First Capital Connect advised customers not to travel and to leave London by 7pm yestersday. Their Twiter status was
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 .
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8 comments ↓
I got the 8.36am FCC service from Brighton yesterday. It was scheduled to leave at 8.50am but only left at 9.15am after a problem with four of the 8 carriages’ doors being frozen.
FCC staff could not de-ice them, so passengers were made to sit in the back 4 carriages. Because of the door problem, the train could only stop at manned stations, meaning misery for many commuters to smaller stations.
The train moved quite quickly to Gatwick, but then began to slow down. After East Croydon it got worse and then we came to a complete stop at Elephant & Castle due to signal problems. After 20 minutes or so, we limped into Blackfriars and stayed there for 30mins due to a broken down train at Farringdon. After sitting there for so long, I eventually got off the train and walked the rest of the way to King’s Cross.
Terrible service.
However, on the way home, I tubed it to Victoria, and experienced no problems at all getting home on Southern Trains.
FCC has failed big time – and this is proven by Southern’s service being very good. Both faced the same conditions, so why can’t FCC sort this out??!!!
Today, I have decided to work from home as I get more done there than staring out of a train window for 3 hours.
I tweeted @firstcc to ask them why Southern could run a near normal service, and yet FCC were cancelling trains left right and centre… basically giving up…
Their reply?
”The extreme cold has led to many train, power, track and signalling failures – for which we sincerely apologise”
Well… other than the actual train itself, south of London don’t FCC use the same power, track and signalling equipment as Southern? If they are working for Southern they’re sure as mustard working for FCC…
Its a pathetic excuse from FCC… How can they cancel trains and put in an emergency timetable on Thursday Night for all day Friday when they didn’t know what the weather/rail conditions would be like on Friday?!
Utter shambles…
Commuters must sign a petition asking for DPP intervention. If enough people sign, the DPP cannot ignore it.
What a great website, im glad someone has put together all the relevant information, maybe they should work for FCC to improve their communication skills. Ive just read the latest “update” on the FCC website, although we knew all the information anyway, and what a load of rot. It talks about normal timetable and then continues to include half a dozen excusses why it may not be normal! Thank God for Midland Mainline trains!
The new timetable of running 2 trains per hour from Bedford to london & onwards and back the other way shows just how much care FCC have for the fare paying customer & the fact that their safety counts for F**k all! I estimated there were almost 200 people rammed into one of the eight carriage stoppers which X8=app1600. when asked if they thought this was dangerous, I was told there is no limit on numbers per carriage but if a weight limiter alarm sound in the cab, the driver needs to lighten the load!! That is just the level of response we get and can expect from FCC, the journeys are torturous and the service dreadful with no end in sight to the driver dispute. I hope the drivers and management who collectively hold the public to ransom all come to grief when their performance is reviewed, how can they keep the franchise?? only time and public opinion will tell, so everybody reading these comments, lend your weight to the “Sack FCC campaign” and log your horror stories to shame them all out of a job….it is only just deserts..
FirstCC wakes up to passenger anger: http://bit.ly/Ejgki. Too little too late. Sign petition to terminate franchise: http://bit.ly/6zz6Tj
Please sign this 10 Downing Street petition to end the FCC franchise!
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/FirstCC/
I have endured so much pain and misery on FCC. There are times where I just find it so hard to breathe because I’m pushed up against the side of a door. I feel cramps up my legs sometimes when I can’t move my feet because there is no room to move. I don’t know why I do it to myself. So I have made the bold move to now quit my job in London after working there for 5 years. I will save £3k a year on travel now.
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