Due to the constant overcrowding on my line (Rochdale to Manchester via Castleton) I
had to sent this email today... the trin times have just been jiggled, much to my dispair and the NO vote has been called so there is no real hope in sight... what can we do now?
Good Afternoon,
I respect the fact that the person to who I am currently writing will no doubt be powerless to help me from where they are sitting, so to you I apologise in advance.
Now... with regard to the revised train times for the Rochdale to Manchester Victoria train from the earliest train in the morning (and no doubt many other unfortunate individuals), I would like to highlight the utter stupidity of the corporation to which you belong in the way they have devised this ridiculous revision to the timetable.
Firstly... before the train time changes of Monday the 15th 2008 on this line, it was very clear there was quite an obvious overcrowding problem. So before you bother to send out the crappy spiel you repeat to all other customers whose lives you have systematically wrecked over the last few months, I would like to point out, I have read a lot of their replies from you on the internet forums based on this problem. YES THAT IS HOW BAD YOUR SERVICE IS!!! We have to discuss it online to get anything done because all that seems to happen is we get FOBBED OFF! NO, a refund is NOT ACCEPTABLE, as the money is not the issue; it is MY time you are STEALING from me! I have bought a monthly ticket so that is not the issue! It is the fact that you are continually putting me in a difficult position with my employers as they are starting to think I am taking the Mick, when it is actually Northern Rail that are obviously the Mickey takers. So you as a company are responsible for my time management being called into question, when I am quite comfortably on that cold wet platform week in week out, 5 days a week with 10 minutes to spare without fail... the only failure in this chain seems to be your lot AGAIN!
Secondly... I buy a monthly ticket, although I have not read the terms and conditions attached to this ticket yet, you might like to run by me what the requirements of the contract that binds us are from your side? Are you responsible for providing a service once I have paid for it? If so, why have I, on more than 3 occasions been told to wait for the next train 3 times in a row on the same date? This being from a train supposedly picking me up at 7:15 in the A.M. and not getting on a train until around just after 8:00 A.M. The reason why? No room on the train! No room on a two carriage train... and this is after I get the same train every day from the same platform with the same monthly ticket I have bought for the same overpriced fee. Three trains in a row not stopping because they are full and the crazy thing is, I should have realised this would happen as I already have to STAND EVERY SINGLE DAY WITHOUT EXCEPTION! Why am I paying for a service I am not receiving? Why am I also paying so much for a dirty, overcrowded, uncomfortable, miserable, slog to work every day? Where is my change?
Lastly... after you (likely not the person who is going to read this at first, so please do not take it personally) have now, in your infinite wisdom, changed the times of the trains, to run the second train of the day a full 10 minutes later leaving the gap between the first and second trains even more ridiculously far apart, as it now leaves more time for the people in Rochdale that have a choice of trains, going through Milnrow and through Castleton towards Manchester, to crowd onto the trains and fill them up, leaving the train LATE and too FULL to get on for those people in Mills Hill or Moston. Today is the 15th of December 2008 and I was expecting a train at Mills Hill for 7:23, it came ten minutes late and then when it finally got to Moston, people were refused entry onto the train as it was TOO FULL!!
How about this, you disgusting tribe of cretins... why don't you spend money on one singular carriage extra per train on peak time trains? This is a simple remedy even a moron could put to task, yet the dimmest of the dim would seem to be able to outwit a Manager in your company as, yet again, the customer is put aside in order to line the pockets of the greedy shareholders. I want an explanation, and I am definitely going to approach trading standards with this issue, as there should be terms with regard to a contract that oblige you to make changes that allow people to make use of the service they have paid for! You are causing me and many people unnecessary suffering and you are putting undue strain on an already bleak economic situation. I do not want to LOSE MY JOB because of your lax attitude towards your product and your disregard for your obligation to your paying customers. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!
Apologies for the language, however, I felt it represented how I felt at the time and I still believe that it is the best way to express the emotional content of what I am trying to get across...
any thoughts guys?
P.S. I am still awaiting the response from these lot, but you should read the nightmare responses people have been having in return for their cleverly crafted emails. I had no intention of wasting my time with these suckers any more than they already drain my life of any spare moments. So this letter is infact the first angry draft of the letter and I do not intend to change it in any way for that reason also.
Regards all x x x
