FNW are great!

alex2008 · Post by **alex2008** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 11:07 pm

We want our customers to be as comfortable as possible when they travel with us. To do this, we use 8 classes of units to run our services. These are class 175, class 158, class 156, class 153, class 150, and class 142, class 323 and loco-haul units.

This sentence is real rubbish, "we want our customers to be as comfortable as possible, to do this we use class 142s" HA! Secondly, how many passengers do you know could pick out what a 158 looks like and what a 156 looks like?

allypally · Post by **allypally** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 12:24 pm

I wouldnt imagine it would be for passenger use.

Post by **martinhodgson** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:23 pm

Not impressed with FNW tonight. Arrive at Lancaster to find 1735 is a bus (which didn't turn up). While waiting for the 1804, it was announced that the Millom service was waiting for our ECS to arrive so the driver could transfer. Our ECS arrived late at 1808. On a slightly unrelated note at the same time several people missed a connection to London as the signaller routed the pendolino before the 175 through Carnforth.

JollyCribber · Post by **JollyCribber** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:12 am

Right!! lol Time To Stick Up For The Guards Again...Have You Ever Tried Using A SPORTIS Ticket Machine, They Dont Have That Many Fares In Them So On A Busy Train You Could Spend Half Your Time Looking For A Fares Manual Also Batteries Are Extremely Dodgy Also On The Busy Route If Its A Stopper You Only Have A Couple Of Minutes Between Stations, Thats OK On A 142 But On The Longer Units Yiu May Delay The Train..

Glad To Get That Off My Chest LOL

divydave31 · Post by **divydave31** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:55 am

JollyCribber wrote:Right!! lol Time To Stick Up For The Guards Again...Have You Ever Tried Using A SPORTIS Ticket Machine, They Dont Have That Many Fares In Them So On A Busy Train You Could Spend Half Your Time Looking For A Fares Manual Also Batteries Are Extremely Dodgy Also On The Busy Route If Its A Stopper You Only Have A Couple Of Minutes Between Stations, Thats OK On A 142 But On The Longer Units Yiu May Delay The Train..

Glad To Get That Off My Chest LOL

Do you not have the new Ticket machine that Scotrail and Virgin are using now?
Thought First would be one of the first to use these machines.

Anyway, on another note, i will be sampling the rival company next week. Arriva, to see what the loco hauled service is like over the S&C line.
What a jurney this will be Balloch to Glasgow - Glasgow to Carlisle - Carlisle to Leeds and return the same day.

divydave31 · Post by **divydave31** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:56 am

Or i might go to Whitehaven using FNW.

JollyCribber · Post by **JollyCribber** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 9:18 am

nope we still use the old sportis machines the new machines are at the moment too slow for local routes also fnw wont lay out the money especially as they have lost the franchise

kreader · Post by **kreader** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 6:07 pm

Sorry to go on but it has happened again today. FNW just don't collect fares. This has occurred on my last two trips now.
I got on a mid morning FNW train at Horwich Parkway this morning to go to Manchester Piccadilly. No gripper came to check my ticket. The train was very full with passengers (should that be customers, PC talk?) standing. I saw the gripper collecting tickets just in the other car (ours was a two car DMU) but he then had to scurry back to open the doors for Lostock. I never saw him again. I had my wife with me so that's two fares lost plus all the others that got on many I presume without tickets.
FNW must have lost Â£100 may be more on this trip alone.
When we will get people in charge of our railways who realise what the problems are? Do non of the top brass in FNW ever travel on the trains to see how the system works or does not work?
Can anyone enlighten me?

fhornuk · Post by **fhornuk** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 8:47 pm

I must say that I have always found the FNW conductors most conscientious at collecting fares. It is well known that if you wannt to travel by train from Macclesfield to Manchester (When they are running

) that if you catch a Virgin Train your ticket will almost never be checked but if you get the FNW stopper you will ALWAYS have your ticket checked. In fact the last time I caught FNW from Manchester to Macc the train was held for several minutes at several stations while the conductor checked the tickets and collected fairs BEFORE he would open the doors (323 unit I think).

I must also add that I have never been on an FNW (or Virgin) train wherer the conductoers have been anything less than highly proffessional and very polite to passengers - even the awkward and rude ones who don't like paying to travel!

Cheers

Post by **martinhodgson** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:21 pm

I am a bit annoyed at FNW... 1735 Lancaster-Morecambe cancelled 4 times in 15 days (3 weeks of Monday-Friday) - not good enough!

On the plus side the morning has been done by a 156 unit, so seats for all, though it is well known that it will drop to a 153 when school starts again! Though for 4 out of 5 days this week I haven't had to pay a return fare, and 3 days havenot had to pay anything. Not that I'm complaining, but FNW lose out.

JollyCribber · Post by **JollyCribber** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 12:23 pm

Yo K! are u a guard??? do u know how to use a sportis machine, fare manual etc, have u ever tried to to a) do announcements b) do doors c) listen to passengers queries & d) also do tickets, let me tell u it ain't easy, if we have the time most of us will try and do all four things but when i grow a clone of myself with a few extra pairs of arms supersonic speed legs and a sportis machine with all the fares, I,m sure I will not miss anyone nxt time and to the guy who travels on the macc service thx for your constructive comments and the reason we manage to do the tickets on that service is we have time between stations but the conductor was wrong to hold up the train to do tickets & yes it was a 323 (sometimes have 142's on that route but not often)

here are the official order of things if you are a FNW guard
1.safety
2.doors
3.announcements
4.tickets

yep tickets is last no point taking tickets if your putting safety at risk!

Post by **martinhodgson** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 12:26 pm

I'm not saying the guards have it easy by any means, thogh it would appear logical for FNW to install ticket machines and barriers or something similar to ease the workload.

My primary gripe is still the frequency with which the evening train is cancelled.

JollyCribber · Post by **JollyCribber** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 1:19 pm

I understand its a pain in the butt when trains get cancelled shame it aint in my area if it was i could get the real reason it might not be fnw's fault (probably is) lol i wasnt having a go at u btw lol i welcome all views but some people think we are here just to sell tickets when in reality its just an extrension on what we do.

alex2008 · Post by **alex2008** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 1:40 pm

I'm sure everyone is aware that guards have a lot to do, like most of us, but if someone has a gripe at guards its by no-means picking each and every guard in the UK. I think the point is that some (by NO means all) don't do anything what so ever, I've caught trains and not heard one announcement or seen a guard pass through once, and how is the train safe if there is no staff presence. If some (not all) of the guards went through their trains a bit more often then maybe the windows wouldn't be scratched so badly you cannot see through them, or the window seal wouldn't of been ripped out, or the seats wouldn't have been slashed and the 'stuffing' thrown all over the coach. Just a thought.

kreader · Post by **kreader** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 6:38 pm

My gripe is not with the guard at all. He has an impossible job if the train is anything like full. What I am saying is why is there not a guard and a ticket inspector/seller? It is obvious from the comments on this forum that FNW would easily cover the cost of the extra person with the missed fares that would then be collected.
My experience in recent years in that accountants have the say in most companies and they do not know anything about the practical side of the job.
It is alright travelling for free but in the long term it will not be for the benefit of the railway. We still keep getting all this twaddle about trains being replaced by buses. Again another load of balderdash but if the monies collected on secondary lines are not maximised the bus fraterity are going to have their way.