Random Transport Chatter

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Hm, really shows the size differences between franchises, and makes me readily understand why TPE & Northern keep being renewed to the same date, definitely expecting them to tweak those two franchises, although unlike Alan Fry, merge i highly doubt. However TPE generally do long distance urban stuff, whereas Northern do the local slow stuff, can't personally see much space for alteration from one to the other throughout the TPE/Northern networks where the opposite would work so well.

Edit: DfT are underfire for the new train contracts! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30504898
It seems MPs are displeased that they've decided to do all the management themselves, whereas this would usualyl have been done by the Train Operating Companies.

[Kevo00]

RIP Professor John Hibbs, bus economist, historian, and the architect of de-regulation.

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Did my good thing today and helped a guy who had lost his bus day ticket. Got talking to him, and it turns out he works for Network Rail*
Told him how I wanted to work in the industry, and recommended I look up something called PTS, or Personal Track Safety, and that'd be of great help to getting a fairly labour intensive job trackside to help me get into the industry from one angle or another to work towards station work or on-board train work. So i shall have to look up the costs for these things, see if the Job Centre would be willing to fund it as part of required training for back to work purposes. They've offered to fund other things, but nothing so specific geared towards something.

He also mentioned there was a lacking of people in the UK with this 'green card' thing you get upon completion of a PTS course, so its possible I could get a job off the back of it in a matter of months, or even weeks upon completion.

*more specifically a company that is contracted by them to do track maintenance, I think was the gist of it.

[Geo Ghost]

Woah wait.
He told you to look up PTS in order to get a job with them?

PTS is a training course enabling you to work in jobs that involve going down on the line-side. The training is given to you when you start though. Whether is be P-way, Guard, Driver, COSS, MOM, etc.
Whilst you can pay for your own (and it is by NO MEANS cheap!), it doesn't guarantee you any kind of position or job.

Reading up on such things is good for general knowledge of safety regulations, but that's about it if I'm honest.
Majority of station staff aren't PTS trained (not here at least). The only on-board crew who are would be guards and drivers.

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Oh balls. I should have known it was too good and simple to be true

Also, the 'guaranteed' job came from their being an alleged lack of people with this training.

[Geo Ghost]

Sorry. Didn't mean to knock it down like that
There are better and far less costly ways to get into the frame though mate! Depending what area you want to get into, or what areas take your fancy

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Depending what area you want to get into, or what areas take your fancy

Well, my goal is to work towards being a dispatcher (I'm an all weather kind of guy!), or conductor. However I try to keep my ambitions in check and not go too overboard, as I don't want to aim towards something too hard to get an end up just disappointed, else i'd come in all guns blazing and be like DRIVING, Yo! But realistically, thats not all that likely. I've talked to many conductors and a few dispatchers (yay Chesterfield, got a platform guy there, but there is a lack of trains quite often so they're usually up for chatting and insights), and both jobs seem very appealing, and often get something different each day to keep it fresh.

However, I've also been told those jobs are hard to get into, so I should expect to start doing the worst hours possible overnight cleaning trains for some TOC who barely knows what they're doing anyway, and just keep praying something comes up.

[Geo Ghost]

Depending what area you want to get into, or what areas take your fancy

Well, my goal is to work towards being a dispatcher (I'm an all weather kind of guy!), or conductor. However I try to keep my ambitions in check and not go too overboard, as I don't want to aim towards something too hard to get an end up just disappointed, else i'd come in all guns blazing and be like DRIVING, Yo! But realistically, thats not all that likely. I've talked to many conductors and a few dispatchers (yay Chesterfield, got a platform guy there, but there is a lack of trains quite often so they're usually up for chatting and insights), and both jobs seem very appealing, and often get something different each day to keep it fresh.

However, I've also been told those jobs are hard to get into, so I should expect to start doing the worst hours possible overnight cleaning trains for some TOC who barely knows what they're doing anyway, and just keep praying something comes up.

Dispatch is actually one the easiest roles to get into. Since it usually falls into the Customer Service category. As much as i hate to admit it, since I despise the term 'customer'!
Drop me a PM tomorrow mate. I'll give you some tips and bits of info to help Dispatch is how I started out after doing 2 months unpaid work experience

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Dispatch is how I started out after doing 2 months unpaid work experience

How did you manage to get work experience?! I've sent letters to EMT, Northern & TPE (all my local TOCs) enquiring if it would be possible to do some sort of voluntary work with them to get the experience I am after, I even offered to pay* for any required health & safety training so it was no expense for them, amazingly all three of the companies did actually write me a letter back, although all just said sorry no, or words to that effect. One specificially cited the health and safety problems as being the reason they couldn't offer me anything.

* Course I was with for Job Centre offered to pay (Ingeus)

I'll deffo chuck a PM your way at some point tomorrow though, thanks for that.

[Geo Ghost]

How did you manage to get work experience?!

I spoke directly with a station manager and said what I was after Had a mini interview with him and went from there!
I didn't undertake any safety critical roles of course. All I was doing really was observing, shadowing, offering assistance to passengers. Very basic stuff, but ultimately very critical things they would be looking for.

It is possible to do it, but many companies seem to choose not to. But it is possible if you find the right people, and use the right words
More on that in a PM though as I'm tired and heading to bed Shall get back to you!

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Well, Kings Cross (KGX) will see no trains tomorrow, because of overrunning maintenance.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-30607689

I bet whoever is in charge of that team is going to get a wholloping.

[Geo Ghost]

I am bloody annoyed about that.

Why? Because I am meant to be working tomorrow in all that and I cannot now due to a stretched muscle and severe chest pains. Thus I can barely move let alone make it to work.
I'm going to miss all the fun Not happy!


Yes, I am probably one of a very few who loves working in disruption!

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Yes, I am probably one of a very few who loves working in disruption!

I dunno, I love doing the charity shop at rush periods, something about being rushed off your feet and constantly needing to pay attention, really keeps me interested in going there for the Saturday shift!

[Kevo00]

I just love how Geo's posts have changed now that he has moved to the other side of the ticket barrier

[Geo Ghost]

I just love how Geo's posts have changed now that he has moved to the other side of the ticket barrier

*Innocent whistle*
I don't know what you mean...

In hindsight, looking at how chaotic things are today... Maybe it is a good thing I'm off ill after all!

[Dave]

Trains taking up to an hour to cover 2mi 37ch between Ally Pally and Finsbury...

Bloody hell. I've seen some tweets of Finsbury today. Not pleasant!

1S23 1530 to Edinburgh just departed at 1738, already 128 down, due to the allocated set arriving from Aberdeen 154 minutes late.

So turnaround took 7 minutes. Aside from the lack of time to be cleaned, there are obviously no retention tank pumps or other cleaning equipment at Finsbury, so those trains will be stuffy, packed, filthy and the bogs won't work.

Merry Christmas, eh? Jesus...

Meanwhile, Hull Trains have been cementing some pretty spectacular passenger service moves by running trains into St Pancras! The down stuff is fairly rare - via Carlton Road Jn, up to Crouch Hill then on to the Slow Lines at Harringay by way of Harringay Park Jn.

The up trains, mind, are absolute carnage if you're a mileage geek... Trains arriving at the Harringay reversing siding (used for the Thameslink depot at Hornsey), reversing over the flyover(!!!) to Hornsey Down sidings, then running through Ferme Park CS to Harringay Park Junction.

The manoeuvre over the flyover is usually performed in reverse for trains stabling at Hornsey after the morning peak. To be fair it's a valid, signalled (and very clever) way round... Some spotters will be having fits today if they've got on to them!

[JamieLei]

I may well be doing the Virgin Blockbuster service tomorrow, running Birmingham International - Coventry - Leamington Spa - West Ruislip - Ealing Broadway - Acton Main Line - Willesden Junction - Euston.

I have a return Any Permitted ticket bought already, but I may choose to go Chiltern if the Voyagers are crowded.

[Nawdic]

Anyone know of a decent flight comparison website, I fancy a day trip to Edinburrrrrgh.

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Virgin Trains to the rescue!
http://metro.co.uk/2015/01/06/twitter-s ... l-5011355/

[Pilot]

Think that proves how bad the Metro is when they don't pick up on it til a month after it happened