EastCoast Rail

[GB9]

Complete feckwonk.

This is what you get when you nationalise things.

[BA to the Stars]

Complete feckwonk.

This is what you get when you nationalise things.

What happened - tell the congregation so that we can smooth your furrowed brow (or take the p155)

[GB9]

On the way down to London this a.m. gave some Tulipe re: power failure north of Newark and how we would have to change trains, but it was ok because we would get onto a nice electric train that would run all the way to London. Didn't quite stack up as we were already south of Newark......anyway......speaking to the catering team, turned out there was nothing wrong with our train (which was diesel) but we got pulled so that the passengers on the electric train heading north could carry on up. Very magnanimous.....except they set off before us and we sat for a further 20 minutes before kicking off. Second time in a couple of weeks I have sat on a train and watched a later train go past. Bah.

[Mich the Tester]

On the way down to London this a.m. gave some Tulipe re: power failure north of Newark and how we would have to change trains, but it was ok because we would get onto a nice electric train that would run all the way to London. Didn't quite stack up as we were already south of Newark......anyway......speaking to the catering team, turned out there was nothing wrong with our train (which was diesel) but we got pulled so that the passengers on the electric train heading north could carry on up. Very magnanimous.....except they set off before us and we sat for a further 20 minutes before kicking off. Second time in a couple of weeks I have sat on a train and watched a later train go past. Bah.

Was there anything to drink on the train?

[Zippy]

Was there anything to drink on the train?

That's one thing EastCoast seem to be good at - keeping a stocked bar. I can't vouch for the quality of the red wine though. And the Stella is expensive.

[eek]

That's one thing EastCoast seem to be good at - keeping a stocked bar. I can't vouch for the quality of the red wine though. And the Stella is expensive.

You pay

Go first class the cider is awfully nice when free.

[ottopilot]

The two state run operators rate above average, based on the Passenger Focus results for last year.

From a field of 22, East Coast gets ninth place, and London Overground right behind in number 10. Both achieved around 90% in the overall customer satisfaction ratings.

Everything below that is private.

The spectacularly dismal - and privately run, natch - National Express (Anglia), came in last, with 73% satisfaction.

They got binned because they defaulted on their East Coast Line franchise. They failed to pay up.

In the case of that franchise, it was "Privatise Profits, Nationalise Losses".

The system is indeed faulty, but perhaps not in the way that the OP perceives.