Posts Tagged ‘News’
A further brief has been issued in regards to the anticpated plan for Tuesdays services, it also contains an updated service plan for Tuesday.
Tonight 6th September 2010:
- Jubilee and Northern lines: will operate as normal until 22:00 with services winding down and stopping at 23:00
- Piccadilly line: will operate as normal until 21:30 with services winding down and stopping at 22:30
- Bakerloo: from 17:00, will only operate on the Queens Park to Elephant & Castle section, with service set to stop at 23:00
- Central: services will start to wind down from 17:00 and will stop at 23:00
- District: a greatly reduced level of service will run in the evening peak
- Hammersmith & City/Circle: services will start to wind down during the afternoon, becoming sparse after 17:00 with all service stopping at 23:00
- Victoria: normal service until 21:30; then only operating between Seven Sisters and Victoria.
Tomorrow 7th September 2010:
- Bakerloo: a reduced service will operate between Queens Park – Elephant & Castle ONLY
- Central: a greatly reduced service (train every 15 minutes) will operate at the western and eastern ends of the line. There will be NO SERVICE on the central section between Leytonstone and White City.
- District: a greatly reduced service between Barking – Wimbledon. No Ealing Broadway service.
- Hammersmith & City/Circle: a greatly reduced service, starting 30 minutes later than usual, prioritising serving stations between Hammersmith and Edgware Road but hoping to run services on the rest of the line as well.
- Jubilee: a reduced service operating over the whole line.
- Metropolitan: a very reduced service. Watford branch closed. Services running from Amersham/Uxbridge to Baker Street.
- Northern: a greatly reduced service operating over the whole line.
- Piccadilly: very limited services only between Heathrow to Hammersmith and between Arnos Grove and Cockfosters. NO SERVICE on central section.
- Victoria: a greatly reduced service between Seven Sisters & Victoria only.
- Waterloo & City: NO SERVICE
Following a further internal conference with Train Operators and London Underground a new revised service plan has been released. This information has been taken from an internal brief sent from First Capital Connect.
The full brief can be read on our strike update page.
This service plan is as follows.
London Underground currently anticipate being able to run the following levels of service:
- Northern line: 70% service
- Jubilee line: 50% service
- Bakerloo line: 50% service
- Metropolitan line: 40% service
- Hammersmith & City line: 30% service
- Circle line: 30% service
- District line: 25% service
- Victoria line: 25%
London Underground intends to prioritise running Tube trains to stations which have an interchange with First Capital Connect services.We are having a planning discussion with London Underground on Monday and will advise of any updates following this meeting.
Latest information will be posted on this blog and on this specially set up page as and when we get it.
Please note that as with all strike plans, this information could change at very short notice, and has already changed several times, or even a completely new plan could be implemented without further notice. Check the TfL website before you travel.
This information has now been in part superseded by new information located here.
An internal TfL document has been Emailed to us some moments ago in regards to a confrence involving London Train Operators and London Underground.
Latest information will be posted on this blog and on this specially set up page as and when we get it.
Please note that as with all strike plans, this information could change at very short notice, or even a completely new plan could be implemented without further notice. Check the TfL website before you travel.
It is understood that service frequencies will be as follows:
Monday 6th September
- Bakerloo Line
No services north of Queens Park from approx 22:00
Close down of service from 17:00 but 50% of normal service expected until 23:00. - Central Line
Close down of service from 17:00 with no predicted service. Around 2 or 3 trains after 23:00. - Circle / Hammersmith and District Lines
Good service until 20:00 and then close down with last trains at 23:00. - District Lines
Close down of service from 17:00 with less the 15% of normal service until 23:00 - Jubilee Line
Close down of service from 17:00 with no predicted service. Last trains at 23:00 - Metropolitan Line
Close down of service from 17:00 with no predicted service. Last trains at 22:00 - Northern Line
No information at present, predicted service not stated. - Piccadilly Line
Close down of service from 17:00 with no predicted service. Last trains at 22:00 - Victoria Line
Predicted service not stated, however services will not run along side National Rail services. - Waterloo and City Line
Last services 17:00. - DLR and London Overground
Normal service with no proposed alteration to timetables. Services which connect with a London Underground station maybe affected.
Tuesday 7th September
- Bakerloo Line
No services north of Queens Park all day.
25-50% of normal timetabled services between Queens Park and Elephant and Castle. - Central Line
No services between White City and Woodford (Central London).
25-50% of normal timetabled services between West Ruislip/Ealing Broadway and White City
25-50% of normal timetabled services between Woodford and Epping. - Circle / Hammersmith and District Lines
A reduced service of 15-25% will operate. - District Lines
A very limited service of 5-10% of normal timetabled services will operate. No service off-peak. - Jubilee Line
No service in Central London. - Metropolitan Line
No service between Aldgate and Baker Street.
No service between Uxbridge and Harrow on the Hill.
No service on Chesham branch.
A very limited service will operate on other portions of the route. - Northern Line
Service likely to be completely suspended or run at 5-10% of normal timetable at peak time. - Piccadilly Line
Awaiting information. - Victoria Line
Awaiting information. - Waterloo and City Line
No service all day. - DLR and London Overground
Normal service with no proposed alteration to timetables. Services which connect with a London Underground station maybe affected.
Latest information will be posted on this blog and on this specially set up page as and when we get it.
Strike goes ahead.
The strike by RMT and TSSA union members will go ahead on Monday after talks failed and broke down.
Latest information will be posted on this blog and on this specially set up page as and when we get it.
London Underground will run the best service they can. It is advised that you check before you travel via tfl.gov.uk.
Disruption is likely to most journeys, but London Underground will run as many trains and keep as many stations open as possible.
Volunteers will be on hand at key stations to give alternative travel options and otherwise assist passengers.
London buses operate around 700 routes with services being boosted with extra buses on key routes on strike days
Extra staff are being deployed to hubs to focus on customer service and information.
DLR and London Overground services are expected to operate as normal. Some stations where there is an interchange with London Underground may be affected
Tramlink services are expected to operate as normal
The 5,000 Barclays Cycle Hire bikes will be available to members of the scheme, although demand is likely to be high, and cycles harder to access during peak times
Londoners who own a bike are encouraged to cycle to work.
Guided rides will be provided on the morning of 7 September.
Cycle Parks at Finsbury Park and London Bridge will be making it easy for new users to turn up, register, and leave their bikes
River services, which have been recently improved, will be running as normal. Larger boats will be used where possible to boost capacity and an additional 500 capacity shuttle service is also being provided between Tower, Westminster and London Eye Piers. This will operate 06.30 – 10.00 and 16.00 – 20.00 on Tuesday 7 September
This service will be priced at £3 for a single, with all concessions – including those with Travelcards – charged at £1.50
National Rail will be operating as normal during the strike with some possible exceptions where stations are run by LUL.
Between 06:30 and 10:30 on Tuesday 7 September 2010 taxi drivers will be operating a marshalled taxi service for central London destinations at five major London rail stations – Waterloo, Liverpool St, King’s Cross, Charing Cross, and Marylebone. In addition, the fixed-fare taxi sharing schemes at Euston Station and Paddington Station are expected to operate as normal
Walking maps will be provided, in bus, rail, and Tube stations in Zone 1 and other key outer London stations, with volunteers helping people plan their routes around the city.
The Congestion Charge will remain in operation throughout the strike
The two biggest rail unions are informing their members to prepare for strike action starting Monday 6th September 2010.
London Underground had asked ACAS to enter all parties into constructive talks however TfL refused to back down over their safety cutting proposal and the talks broke down.
The strike which will affect all London Underground lines will commence for front line staff (including revenue, ticket office staff, platform staff and station staff) at 21:00 on 6th September and will last for 24 hours. Maintenance workers will be instructed to withdraw their labour from 17:00 on 6th September again for 24 hours.
Strikes are also planned for October 3, November 2 and November 28.
Please remember to check before you travel as to the current status of all the lines. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/realtime/tube/default.html
Latest information will be posted on this blog and on this specially set up page as and when we get it.
We will update you as to any news we get.
Disabled mother, Diane Holyoake, was told by First Capital Connect staff she could not board the train with her scooter.
Diane was meant to catch a First Capital Connect train from East Croydon to London Bridge on her way to Norfolk for her summer holiday.
However when her son rang FCC to order a ramp for his mother so she could wheel her scooter on to the train and have some assistance he was told in no uncertain terms she would not be able to board the train without a permit.
First Capital Connect demanded that Diane needed a permit that included a passport photo of her and one of her scooter, including details of its size, weight, colour and technical details.
Mrs Holyoake said:
“It’s discrimination, it’s ridiculous and it makes you feel self-conscious, They are actually going to forbid people on scooters from getting on the train unless they have a pass. What if you forget it? What if you don’t know you need one? The train company said if I didn’t show one I’d have to get off at the next stop. I’d be booted off the train.”
Because Mrs Holyoake did not have the required FCC permit, she had to catch a later train with another train operator who do not have such a draconian and discriminatory policy to reach her intended holiday destination.
Rodney said:
“My mum will have to carry this pass about all the time, just in case she needs to use a First Capital Connect train, It’s not even properly advertised. The only reason we found out was because I asked about a ramp.”
PFAS has asked FCC to comment, but to be honest we doubt we will get an official comment from their External Communications Manager, Gareth Beazant.
Comments Closed
Penalty Fare Appeal Support – Advance notice of FCC Rail Offer.
First Capital Connect have decided to try and get more passengers travelling on their filthy grubby trains by bribing passengers with lower fares during the summer holidays.
During the school holidays (which FCC deems to be from 14th August – 5th September 2010), the current Super Off Peak weekend tickets will be extended to be valid in the week.
The offer will be available in the same areas as the weekend Super Off-Peak offer – the outer stations for journeys to London and for journeys from London to Brighton.
The catches that normal weekday restrictions will apply, such as you cant travel on trains arriving London before 10am or leaving London between 16:30 and 19:01.
During the same period, we are also offering customers the opportunity to travel to Brighton from ALL Thameslink and Great Northern route FCC-served stations North of London for 20% less than the normal Off-Peak Day Return fare (CDR). Again, this offer is only valid for travel on FCC services only.
Official customer notification will be made via local press, online advertising, posters at stations and email marketing from the 9th August, so you heard it here first!
Comments Closed
Before the new ConDem government was voted in by nobody that we know, a petition was created which attracted just over 5,800 signatures demanding the Government strip FCC of its franchise.
The new government has taken it upon itself to finally respond!
However the response is pathetic, and stinks of someone from First Capital Connect actually writing it for the Government. The response acknowledges the unacceptable service late 2009 – early 2010. It then goes on to claim that because the action was concerted it was a force-majeure event!
You can read the full petition plus response on the HM Government website.
Comments Closed
In what can only be described as heaven for most Thameslink commuters, Connex has been reported as expressing an interest in taking over the Capital Connect franchise, reports are saying.
Connex has approached the newly formed Department of Cockups, Railways and Passengers (DCRaP)
A spokesperson for Connex told us “If First can get away with the delays, driver shortages, lack of information, ignoring customers and major screw ups that they currently are getting away with, then we thought we might as well have a go as well.”
When asked about Connex South Eastern and Connex South Central the spokesman replied “We weren’t as bad then as First is now, yet we were stripped of our franchise, and First gets away with it! Hardly fair you think? We at Connex think the reason First are allowed to get away with it, is because a lot of back handers are being given to various people!”
“We will pretend to listen, will come up with some slogan that we think the passengers will want to hear. We will tell the drivers to work or else they will find themselves out of work and we will replace them with our European drivers.”
“We will actually run to a timetable, it may not be one that you’ll like but at least our trains will not be late.”
“We will pretend to claim that we are investing in whatever is the best thing at the time, but actually we wont.”
PFAS thinks that if Connex is allowed to take over the running of the Capital Connect franchise it wont do any further harm to an already poorly run franchise.
Comments Closed
The National Rail strike involving signallers has been called off, for now. Managers at Notwork Rail decided to invoke anti trade union law against the unions instead of sitting down at a table and talking.
The RMT union has vowed to do a re-ballot of workers.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said: ‘This judgment is an attack on the whole trade union movement and twists the anti-union laws even further in favour of the bosses.
‘Workers fighting for the principle of a safe railway have had the whole weight of the law thrown against them.
‘Our executive will meet this evening with a recommendation for a re-ballot. Our fight for safe working practices on Britain’s railways goes on.’
However the RMT’s 12,000 Notwork Rail maintenance workers, and TSSA’s 800 members working as supervisors, will continue to stage an all-out strike from 06:00 on April 6 to 23:59 on April 9.