book of David, 9th Chapter, you will find that Balaam rode to town on his ass.
That, gentlemen, is something I have not been able to do, on your train, during the last two years!

Sincerely Patrick Finnegan

 

Where did you dig that one out from Mr Cat

 

Today I ended up waiting for 20 minutes at Stoke On Smelly station as all three virgin HSTs going to Manchester were late. The 12:35 was 69 minutes late, the 12:41 service didn't arive to 12:52 (the train I got) and the 13:06 service was 10 minutes late.

So all three trains going into Manchester were late

Mr Cat - LMFAO

I will add that I have been able to get a seat on all the trains including rush hour. Virgin at least seem to have enough carriages, but on local services its a joke.

 

I got that in an e-mail a while back!

 

Well, they're stupid too, since 2000 years ago, there were also wheeled carts (chariots, anyone???) and boats (both ocean-going AND canal), as well as the aforementioned ass...

 

Well, it's true we enjoy an exceptional railway service (trains leave and arrive on time, are state of the art, fast, clean, 100% non smoking) but at a cost. Most people do not realize that it's all paid for by the taxpayer (them) on top of the price of the ticket (not cheap). The national railway company employees enjoy benefits of another age (among other things, train drivers are given a day's rest for each working day, meaning six hours work, early retirement, as if conditions were the same as when they had to load the furnace with coal on a non-stop basis, and unofficially and illegally their offsprings have priority on the hiring list).

If tickets were sold what they cost, it would be cheaper to fly first class.

And the above goes for the Paris underground and suburban trains, the post office, utility companies, and so on.

No politician in his right mind will dare change this, as the country would come to a complete stop overnight, as happened to one of our prime ministers in 1995.

Privatization of the national electrical company which was scheduled to take place before the end of the year has been set aside sine die (at least until the presidential election in 2007)

So, looks as we all have our problems