So National Express
will be charging £2.50 for seat reservations on some trains as of this weekend. Each way.

This has nothing to do, of course, with reports that their hold on the East Coast mainline franchise is slipping as they look increasingly unable to pay the Gubment the £1.4 billion or whatever it was they promised for running the franchise after GNER found themselves in exactly the same predicament. And everything to do with "improving the customer experience" as they stated last night. Because everyone wants to pay an extra fiver to receive exactly the same fucking service, don't they?

There's always the choice of not booking a seat, of course, and spending the next 6 hours playing carriage roullette on the long hike from King's Cross to Aberdeen, constantly moving seats or spilling into the vestibule bit between carriages and sitting on the floor outside the bogs that don't quite flush properly.

Cynical? Moi? Shirley not.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 13 May 2009, 13:13, 19 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

National Express...
...are a bunch of badger rimming goatrapers.

When I'm running the country the management team will be shot.

That is all.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Wed 13 May 2009, 13:22, Reply)

By the time you're running the country
They'll have lost the franchise and that bearded, grinning entrepreneur Dickie Branson will be running the franchise via his London-Scotland hot air balloon express service...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 13 May 2009, 13:25, Reply)

Whoever runs the Birmingham - London line
needs to put on a late train back to Birmingham on Saturdays. 21:43 is just ridiculous for a last train on a Saturday night.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 13 May 2009, 13:33, Reply)

Why not use the Chilterns from Marylebone to Snow hill?
runs much later IIFC
( fuck shit up the best you never had, Wed 13 May 2009, 13:40, Reply)

Just checked and the last leaves at 10:45

( fuck shit up the best you never had, Wed 13 May 2009, 13:44, Reply)

Hooray for b3ta people!
You could set yourself up as a talking timetable service, becks.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 13 May 2009, 13:47, Reply)

Or others could learn how to google ,)

( fuck shit up the best you never had, Wed 13 May 2009, 13:56, Reply)

So how come it isn't listed anywhere?
The last train I'm offered *on a Saturday* Marylebone to Snow Hill is 21:40.
It's why Friday bashes are awesome - there IS a late train in the week.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 13 May 2009, 13:57, Reply)

here
www.chilternrailwaysfares.co.uk/Time_Table/QTT_Display_Timetable.asp
( fuck shit up the best you never had, Wed 13 May 2009, 14:02, Reply)

How curious
It's the page that told me 21:40. And still does.

EDIT: www.flickr.com/photos/24801135@N02/3528449870/
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 13 May 2009, 14:09, Reply)

It does seem odd
We go up to Edinburgh a few times a year.

Weekdays: last train back to Morpeth = 9pm.
Weekends: 7pm.

Mental.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 13 May 2009, 14:03, Reply)

To give 'em some credit,
Their coach service is pretty decent.
And a fuck-load cheaper than getting the train.
( Cawl, Wed 13 May 2009, 13:52, Reply)

What bugs me
is that the east coast line is actually one of the best performing and most profitable routes in the country. And yet both GNER and National Express both seemed to have spectacularly fucked it up by promising over the odds in payments to Gordon and the lads.

*EDIT* I hate long distance coach travel, though.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 13 May 2009, 13:55, Reply)

Far more crying babies
In my experience.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 13 May 2009, 14:00, Reply)

Yeah...
I agree that coaches are worse to travel on.
Mostly because the gap between the seats seems to be equal to, or less than the length of my femur.
But it's half an hour quicker from work to Wales, and half the price, so I'll go with that instead.
( Cawl, Wed 13 May 2009, 14:02, Reply)

Serves you right
For being freakishly tall

:D
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 13 May 2009, 14:06, Reply)

The stupid thing
Is that I'm NOT freakishly tall.
I know lots of people who're taller than me.

Which leads me onto my pet hate for the day.
WHY THE FUCK DOES EVERY GOD-DAMN CASHPOINT IN THIS FUCKING TOWN HAVE TO BE AT CROTCH-HEIGHT?
( Cawl, Wed 13 May 2009, 14:09, Reply)

For the crips and the kids
who are all secretly planning to mug you as you straighten your normal sized spine.
( fuck shit up the best you never had, Wed 13 May 2009, 14:18, Reply)

Joke's on them,
I just kneel on the floor.
One day I'm gonna crack though, this discrimination has gone on FOR TOO LONG.
( Cawl, Wed 13 May 2009, 14:22, Reply)