A bad week on the trains last week

Hope everyone is well!!!

I’ve discovered the joys of FaceBook which is why I am blogging less! It’s one Internet fad after another for me!

However, the last couple of weeks on the trains have not been good. For the first time since I have started taking this route, last week I was in a situation where I really needed to be back home for a certain time. I was involved in a production for three nights which started at 7.00pm. This caused me a certain amount of stress as I am aware of how unreliable the trains are at the moment. I was worried that I would get stuck on a train and end up missing my commitment. Which would not look good, and would let people down. I ended up having to get BF to pick me up from the station and take me straight there. It was a tiring week. I was never at home!

There’s a lot in the local news about South West Trains at the moment. Articles about how the engineering works are going to continue for another 6 weeks because, surprise surprise, they have over-run. There are also articles about how South West Trains have changed from white trains with bigger seats and more leg room, to shorter blue trains with smaller seats and less leg room.

In fact, I completed a pen-and-paper survey about it last week while I was on the train. The questionnaire was horrendously worded and didn’t make sense at all (trust me, I know) . however, I felt it my duty to fill it in AND post it back like a good market research respondent. Naturally, my responses indicated a very disgruntled commuter because of course the white trains are better than the blue trains. More leg room is good!

Actually, that is one good thing that has come out of the engineering works. Since they began, my route has been white trains (with bigger seats) rather than the cramped blue trains. So that, I suppose, is a good thing!

I haven’t had a response to my letter of complaint yet. Although, I suppose that is optimistic as I only sent it last week.

I have also realised that I haven’t had any of my benefits from the Annual Gold Card yet. I assumed I would receive these through the post (such as the magazine, and 6 free weekend tickets, and all the other amazing things they promised me).

It’s now been over 6 weeks since I purchased the Gold Card. Can anybody enlighten me here about what I need to do? Do I have to go and ask for these things from the station? I thought they would post me them!! Ticket collector, do you know?

Apparently, yesterday was the start of a new era for South West Trains. A new franchise. Now, I don’t really understand what that means. I just hope it means they are better than they are at the moment.