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  1. chdot
    Admin

    Only 158719 has been ‘skinned’.

    Posted 3 months ago #
  2. fimm
    Member

    Mr fimm and I used that train yesterday! (Or at least one that looks exactly like it.)
    We went up to the other, non-"skinned" half to get the bikes on.

    Posted 3 months ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

  4. chdot
    Admin

    I’ve done this for more than a year now. When my first BahnCard was going to expire, I upgraded my pass to first class, which costs €5,888 for someone under 27 like me. This also lets me eat all the food I want in the Deutsche Bahn guest lounges at train stations – stuff like croissants, muesli, wraps, focaccia, soup or cake.

    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/jun/07/experience-i-live-on-trains

    Posted 3 months ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    SEVERAL trains scheduled to run between East Lothian and Edinburgh today have been cancelled due to lack of staff.

    Train operator ScotRail has issued alerts for trains travelling to or from the city on Monday, June 24.

    Four of this afternoon's train journeys – the 1.41pm and 7.40pm from Edinburgh to North Berwick, and the 2.22pm and 8.17pm from North Berwick to Edinburgh – have been cancelled "due to a shortage of train crew".

    https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/24407016.trains-east-lothian-cancelled-afternoon-due-staff-shortage/

    Posted 2 months ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

  7. fimm
    Member

    ScotRail seem to be afflicted by the dreaded "staffing issues". My until now very reliable service to Musselburgh has over the past few weeks been subject to random cancellations due to lack of staff. Given that it is mostly an hourly service (though half an hour during rush hour) it is a complete PITA.

    Posted 2 months ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    https://web.archive.org/web/20240709102007/https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/scotrail-aslef-rmt-drivers-pay-timetable-4695554

    https://www.scotrail.co.uk/temporary-timetable-0

    We’ll introduce a temporary timetable tomorrow to provide greater certainty & reliability for our customers.

    Our app & Journey Planners will be fully updated for weekday travel by 22:00 today and weekend travel by Thursday.

    https://x.com/scotrail/status/1810593734846984448?

    Posted 2 months ago #
  9. fimm
    Member

    Yes. I we're supposed to be going to Ardrossan, for the Arran ferry, by train, with two bikes, on Thursday. At the moment I can only find general hand-waves about the temporary timetable, rather than details of exactly what trains will run and when.
    While I appreciate the aim of having a timetable that will actually happen, right now it is a pain!!

    Posted 2 months ago #
  10. gembo
    Member

    Some Arran ferries have also been running from Troon if that is any use?

    Posted 2 months ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

    Stunning!

    Unfortunately due to a National Rail issue our app and website does not reflect our new temporary timetable.

    We are very sorry to those who were waiting to check their services this morning. As soon as we have more information, we will provide an update.

    https://x.com/scotrail/status/1810927225195172230?

    Actually it’s worse than that.

    Actual times times of trains actually running(?) not being shown. (Or on RealTimeTrains.)

    Posted 1 month ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    EARLIER!

    Unfortunately, due to the volume of changes being made at once, our app and website will not actually reflect the correct timetable for tomorrow until 0300.

    We are very sorry to those who were waiting to check their services and make plans for tomorrow.

    https://x.com/scotrail/status/1810785968854913403?

    Presume it won’t take as long to fix as Bus Tracker??

    Posted 1 month ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    WORKING! (Inc RTT)

    Our temporary timetable starts today.

    Our app and Journey Planners are now correctly showing service information for Monday - Friday. Weekend travel will be updated no later than tomorrow.

    For a summary of the changes in place for each route, click here: scotrail.co.uk/temporary-time…

    https://x.com/scotrail/status/1810924162153861448?

    (Though apparently some trains on new timetable already cancelled.)

    Posted 1 month ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

    We are profoundly disappointed by @RoyalMail 's decision to stop using rail freight. Politicians and policymakers must get round the table to look at how we can level the playing field between rail freight and road haulage. Freight belongs on rail!

    https://x.com/dbcargouk/status/1810965859474502118

    Posted 1 month ago #
  15. fimm
    Member

    Well getting to and from Ardrossan was actually pretty straightforward - we used the trains to Glasgow Central, which was much less hassle than trying to get across Glasgow from Queen Street. On the way out we went to Ardrossan South Beach which is a short cycle from the ferry terminal.

    Posted 1 month ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

  17. chdot
    Admin

    the Stonehenge tunnel on the A303, the A27 Arundel bypass and the “restoring our railways” scheme will be axed.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/29/reeves-moves-fast-to-tackle-22bn-budget-shortfall-covered-up-by-tories

    Posted 1 month ago #
  18. Morningsider
    Member

    The "Restoring your railways" scheme was not actually a scheme to reopen closed railways. It was a fund to allow the development of business cases for reopening closed lines. There was no actual funding to reopen these lines. Nice work for consultants, but no real prospect of any lines ever being reopened.

    Posted 1 month ago #
  19. chdot
    Admin

    Thanks

    Interesting

    Not surprising

    LabGov seems set on significantly reducing use of ‘consultants’ - notably the big firms which have spent decades persuading Govs everywhere that they are ‘indispensable’.

    CEC uses consultant firms a lot for design stuff and consultation.

    Sometimes they can genuinely add expertise, but too often they are just substitutes for staff CEC should have.

    The downsides are numerous - more expensive, lacking ‘local knowledge’, continuity and adequate accountability.

    Posted 1 month ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    The Scottish Government's green plan to increase the amount of freight transported by rail by this year which has cost the taxpayer millions has failed to deliver the goods with levels dropping by nearly 20%, the Herald can reveal.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20240730103133/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24483929.scotgovs-taxpayer-backed-multi-million-pound-green-transport-fails/

    Posted 1 month ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

  22. chdot
    Admin

    Passengers travelling between London and Edinburgh face months of disruption after LNER drivers announced 22 days of strike action from the start of September to early November.

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/16/aslef-announces-22-days-of-strike-action-on-east-coast-mainline

    Posted 3 weeks ago #
  23. chdot
    Admin

    In his thread on X, Merriman also spoke out about the language used around railway staff. “Whilst it’s legitimate to debate the terms of the deal, the demonisation of train drivers and those onboard and at stations, who carry out a difficult and skilled job for the safety of passengers, is completely unfair. These people work hard and should be shown more respect.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/19/huw-merriman-conservative-uk-rail-minister-unions-strikes

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  24. gembo
    Member

    Phoned HR today, recorded message about 5 mins long reminding us all to be nice

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  25. chdot
    Admin

  26. Dave
    Member

    £40m per year to get off-peak travellers paying the same rate as peak travellers might or might not be good value, after all you could pay that for 200 years for the price of the A9 road enlargement. They could do something like a means-tested travel subsidy for those on lower incomes for a fraction of the cost, presumably?

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  27. acsimpson
    Member

    Although passenger levels increased to a maximum of around 6.8 per cent. It would require a 10 per cent increase in passenger numbers for the policy to be self-financing.

    That's the problem in their thinking. Why should a rail subsidy be self financing. Can we also axe the many millions more in road subsidies which the government seems more than willing to pay.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  28. Baldcyclist
    Member

    More accurately described as election over, no need for bribery now...

    Mind you, might actually encourage me to cycle more again, there was no financial benefit to cycling one way whilst the scheme was running, so not all bad.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  29. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I recently finished reading Christian Wolmar's excellent book, "British Rail". Time and again he highlights the fact that one or another UK administration held the notion - financial ideology no less - that a railway must turn a profit, rather than being a public service that Government naturally must subsidise, to a greater or lesser degree. In the UK, BR received much less subsidy than European railways, and yet was actually doing pretty well in its latter years, until privatisation pulled the rug out from underneath it.

    That's the problem in their thinking. Why should a rail subsidy be self financing.

    I think "cost neutral" is probably what Transport Scotland was aiming for in policy terms: subsidise the costs of removing peak fares, but balance it with increased ridership.

    Posted 2 weeks ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    “I think "cost neutral" is probably what Transport Scotland was aiming for in policy terms: subsidise the costs of removing peak fares, but balance it with increased ridership.“

    Almost certainly.

    So, passenger numbers up by 6.8%.

    That’s sound like quite a lot.

    Did they calculate ‘fewer miles driven’ and consequential ‘savings’ on road repairs and NHS admissions??

    I rarely use peak morning trains but have definitely appreciated ‘not needing’ to make sure I got the last off peak train about 4:30.

    There was a bizarre time a few years ago when the cut off was such that one train was off peak at Waverley and full price by the time it reached Haymarket!

    Posted 2 weeks ago #

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