I Hate National Express and their Crap Rail Service

We're finally into the home straight

2012-01-29T11:20:00.004Z

There are now less than 7 days of the shambolic f*cked NXEA franchise left to run.

Next Sunday cannot come nearly fast enough as far as I'm concerned.

I can truly say I will not miss one single aspect of the bone-headed incompetence and stupidity that were the hallmarks of this bunch of clowns.

Truly, NXEAs time running the Greater Anglia franchise is a testament to the lunacy of selling off what used to be British Rail to rubbish operators like National Express.

Never has the lie that fare increases are only to pay for "infrastructure improvements and new trains" been more exposed than by this crowd of f*ckwits.

We've seen no obvious "improvements". The infrastructure is more shit than ever; we still have to endure endless signal, points and overhead cable problems. The "new" trains are still the same filthy, clapped out, unreliable and uncomfortable class 321s that NXEA started with. The only new trains NXEA brought into service were on the Stansted Express route. Any additional trains which were introduced were just recycled from other franchises and just as dirty and clapped-out as every other train NXEA were running.

At the end of 2010, we were told NXEA would be adding umpteen thousands of "additional peak time seats".

How did that turn out then? Well I started this blog for one thing and as for NXEA, well they decided to remove all of the peak-time direct Stratford to Braintree trains from the timetable. Now, if you wanted to get from Stratford to Braintree during the rush, you were going to have to change at either Chelmsford or Witham. Having you need to travel in 2 trains doubled the chances of a cancellation screwing your journey and that's precisely what happened on several occasions before Platform 10A at Stratford was repaired and brought back into use. Direct services were finally re-instated in the new May 2011 timetable.

Even then, the platform infrastructure wasn't complete, it still isn't today! It took them until August for them to connect the tannoy speakers on Platform 10A. Even then they'd put in a load of advertising screens first.

I could go on, I've been recording this lunacy for the last 14 months or so and by rights the things we've had to put up with should have caused riots. But as ever we just sat there and took all the shit these useless toerags threw at us.

At the moment, I'm optimistic that the new operator will be just what we need, at least they have experience, they are the Dutch National Railway after all. And they are one of the best operators in the world plus they already hae a well-run franchise in Northern Rail. Though quite what they'll make of the antiquated infrastructure they're inheriting from NXEA Heaven only knows.

At least they're committing to clean the stations and trains properly and to providing a proper flow of information to the people who pay for the tickets. They couldn't do any worse.

Going out on a low.

2012-01-26T21:38:00.000Z

The latest Passenger Focus Survey results were published today, The company with the worst rating should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. National Express East Anglia. Again.

Nine days and counting.

On the bright side they totally failed to f*ck up my journey home to night, aside from running the 1716 to Clacton late. Again.

I notice...

2012-01-25T18:40:00.003Z

The so-called "Customer Service" Reps who can normally be found hanging around on all the platforms have magically melted away now the shit's hit the fan.

They've also now edited the words "National Express" out of the automated apologies for late trains.

These announcements are now gibberish.

Update: 26 Jan.

The words "National Express" reappeared in the automated apology and other announcements at Stratford tonight.

Another shambles...

2012-01-25T18:32:00.002Z

Tonight. Overhead line problems is the excuse de jour.

Got to Stratford to see the 1809 Braintree train being shown on the dot-matrix displays as leaving from platform 8. Unusual, but not unheard of.

Typically, there were no tannoy announcements being made to inform anyone where the f*cking thing was actually going to be stopping.

As a result, I just about managed to struggle onto platform 8 to find it jammed with metro passengers. Not a good sign.

Then, before I knew it the bloody 1809 had departed, on time, from platform 10A. Un-f*cking-believable. If only because normally it's never, ever, on time!!

To compound this shit, the later Clacton train which has gone from platform 10 every night since Pontius was a Pilate also left from platform 10A. I know, because when it went I was on platform 10 where the dot-matrices were telling all and sundry it would be going from, waiting for it like a f*cking lemon.

At the time, there was a bloody through train for Colchester stopped on platform 10.

All the time this madness was going on not one worthwhile tannoy message was made by the clowns running the station. And the ones that were being made were the "f*ck off and use a different method of travel" ones that are now standard whenever the system implodes, together with announcements about the f*cking Metro services using platform 8.

Not one announcement informing Mainline passengers what the f*ck was going on was made, not one. We could go get f*cked as far as the tossers at Stratford were concerned. Which is quite incredible really, given the usual verbal diarrhoea of the wankers on the tannoy.

F*cking ridiculous.

Only 10 more days of these useless bastards to get through.

Oh Dear...

2012-01-24T23:28:00.002Z

Abellio have just announced the Board of Directors who will be responsible for the Greater Anglia franchise when they take over from NXEA in just over 10 days time.

It seems they will be keeping on the current NXEA Customer Services Director.

Given the notoriously piss-poor Customer Service NXEA provided it'll be interesting to see whether there is any improvement in them beginning on Sunday week.

The ignorance...

2012-01-18T18:39:00.001Z

Of the tossers who travel to Chelmsford on the 1809 from Stratford never ceases to amaze and disgust me.

We had another example tonight; I went to sit down in one of the few available seats which unfortunately happened to be next to some fat twat, who at the time was trying to hog 2 seats. As I at down, this cretinous slimeball quote deliberately took his Blackberry out of his pocket and began f*cking about with it using the arm I was being forced to sit up against.

This wanker kept up this obnoxious routine all the way to Shenfield, where I was finally able to move into an empty seat with some proper elbow room.

Needless to say, as soon as I'd moved, fatty promptly put his phone away again.

Bastard.

Another day...

2012-01-13T08:53:00.001Z

Another perfect storm of f*ck-ups.

More piss-poor maintenance from NXEA allowing another train to break down, that's 3 this week, and incompetence from TfL allowing over running engineering work on the Jubilee Line to shut it down has ensured another day of travel misery.

Half an hour late so far and still haven't got to work.

Once again...

2012-01-11T19:39:00.001Z

NXEA'S piss-poor maintenance has f*cked up another nights journey.

A f*cked-up train spent now than half an hour blocking the only platform Braintree trains cam use while the clowns tried to fix it.

All the while we were left sitting outside Chelmsford watching at least seven trains go past us.

So annoying.

Looks like we'll arrive a good 25 minutes late. Not enough to claim for thanks to NXEA'S customer charter.

Typical.

Inevitably...

2012-01-11T19:25:00.001Z

We had to have a f*ck-up sometime, and NXEA and/or National Rail never fail to disappoint.

After sitting outside Chelmsford for over 20 minutes, we've only just arrived at Witham, almost 30 minutes late.

Amazingly, they haven't cancelled it, and we are still going on to Braintree.

Here we go...

2012-01-09T18:42:00.005Z

The rats are all abandoning the train at Chelmsford.

Train's empty again now.

I'm willing to bet...

2012-01-09T18:42:00.003Z

The tweedy cow in the corner seat, idly flicking through her travel book, with her sales bags spread across two-thirds of the available gangway doesn't have a ticket valid for this train.

She almost certainly only has a cheap day-return which are banned from using peak time trains leaving Liverpool St. between half-four and half-six.

These arseholes should be stopped before they get anywhere near the train, But they never are.

They then just fill up the seats that should be left available for the poor sods who have to use this service day in and day out. Not some waste of space who fancies a day up the sales.

Another week...

2012-01-09T18:42:00.001Z

Another journey home f*cked up by a train packed out with Chelmsford arseholes.

I f*cking despise every single one of'em.

Up until...

2012-01-04T18:17:00.001Z

Christmas, the 1809 from Stratford would arrive with plenty of spare seating available.

For the past two nights however, it's been infested with Chelmsford arseholes.

Not one spare seat till all of these bastards f*ck off.

May as well get the endlessly rammed Clacton train.

Sickening

Looks like...

2012-01-03T18:15:00.001Z

Everything is late again this evening.

The 1809 is chock full of Chelmsford arseholes. Not one spare seat.

Just to compound the crap tonight, we still haven't left yet.

Shite shite shite

It never....

2012-01-03T18:12:00.001Z

Ceases to fascinate me that NXEA are utterly beyond being able to run any train on time.

The 1803 Southend train has only just left Stratford. There's no sign of the 1809.

32 days left...

It takes...

2012-01-03T10:02:00.001Z

A special kind of incompetence to cancel two trains while they're en route.

But that's precisely what has just happened.

The 0812 from Braintree was terminated at Shenfield, and now the train we caught there was terminated at Stratford.

I didn't have a problem with that, I get off there anyway. But there are now two trainloads of very pissed off passengers on a rainy windswept station trying to get into Liverpool Street with the cretins on the tannoy directing them all to the Central Line.

God only knows what that's like. I wouldn't want to use it.

Stunned to see...

2012-01-03T09:32:00.001Z

The train we were ejected from at Shenfield just overtake us at speed, apparently heading for Liverpool Street.

What the f*ck is going on?

Slung off...

2012-01-03T09:18:00.001Z

The 0812 at Shenfield.

Now being forced to stand on a packed out later running train.

Don't quite know how to claim for this one.

We should...

2012-01-03T09:09:00.001Z

Have arrived at Stratford by now.

We still haven't got to Ingatestone yet.

In another piece of mind boggling stupidity, I've received a email from NXEA telling me the train won't be stopping at Stratford.

F*ck 'em, no-one on the train has said anything. So I'm staying on.

First day back...

2012-01-03T08:52:00.001Z

And there are already delays of "up to an hour" because Network Rail STILL haven't fixed variously, the overhead wires or the signals that were f*cked for a fortnight before Christmas.

Just speechless....

Guess what?

2011-12-15T18:11:00.001Z

Despite National Rail claiming they've now fixed the f*cked up signals at Stratford, I arrived there tonight to find there are still delays.

It's gone beyond a joke now, it's a downright bloody disgrace. Over 2 weeks of f*cked up trains now and still counting.

The latest train to arrive here so far is the 1803 Southend service.

Unbelievably...

2011-12-15T08:13:00.001Z

It's happened again!

The f*cking signals around Stratford are bolloxed again.

The 0812 is currently nowhere to be seen.

Words fail me.

Twenty minutes...

2011-12-14T19:06:00.001Z

Late and still we get shunted onto the Chelmsford passing loop to allow a poxy Inter City past.

F*ck the poor bloody commuters who have paid NXEA almost 4 grand a year for this shit, can't let the trains that make the most in subsidies run later than necessary.

Burning at the stake...

2011-12-14T18:31:00.006Z

Is too good for the f*cking cretin making the tannoy announcements at Stratford.

This moron has had everyone running backwards and forwards to and from platforms 10 and 10A as he tries to get his brain cell around the f*cked up trains here tonight.

To compound the misery, platform 10A has become the go-to platform for just about every bloody train going to Southend.

Idiot.

Nineteen miserable....

2011-12-14T18:31:00.005Z

Minutes late leaving f*cking Stratford. Bastards.

And tonight's...

2011-12-14T18:31:00.001Z

Excuses for another f*ck up is "point failure".

Everything running at least 15 minutes late, though you wouldn't think so from the robotic "apologies".

Not once for at least 2 weeks now has there _not_ been a f*ck up on this joke of a railway line at some point during one or the other, and frequently both, rush hours.

February really cannot come soon enough now.

NXEA's incompetence...

2011-12-13T09:02:00.001Z

Continues right to the bitter end.

Another f*cked days travel.

There are currently signalling problems somewhere around Stratford. It's completed bolloxed everything.

So as usual the dickwads at NXEA immediately start cancelling services and, as usual, the Braintree line is the first victim.

Once again the 0812 has been unceremoniously binned.

Yet again the wankers didn't have the courage or courtesy to actually tell the poor bastards they were shafting that they were being shafted. Not one tannoy message so far, not one. The only email I received was the usual vague "may be cancelled" one.

The 0900 is roughly half an hour late at the moment. I can see that one getting the chop as well.

Soon be February.

At least the new lot are contractually obliged to keep people informed. It may not stop the f*ck ups, but at least we'll know about them sooner.

Twenty minutes...

2011-12-12T19:22:00.001Z

Late leaving Witham.

The commuter...

2011-12-12T19:18:00.001Z

Services may be totally up the shitter again tonight, but the poxy Inter Cities are still running on time.

Currently 15 minutes late at Witham waiting for the Clacton connection, which has been kept waiting in turn for an Inter City to go past.

Amazing.

Another...

2011-12-12T18:21:00.001Z

Shambolic evening on the country's worst railway. No idea why, no-one's letting on as usual.

10 minutes late leaving Stratford and then we stopped.

Bloody hopeless.

Every night...

2011-12-08T18:58:00.001Z

This week I've travelled home seated near the most unbelievably miserable individual it has ever been my misfortune to encounter.

Each night as we approached Witham she has received a call on her mobile from someone, and every time she has then conducted the conversation using the most awful, whiney, misery inducing voice.

On a couple of occasions I felt like offering her a weapon so she put herself and us out of her misery.

Whilst...

2011-12-02T18:18:00.001Z

We're stuck here at Stratford waiting for the Braintree service, we're being treated to two cretins competing over the tannoy, announcing and then re-announcing each late-running train.

You really couldn't make up this kind of lunacy.

Yet another...

2011-12-02T18:05:00.001Z

Bolloxed evenings travel in prospect thanks to NXEAs piss-poor maintenance.

Everything is running at least 15 minutes late from Stratford.

I just keep telling myself it'll soon be February.

A minor...

2011-11-30T19:12:00.001Z

Miracle. Just arrived at Witham and the Braintree train was still there.

Another...

2011-11-30T18:46:00.001Z

Needlessly f*cked-up evenings travel thanks to the clowns running the Jubilee Line.

Tonight, these f*ckwits had every fourth train needlessly terminating at the pointless North Greenwich.

As a result, everyone on them got off at Canary Wharf and waited there for the next Stratford train.

Meaning the queues were doubled at a stroke.

Inevitably, each of the next three Stratford trains was absolutely rammed; at most just 3 or 4 people were able to board at each door. I had to wait for a new piss-poor record of 6 trains before I could finally get on.

To compound the misery, they were running with huge gaps between trains.

The only upside was that as we stood there seething waiting for the next train we weren't being regaled by the idiot on the tannoy that there was a "good service" running. Which there wasn't. Again

Adding to the misery was the obligatory slamming to a halt halfway between West Ham and Stratford to "await a free platform", and then arriving to find the obligatory 2 empty platforms.

Just shambolic.

Now I'm having to stand on the dragarsing 1820 Clacton train which at the moment seems unlikely to make the connection at Witham with the Braintree train TF Hell's incompetence made me miss.

Here we go again....

2011-11-29T18:19:00.001Z

Still at Stratford. Train going nowhere at the moment.

Interestingly...

2011-11-28T09:14:00.001Z

NXEA'S precious bloody inter-city trains appear to be unaffected by any overhead line problems once again.

One has just gone past us at speed.

Monday morning and already...

2011-11-28T09:07:00.001Z

We're late.

Overhead wire problems is today's excuse de jour.

Dragarsing again, just passing Romford.

I've finally...

2011-11-25T17:24:00.001Z

Come across a sport which I find listening about even more bloody boring than golf. F*cking tennis!

Three people, a gormless younger woman together with an older couple, possibly her parents, got on at North Greenwich.

They had obviously been at the tennis going on at the Dome, because the airheaded cow spent the entire, now seemingly, endless journey to Stratford reading crap about the players, results and statistics from her phone in a loud and bloody irritating estuary accent.

I could still hear her drivelling as I made my way to platform 10 to catch the 1716.

Another...

2011-11-25T09:21:00.001Z

Crap journey thanks to.... well no-one seems to know.

We dragged all the way from Witham at about 30mph. Normally the train would average about 70mph on that journey.

15 minutes late at Stratford.

As ever we were offered no explanation; the driver was doing his best to keep us informed, but nobody saw fit to tell him what was going on.

Coupled with the slow journey was the attitude of the bastards who got on at Chelmsford.

Yet again these arseholes barged on to the train like they f*cking owned it.

They seem to think no-one else has a right to use any train that stops there. They pushed down the aisle between the seats and forced their way into seats. The behaviour is a bloody disgrace.

Well I have news for them; I actually pay more for my season ticket than they do.

Turds, every one of 'em.

How...

2011-11-18T17:19:00.001Z

Much more incompetent can the f*ckwits at Stratford be?

The dot matrix displays dotted around the station are currently announcing track closures on the 12th and 13th of November.

Berks.

Yet again...

2011-11-18T09:32:00.001Z

A f*ck up on the Jubilee Line turns into an even bigger clusterf*ck when NXEA are added to an already poisonous brew.

The Clacton train has been dragarsing its way all the way to Chelmsford. It's now a good 10 minutes late.

What are the odds the tossers at Witham let the Braintree go before we get there?

Another...

2011-11-17T18:56:00.001Z

F*cked up journey on the Jubilee Line again thanks to the incompetent f*ckwits at TF Hell. Bastards.

Got onto the platform at Canary Wharf to discover the next train wasn't due for 6 minutes and worse it was only going to bloody useless North Greenwich.

The first Stratford train wasn't due for 8 f*cking endless minutes.

As usual that one was packed out, as was the train behind.

Another night where I couldn't get on for 3 trains.

Where do you get clowns as useless as the wankers running the Jubilee Line?

Another shambolic...

2011-11-14T18:25:00.001Z

F*cked up journey courtesy of Tf bloody Hell.

The stupid useless empty f*cking North Greenwich train caused another huge tailback again tonight.

Three f*cking jam-packed trains went through before I was able to get on. Huge gaps between each f*cking train and as usual, all the while the wankers were tannoying there was a "good service" running.

No there wasn't. It was shite. Like it always is nowadays.

It's getting worse as well.

God help the poor bastards using it during the Olympics fiasco next summer.

Finally...

2011-11-10T09:16:00.001Z

We've arrived at Stratford; 9 minutes late.

Soon be February.

We've now...

2011-11-10T09:04:00.001Z

Picked up speed again since leaving Shenfield.

But the damage has been done, and we're now between 10 and 15 minutes late.

Still no word on why.

Still no...

2011-11-10T08:53:00.001Z

Information from NXEA explaining why we're running slow and late.

Still, it's too late for them to change their habits now.

Here we go...

2011-11-10T08:42:00.001Z

We've suddenly slowed down and we're dragarsing between signals on the way into Chelmsford.

What price can I get on signal failure up ahead?

Twenty bloody...

2011-11-03T19:19:00.001Z

Minutes late at Witham thanks to the wankers at NXEA.

Unbelievably the Clacton train we had to wait for was the one that's supposed to get to Witham 5 minutes AFTER this one.

They f*cked us up to get that bloody train back on time! And then the stupid cow on the tannoy at Witham implied it was OUR fault we were late.

It's crystal clear where Braintree comes on NXEA'S list of priorities when it comes to deciding who gets f*cked over first.

With their...

2011-11-03T19:10:00.001Z

Usual breathtaking arrogant incompetence, NXEA have again decided that the poor bloody sods who travel to and from Braintree every day, paying the thick end of four grand for the dubious privilege of occasionally being offered the opportunity to travel in one of their shit box trains should be shafted again tonight.

Being shunted into siding every night to allow a f*cking untouchable Inter Shitty to go past is one thing. Forcing us to wait for a late f*cking Clacton one most certainly isn't.

Why do those bastards get priority when they're late? We never ever do.

Cocks.

As usual...

2011-11-03T18:12:00.001Z

NXEA are incapable of running anything on time.

Everything is at least 10 minutes late. And no explanation again.

Another...

2011-11-01T18:21:00.001Z

Crapulous f*cked up evenings travel courtesy of London Underground.

Why do these demented clowns insist on running empty trains to North bloody Greenwich? No f*cker ever gets off there.

The next train is always packed out so the majority of people waiting at Canary Wharf have to get the third train to leave after they've got onto the platform.

Stupid.

Well that....

2011-10-28T08:58:00.000+01:00

Was another jolly journey into Stratford.

Today, I was given the opportunity to sit with a hyper-active knob-end, who got on at Hatfield Peverel and promptly started to empty his bag searching for something.

I've no idea if he found it, because he then pulled a Passenger Survey form out of a plastic sleeve and started to fill it in.

That done he then began to repeatedly remove, read and replace a stack of paper from a second plastic sleeve.

He carried on with that malarkey for the rest of the journey until just before we arrived at Stratford, at which point he decided to block the aisle while he repacked his bloody bag.

All the time that that particular madness was going on, I was being treated to sitting next to the usual gormless tool who continuously receives endless bloody emails on his Blackberry.

Instead of keeping bloody phone in his hand, this idiot insisted on putting it back in his trouser pocket after reading each new message. Why? No-one was going to steal it.

And to cap the misery, the train was 10 minutes late.

Still, nearly Christmas...

There are...

2011-10-26T18:31:00.001+01:00

Few things less maddening than leaving earlier then usual in the expectation of catching an earlier Jubilee Line train.
Only to then get onto the platform at Canary Wharf to discover the next train isn't due for almost 5 minutes, and worse, it's only going to North f*cking Greenwich.
Then to add insult, the next Stratford train won't arrive for another 3 minutes after that pointless North Greenwich one.
And all the time you're standing there seething, there's some gormless bloody female twittering on the tannoy that there's a "good service". Bollocks there is.
In fact, I left work earlier tonight than I did last night and still managed, thanks to London bloody Underground, to get to Stratford later than I did last night.
That kind of incompetence takes talent; the kind of talent that only the cretins who elected that fat, ignorant, moronic, thicko dinosaur Bob bloody Crow can lay claim to.

Another night...

2011-10-25T18:14:00.001+01:00

Another delayed train because of NXEA'S piss-poor maintenance.

As usual...

2011-10-24T18:21:00.001+01:00

Whenever there's an NXEA maintenance f*ck-up like the one we have tonight, the Southend trains never seem to be as badly affected as the rest of the line.

One's just gone through Stratford out of sequence.

Here we go again...

2011-10-24T18:10:00.001+01:00

Every bloody train from Liverpool St is currently late by at least 10 minutes, well all of them apart from the untouchable f*cking Inter-Citys.

Piss-poor maintenance again.

Yet another...

2011-10-21T08:21:00.001+01:00

Bolloxed mornings journey because of NXEA's piss-poor maintenance.

Dragarsing through Ilford again, 10 minutes late.

New franchisees.

2011-10-21T07:38:00.001+01:00

Just seen in Metro, I managed to get one this morning, that the Dutch bidders have won the Anglia rail franchise to run from February.
Hopefully, they can do a better job than NXEA.

Only once...

2011-10-20T08:19:00.001+01:00

This week, has whoever delivers the free Metro newspaper to Braintree station, provided enough copies to allow me to get my hands on one.

That was on Tuesday during the great overhead wire catastrophe.

And only then because the 0727 was cancelled and everyone who would have been on it went to Witham.

By ten-past-eight they're all now gone. A sure sign more people are travelling these days. And even more circumstantial evidence for the urgent upgrade and improvements this crappy railway line desperately needs.

Just discovered...

2011-10-18T08:34:00.001+01:00

National Rail have put this gem on their website:

"Overhead wire problems are causing disruption at London LiverpoolStreet. National Express East Anglia are advising passengers not to travel unless necessary. "

Good of NXEA to let us know. Oh wait, they haven't.

Currently...

2011-10-18T08:30:00.001+01:00

Freezing on Braintree station because the 0812 is at least 65 minutes late.

Overhead line problems somewhere around Bethnal Green.

Oddly, the train hasn't been canceled yet despite it supposedly arriving AFTER the 0900.

The good news is the 0900 is "on time". At least that's according to NXEA. National Rail just say it's "delayed". Which generally means it hasn't even left Liverpool Street yet.

God protect us...

2011-10-11T18:32:00.001+01:00

From the mindless cretins who board the train in one crowded carriage and then insist on walking through to the next crowded carriage, then the next one, then the next and so on ad nauseum.

It happened again tonight; just after I'd found somewhere quiet to stand a gormless female came barging through the connecting door from the carriage behind and forced me back towards the carriage doorway.

All the while the silly bitch was twittering away on her mobile telling some twat she was "just walking down the train."

And the daft cow would have kept going except we were in the leading coach of a 4 coach set. She couldn't go any further in any case.

Dim slapper.

Just found...

2011-10-08T10:15:00.001+01:00

A kindred spirit.

I am not alone!

Reading about the hell that simply travelling to and from Southend has become has caused me to re-evaluate my attitude to the users of the service.

It still rankles slightly that their service is far more frequent than the half-arsed one we have to endure to Braintree.

But since it's as crap as the one we get then they deserve sympathy,

It's when...

2011-10-06T18:21:00.001+01:00

You're standing on the platform at Canary Wharf, hoping like hell that the next Jubilee Line train, the fourth since you got there, will have enough space for you to get on despite there being a 6 minute gap since the last overcrowded one went through.

That's the moment you appreciate just what a disingenuous load of bollocks Boris bloody Johnson was spouting at the Tory Party conference this week.

Twat.

Bad news...

2011-10-06T08:12:00.001+01:00

There were no Metro newspapers at Braintree Station this morning.

No Sudoku! How on earth am I going to survive the journey to Stratford?

Late...

2011-10-05T09:10:00.001+01:00

And now relegated to the slow line...

Here we go again...

2011-10-05T09:08:00.001+01:00

Already late and we aren't even past Ilford yet.

We've Finally....

2011-10-04T09:57:00.001+01:00

Arrived at Stratford, a magnificent 17 minutes late!

Brilliantly...

2011-10-04T09:22:00.001+01:00

Someone has just tried to let us know why the train is late.

It's just a shame the tannoy volume has been turned down so low no one could hear them properly.

Once again...

2011-10-04T09:09:00.001+01:00

We're sitting at Chadwell Heath going nowhere.

Typically no information is forthcoming from the train crew to tell us why we've stopped.

Only 4 months to go.

What is the point...

2011-09-26T10:22:00.000+01:00

Of National Rail's Enquiry Line?

To my endless regret, I've just called it to ask how many arms and legs my new season ticket will cost me this year.

After 20 minutes split into roughly two minutes talking to the thickest individual it has ever been my misfortune to speak to and 18 minutes listening to silence I still have no idea.

His final offering was to go and ask at Braintree Station. Probably the only sensible thing I got out of him.

I'm intrigued...

2011-09-20T09:26:00.002+01:00

To see NXEA have begun to de-brand their trains ready for when they have to give up the franchise in February.
I've now seen a number of Class 321 EMUs with either no branding at all, or with obvious signs of having had the NXEA decals removed.
Things are beginning to move.

At Chelmsford...

2011-09-19T18:54:00.001+01:00

And as expected, the train is now f*cking deserted after the bastards all got off.

Now we've been informed that because the Braintree train ahead still hasn't arrived, we're being sidelined for 15 minutes so every other twat and his dog can go past.

What are the odds this train gets terminated at Witham?

Despite....

2011-09-19T18:22:00.001+01:00

The dishonest bullshit being spouted by the idiot on the tannoy at Canary Wharf tonight, there was most definitely not a "good service" on the Jubilee Line again.

Having to watch 3 packed trains together with the inevitable and pointless empty train which terminated at North Greenwich made that abundantly clear.

Coupled with that, was the shambles caused by the now weekly nutjob chucking themselves in front of a train at Romford.

I'm currently on the totally rammed 1809. As usual in these cases, it's filled to capacity with Chelmsford arseholes.

4 grand for this crap.

Another morning...

2011-09-16T08:29:00.001+01:00

With delays.

The 0726 is currently running at least 10 minutes late and as usual there's absolutely no indication why.

Postscript to Friday

2011-09-12T09:39:00.001+01:00

The Witham train I caught didn't have the easy journey I was hoping for.

We spent at least half an hour waiting outside Shenfield for a platform to become available even though the train wasn't actually scheduled to stop there.

Even when a platform did become free the train pulled into it and stopped for another 40 minutes or so. It was there so long the driver got permission to open the doors to allow people off to stretch their legs.

Then while all that was going on, the station tannoy announced a Colchester train would be leaving from a different platform in a couple of minutes. Cue a mad dash by most of the passengers on our train across to the other one.

I stayed and was rewarded with a near empty train that departed a couple of minutes after the Colchester.

I finally got to Witham at about 10 past eight, and arrived home about twenty minutes later.

In all an hour and three-quarters' journey took almost 4 hours.

Woo-hoo....

2011-09-09T18:32:00.001+01:00

On a Witham train, even got a seat.

Just leaving Stratford now

Nope..

2011-09-09T18:15:00.001+01:00

The 1809 isn't on time.

And the next train is yet another f*cking Southend one.

Nothing going north of Shenfield has gone through since this shit began. When they do start it'll be impossible to get on any of them.

Typically...

2011-09-09T18:11:00.001+01:00

The next train into Stratford after the Southend one left is another one going to bloody Southend.

And the next one is as well... Do these idiots not know there are other places people want to get to?

Just wandered over to platform 10A as the screens are saying the 1809 for Braintree will be on time. Yeah right.

Even if it is as it's likely to be one of the first trains to leave Liverpool St it'll be swarming with Chelmsford scum.

Still...

2011-09-09T17:58:00.001+01:00

Stuck at Stratford.

The pillocks running things haven't a bloody clue between them.

Their only idea is to tell people to f*ck off somewhere else.

There are thousands of people with nowhere to go.

News....

Trains have just begun running again, the Southend train that was standing at platform 10 has just left.

But it's going to take hours to clear this, especially as every train from Liverpool St is going to be chocker with Chelmsford arseholes.

Absolutely the worst...

2011-09-09T17:25:00.000+01:00

Place anywhere on the NXEA network for an incident to occur is Romford.

Every northbound service goes past there.

So it came as no surprise to arrive at Stratford this evening and discover someone had been hit by a train just there.

Absolutely nothing is moving along the entire network.

Still no idea...

2011-09-08T18:27:00.001+01:00

What's going on, the train that was blocking platform 10 has finally left.

Waiting for info on the Clacton train... Silence.

Update:

The Clacton train has just pitched up and, as usual, it's absolutely rammed with Chelmsford arseholes. So as usual I get to stand all the way to Chelmsford.

And I pay the thick end of 4 grand for this crap.

Here we go again.

2011-09-08T18:19:00.001+01:00

Just arrived at Stratford after having waited 3 trains to get on the Jubilee Line to find a train blocking platform 10.

As usual there's absolutely no information forthcoming from the muppet on the tannoy.

As I thought...

2011-09-06T18:55:00.001+01:00

As soon as we got to Chelmsford all the arseholes swarmed off and I could finally sit down.

I suspect the gormless twats arrived at Liverpool St, saw their usual trains were delayed. So employing all their lemming like stupidity they swarmed across to the Braintree train which left on time thinking they'd get home a bit earlier than if they'd waited.

Only the trains the dozy toerags should have been on went sailing post while we were outside Stratford.

Another f*cking triumph.

Brilliant organisation...

2011-09-06T18:22:00.001+01:00

By NXEA and/or National Rail now means this train which was on time is now 10 minutes late.

You couldn't make it up.

We're still...

2011-09-06T18:19:00.001+01:00

Sitting outside Stratford, so far 3 late running trains have been allowed to overtake us.

Another...

2011-09-06T18:13:00.001+01:00

Bolloxed nights travel. Currently sitting just outside Stratford for a poxy late-running Southend train to go past.

The Braintree train is rammed with people for I don't know where. Probably Chelmsford arseholes.

For the first time...

2011-09-06T08:26:00.001+01:00

Since I have been travelling into London on NXEA, the 0812 is a class 360 train.

Fast, smooth, with nice comfy seats and, somewhat redundant today, air conditioning.

The 321's must all be broken. Long may it continue.

The 0812...

2011-09-06T08:10:00.001+01:00

Is running at least 15 minutes late this morning.

I'm currently standing on the platform in a half gale with rain in the air. Not a nice day to run late.

What is it...

2011-09-02T18:10:00.001+01:00

About Friday afternoons that causes the Jubilee Line to implode with monotonous regularity?

Once again there's been either a points and/or signal failure at Stratford that's shut the line down and as a result an entire trainload of people including me have just been slung off at North Greenwich; and with nothing running in either direction I can't even get back to Canary Wharf to get the DLR.

Update 1 @ 1719:

Another train has just pulled in and emptied out.

Update 2 @ 1722:

We've just been told there's a train due here shortly going back towards Canary Wharf.

Update 3 @ 1732: currently heading back towards Canary Wharf.

Update 4 @ 1734: back at Canary Wharf. That's an hour to go nowhere.

Update 5 @ 1743: now on a packed DLR train with someone in terminal need of a shower and a can of deodorant.

Update last @ 1806: just departed Stratford the 1806 Ipswich train.

This will be the main route to the Olympics next year. God help us all.

Wonders will...

2011-08-31T22:26:00.000+01:00

Never cease. Finally, the tannoy speakers on platform 10A at Stratford are working.

At last we're no longer obliged to strain to hear announcements from platform 10. And it only took them 4 months to do it!

Even so, it's a welcome improvement.

For the second...

2011-08-25T18:24:00.002+01:00

Time this week the dullard incompetents at TfL managed too f*ck another evenings travel with another broken down train at Stratford causing eastbound services to block back.
So once again making the effort to catch the tube early was rewarded with another 15 minute stop between Canary Wharf and North Greenwich. Inevitably, I wasn't in time to get the 1809. And the 1820 was too packed to even board.
These tossers seem to have hired NXEA to manage their maintenance.
Wankers.

Yet more...

2011-08-24T19:24:00.001+01:00

Inexcusable stupidity from the Kings of stupidity.

I've now discovered the wankers at Witham actually ran a Braintree service which they connected the Clacton service to.

The useless f*ckers didn't actually bother to communicate that fact to the poor sods who weren't able to get the Clacton train because the dimwits didn't tell them the Braintree was canceled until AFTER the f*cking thing had gone.

The incompetence just keeps on coming on an industrial scale.

They're taking...

2011-08-24T18:42:00.002+01:00

The piss now.
The useless bastards have canceled the 1809, but they couldn't be arsed to actually tell anyone.
I was at Shenfield on a Southend train before I discovered it was the wrong train and even then I only discovered my train been canceled because they don't maintain them properly via.an email that should have been sent half an hour before out was. Wankers all of them.
Even if they had bothered to announce the cancellation on their useless tannoy system, (which they didn't) there's no guarantee we would have heard out on platform 10A in any case.
So now I'm stuck at bloody Shenfield watching a procession of f*cking Southend trains go by with nothing going towards Witham.
I really can't wait for February now. Bastards.

Another day...

2011-08-24T08:16:00.001+01:00

Another bolloxed journey.

NXEA's piss-poor maintenance meant the 0726 from Braintree was canceled again this morning.

This resulted in the usual scramble for seats as 20 carriages worth of passengers tried to find somewhere to sit on an 8 carriage train.

Still, soon be February.

Another bolloxed...

2011-08-23T18:28:00.001+01:00

Evenings travel courtesy of TfL.

Their crap maintenance meant another of their piece of shit trains broke down at Stratford and then the useless bloody thing failed a second time as they were taking it back to the depot.

All of which meant the train I'd again managed to catch early was left sitting in the tunnel between Greenwich and Canning Town for 15 minutes.

F*cking pathetic.

Of course I missed the 1809 and was forced to catch the 1820 Clacton train which as usual was swarming with Chelmsford arseholes.

It just...

2011-08-22T18:39:00.001+01:00

Gets better and better.

Now we're being held at Shenfield while 2 cretins have a punch up on the platform.

Unbelievable.

Not only...

2011-08-22T18:22:00.001+01:00

If the 1809 running late, but because NXEA don't maintain their trains properly, it's been reduced to 8 coaches instead of 12.

As a result it's absolutely swarming with arseholes traveling to Chelmsford. And three are no spare seats again.

F*cking wonderful.

I Hate National Express and their Crap Rail Service

We're finally into the home straight

Going out on a low.

I notice...

Another shambles...

Oh Dear...

The ignorance...

Another day...

Once again...

Inevitably...

Here we go...

I'm willing to bet...

Another week...

Up until...

Looks like...

It never....

It takes...

Stunned to see...

Slung off...

We should...

First day back...

Guess what?

Unbelievably...

Twenty minutes...

Burning at the stake...

Nineteen miserable....

And tonight's...

NXEA's incompetence...

Twenty minutes...

The commuter...

Another...

Every night...

Whilst...

Yet another...

A minor...

Another...

Here we go again....

Interestingly...

Monday morning and already...

I've finally...

Another...

How...

Yet again...

Another...

Another shambolic...

Finally...

We've now...

Still no...

Here we go...

Twenty bloody...

With their...

As usual...

Another...

Well that....

There are...

Another night...

As usual...

Here we go again...

Yet another...

New franchisees.

More problems...

Only once...

Just discovered...

Currently...

God protect us...

Just found...

It's when...

Bad news...

Late...

Here we go again...

We've Finally....

Brilliantly...

Once again...

What is the point...

I'm intrigued...

At Chelmsford...

Despite....

Another morning...

Postscript to Friday

Woo-hoo....