London Midland Trains

[vinh1000]

Agree
I had also my local ticket office tell me a lot of them are now short staffed and that LM are only opening them 2 days minimum per week

And no doubt this will be one of the ticket offices that will be having its hours reduced because of lack of use. Welll it might be used if it was actually open!
[/quote]
well sometimes when it says its open it isnt
just checked opening hours
Now only open Friday and saturday

[windy miller]

LM have another 'Great Escape' fiasco planned for Oct 20th to 4th Nov.There are NO Time restrictions on (Southbound) London services from any Birmingham Stations within zones 1-4.  At least you can be assured that,if your return train is cancelled due to driver shortage they can/will arrange alternative transport with VT (virgin) at no extra cost. ironicly, you could be back home an hour earlier! like I was last time :) As long as the LAST (scheduled) X city train services actually RUN I'm not fussed... 8)....as for guards checking tickets.. well.. try boarding a Leicester train from water orton to Nuneaton..if XC employ a guard to sell you a ticket..why should I risk losing my seat chasing a bone idle guard to buy a frigin ticket??  Nah :-X 

[Discodave]

train from
Cannock cancelled, ruined me & my lil brothers night out to brum. Crap service! why couldnt they run a replacement bus?

They don't have to for a staff shortage, they will just get a fine. Judging by the amount of cancellations this week, a considerable one.

Anyway Bob, knowing your luck the rail replacement would have been operated by Arriva MPD's!

ha ha ha ha ha ha  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Discodave]

More fines to come with the ticket office closures/restricted hours supposed to be machines at more locations including some on the chase line will be suprised if they work espically at bloxwich north will be smashed up by the mossley yobs and at bloxwich too

[andy]

More fines to come with the ticket office closures/restricted hours supposed to be machines at more locations including some on the chase line will be suprised if they work espically at bloxwich north will be smashed up by the mossley yobs and at bloxwich too

And that is the issue that people in a head office who make these decisions can't appreciate. I have just checked the list of new station ticketing arrangements on LM's site and they will be needing to install several new ticket machines at dodgy stations.

At my station for example, Gravelly Hill, they will be installing a full ticket machine now due to the restricted hours. This is a station where they gave up replacing the much simpler and cheaper Permit machine as it was being constantly vandalised and broken into. Imagine what they will do with the full comprehensive version!

[Bob]

Anyone know if the chase line will have cancelled trains this Saturday coming?

[Ash]

I got on the rugeley train today at new street for the 16:07 departure to then find out it wont depart for another 23 mins due to a staff shortage and unable to find crew of which most people ran for the Walsall service to find out it should be on platform 1 but then this was the wrong platform as this was for the london euston virgin pendalino departure at 16:30 so then everyone piled up on the top floor waiting for a platform annoucement to then find out it was on platform 3 which again by the time everyone got on this service was delayed. What i found strange is that when arriving at Walsall the delayed rugeley service was now curtailed to Hednesford and saying its delayed due to a broken down train which was incorrect. The Chase line service seem to be having mega problems with most steming back to the shortage of staff with London Midland.

[Tony]

I got on the rugeley train today at new street for the 16:07 departure to then find out it wont depart for another 23 mins due to a staff shortage and unable to find crew of which most people ran for the Walsall service to find out it should be on platform 1 but then this was the wrong platform as this was for the london euston virgin pendalino departure at 16:30 so then everyone piled up on the top floor waiting for a platform annoucement to then find out it was on platform 3 which again by the time everyone got on this service was delayed. What i found strange is that when arriving at Walsall the delayed rugeley service was now curtailed to Hednesford and saying its delayed due to a broken down train which was incorrect. The Chase line service seem to be having mega problems with most steming back to the shortage of staff with London Midland.

I was also on that 16:07 today, I went for the 16:39! They did tell us it was terminating at Hednesford as it passed through Witton. The 16:39 left New Street and Walsall on time, but had to wait at Bloxwich North for the 16:07 to get to Hednesford before proceding due to the long signal section, so anyone going to Rugeley only had to wait at Walsall for about 3 minutes!

[Bob]

Bit of a crappity service lately

[Tony]

I got on the rugeley train today at new street for the 16:07 departure to then find out it wont depart for another 23 mins due to a staff shortage and unable to find crew of which most people ran for the Walsall service to find out it should be on platform 1 but then this was the wrong platform as this was for the london euston virgin pendalino departure at 16:30 so then everyone piled up on the top floor waiting for a platform annoucement to then find out it was on platform 3 which again by the time everyone got on this service was delayed. What i found strange is that when arriving at Walsall the delayed rugeley service was now curtailed to Hednesford and saying its delayed due to a broken down train which was incorrect. The Chase line service seem to be having mega problems with most steming back to the shortage of staff with London Midland.

It was due to a broken down train. A coal train had broken down between Telford and Wolverhampton. The crew who were working the 16:07 were coming in on a train from Shrewsbury delayed by this. For once I am on LM's side. Today was not their fault. In fact today apart from that one train the service has rune well with the correct number of carriages

[Bob]

My mums got to go to Birmingham on Sat for a hen do, hope they are running properly, shes got to get 1.58 from Cannock. She'll be well p****d off if its cancelled, seeing as we have NO bus service on a Saturday now, so no alternative

[Ash]

I got on the rugeley train today at new street for the 16:07 departure to then find out it wont depart for another 23 mins due to a staff shortage and unable to find crew of which most people ran for the Walsall service to find out it should be on platform 1 but then this was the wrong platform as this was for the london euston virgin pendalino departure at 16:30 so then everyone piled up on the top floor waiting for a platform annoucement to then find out it was on platform 3 which again by the time everyone got on this service was delayed. What i found strange is that when arriving at Walsall the delayed rugeley service was now curtailed to Hednesford and saying its delayed due to a broken down train which was incorrect. The Chase line service seem to be having mega problems with most steming back to the shortage of staff with London Midland.

It was due to a broken down train. A coal train had broken down between Telford and Wolverhampton. The crew who were working the 16:07 were coming in on a train from Shrewsbury delayed by this. For once I am on LM's side. Today was not their fault. In fact today apart from that one train the service has rune well with the correct number of carriages

Yeah i just put it down to the staff shortages so my mistake I only needed to go to Walsall so got the 16:17 service which stopped at all stops to Walsall

[Discodave]

will the chaseline get better when its fully electrified then looking at the posts if LM cant get the crew or take fares looks unlikely

[Tony]

Why some Cross City were delayed today

[vinh1000]

Why some Cross City were delayed today

Where was that :O