"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 23:38:30 on
Sat, 28 Mar 2009, Tony Polson remarked:
The problems started in 1992, when the Tories were unexpectedly
re-elected with John Major as leader. The idiot had some misplaced
fondness for the days of the "Big Four" pre-1948 and allowed the
arch-privatisers to dismember the very successful Sectorised BR and
sell it off.

But as you know, he wanted to sell it off as integrated sectors, but the
*railway* industry told him that wouldn't work, and that it was necessary
to split things into the Railtrack/ROSCO/TOC system.

Given that the rational for the sell off was to "improve the railways by
injecting competition" they were right.

Unfortunately, this method of privatisation also increased the cost base
considerably

tim

In article ,
Roland Perry wrote:
In message
, at
03:29:01 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, Mizter T remarked:
but you won't find that 10pm rush hour penetrating as far as Intercity
services. Most major London termini are deserted from 8pm onwards.

No they're not - e.g. King's Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge,
Charing Cross, Waterloo, Victoria are all far from deserted after 8pm.

Different definitions of "deserted" perhaps.

As I'm sure you're aware, there are plenty of trains leaving KX after
8pm which are standing-room only.

In article ,
(Sarah Brown) wrote:

In article ,
Roland Perry wrote:
In message
,
at 03:29:01 on Wed, 25 Mar 2009, Mizter T
remarked:
but you won't find that 10pm rush hour penetrating as far as
Intercity services. Most major London termini are deserted from 8pm
onwards.

No they're not - e.g. King's Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge,
Charing Cross, Waterloo, Victoria are all far from deserted after 8pm.

Different definitions of "deserted" perhaps.

As I'm sure you're aware, there are plenty of trains leaving KX after
8pm which are standing-room only.

Not many fasts to Cambridge IME. The 19:15 fills quite well but I've never
failed to find a seat and see few standing passengers.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 08:30:00 on Wed, 1
Apr 2009, Sarah Brown remarked:
but you won't find that 10pm rush hour penetrating as far as Intercity
services. Most major London termini are deserted from 8pm onwards.

No they're not - e.g. King's Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge,
Charing Cross, Waterloo, Victoria are all far from deserted after 8pm.

Different definitions of "deserted" perhaps.

As I'm sure you're aware, there are plenty of trains leaving KX after
8pm which are standing-room only.

I'm not aware of that (are we perhaps talking about the last train on a
Friday night)? In any event, one full train - perhaps 8 or even fewer
coaches - doesn't generate enough footfall to make a big station like
that "not deserted".
--
Roland Perry

On Apr 1, 8:11 pm, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 08:30:00 on Wed, 1
Apr 2009, Sarah Brown remarked:

but you won't find that 10pm rush hour penetrating as far as Intercity
services. Most major London termini are deserted from 8pm onwards.

No they're not - e.g. King's Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge,
Charing Cross, Waterloo, Victoria are all far from deserted after 8pm.

Different definitions of "deserted" perhaps.

As I'm sure you're aware, there are plenty of trains leaving KX after
8pm which are standing-room only.

I'm not aware of that (are we perhaps talking about the last train on a
Friday night)? In any event, one full train - perhaps 8 or even fewer
coaches - doesn't generate enough footfall to make a big station like
that "not deserted".
--
Roland Perry

You must be thinking of a different Kings Cross - the one in Sydney
perhaps?
Tim

In message
, at
02:58:43 on Thu, 2 Apr 2009, TimB remarked:
As I'm sure you're aware, there are plenty of trains leaving KX after
8pm which are standing-room only.

I'm not aware of that (are we perhaps talking about the last train on a
Friday night)? In any event, one full train - perhaps 8 or even fewer
coaches - doesn't generate enough footfall to make a big station like
that "not deserted".

You must be thinking of a different Kings Cross - the one in Sydney
perhaps?

Do they also have "standing room only" trains leaving after 8pm?
--
Roland Perry

On Apr 2, 11:07 am, Roland Perry wrote:
In message
, at
02:58:43 on Thu, 2 Apr 2009, TimB remarked:

As I'm sure you're aware, there are plenty of trains leaving KX after
8pm which are standing-room only.

I'm not aware of that (are we perhaps talking about the last train on a
Friday night)? In any event, one full train - perhaps 8 or even fewer
coaches - doesn't generate enough footfall to make a big station like
that "not deserted".

You must be thinking of a different Kings Cross - the one in Sydney
perhaps?

Do they also have "standing room only" trains leaving after 8pm?
--
Roland Perry

There's a difference between 'not deserted' and 'standing room only'.
Tim

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 11:09:17PM +0100, tim..... wrote:
"Roland Perry" wrote:
But as you know, he wanted to sell it off as integrated sectors, but the
*railway* industry told him that wouldn't work, and that it was necessary
to split things into the Railtrack/ROSCO/TOC system.
Given that the rational for the sell off was to "improve the railways by
injecting competition" they were right.

Well, apart from the small matter of there not being any meaningful
competition.

--
David Cantrell | Minister for Arbitrary Justice

Irregular English:
you have anecdotes; they have data; I have proof

In message
, at
03:41:38 on Thu, 2 Apr 2009, TimB remarked:
As I'm sure you're aware, there are plenty of trains leaving KX after
8pm which are standing-room only.

I'm not aware of that (are we perhaps talking about the last train on a
Friday night)? In any event, one full train - perhaps 8 or even fewer
coaches - doesn't generate enough footfall to make a big station like
that "not deserted".

You must be thinking of a different Kings Cross - the one in Sydney
perhaps?

Do they also have "standing room only" trains leaving after 8pm?

There's a difference between 'not deserted' and 'standing room only'.

There's also a difference between a four-car train that's standing room
only, and a station that would be "virtually deserted" while those
couple of hundred people wandered through the concourse looking for the
right platform.

And no-one has confirmed that this late night "standing room only" train
actually exists.
--
Roland Perry

"David Cantrell" wrote in message
...
On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 11:09:17PM +0100, tim..... wrote:
"Roland Perry" wrote:
But as you know, he wanted to sell it off as integrated sectors, but
the
*railway* industry told him that wouldn't work, and that it was
necessary
to split things into the Railtrack/ROSCO/TOC system.
Given that the rational for the sell off was to "improve the railways by
injecting competition" they were right.

Well, apart from the small matter of there not being any meaningful
competition.

But there is at lease some.

with the alternative method, there wouldn't have been any at all

tim