Any questions for First Capital Connect

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Permalink Reply by ElleCarumba on March 2, 2011 at 15:20

Why do they have an aversion to admitting trains are cancelled? When there are problems (and there have been some serious ones recently), trains are never cancelled- they are just delayed by three hours which means they are effectively cancelled. Why not just admit it?

 

The lack of info during the recent signalling problems was atrocious. The very nice ticket office man at Harringay admitted he had no idea when a train might come along. We were just about to give up and leave when a train, that did not appear on the board, turned up and stopped.

 

When will they stop running three carriage trains and run all as six carriage? They are not long enough, even after 10am.

 

Do they have to make so many repeated recorded announcements regarding full sized bicycles not being permitted from Finsbury Park to Moorgate? We don't need to hear that every five minutes. Or the one about not smoking on the station. If I have to wait for my train, I'd rather not be tortured by repeated recorded announcements as well.

 

Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Kay on March 3, 2011 at 0:25

Also:

 

Why was little waiting room on platform at Hornsey never rebuilt after they demolished it (after years of it being closed because of a "fragile roof")?

 

Definitely the question (as above) about why do they so often run such short trains?!

 

Disabled access is a joke at many stations, what with all the steep stairs. What plans (if any) does FCC have to roll-out adaptations/improvements in this respect?

 

Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Mrs McFly on March 3, 2011 at 18:01

I'm currently on maternity leave, but when I used to take the train from harringay to moorgate at rush hour, I found it really frustrating that the driver didn't make any announcements asking people to move down the carriage. You have to shout it out yourself, can't they help out a bit?

Also, any chance they can make the stairs easier for mums with pushchairs and disabled people?

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Permalink Reply by KP on March 3, 2011 at 19:16

Following on from that comment about the stairs it's also a nightmare if you are trying to carry luggage. A lot of people change at Finsbury Park to take the tube to Heathrow but you risk breaking your back trying to lug your bags down all the stairs.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on March 3, 2011 at 19:29

Change at Highbury & Islington to avoid the stairs.

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Permalink Reply by KP on March 3, 2011 at 20:32

Not an option at the weekends

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on March 3, 2011 at 19:44

This evening's train left at a few seconds before the allotted time from Moorgate, presumably to make up for this morning's being 2 minutes late (but unacknowledged), unlike the 7:05 which was 22 minutes late and rather than cancelling it presumably two trains turned up at 7:27. Useless.

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Permalink Reply by 0juvfy1h7im0a on March 4, 2011 at 12:01

I agree Mrs Mcfly!!

Getting on the train at Harringay is a painful start to the day, there is always plenty of room in the aisles but people huddle around the door as most get off at finsbury Park, so we have to ask them to move down so we can get on.

Help from the driver is needed, however common sense for those standing in the doorway is needed more - they can see we need to get on but just cant be bothered to move - do they really think we are not going to ask and just wait for the next train?

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Permalink Reply by Alix on March 4, 2011 at 17:29

Afraid I've missed feeding into Joanne's meeting with First Capital Connect, but I'm sure many who use Hornsey and Harringay stations daily would have lots to say!  For my part I would say:

- there has been more housing built along the line (including things like new river village) but that there are not correspondingly more trains, so rush hour services are becoming increasingly cramped.  They're still better than the northern line...  but only just. 

- customer service is really poor.  There have been several times recently when the service has been just appalling - it's taken me almost two hours to do a 50 minute commute.  It's made more frustrating because information is very poor, few reasons are given and staff are pretty much helpless.

- I've never ever been apologised to by FCC.  London Transport have got much better at putting up posters saying sorry when they've been totally rubbish, which is a bit token, but at least admits they've buggered things up.  But I've never seen one from FCC, even after a week of breakdowns and delays, and I don't think they've ever really said sorry to me.  Harrumph. 

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