Yet again, the point of using the Merseyrail ‘Twitter’ feed to keep people updated of problems on the trains proves pointless.
There were issues with the signals at Hamilton Square this evening, apparently, and this caused problems for all Wirral line trains. I was lucky, I got home only a few minutes late, but my other-half got stuck in the resulting chaos, poor lass.
There was an announcement on Twitter at about 16:40 ish that a West Kirby train was cancelled, but nothing more ’til the announcement that services were running normally again, at 18:53. It would not be apparent to a traveller that there was a problem likely to affect all services (although those familiar with the service might have put two and two together), so why not make a clear announcement?
And, while I’m on the subject of tonights delays, why tell all West Kirby-bound passengers to ’board the next New Brighton train’, and then tip them off at an overcrowded Birkenhead North? Where you stand waiting for your train, which is invariably going to be horribly crowded when its three carraiges do turn up, surely isn’t an issue. Why crowd everyone onto the outdoor platform at Birkenhead?
I don’t know, the logic of the system defeats me sometimes.
If, like me, you’re an honest passenger but are worried about landing a Penalty Fare because you were legitimately unable to buy your ticket, you should pop over to the ‘Penalty Fare Appeal Support’ website, and read their article on how to avoid potentially being bullied into paying a fine, over and above the cost of a standard single ticket.
I would like to print the details here, but the article is expressly stated as being the Copyright of the publishers, and I can’t find a way of contacting them at the moment, so you’ll need to follow the link below.
The article was written by Andrew Gilligan. Yes, THAT Andrew Gilligan - the one unlikely to be getting a Christmas card (ever!) from Alastair Campbell 
The original article is HERE.
I’ll continue to try and get in touch with them so I can at least print an extract from it here, if possible. I’m no legal-eagle, but it makes sense, and would seem a rational way of dealing with the situation should it arise.
This has nothing to do with me at all, but it was brought to my attention this morning – there is a Miseryrail Facebook group:
Miseryrail Facebook group
I’m so sick of Mersey Rail – their treatment of the people who use the train service and the way that they con us into paying hard earned money for a rubbish service!!
There are only a few members so far, but I don’t know how long it has been going, or who runs it. It might be worth joining though to see how it progresses.
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I note from the front of one of the local rags today that Hoylake is likely to get The Open again, in 2014.
I was immediately struck by a couple of thoughts. Firstly, well done Hoylake, it’s a nice place and will no doubt benefit further from an influx of golfing cash. And then it struck me (more…)
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This photo doesn’t really do the scene at James Street this evening justice. The platform was totally chock full of passengers, and that was BEFORE the train arrived.
James Street station crowds
James Street station crowds
Sadly, thanks to taking the photo with a CrapBerry, I missed the best shot as they arriving passengers attempted to squeeze through the waiting throng.
I really should have bought an iPhone!
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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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And what will it take to get them to offer a discount to their long suffering passengers?
Who knows?
Not me. Yet. I’ve tried to find out the amount that Merseyrail will save during the current engineering works, but it’s not proving easy.
I contacted Network Rail, (more…)
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Merseyrail Customer Satisfaction Survey
Merseyrail Customer Satisfaction Survey
If you’d like to pass on your opinions of Merseyrail (the good and the bad), you can now do so online. Visit the Merseyrail Customer Satisfaction Survey
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