My daughter is a fan of LondonMidland for her regular travels to London from Birmingham: she likes the Desiro trains, doesn't mind the travel time (happy to read...), and loves the low fares. As she was returning from her latest visit today, I suggested that she try out the Weekend First upgrade
Big mistake! Regular readers of my blog will recall that I rhetorically asked last Monday why LondonMidland were so coy about their First Class offers. Apparently it is not only the public who are in the dark...
The 15.13 service to New Street left Euston today from Platform 11 which meant that my daughter's ticket was checked at the barriers. On the train, she sat in the First Class compartment along with three other passengers and awaited the opportunity to upgrade her ticket. No announcement was made about the availability of the Weekend First upgrade but that didn't worry her unduly.
In due course, the train manager arrived and asked to see tickets. Both my daughter and another lady asked to upgrade to Weekend First but were told that Weekend First wasn't available on the train and that they should have bought the upgrade before joining. When they protested that this wasn't the case, they were told that upgrades on the train 'weren't the LondonMidland' way' and were threatened with a Penalty Fare fine unless they moved to Standard Class. Naturally, they both did, thus losing LondonMidland £20 in revenue.
So confusion would seem to reign. I am assured by LondonMidland's marketing dept. that Weekend First is available to buy on the train, so next weekend my daughter will carry the relevant page of the web site with her. In the meantime. the only good thing to come out of this episode is the immediate response of the LondonMidland Twitter team @londonmidland who were absolutely brilliant - not that they could actually get her back into First Class but at least they agreed she was in the right. Hopefully, next weekend will see the confusion sorted out.
Saturday 30 June 2012
Friday 29 June 2012
National Passenger Survey Spring 2012
Congratulations to all three TOCs on the Birmingham to London routes for their respective showings in the Spring 2012 National Passenger Survey
Virgin Trains have highlighted the following in their press release Virgin Trains is best in class again:
Virgin Trains have highlighted the following in their press release Virgin Trains is best in class again:
- highest satisfaction ratings ever achieved by a long-distance rail franchise operator - 91% of passengers ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’with the service they received
- sixth successive survey in which Virgin Trains has been ranked top of long-distance franchised operators
- highest ratings ever achieved by long-distance rail franchise operators on the following individual aspects of service:
- speed of journey,
- connections with other train services,
- room for passengers,
- ease of getting on and off our trains,
- and personal security while on board
LondonMidland's take - Customer Satisfaction With London Midland Higher Than National Average - highlights:
- overall satisfaction with London Midland stands at 87%, compared with 83% for the rest of the industry
- 83% Of passengers are satisfied with the provision of information at London Midland stations against the national average of 81%.
- whilst on the attitude and helpfulness of staff, the level of satisfaction is two per cent above the national average of 71%
- The investment London Midland has made in new rolling stock has also been recognised by customers. The performance of 84% is well above the national average of 75% and is a massive improvement on the 63% recorded at the start of the London Midland franchise in 2008
- In the category of coping with delays, London Midland’s efforts to improve drew particular praise from Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, who said: “Well done to London Midland.... Particularly impressive was London Midlands’ whopping 17% rise in how they dealt with delays
- London Midland has also improved substantially in two other key categories; passengers’ views on sufficient room for passengers to sit or stand is up eight per cent to 74% since the last survey and satisfaction with the comfort of the seating area on trains is up seven per cent to 80%
Chiltern Railways expressed themselves very satisfied at being the top ranked TOC for 'overall satisfaction with the station' and at remaining in the Top 6 TOCs for overall satisfaction once more.
LondonMidland once more
Although my preferred fare between Birmingham and London is the £25 Super Off-Peak from Chiltern Railways, the block on travel from London Marylebone between 4pm and 7pm for this fare does mean that other options are worth exploring.
Until the end of the month, LondonMidland are offering a 25% discount on First and Standard Advance fares for returning users of their online booking system. As my day in London yesterday was well defined in terms of timing, I was able to use the discount to travel south for £12 First Class on the 0913 from Birmingham New Street, and to return on the 18.13 from London Euston for £13.15 First Class
As I have blogged before, the LondonMidland Desiro EMUs make superb travelling offices for project work as the ride is good and the First Class compartments tend to be quiet. Of course there are no refreshments nor WiFi... Yesterday's 9.13 service started off with four passengers in the First Class compartment and ended up with around 16 as there seems to be an off-peak First Class market south of Northampton. Coming back, there were six of us in the First Class compartment of the Birmingham portion of the train. Journey times of 2hr 14mins out and 2 hrs 4 mins back were adhered to.
Interestingly, LondonMidland train managers were very much in evidence on the journey south both before and after Northampton. However, on the journey back, a train manager didn't make it to the front portion of the 12 coach train by Northampton, though one did do a sweep through the onward 4 carriage set after that stop. As there are no barrier checks for the 18.13 at Euston (it starts from Platform 18), one wonders at the apparent LondonMidland policy to be pro-active in the morning and less so in the evening....
Until the end of the month, LondonMidland are offering a 25% discount on First and Standard Advance fares for returning users of their online booking system. As my day in London yesterday was well defined in terms of timing, I was able to use the discount to travel south for £12 First Class on the 0913 from Birmingham New Street, and to return on the 18.13 from London Euston for £13.15 First Class
As I have blogged before, the LondonMidland Desiro EMUs make superb travelling offices for project work as the ride is good and the First Class compartments tend to be quiet. Of course there are no refreshments nor WiFi... Yesterday's 9.13 service started off with four passengers in the First Class compartment and ended up with around 16 as there seems to be an off-peak First Class market south of Northampton. Coming back, there were six of us in the First Class compartment of the Birmingham portion of the train. Journey times of 2hr 14mins out and 2 hrs 4 mins back were adhered to.
Interestingly, LondonMidland train managers were very much in evidence on the journey south both before and after Northampton. However, on the journey back, a train manager didn't make it to the front portion of the 12 coach train by Northampton, though one did do a sweep through the onward 4 carriage set after that stop. As there are no barrier checks for the 18.13 at Euston (it starts from Platform 18), one wonders at the apparent LondonMidland policy to be pro-active in the morning and less so in the evening....
Monday 25 June 2012
Weekend First from LondonMidland
Having recently praised LondonMidland's marketing dept. for the innovative use of the online booking system, I have to admit to being bemused by the company's approach to First Class fares.
At the May fare 'adjustments', LondonMidland introduced without fanfare a First Class Off-Peak Single / Return to London of £44 / £45. At the time, there was an indication that a Weekend First would follow at the end of June. Lo and behold, this fare has now been introduced: £10 for a single journey and £15 for a return (Saturday / Sunday / Bank Holidays). Not that you would know as there is nothing at the Birmingham stations, no email campaign, nor, according to my daughter who travelled LM to London on Saturday, any announcements on the trains... In fact, the only publicity that I have spotted is a panel on the rotating banner on the home page of the site... So, LondonMidland - why so bashful?
Full details of the LondonMidland Weekend First can be found here - I would love to know if anyone actually manages to buy one
At the May fare 'adjustments', LondonMidland introduced without fanfare a First Class Off-Peak Single / Return to London of £44 / £45. At the time, there was an indication that a Weekend First would follow at the end of June. Lo and behold, this fare has now been introduced: £10 for a single journey and £15 for a return (Saturday / Sunday / Bank Holidays). Not that you would know as there is nothing at the Birmingham stations, no email campaign, nor, according to my daughter who travelled LM to London on Saturday, any announcements on the trains... In fact, the only publicity that I have spotted is a panel on the rotating banner on the home page of the site... So, LondonMidland - why so bashful?
Full details of the LondonMidland Weekend First can be found here - I would love to know if anyone actually manages to buy one
Saturday 23 June 2012
More from Barry Doe
In Rail 696, Barry highlights three sites of interest to those of us who like to delve a little deeper into the intricacies of the railway system in the UK...
BR Fares offers the chance to look up any rail fares in Great Britain without having to specify the trains on which to travel. It would appear to use the fare system as prescribed by the Rail Settlement Plan Ltd, a division of ATOC, but it is using the information 'under the fair use provisions of US Copyright Law', and is based in the US. Interestingly, the domain has been registered through a Proxy company to protect the identity of the person(s) behind the site... Similar information is available through the Avantix CD-ROM though of course this off-line resource costs £10.81
Putting in Birmingham Stations to London Terminals produces the fascinating result that although Chiltern 'We don't do First Class' Railways hasn't any First Class fares on its High Wycombe route, it does offer a First Class Season ticket still! At a cost of £270, it means that only 2 days Business Zone return travel over 7 days is required to break even, and, of course, you can travel on CrossCountry First Class between Banbury and Birmingham should you wish.
www.trains.im offers 'open national train times' updated weekly from Network Rail and ATOC (National Rail) datasets. Offering only direct train times for the forthcoming 11 weeks, it does have the intriguing features of showing the Working Timetable as well as the Public Timetable, and giving the mileages along the route.
Open Train Times is a site by Peter Hicks which uses the open data from Network Rail and ATOC to allow searches by location and train identifier. Shows the effect of planned engineering works on train running.
Interestingly, both Open Data sites indicate that Chiltern plan their timetables using the Clubman services whether or not a Clubman is being used. Thus the Silver Set services show no mention of the Business Zone nor the on-board catering...
BR Fares offers the chance to look up any rail fares in Great Britain without having to specify the trains on which to travel. It would appear to use the fare system as prescribed by the Rail Settlement Plan Ltd, a division of ATOC, but it is using the information 'under the fair use provisions of US Copyright Law', and is based in the US. Interestingly, the domain has been registered through a Proxy company to protect the identity of the person(s) behind the site... Similar information is available through the Avantix CD-ROM though of course this off-line resource costs £10.81
Putting in Birmingham Stations to London Terminals produces the fascinating result that although Chiltern 'We don't do First Class' Railways hasn't any First Class fares on its High Wycombe route, it does offer a First Class Season ticket still! At a cost of £270, it means that only 2 days Business Zone return travel over 7 days is required to break even, and, of course, you can travel on CrossCountry First Class between Banbury and Birmingham should you wish.
www.trains.im offers 'open national train times' updated weekly from Network Rail and ATOC (National Rail) datasets. Offering only direct train times for the forthcoming 11 weeks, it does have the intriguing features of showing the Working Timetable as well as the Public Timetable, and giving the mileages along the route.
Open Train Times is a site by Peter Hicks which uses the open data from Network Rail and ATOC to allow searches by location and train identifier. Shows the effect of planned engineering works on train running.
Interestingly, both Open Data sites indicate that Chiltern plan their timetables using the Clubman services whether or not a Clubman is being used. Thus the Silver Set services show no mention of the Business Zone nor the on-board catering...
Miscellaneous Updates
Both Modern Railways for July and Rail no. 699 (on sale this Wednesday) carry the story that Chiltern Railways are looking to 'lease or hire' new 100mph locomotives for the Birmingham-London services from 2015. Details of the tender can be found here
Rail also notes that Chris Gibb, Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Trains, is to join Network Rail on secondment to 'help improve performance on the southern end of the West Coast Main line'.
Barry Doe in Rail notes that LondonMidland are to introduce 110 mph running from December which will enable a revamp of their service pattern to take place (primarily along the Trent Valley lines).
Also highlighted by Barry is the new National Rail Conditions of Carriage, valid from May 20th 2012. Of particular interest is Section 19 - Using a combination of tickets - which specifically allows Split Ticketing (so long as both tickets are valid for the relevant portion of the journey AND the train does stop at the station at which the split ticketing is done).
Rail also notes that Chris Gibb, Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Trains, is to join Network Rail on secondment to 'help improve performance on the southern end of the West Coast Main line'.
Barry Doe in Rail notes that LondonMidland are to introduce 110 mph running from December which will enable a revamp of their service pattern to take place (primarily along the Trent Valley lines).
Also highlighted by Barry is the new National Rail Conditions of Carriage, valid from May 20th 2012. Of particular interest is Section 19 - Using a combination of tickets - which specifically allows Split Ticketing (so long as both tickets are valid for the relevant portion of the journey AND the train does stop at the station at which the split ticketing is done).
Travelling Chiltern Railways - as good as it gets?
In my last travel blog post I finished by saying that a £25 Super Off-peak return to London going out on a Chiltern Silver set and returning on a Clubman was still my preferred rail experience. However, as I hadn't used this combination recently, I was glad to be able to check that I wasn't being too rosy-eyed by so travelling yesterday.
The 1055 from Moor Street to Marylebone was formed of the adapted Silver Set so there was a long walk down Platform 3 to get to the Business Zone carriage which is now at the London end of the train. Wasn't surprised to find the coach empty as I settled into my seat but it did fill up to seven passengers by the time we reached Leamington.
Alas, two of the points I noted when I first used the Set in service are still annoying. First, the hum in the centre of the carriage is still noticeable, and secondly, the sliding door at the toilet end of the carriage is still locked open (though fortunately without the staff conversation this time). When I asked about the door, I was told that there wasn't sufficient power available for it to be operational....
Nevertheless, once underway, the carriage proved an ideal working environment though the WiFi had to be reset to get it working. Coffee was offered after Solihull - arrived in a coffee pot with real milk - and again after Banbury, and the 'host' was attentive and friendly (though apparently she has to run the Expresso Bar and be the Host on these off-peak journeys). Definitely worth the £10 supplement though I do know that the Standard Class carriages are superb too.
Five minutes late into London Marylebone but overall, niggles apart, a good trip.
Returned from Marylebone on the 1537 Clubman to Birmingham Snow Hill. Not one to rush for as it was departing from the far end of Platform 6 - about as far from the ticket barriers as you can get. No problem getting a table seat. The driver announced that the WiFi had failed but in fact it was working - it would seem that Chiltern control can get the WiFi up and running through remote access by Icomera.
A good run and plenty of opportunity to work once more.
So Chiltern aren't perfect but in terms of value for money for the service and facilities you get off-peak, the company can't be bettered.
The 1055 from Moor Street to Marylebone was formed of the adapted Silver Set so there was a long walk down Platform 3 to get to the Business Zone carriage which is now at the London end of the train. Wasn't surprised to find the coach empty as I settled into my seat but it did fill up to seven passengers by the time we reached Leamington.
Alas, two of the points I noted when I first used the Set in service are still annoying. First, the hum in the centre of the carriage is still noticeable, and secondly, the sliding door at the toilet end of the carriage is still locked open (though fortunately without the staff conversation this time). When I asked about the door, I was told that there wasn't sufficient power available for it to be operational....
Nevertheless, once underway, the carriage proved an ideal working environment though the WiFi had to be reset to get it working. Coffee was offered after Solihull - arrived in a coffee pot with real milk - and again after Banbury, and the 'host' was attentive and friendly (though apparently she has to run the Expresso Bar and be the Host on these off-peak journeys). Definitely worth the £10 supplement though I do know that the Standard Class carriages are superb too.
Five minutes late into London Marylebone but overall, niggles apart, a good trip.
Returned from Marylebone on the 1537 Clubman to Birmingham Snow Hill. Not one to rush for as it was departing from the far end of Platform 6 - about as far from the ticket barriers as you can get. No problem getting a table seat. The driver announced that the WiFi had failed but in fact it was working - it would seem that Chiltern control can get the WiFi up and running through remote access by Icomera.
A good run and plenty of opportunity to work once more.
So Chiltern aren't perfect but in terms of value for money for the service and facilities you get off-peak, the company can't be bettered.
In praise of Plusbus
Plusbus has always been good value in the West Midlands. The normal add-on fare of £2.70 is significantly cheaper than the equivalent nbus fare of £4.00 and it includes travel on the Metro as well.
During June and July 2012, the fare is even better if you book it through the Virgin Trains web site - being only £1.50 - and it can be bought whichever route and whatever ticket you are using to get to London. So, now there is even less excuse not to use the bus to get to your local station...
During June and July 2012, the fare is even better if you book it through the Virgin Trains web site - being only £1.50 - and it can be bought whichever route and whatever ticket you are using to get to London. So, now there is even less excuse not to use the bus to get to your local station...
Thursday 14 June 2012
LondonMidland up to London - Virgin trains back to Birmingham
Regular readers of the blog will know that LondonMidland tempted me to give the Desiro First Class experience another go by offering 25% off advance fares. So it was that I pitched up at Birmingham New Street yesterday to take the 10.13 service to London for a fare of £12.
There were three of us in the First Class compartment on departure so getting one of the two tables on which to work wasn't a problem. In fact, the compartment stayed quiet until Northampton after which it slowly filled as we stopped at the remaining three stations en route to London Euston. As there were ticket checks yesterday after Northampton, it would seem that there is an off-peak First Class market in this area.
As I had a major piece of work to finish, the 2hr 14 min travelling time was well used. In fact, although I would like to see WiFi fitted to these units, the lack of Internet access was a great aid to concentration. So, £12 for two hours travelling office space - not too bad!
Coming back, I actually traveled Standard Class on a Virgin Trains Pendolino - something that I hadn't done for some time. My train of choice was the 19.23 service to Wolverhampton which, after a Watford Junction pick-up stop, is fast to Coventry. Yesterday, one of the extended Pendolinos was forming the service so there was plenty of standard class seating available: I ended up in Coach C (the Shop coach) with a table seat on which to work.
Have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by the experience. There were barrier checks before boarding; the reservation system was working, and arrival was almost to time at New Street. WiFi was good though it narks to have to pay £4 for an hour's usage. Of course, being Virgin, not everything was working... the Shop couldn't offer hot drinks nor could it take cards. My main grouse, however, is that as Virgin is the preferred route for Students and Families, Coach C was rather noisy: two young female students spent the journey bemoaning loudly the failings of their parents, whilst a family with teenage girls relived the show they had been to see. Perhaps I'm getting old!
Overall, although I had two good journeys yesterday, I still experienced nothing to persuade me that Chiltern's £25 Super Off-peak ticket on a Silver Set / Clubman isn't still my preferred choice for most Birmingham to London journeys...
There were three of us in the First Class compartment on departure so getting one of the two tables on which to work wasn't a problem. In fact, the compartment stayed quiet until Northampton after which it slowly filled as we stopped at the remaining three stations en route to London Euston. As there were ticket checks yesterday after Northampton, it would seem that there is an off-peak First Class market in this area.
As I had a major piece of work to finish, the 2hr 14 min travelling time was well used. In fact, although I would like to see WiFi fitted to these units, the lack of Internet access was a great aid to concentration. So, £12 for two hours travelling office space - not too bad!
Coming back, I actually traveled Standard Class on a Virgin Trains Pendolino - something that I hadn't done for some time. My train of choice was the 19.23 service to Wolverhampton which, after a Watford Junction pick-up stop, is fast to Coventry. Yesterday, one of the extended Pendolinos was forming the service so there was plenty of standard class seating available: I ended up in Coach C (the Shop coach) with a table seat on which to work.
Have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by the experience. There were barrier checks before boarding; the reservation system was working, and arrival was almost to time at New Street. WiFi was good though it narks to have to pay £4 for an hour's usage. Of course, being Virgin, not everything was working... the Shop couldn't offer hot drinks nor could it take cards. My main grouse, however, is that as Virgin is the preferred route for Students and Families, Coach C was rather noisy: two young female students spent the journey bemoaning loudly the failings of their parents, whilst a family with teenage girls relived the show they had been to see. Perhaps I'm getting old!
Overall, although I had two good journeys yesterday, I still experienced nothing to persuade me that Chiltern's £25 Super Off-peak ticket on a Silver Set / Clubman isn't still my preferred choice for most Birmingham to London journeys...
Saturday 2 June 2012
LondonMidland - welcoming me back online!
I may have described LondonMidland as the poor relations in terms of First Class travel provision in yesterday's blog BUT the company does lead the way in marketing expertise when combined with the opportunities offered by the online rail booking system...
Yesterday evening saw a marketing campaign to tempt registered users of the LM booking site who hadn't booked for some time to book ahead once more. The carrot is 25% off LM Advance Fares, including those for First Class travel. Thus for journeys BOOKED in advance before 30th June - and don't forget the booking engine offers advance fares for up to 12 weeks ahead - First Class singles between Birmingham and London can be had for £12.
Booking through the site is easy (though don't forget to add Via Northampton), and of course there are NO additional charges (even if you want the tickets sent by First Class post to you).
Now, if the marketing dept. could only find a way of enhancing the First Class experience on the actual trains...
Yesterday evening saw a marketing campaign to tempt registered users of the LM booking site who hadn't booked for some time to book ahead once more. The carrot is 25% off LM Advance Fares, including those for First Class travel. Thus for journeys BOOKED in advance before 30th June - and don't forget the booking engine offers advance fares for up to 12 weeks ahead - First Class singles between Birmingham and London can be had for £12.
Booking through the site is easy (though don't forget to add Via Northampton), and of course there are NO additional charges (even if you want the tickets sent by First Class post to you).
Now, if the marketing dept. could only find a way of enhancing the First Class experience on the actual trains...
Friday 1 June 2012
LondonMidland First Class Off-peak return
Chiltern Railways may have been grabbing the headlines by introducing an adapted Silver Set but of course LondonMidland have also been innovating... From May 20th, there has been an off-peak First Class fare available on the company's Birmingham to London Desiro service.
For a £45 walk-on fare, services are available south from the 0753 onwards from New Street, whilst the north-bound availability begins at 0846. There are NO evening peak restrictions in either direction (and, of course, no restrictions at all at weekends).
Yesterday, I joined the 0913 from New Street to remind myself what the First Class offering was like... Regular readers will know that the Class 350 Desiros have been configured to have a 24 seat compartment in the middle of the sets for First Class use. The compartments have two 2x2 tables and 16 Airline-style seats. The seats recline, and there are power points available for all the seats. Curtains are available for the windows. Yesterday's set was fairly quiet at New Street so having a table at which to work was no problem.
What the sets don't have is WiFi, catering, or speed. The xx.13 services are the quickest south at 2 hours 14mins, though the return xx.13 evening services from Euston do manage to do the journey in 2hrs 4 mins.
I rather like the ride quality of the Desiros (certainly better than the Pendolinos), which is a good job when one is spending such an amount of time on them! What I don't like is the lack of train management exhibited by LM staff. Tickets checks and a visible presence from New Street to Northampton yesterday BUT then no further LM staff presence to Euston NOR at all on the 19.13 back (and of course no barrier checks on the way back).
Overall, I fear that I can think of no reason why I would take a First Class OP return trip when the Chiltern services with the same time restrictions cost £5 more and offer quicker timings, more comfortable working conditions, free WiFi, and catering at key points of the day (and the staff are visible). Sorry LM but you remain very much the poor relation.
For a £45 walk-on fare, services are available south from the 0753 onwards from New Street, whilst the north-bound availability begins at 0846. There are NO evening peak restrictions in either direction (and, of course, no restrictions at all at weekends).
Yesterday, I joined the 0913 from New Street to remind myself what the First Class offering was like... Regular readers will know that the Class 350 Desiros have been configured to have a 24 seat compartment in the middle of the sets for First Class use. The compartments have two 2x2 tables and 16 Airline-style seats. The seats recline, and there are power points available for all the seats. Curtains are available for the windows. Yesterday's set was fairly quiet at New Street so having a table at which to work was no problem.
What the sets don't have is WiFi, catering, or speed. The xx.13 services are the quickest south at 2 hours 14mins, though the return xx.13 evening services from Euston do manage to do the journey in 2hrs 4 mins.
I rather like the ride quality of the Desiros (certainly better than the Pendolinos), which is a good job when one is spending such an amount of time on them! What I don't like is the lack of train management exhibited by LM staff. Tickets checks and a visible presence from New Street to Northampton yesterday BUT then no further LM staff presence to Euston NOR at all on the 19.13 back (and of course no barrier checks on the way back).
Overall, I fear that I can think of no reason why I would take a First Class OP return trip when the Chiltern services with the same time restrictions cost £5 more and offer quicker timings, more comfortable working conditions, free WiFi, and catering at key points of the day (and the staff are visible). Sorry LM but you remain very much the poor relation.
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