Question Anyone else on strike next Thursday in Southend?

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Don't you just love the workers mentality!

Personally I love the workers mentality more than I love the mentality of the kind of person who would post the comment 'wanted to see you in tears you yid ****' on another users reputation tab. Were you aware that is available for others to see? Reason, honour, integrity - really C word?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I'd only be cheating myself. If I want a holiday, I take a holiday. Really - what would I say to myself when I phone myself...?!

Yes, but you're effectively a Freelance(as am I).I've not had a sickie in the last 15 years, though there were plenty of occasions when I was tempted.(Which reminds me of a good joke,too long to go into here).

 

[MK Shrimper]

Nope, no explanation just the big numbers. Seeing as not-for-profit Network Rail made £2Bn profit last year, I'd say it's a very easy hole to fill, especially as HS2 is the biggest waste of money this country will ever know.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14198290

Nice to know that some of the money men agree with me on this one.

 

[Pubey]

HS2 is a hot topic up here, because the plans haven't been specific about where the 'South Yorkshire' station will be situated. Personally, the only benefit for HS2 is connecting the north and scotland to London. Shaving a few minutes to Birmingham isn't particularly useful IMO. The west and the east are well served by their respective fast lines, so a HS central line that connects Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle and ultimately scotland would be where the benefit lies IMO.

HS2 reduces journey time from Birmingham from 1hr 12 to 49mins, but IMO the main benefit it that it misses out New Street which is the worst place on earth, and a nightmare for trains to go in and out of. I reckon the current works to New Street will improve journey times (or just bomb the place and start again).

HS2 reduces journey times from manchester from 2hr 8 to 1hr 40. A bit more of a saving, but I don't think it would revolutionise things. I know plenty of people who happily go up and down from Manchester in a day.

The main benefit is that Leeds goes from 2hrs 20 to 1hr 20, a massive saving. My guess is Sheffield would be similar (currently 2hr 7). Newcastle and Scotland also save 1 hr.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

HS2 is a hot topic up here, because the plans haven't been specific about where the 'South Yorkshire' station will be situated. Personally, the only benefit for HS2 is connecting the north and scotland to London. Shaving a few minutes to Birmingham isn't particularly useful IMO. The west and the east are well served by their respective fast lines, so a HS central line that connects Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle and ultimately scotland would be where the benefit lies IMO.

HS2 reduces journey time from Birmingham from 1hr 12 to 49mins, but IMO the main benefit it that it misses out New Street which is the worst place on earth, and a nightmare for trains to go in and out of. I reckon the current works to New Street will improve journey times (or just bomb the place and start again).

HS2 reduces journey times from manchester from 2hr 8 to 1hr 40. A bit more of a saving, but I don't think it would revolutionise things. I know plenty of people who happily go up and down from Manchester in a day.

The main benefit is that Leeds goes from 2hrs 20 to 1hr 20, a massive saving. My guess is Sheffield would be similar (currently 2hr 7). Newcastle and Scotland also save 1 hr.

Britain's long distance train services are a joke.Any improvement(no matter how expensive)has got to be a good thing.The overcrowding on GWR(and I'm sure other lines)has to be experienced to be believed.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Britain's long distance train services are a joke.Any improvement(no matter how expensive)has got to be a good thing.The overcrowding on GWR(and I'm sure other lines)has to be experienced to be believed.

It is, trouble is capacity isn't measured on the the railways - just performance. Hence a train can be stuffed to the gills, but as long as it arrives at it's final destination within 30 minutes of it's advertised time, no penalty. Let's ignore people unable to sit down, people missing vital connections and concentrate on those vital performance minutes.

 

[Crabby Shrimper]

Britain's long distance train services are a joke.Any improvement(no matter how expensive)has got to be a good thing.The overcrowding on GWR(and I'm sure other lines)has to be experienced to be believed.

Cripes, I'm finding myself in complete agreement!

I'd say the problem with our rail system is that we were so good during the 19th C that we've put off a lot of updating since then. That, and the visionary works of Beeching!

The problem we now have is the train is over crowded, and often doesn't go where (or when) it's needed. Plus it's often more expensive for one person to travel by rail than by car! We really need to have a major look at public transport as a whole, and try to find a way of getting buses trains, trams, and underground all working together as one transport system.


Having said all that, with the current financial problems and lack of available money, is now really the time?

 

[MK Shrimper]

Cripes, I'm finding myself in complete agreement!

I'd say the problem with our rail system is that we were so good during the 19th C that we've put off a lot of updating since then. That, and the visionary works of Beeching!

The problem we now have is the train is over crowded, and often doesn't go where (or when) it's needed. Plus it's often more expensive for one person to travel by rail than by car! We really need to have a major look at public transport as a whole, and try to find a way of getting buses trains, trams, and underground all working together as one transport system.


Having said all that, with the current financial problems and lack of available money, is now really the time?

For Beeching, read McNulty. It was advertised on the Intranet that 4000 signallers will lose their jobs over the next 20 years, centralising most signal boxes to a few locations.