That makes two nights running that Merseyrail have managed to turn a journey into a trauma.
But last nights really WAS a trauma. It would almost have been funny.if I hadn’t been trying to get home from an after-work beer with SWMBO*, been lied to by a member of Merseyrail staff and saw someone nearly fall under a train.
Basically, it went like this:
Waiting in James Street for the 20:37 West Kirby train, on the normal platform (3, I think it is) an announcement was made that there was a ‘track fault’ at Central (you know, the same track that was shut for a whole month earlier this year for maintenance, causing a good deal of inconvenience). All Wirral Line trains would now start and terminate at James Street.
Note that the electronic board still said our West Kirby train was about 2 minutes away.
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This is what the Merseyrail website said last night, at 5 o’clock, some 30 minutes after chaos descended upon the Wirral line and it’s hapless commuters thanks to a broken down train somewhere in the vicinity of Hamilton Square.
The Merseyrail website this evening
Luckily, someone called and warned me, so I managed to avoid the worst of it, but there was no warning to commuters as they entered Hamilton Square, so my girlfriend wandered unwittingly into the middle of it. You’d think they would at least provide passengers with the info they need to make a decision, before diving underground.
So never, ever believe their website status ticker, because it’s bullshit (probably so the regulator doesn’t get to see).
As an aside, it would be interesting to know how many trains technically ran late last night (which count against Merseyrail’s performance figures) and how many they cancelled (which, somewhat strangely, don’t count). So late is poor performance, cancelled isn’t – go figure!
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As I was coming through Moorfields station this morning on my way to work, I heard the most unbelievable announcement. Before I recount it, bear in mind that it is a grey overcast morning, with a light breeze. Nothing remotely unusual or inclement.
The announcement was apologising for the late departure of the next train to Hunts Cross because of, and I quote …
“adverse weather”
WTF ??? The wrong kind of heavy grey clouds, one can only presume. It’s like 1991, revisited.
They do make me chuckle sometimes.
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Well, my Freedom of Information request hasn’t gotten me any further. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has replied to my request, the meat of which is quoted below.
Thank you for your email of 15 April 2009 regarding your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.
With regard to your query about whether Network Rail falls under FOIA, I can confirm that Network Rail is not currently covered by the Act and is under no obligation to respond to requests for information from members of the public.
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Over on the MerseyTarts blog, he’s not happy at some of the reaction from those “on the Peninsula side”. I agree with most of what he says. The railway does need to be maintained, and this will inevitably cause some inconvenience, to some people, some of the time.
My problem with the current situation is that the people of The Wirral get the inconvenience, and Merseyrail get the compensation. (more…)
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And the chaos at James Street.
I stood yesterday evening for a couple of minutes in the passageway outside the underground lifts at James Street, and the number of confused passengers was shameful. There is NOTHING to tell people what platform to use, unless you happen to be lost at the same time as a tannoy announcement is made.
It is totally ridiculous. I might try and get a video of it later in the week, if they don’t try and throw me out for being a terrorist!
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I’m not entirely au fait with the layout of James Street station, I only use it if I’ve been out for an after-work tipple or two, by which time it’s usually pretty quiet. But I think I might get to know it a bit better over the coming weeks.
It’s like a warren in there!
Mind you, the confusion (not just for little old me) was considerably added to by the almost total lack of any information (more…)
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