On Aug 17, 2:51*am, Charlie Hulme
wrote:
On 17/08/2011 10:32, 1506 wrote:

Having been away for many years, one is pleasantly surprised by the
improvements the badly designed privatization has brought about.
South West Trains is on a whole new level of comfort compared to BR.

They came along just at the time when new rolling stock needed to
be ordered. I think we can safely assume that slam-door stock
would not be running today if BR had survived at it was ... or
been allowed to bid for franchises as has happened elsewhere with
the state railway organisations. BR could have been running some
Bavarian branch lines by now!

Charlie

That does not explain the other improvements. SWT stations are in
much better shape. Their staff shows an appropriate level of respect
for the customers. The trains are reasonably timely.

New Southern Railway is pretty good. Except that their services stop
at the sight of a snowflake.

First Great Western is not at all impressive, what with dirty trains
and surly staff.

The worst is TfL; the London Subway is dirty, hot, unreliable, and
staffed, in my experience, by jobsworths.

OTOH, I am impressed by the LUL station dwell times. As soon as the
train has stopped the doors open. The doors remain open just long
enough, close, and the train pulls away. Now if SWT could achieve the
same it would be a great improvement. After their trains stop it
takes several second for the open door LEDs to light. Then the
station dwell times tend to be excessive.