From the live departure board at Peterborough at 2240 to give a
flavour of the tail end of a rather abysmal afternoon for passengers
on the ECML: 2028 London King's Cross delayed 143 minutes, 2038 London
King's Cross delayed 210 minutes, 2121 London King's Cross delayed 108
minutes, 2215 London King's Cross delayed 116 minutes.

Yet currently, the www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com home page proudly
claims "No disruptions reported".

Goodness, I wonder what constitutes *real* disruption?

On 26 Jun, 22:51, spark  wrote:
> From the live departure board at Peterborough at 2240 to give a
> flavour of the tail end of a rather abysmal afternoon for passengers
> on the ECML: 2028 London King's Cross delayed 143 minutes, 2038 London
> King's Cross delayed 210 minutes, 2121 London King's Cross delayed 108
> minutes, 2215 London King's Cross delayed 116 minutes.
>
> Yet currently, thewww.nationalexpresseastcoast.comhome page proudly
> claims "No disruptions reported".
>
> Goodness, I wonder what constitutes *real* disruption?

I caught 1655 from Newcastle to KGX and got caught up in the whole
mess. I was going back to Brighton and was expecting to get home
around 2200. But at York we waited for about 75 minutes. Lots of
announcements saying what had happened. We eventually set of to
Doncaster where we were turfed out and everybody had to stand on a
rainy wet platform not really knowing what to do.

Some time around 2150 another train from Leeds came in and we were
allowed on that. Lots of apologies on board but of course the NXEC
staff didn't bother coming round. When there is a crisis, hide. I and
many other people had connections in London, lots of people were
expecting to get the tube on arrival but we arrived at 12am and so
they had missed that. When we arrived at KGX there were no staff to be
seen arranging onward transport or giving out delay repay forms. I
managed to get back by catching thameslink to gatwick and changing
there. Finally got home around 2.30am, 4hrs30 mins late. This
completely contrasts with my experience of NXEA(or one as it was
called then). When I've been late on their train to Norwich from
London the guard comes around asking people if they have connections,
he calls ahead to Norwich to arrange taxis, and when you arrive there,
there are staff waiting on the platform to help and give out leaflets
on how to claim money back. They even keep the customer service centre
open. Nothing like that at Kings Cross. Is this typical?

Being delayed for that long is frustrating and you can see many
passengers getting upset. It doesn't really bother me too much because
it really isn't their fault. But what really does annoy me is the
total lack of assistance from staff on getting people back home. I'm
sure many other people trying to get to harder to reach places than
Brighton at midnight were left stranded.

How do I go about claiming my train fare back as I have no 'evidence',
aside from some very heavy bags under my eyes, I was actually on that
particular train.

On Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:43:27 -0700 (PDT), peder
 wrote:

>How do I go about claiming my train fare back as I have no 'evidence',
>aside from some very heavy bags under my eyes, I was actually on that
>particular train.

Just write and say you were, that usually works.  If you remember
something specific about the journey that you'd have to be there to
have seen, that will help your case.

Neil

-- 
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

"peder"  wrote in message 
news:b42660b6-5158-4bf1-8b6d-cbab27a052d4@k37g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>
> I caught 1655 from Newcastle to KGX and got caught up in the whole
> mess. I was going back to Brighton and was expecting to get home
> around 2200. But at York we waited for about 75 minutes. Lots of
> announcements saying what had happened. We eventually set of to
> Doncaster where we were turfed out and everybody had to stand on a
> rainy wet platform not really knowing what to do.
>

I was on that train from York. At Doncaster I saw there was another train to 
south across platform in no. 3. Which will go first? From announcements on 
1655, it was far from certain that it was going any further (and you confirm 
it didn't), so I hopped off the 1655 to see the final tests being done on 
the other train with 67002 at the front. It was packed to roof but I 
squeezed into vestibule and was heading south after only a few minutes wait 
in Doncaster. Sad that most of the 1655 passengers were stuck on that, but 
then there was hardly room to take more on the 67002 train and that would 
have delayed that train even longer if any transferred. 67002 came off at 
Newark; didn't write down what time it left here but around 2140 - crew just 
before departure was guessing 2300 into KX, about four hours late if it was 
1350 Glasgow. More if it wasn't!

I found the on board staff very good, but train managers were exasperated in 
being unable to contact control. It is always a challenge after a major 
incident, but my impression was of a major failing along the communications 
channels, from NR to NXEC control to staff at the sharp end. Aren't NR/NXEC 
in the same office in York?

Platform staff were less good, although equally in the dark. I was at Newark 
about 90 minutes before a bus home (other than visit to fish & chip shop!) 
and the staff at Newark left much to be desired. The mass 'fag break' on 
platform by passengers off trains hours late and stuck at Newark ages, was 
quite amusing, with Newark 'person' getting more and more agitated with 
threats of BTP action. Seeing PC Plod arrive to arrest 50 plus smokers would 
have been interesting.

David

"David Thornhill"  wrote

 From announcements on
> 1655, it was far from certain that it was going any further (and you
confirm
> it didn't), so I hopped off the 1655 to see the final tests being done on
> the other train with 67002 at the front. It was packed to roof but I
> squeezed into vestibule and was heading south after only a few minutes
wait
> in Doncaster. Sad that most of the 1655 passengers were stuck on that, but
> then there was hardly room to take more on the 67002 train and that would
> have delayed that train even longer if any transferred. 67002 came off at
> Newark; didn't write down what time it left here but around 2140 - crew
just
> before departure was guessing 2300 into KX, about four hours late if it
was
> 1350 Glasgow. More if it wasn't!
>
Probably was the 1350 Glasgow, which was 231 late at Peterborough, and last
time I checked on ldbs last night was expected at Kings Cross a few cminutes
after 2300.

Peter