For your enjoyment today we have 'A Tale of Two Franchises'. A splendid guest contribution from my good friend, Mr N.E. Worsan-Wild, concerning his journey to a far flung destination earlier this week:
A Tale of Two Franchises
For sale: Train ticket, cheap !
I have an important 10:00 am meeting in Leicester tomorrow and consider taking the train from St.Albans instead of the car - this eco thing is clearly having an impact on my subconscious mind. So, with best intentions for the environment I enquire about the cost of a train ticket from the nice lady at the St.Albans ticket office. I'm guessing it will be £25 or so. Not cheap but eco-friendly never is and for the sake of the planet I'll make the financial and personal sacrifice.
The lady requests I cross her palm with £91.50 for a return ticket. What ! Clearly the bullet proof glass that prevents us from sharing each other's variant of the latest flu virus is affecting the sound as I'm sure she thinks I've asked for some destination in a far off land. I ask her again for a return ticket to Leicester, England - I get the same response. What ! (again) The last time I flew to Edinburgh and back I paid far less than this and I was guaranteed a seat on that trip. The comfort of the car and the cost of 15 litres of diesel is looking far more appealing.
I may however have to go to Leicester again in a couple of days so foolishly ask about the cost of a weekly ticket. I grip the service counter in order to brace myself for the shock...and the cost is....£118.80. Surely some mistake, £23.70 per day for 5 days is almost reasonable. The lady is however adamant it is correct so I quickly snap up the weekly ticket and scuttle off believing that she will eventually realise it is an error and ask me to fork out another few hundred pounds. So, I've got a ticket and I've also got a handy timetable from East Midland Trains (EMT) that shows the trains I can use in order to get from St.Albans to Leicester - it does mean having to use a First Crapital Con (FCC) train to get to either London or Luton but fingers crossed all will be ok.
I aim for the 07:26 FCC train to Luton Airport connecting to the 07:51 to Leicester. I'll have to wait at Luton Airport Parkway for 10 minutes or so but no problem. In typical FCC fashion the 07:26 is delayed by 25 minutes meaning I can't make the 07:51 from Luton Airport to Leicester and the next north bound EMT train from Luton Airport is an hour away. Referring to my handy East Midlands personal timetable I see the next available option is to catch the 07:44 FCC into St.Pancras and get the 08:15 EMT to Leicester. The 07:44 is on time, I get a seat and get to St Pancras on time. At this point I am quite optimistic that this could all work out ok but I have clearly under-estimated the abilities of EMT's management to be as incompetent as those that work for FCC.
When I try to get on the EMT train at St Pancras I am told my ticket is invalid. I will have to buy a ticket to travel back to St Albans before they will let me on. Because of FCC's ever increasing incompetence I've had to take a journey into London that I didn't want to make and to rub salt into the wound EMT want to charge me for the displeasure. In hindsight however I count myself lucky as I now suspect that the FCC Gestapo ('Revenue Protection Team') would also have liked to charge me for the privilege of being diverted to St Pancras in the first place. So maybe I've actually got a bargain!
I am now very irate, miss my intended train, angry at everyone and ten quid out of pocket. After apologising to half the EMT staff at St Pancras who have put up with (and laughed at) my antics I eventually get on to the 08:25 and make it to Leicester just before 10:00am. My next trip to Leicester will be by car. Anybody want to buy a partially used weekly ticket ? Cheap !
In time honoured, Oscars fashion I would like to say a few well-deserved thank yous:
FCC Management for not knowing how to run a train set let alone part of a public transport system.
EMT Management for forcing their staff into ridiculous, indefensible and confrontational positions with the travelling public.
The Conservative government for selling off British Rail to a bunch of property speculators who knew even less about running a train set than FCC do.
The Labour government for perpetuating this de-nationalised, in-effective and costly nonsense.
The Liberal Democrats for keeping quiet about it.
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Ronald
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. Apologies for squashing you at Radlett - you know how it is when folk don't make you welcome in the seated area!
Thought you might like to read an excerpt of my letter this afternoon to FCC.
"This morning I “enjoyed” for the first time in 2010 a passably acceptable journey to work on your service. Acceptable in the sense that the train was only 10 minutes delayed and I have given up all hope of securing a seat in return for paying an annual season ticket charge of > £2000.
Given that every other journey from Radlett to Farringdon and return has either proved
completely impossible to undertake due to snow, lack of contracted drivers, lack of electrified rails, lack of functioning rolling stock, too many commuters getting in the way of your running (or not running) an advertised train service (nothing at all due to FCC management incompetence or underinvestment – as I am confident you will make clear to the forthcoming government enquiry into the operation of the franchise) or has taken hours (yes plural – in
each direction – rather than the advertised 45 minutes), I hereby submit my claim for a refund under the Delay Repay scheme."
You may as impressed as I to hear that I have promptly received an (automated) response:
Subject: Case Reference : 51xxxx
Thank you for contacting First Capital Connect.
Following the impact of extreme weather related disruption contact volumes have increased significantly. We are currently unable to respond to e-mails, with the exception of delay repay claims. We will be available by telephone to answer questions and queries. For more information including FAQs relating to recent disruption, please visit www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/moreinfo
An equally disgruntled commuter aged 46 and a half (but feeling 70 thanks to FCC)
No worries, and thanks for reading. Even a perch for one buttock was an improvement over recent performance.
ReplyDeleteGreat letter, appalling response, but did you really expect anything else? I wonder what happens if you phone them??? Still, I hope you found writing it provided at least a little therapy. Keeps the men in white coats away just a little longer!
Happy travelling.
Ron
Great blog! I have (thankfully) almost given up on FCC now (work moved from East to West London - praise be! Finally left behind the booby-trapped seats and the particular brand of filth FCC marinade their carriages in, but sadly not the delays, disinterested staff or inability for large train to roll over leaf/snowflake etc.), and instead cast myself into the hands of Southern each morning instead. Very sad that their terrible service actually seems good when compared to FCC! Mind you, as Southern and FCC share the London-Brighton line I'm sure they just blame each other for the delays anyway.
ReplyDeleteRonald,
ReplyDeleteA correction to your blog if I may.
Trains are not "Delayed"...they are late.
Passengers are delayed as a result....or should it read "Cusstomers"!
/\/\ike /\/\undy