Re: Connex

[Railvic <railvic@primus.com.au>]

Dear all,

Correct me, if I'm wrong, but the rolling stock used by Connex in
England are leased from another company?  If this is correct, then it is
no wonder that that carriages are old.  For example, if you are renting
a house, you would not renovate the house for your landlord free of
charge?  Whereas in Melbourne, Connex owns the carriages and will
introduce new ones from 2002.  Perhaps the British Government needs to
examine the arrangement of their train franchise, in particular that
train operators do not own the rolling stock.

As for the comment on our customers, perhaps we should start a
television show called "Australian worst travelling customers" and for
those not work in this industry, I can assure you that it is very
"entertaining"!

To kick this idea off ...

A teenage girl complained to a station assistant that all Telstra public
payphones across the street don't take coins, only phonecards.  The
station assistant reminded her that this is a railway station and the
train operator has not branched out to telephone services in Australia. 
She has been directed to make such a complaint to Telstra.  She walked
away from the booking office windows yelling with some very "colourful"
words ...

Railvic

Ian Jelf wrote:
> 
> In article <yna36.37640$xW4.299568@news-server.bigpond.net.au>, Daniel
> Bowen <dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au> writes
> >"David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> >KQ936.56$H21.5357@ozemail.com.au">news:KQ936.56$H21.5357@ozemail.com.au...
> >> You'll also see from their website that they're a rubbish company (more
> >> trendily known as waste management these days).
> >> It would appear from their treatment of passengers in both Britain
> I used to use Connex a lot in South London and always found them to be
> good.   The, only a few weeks ago, I had cause to use them in *another*
> part of South London.   Oh dear!   The difference was *incredible*.
> Old rolling stock, cramped conditions and late running.
> 
> Ironically, the South Central franchise (the one that seemed good to me
> on an almost daily basis over two years) is the one they've recently
> been told they're to lose.   The c**p one they're holding onto for the
> present.
> 
> Now, here of course, they can blame much on Railtrack (the also
> privatised Track owner);  I'm not sure how that works in Melbourne,
> though.   Has Victorian Railways/Vicrail/Whatever it's called this week
> retained ownership and *operation* of the infrastructure or not?
> If not, then I suspect that if Connex aren't already pointing the finger
> of blame for any shortcomings in that direction, they soon will be.
> 
> > and
> >> Melbourne that sometimes they forget whether it's passengers or waste
> >> they're transporting
> Yes, I had that feeling between London Victoria and Bromley.
> (There's a plaque at Victoria Station unveiled by Mr. Cain, by the way.
> How's that for a Pom attempt to keep on topic for aus.rail?!)
> 
> > (though I know some passengers aren't far above the
> >> level of the latter)
> There, too, eh?   :-(
> 
> >Notice they managed to misspell Britain.
> :-((
> 
> > Typos must be a Connex trait -
> >after misspelling numerous locations on the Melbourne site.
> They won't beat South Yorkshire Passenger Transport in Barnsley (UK).
> They had their logo on one of their divisional headquarters *upside
> down* for four months before a nine year old went in and told them!
> 
> Happy New year to all in aus.rail from snowy Britain.
> --
> Ian Jelf        http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk
> Birmingham, UK
>         Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide
>         for the Heart of England and London