On 20/12/2010 19:15, D7666 wrote:
On Dec 20, 7:08 pm, Arthur wrote:

passengers should use SWT, Underground and Tramlink instead. Just one
tiny snag with that at Sutton station...

LOL

The perils of long line auto PA.

Perhaps LOL is not appropriate, passengers expect sensible
information, and its dribble like that that causes no-one to pay
attention.

Is that "expect", or "have a slight hope that some of their
grandchildren might live to see the day when we get world peace and"?

I recently overheard someone who was stranded in Sutton, having believed
the journey planner which told her to make a 1 min connection between
FCC trains on platform 1.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

FCC TL

Major disruption
Service update 20th December
Thameslink route
....
....
blah blah blah
....
....
Tomorrow, Tuesday: At the request of Network Rail, because of further
freezing conditions that will affect track, signalling and other
infrastructure, we will be running a revised timetable again tomorrow.
It is expected the Thameslink route will be open across central London
so we will be able to operate a service between London and Sutton/
Wimbledon.
We will work to this revised timetable.
http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk...2010-12-21.pdf


''at the request of Networkrail''


--
Nick

On Dec 20, 6:25*pm, D7666 wrote:

Todays saga [...]

Yesterday late evening FCC were promising, well hoping, to provide a
normal Monday service, albeit with the big caveat that freezing fog
was expected (i.e. it could still all go tits up). By the sounds of it
the Farringdon power failure really knackered things up - could that
be put down to freezing fog? - but the separate power failure they
cite that affected live information systems sounds kinda rubbish/lame.

I think the Sutton loop and Sevenoaks services fell apart completely -
someone I know who was travelling up from south of the river found
themselves on what the station PIS had apparently stated was a train
to a Thameslink North destination (Bedford or Luton or something, not
sure), which actually then went on to Victoria - was early and the
recollection a little hazy, but a message on the FCC site seemed to
back up the idea some (peak?) trains may have gone to/from Vic.
Someone else travelling back south from Thameslink North just said it
was a mess (info sounded shabby but got no details). And just heard of
someone else (not on the TL route but on Southeastern) waiting at a
station finding a mystery unannounced train pulling in to another
platform (seemingly something running v late) - such tales are far
from unusual, and of course on parts of the network it's the CIS/PIS
that feeds the LDB system - anyhow point being that those who say
'look at the LDBs to get the true picture' evidently don't appreciate
that the LDBs can be a work of fiction at times like this. Anyway,
apparently one shouldn't "whinge"...

On Dec 20, 9:48*pm, D7666 wrote:

FCC TL

Major disruption
Service update 20th December
Thameslink route
...
...
blah blah blah
...
...
Tomorrow, Tuesday: At the request of Network Rail, because of further
freezing conditions that will affect track, signalling and other
infrastructure, we will be running a revised timetable again tomorrow.
It is expected the Thameslink route will be open across central London
so we will be able to operate a service between London and Sutton/
Wimbledon.
[...]

We shall see, says he v cynically - those I know on the Sutton/
Wimbledon loop simply write off Thameslink when anything looks a
little shaky - ditto the Sevenoaks service as well now it seems (I
recall it being said that the Blackfriars-Sevenoaks service of old was
v reliable).

"Mizter T" wrote:

I think the Sutton loop and Sevenoaks services fell apart completely -
someone I know who was travelling up from south of the river found
themselves on what the station PIS had apparently stated was a train
to a Thameslink North destination (Bedford or Luton or something, not
sure), which actually then went on to Victoria - was early and the
recollection a little hazy, but a message on the FCC site seemed to
back up the idea some (peak?) trains may have gone to/from Vic.

As I arrived at Vic circa 08.45*, there were two FCC 319s heading out on the
South Eastern side.

Chris

* Should have arrived at London Bridge at 07.20-ish, but both the 05.45 and
06.30 off Seaford were cancelled due, allegedly, to unit failures - 313s I
presume.

On Dec 20, 10:32*pm, Mizter T wrote:

We shall see, says he v cynically -

Indeed, but I concur the mode.

those I know on the Sutton/
Wimbledon loop simply write off Thameslink when anything looks a
little shaky - ditto the Sevenoaks service as well now it seems (I
recall it being said that the Blackfriars-Sevenoaks service of old was
v reliable).

During last years drivers dispute, FCC were adamant they had to
maintain Kentish Town / Sevenoaks due to SET commitments yet this year
its been wiped out several times. Either FCC lied last year, FCC are
deliberately evading mentioning it now, or it is SET cancelling it.

I know which one of those 3 is probably *not* the answer.

--
Nick

On Dec 20, 10:43*pm, D7666 wrote:

We shall see, says he v cynically -

Indeed, but I concur the mode.



Well what they said they'd run they sort of ran, but that did not
alter the fact I spent over half and hour at LUT again unable to get
on them, EMT trains not calling Bedford so that pushed more pax onto
FCC, and the one EMT that stopped LUT while I was there was
simultaneous with an FCC so it was try one or the other but not both.

Retreat home, do some remote home working and try later.

Its a good job I do flexi hours AND have a boss who commutes on
another First operation and knows the score.

--
Nick

On Dec 21, 9:36*am, D7666 wrote:

Retreat home, do some remote home working and try later.


Which I did, returning to LUT at around 09:50.

No FCC trains.

Well none that were known about.

There were indicated trains, some of which were from the normal t.t.
some of which were from the alleged emergency timetable, and some of
each were ''on time'' and some of each were ''cancelled''.

Much stressed staff were as much in the dark as passengers were. By
10:05 there would be no trains in the next hour going south based on
all available information *at that point in time*. I leave. Just as I
get back to my home, an I see an Up passenger carrying 319, looking
rather full, although that was from a distance.

Maybe the points problem at Bedford has compounded matters, but even
so the FCC site says thats only an EMT problem and does not refer to
it as an FCC problem.

Neither do they state why todays alleged 4 TPH is nothing like it. Nor
explain why all the web and PIS data is completely wrong.

I still don't know why they only ran 2 TPH last evening peak.

Not only has there been no explanation of that but we got this through
the local commuters group this morning :



QUOTE

Dear stakeholder,
Due to the adverse weather conditions and infrastructure problems we
have experienced a number of delays and cancellations to services this
weekend and this morning.
Thameslink
On Saturday the Thameslink route was forced to close earlier than
planned in the evening as drivers couldn’t get to depots and snow was
preventing services from running.
This morning a power cut in the Farringdon area contributed to
significant disruption caused by the extreme weather conditions and
low temperatures which last night reached -13 degrees in some places.
A power cut at West Hampstead Service Delivery Centre, which is
located in the signal box, severely affected our information systems.
All train were shown as cancelled, which was not the case. Our Service
Delivery Centre staff were unable to update the Customer Information
screens at the stations, nor could they update the information on our
website. Added to this, Network Rail did not de-ice the track
following the weekend engineering works in central London. This meant
two services got stuck in the Farringdon and Blackfriars area, which
added to the delays and cancellations. Network Rail is still working
to remove ice from this section of the track.
Network Rail has instructed us to run a revised timetable for the
remainder of today and also for tomorrow. Currently all trains to and
from Bedford (four an hour in each direction) are starting and
terminating at St Pancras International. Details of tomorrow's
service will be on both the FCC and National Rail Enquiries websites
later today. This timetable is planned to consist of just four trains
an hour to and from Bedford, of which two will serve the Wimbledon -
Sutton loop and two will run to and from Brighton. Passengers can, if
they wish, choose to travel on our Great Northern route, on which
Network Rail have agreed that a full, normal timetable will operate.
We are urging our customers to check our website for travel updates
before heading out. Tickets are being accepted on London Underground,
London Buses, EastMidland Trains, Southern, and Southeastern.
Best wishes,
Neal Lawson
Managing Director

END QUOTE



Right now, FCC web site says this

QUOTE

Major disruption
Service update 21st December
Thameslink route
At the request of Network Rail, because of further freezing conditions
that will affect track, signalling and other infrastructure, we are
running a revised timetable again today but the Thameslink route will
be open across central London and there will be a service between
London and Sutton/Wimbledon.
No services can now call at City Thameslink because of treacherous
conditions.

END QUOTE


Treacherous conditions ? At City ???


While all this is going on, they STILL repeat ad nauseam the PA about
Blackfriars being closed, instructing passenger to - use CIty !!!



Assemble to following words in the correct order

capital
brewey
organise
connect
drinking
first
organise
a
can't
session
in


--
Nick

On Dec 21, 12:55*pm, D7666 wrote:
On Dec 21, 9:36*am, D7666 wrote:

Right now, FCC web site says this

Major disruption
Service update 21st December


Now has revised text with says :

QUOTE

Tomorrow, Wednesday

Further ice and up to 10cm of snow is forecast for tonight north of
London. Network Rail has therefore instructed us to operate today's
revised timetable again tomorrow.

END QUOTE


I will have run out of useful working at home things to do by then.

--
Nick

In message
,
D7666 writes
No services can now call at City Thameslink because of treacherous
conditions.

I cannot imagine why they thought they had to close City Thameslink: it
is a station entirely underground, with both entrances well protected
from the weather beneath office blocks, one in a mini-shopping mall. The
message I saw claimed there was too much ice: I'd have thought that the
only place ice could form would be on the pavement outside the entrance.
Does anyone understand this at all? It's particularly unfortunate to
close it, since Blackfriars is also closed, and Farringdon beset by
building works.

Assemble to following words in the correct order

capital
brewey
organise
connect
drinking
first
organise
a
can't
session
in

Very well put.

--
Clive Page