2004-05 Couldn't be arsed to write to Richard. He never answered.
These are my notes. They're as dull as the journeys were dreary
Easter
OUTWARD JOURNEY
7th April 2004
10.15 Euston-Carlisle Dumfries
Quiet Coach- Not labelled as such, therefore not Quiet.
Carriages dirty. Worn doors not working- not closing
Usual cold drafts
10.45 slowing down
11.10 ask Guard if we're delayed. He says "What do you mean? Why should we be? We're running within acceptable margins."
Trolley unable to dispense hot drinks
Staff inattentive, more interested in their conversation. Both are changing their jobs...
Announcement inviting us to come to the bar.
On arriving there, only two sandwiches left. 'SOLD OUT'
Is the waitress on tranquilisers?
13.04 Preston 'delayed indefinitely' ( says Janice)
'problem on track between here and Lancaster'
13.20 off
1402 Dep Oxenholme 30 minutes late
1440 Carlisle
Return- uneventful!
JOURNEY 1
OUTWARD July 1 10.30 Euston
RETURN July 7 14.56 Carlisle Old First Class Coach
OUTWARD July 1 10.30 Euston
ticket machines non operative (booking number not accepted)
buy another ticket (quick ticket machines non-operational)
hot drinks boiler not working
chill cabinets non-operational
toilets out of order
RETURN
Uneventful That's boring, is that.
JOURNEY 2
OUTWARD July 15 10.30 Euston
RETURN July 26 1642? Carlisle (14.58 ex Dumfries)
OUTWARD July 15 10.30 Euston
No unreserved or at least not in designated coach
Reservation chaos all around. Perched on jump seat.
No room for luggage. Piled in room left for manouevring wheelchair
Heating on full- July. (Eventually adjusted-too cold)
Warm 'cold' drinks
Toilets not working
RETURN July 26 no hot drinks (for 2nd/3rd time running)
JOURNEY 3
OUTWARD July 31 9.55 Euston
RETURN Aug 12 1456 Carlisle
OUTWARD July 31 9.55 Euston
Unable to reserve seat day before: this service 'closed/locked'
Chaos at Euston
Train changed- 'wrong type of train'- therefore no reserved seats at all
Most of train overheating
-except for sections in first class, which were chilled
Only one out of 4 wcs working- 'toilets B, D & G out of order'
Cold drinks have run out by Crewe
No coffee. Machine out of order
Stopped at Crewe
Stopped just after Preston 13.18 There’s a broken down train ahead
Shop closed 15 mins out of preston. Restock /stockcheck
'not enough room in shop'
13.43 shop open again after 30 minutes.
Miss first connection to dumfries (14.22)
Stranraer travellers stranded: given taxis
RETURN Aug 12 1456 Carlisle
UNABLE TO RESERVE Arsey boy on phone
Told at Carlisle ( what charm school do they train at? Or is it a Cumbrian thing?) There is no longer an unreserved coach "They're all scattered about. It's just pot luck."
In fact, no reservations marked at all on 14.56. Chaos at each stop.
4.29 'shop' closed for 15 mins
4.40 'not open for a further 20 minutes'
No water in toilet hand basins
JOURNEY 4
CHRISTMAS TRAVEL
Seat booked on phone for 21/12/05
Ticket issued for 22/12/05
Staff at desk slow but sympathetic.
Ticket authorised for next day
OUTWARD 22 12 04
-EUSTON DUMFRIES 9.30
Train nearly changed at last minute
Toilets rank
RETURN
-DUMFRIES-EUSTON 12.53
At Carlisle connection from Glasgow delayed 30 minutes
'defective windscreen wiper'
JOURNEY 5
Virgin 17/2/05 & 22/02/05
OUTWARD JOURNEY
1015
1339 1422
1457
£76.80
Not possible to book seats: 'problem with system'
Finally allocated seat in Quiet Coach at table with plug
('All Pendolino seats have plugs!')
Not Quiet Coach. Not table seat. No plug
After Watford 30 minutes delay: 'Slower moving traffic'
1305 outside Penrith 'animals on line'
+'points failure'
+?
1340 Stop at Penrith
1448 Carlisle 65 mins late
1450 Carlisle to Dumfries (2 mins before departure. Everyone running)
RETURN JOURNEY 22/2/05
Problems with booking seats again. Allocated Seat A04A
Confusion over whether this is table seat or not
Seat A04A is a table but it is not reserved: marked 'available'
Carriages either plain cold or mixture of too hot above waist and cold below. Conductor says there’s problem with aircon.
Volume on announcements is deafening with tooth-loosening electronic feedback
Oh the passenger
He rides and he rides
He sees things from under glass
He looks through his window side
He sees the things that he knows are his
He sees the bright and hollow sky
He sees the city sleep at night
He rides and he rides
He sees things from under glass
He looks through his window side
He sees the things that he knows are his
He sees the bright and hollow sky
He sees the city sleep at night
No comments:
Post a Comment