Like many of you out there, I’m a regular user of Sir Moir Blockhead’s outstandingly poor service – surely the worst in the country – certainly London, and although you’ve got to have a degree of admiration for a man who built up a business off the back of the rash of privatisations in the 1980′s (for that read knock-down sale of Grampian Regional Transport), the fact he and his company are still permitted to operate the Thameslink route is something of a disgrace made of eight carriages (though very often four, when they’re struggling to run their trains on time). I heard not long back that Transport for London wanted the route. All I can say is shitsticks Well, at least muse about what have been.

Tonight’s journey home was as usual an unnecessary botch up from First CC. Eight coach train reduced to four, one door failing to open (you think they’d at least check the doors work before sending the train out), six minutes late – heck that’s almost on-time for them!

On top of that, of course, we’re stuck with crappy old trains for the time being (note the blame being levelled by the esteemed CEO of First Group in effect on the Government – which means our money, natch; just shows how twisted the system is when the article I linked to contains news this May of passenger-revenue growth for First Group). Except even the new ones on the Brighton line have the Southern livery. I wonder whose fault that was?!

Anyway, the picture looks bleak, but then when did it ever look particularly bright on our most neglected of rail services? When one of the simplest ways to communicate delays and cancellations – the First CC Twitter feed – barely has any news on it, going the same way seemingly of their useless Facebook page, how do you expect the useless beggars who actually oversee the system (don’t blame the staff; I often feel sorry for them) to do something complicated like run trains?

So I’ll be blogging from time-to-time when the trains break down, First CC manages to cock something up, or perhaps if one of their PR team threatens this site with legal action or if something comes up on this site that’s worth a gripe. I can also be found on Twitter myself (favourite subjects: trains, social media, politics), so if you like the sound of that, pay a visit.

Until next time, goodbye, and good luck, and see you on the 08:54 from Streatham.

Smev

Limited service this eve on Thameslink route, don’t travel unless you have to. Advise that you leave London by 7pm. May not be later trains.

Morning commuter services were severly disrupted, by up to 2 hours in some cases,  and nearly all services were cancelled by mid afternoon. A snapshot of the live departure table, submitted by one of our readers shows the extent of the disruption.

Comments on Twitter suggest that some train operators managed to run an acceptable service (such as Southern), so why did FCC fall on its face once again? Who knows.

Today, FCC are running two service per hour on the Thameslink route, but expect crowded trains, and most probably extended delays later this afternoon.

It wont add up to much, but I encourage everyone affacted to claim compensation from FCC .

ASLEF has withdrawn the ballot for industrial action.
The union has considered our revised pay offer and agreed to recommend it for acceptance to members. The offer is spread over two years and includes productivity based increases. We are working jointly with Aslef to encourage our drivers to resume rest day and overtime working, our aim being to provide a full, normal service to our customers as quickly as possible.

Despite this, the reduced timetable is stil in operation. Leaflets were distributed at thameslink stations this morning that state;

Fewer than the anticipated number of drivers have put themselves down to be rostered next week given that they only learned on Tuesday night of the ASLEF decision.

Another poor excuse, and being the betting man I am, I would put money on the disruption lasting longer than just this week.

I have also picked up on a few posts at the Rail Forums (where train industry workers and customers are active) and found the following from an FCC ticket booth officer.

They still think they are going to run a full service next week or the week after……..

They reckon drivers didn’t sign up for rest days this week as they only just found out the new deal and they are hoping that drivers will sign up for the following week. Sorry to disappoint FCC but no one is going t sign up for RD work, well maybe one or two but the majority are staying off.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Thameslink route

Northbound
- 09:37 Sutton – Kentish Town
- 16:18 Elephant & Castle – Bedford (calls at Farringdon at 16:27)
- 16:04 Brighton – London Bridge
- 17:58 Elephant & Castle – Luton (calls at Farringdon at 18:07)
- 18:18 Herne Hill – Bedford (calls at Farringdon at 18:37)

Southbound
- 08:06 St Albans – Sutton
- 08:54 Luton – Elephant & Castle
- 17:11 London Bridge – Brighton

Great Northern route

Northbound
1312 Moorgate to Hertford North terminates at Alexandra Palace
1332 Moorgate to Hertford North cancelled
1442 Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City cancelled
1552 Moorgate to Stevenage cancelled
1638 Moorgate to Hertford North cancelled
1757 Kings Cross to Welwyn Garden City cancelled
1808 Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City cancelled
1823 Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City cancelled
1937 Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City cancelled
2007 Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City starts at Alexandra Palace
2152 Moorgate to Hertford North cancelled
2241 Kings Cross to Welwyn Garden City cancelled
0106 Kings Cross to Letchworth (Saturday morning) cancelled

Southbound
1232 Hertford North to Moorgate terminates at Alexandra Palace
1343 Welwyn Garden City to Moorgate cancelled
1452 Hertford North to Moorgate cancelled
1544 Welwyn Garden City to Moorgate cancelled
1620 Letchworth Garden City to Moorgate due 1726 will no longer call at:  Letchworth Garden City, Hitchin, Stevenage and Watton-At-Stone.
1659 Stevenage to Moorgate cancelled
1736 Hertford North to Moorgate cancelled
2058 Welwyn Garden City to Moorgate cancelled
2310 Hertford North to Kings Cross cancelled
2318 Letchworth to Kings Cross cancelled
0516 Royston to Kings (Saturday morning) cancelled