www.wagn-rails.info
Ciaran Byrne <
Cambridge, No county/state, England - 16:28:38 Saturday 05 January 2002
Sorry to give more depressing news to fellow WAGN customers, but this is an extract from an e-mail I received today from WAGN: “The disruption on this particular day was due to a shortage of drivers and the displacement of a number of units. Completely the fault of WAGN. We are likely to see an improvement to the service in March 2002, by this time a substantial amount of new drivers will have passed their exams.”
I don't know if e-mailing Ms Page is doing any good, but until someone can make a better suggestion I strongly urge everyone to keep badgering her about the appalling service.
John Fraser <
Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, UK - 22:38:23 Wednesday 19 December 2001
I hope you won't mind someone who lives a little down the line at Potters Bar joining your discussion about WAGN. Having got thoroughly fed up with the constant cancellations and delays on the line (in my case into Moorgate) I have come to the conclusion that the Director's of WAGN just do not know how bad the service is. After all, those of us who have no alternative way of getting to work continue to buy tickets, so as they continue to get the revenue, it must be OK, mustn't it? So I've started keeping a daily log of delays and cancellations, and then, every few days, writing to Suzanne Page, Route Director, Great Northern & Cambridge Fenline, at Room 114, West Side Offices, King's Cross Station, Euston Road, London, N1 9AP. Basically I have just been complaining about the problems, and ensuring she is kept aware of what happens during the small part of the day that I use WAGN. I have recently found she can be contacted on e-mail at ; So far I've had just the one letter in reply, which says that she 'does realise how bad the service is', but I'm sure it would help her to realise this if your readers were all to e-mail her daily, just telling her about delays and cancellations they have experienced. That way she will be able to build up a fuller picture. I would stress that with this sort of survey the more people who participate the better, so people should not assume that someone else will do it. Try it out for a month or so, and see what happens. My personal bet is that she will change her e-mail address!!
Thanks
Julian
Julian Gibson <;
Potters Bar, Herts., No country - 14:18:56 Thursday 06 December 2001
I write regarding security at Welham Green Station. I travel from the station as my Childminder is based in Hatfield and previously used it when I was a local resident. Last Wednesday (28 November 2001), I returned from work to find my car had been broken into and the CD player and other personal effects stolen. On Friday 30 November, I noticed a pile of broken glass where there had obviously been another break-in. This morning (Monday 3 December 2001), yet another vehicle was badly damaged and contents (presumably) stolen. This is just a warning to other users of the car park to be vigilant when leaving their cars and to avoid leaving valuables within view. I have spoken to Sue at the ticket office who is well aware of the security problems with the station and how very dark it is now the evenings are closing in. Perhaps it is time to lobby Railtrack to improve station security (the lighting is appalling) and perhaps consider installing CCTV? I am now afraid to approach my car in the evenings and feel extremely vulnerable in the car park. Please stay on your guard!
Mrs Tanya Canetti <
Stevenage, Hertfordshire, No country - 14:34:17 Monday 03 December 2001
Further to other recent postings I urge all those experiencing the train “service” to write to the general manager as follows : Suzanne.Page@wagnrail.co.uk. It is funny to read the comments about the Hertford loop. I am not disputing them as such because who knows; all of the timetabling and priorities etc seem to be guarded secret. It just always seems to me that in the evenings there are a ton of trains to Hertford and they seldom get cancelled whereas the WGC trains are less frequent in the first place and more often cancelled. Probably not true; truth being we are all given an appalling service.
Mark Charlish <
Brookmans Park, No county/state, No country - 17:41:04 Tuesday 20 November 2001
I've had a reply back from Suzanne Page. Basically Railtrack (with WAGN's begrudging approval) have deemed that GNER and Welwyn Garden City customers are more important than those on the Hertford Loop. I have taken this matter up with my MP and anyone who wants a copy of the letter to send to their MP can e-mail me at andy.kelly@ntlworld.com and I will forward a copy.
Andy Kelly <
Hertford, No county/state, No country - 09:01:38 Wednesday 14 November 2001
And here's my latest e-mail to Suzanne Page:
Suzanne, One year on and it appears that passengers on the Hertford Loop are still being treated like second class passengers. Once again WAGN have defied logic. This time last year there was a section of unusable track on the Hatfield branch, so the Hertford loop passengers had to suffer the appalling bus service as they watched trains trundle through Hertford North. Today there was an unusable section at Welwyn North and who has to suffer? Yes, those on the perfectly working Hertford Loop! Nothing wrong with this section of track but can we get a train home? No.
Your website this evening showed a normal service to Welwyn Garden City and a much reduced service to Hertford North. By the time I got to Old Street an announcement came over that all peak services to Hertford North had been suspended! Yes, there was nothing wrong with the trains, nothing wrong with the track, a full complement of drivers and still no service!
Once again the passengers at Old Street were not afforded the luxury of being allowed to board an inward train so that we were at least guaranteed a place on a train, as the inward services did not stop at Old Street. I had to catch a Welwyn Garden City service and arrange to be picked up by my partner. More expense and more inconvenience. I have not written to you recently regarding the state of the service as there has only been the occasional hiccup. However, what really gets up my nose is the fact that I have a train station which is a 10 minute walk from my house which has nothing wrong with it and I can't use it. Not happy.
Andy Kelly
P.S. I did not pay for the train that I caught to Hatfield last night (I believe that my monthly from Hertford North to Old Street does not cover this line), please let me know if you want me to reimburse you.
Andy Kelly <
Hertford, No county/state, No country - 12:48:31 Tuesday 13 November 2001
This is a copy of the mail I sent to Suzanne.Page@wagnrail.co.uk.
The WAGN rail service from Winchmore Hill to Moorgate is absolutely appalling and you should be ashamed of yourself. There is a law that prevents animals being transported in the fashion to which I am consistently being forced into with your substandard service. Get your finger out and get this service on the right track. Forget your pathetic excuses of driver shortage, blah, blah, blah. Just get it sorted, take a substantial cut in your own pay packet and pay the drivers a decent wage so that they stay with your company once trained. I cant be bothered to add anymore than this.
Chris Richards
Chris Richards <
London, No county/state, No country - 10:55:14 Tuesday 13 November 2001
WAGN ARE AT IT AGAIN,I WAS THREE QUARTERS OF AN HOUR LATE FOR WORK THIS MORNING AND AN HOUR LATE HOME TONIGHT COMING BACK IN A PACKED THREE CARRIAGE TRAIN,OF WHICH WE HAD TO WAIT 20 MINUTES FOR RELIEF DRIVER.MIND YOU I WAS TRAVELLING AT THE UNCIVILSED HOURS OF 8.30 IN THE MORNING AND 6-30 IN THE EVENING.
GARY CLIFFORD <
BROOKMANS PARK, No county/state, No country - 22:09:17 Monday 12 November 2001
since the 7:22 from sawbridgeworth has a extra stop at enfild lock.which is not mentioned on the time table.Now this has caused me be late to work.When I started traviling on this line,I was extremley happy. But with out mention of this extra stop I am losing money and my son is now late to school now he will have to drop his maths class due to latness.which will effect his exams.
Phillip Barnard <;
sheering, bishop stortford, herts - 11:28:53 Monday 12 November 2001
I'm not surprised the railways are falling apart. I worked for company (BR through to it being called Great Northern, then WAGN and its takeover by National Express) and may I say that people have the railway they asked for. Before privatisation, I would have people come up to the window and tell me 'things would be so much better with privatisation'. Where are these people now, these people that seemed to want a refund on their season ticket every other year because they were ineffective in their jobs, these people that came and went as I stayed constant at the job...? Oh yes, they're the ones that voted for a political party that strip-mined the nation's industry and sold it off to the lowest bidder. Now our car companies are owned by the Germans, most of the rail companies are French-owned and we have no viable manufacturing left. Did I say we...?
I'm awfully sorry, but I married an American and now I'm living in a town called Scranton. Famous as one of the largest railroad towns in the States in its time, Scranton is still known as SteamTown. It's a shame that it's purely in a historical sense. It's a National Historical Site over here, nothing more than a reminder to how great the railways were until people had the 'bright' idea to try and run the system without public funding.
Just make sure it doesn't happen to you...
Shawn <;
Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA - 02:34:19 Monday 10 September 2001
Launching soon so keep your eyes open for Anti-WAGN.co.uk -the web site devoted to exposing the sham of our railway service.
Ian <
No town/city, No county/state, No country - 13:42:10 Thursday 12 July 2001
As a fellow commuter I read the comments about WAGN with a mixture of interest, familiarity and despair. I would like to urge everybody to write directly to Suzanne Page and Melanie Johnson (addresses elsewhere on have your say) every time you have experienced a tangible problem. I believe frequent emails from a wide selection of passengers might help; either way it will certainly keep our issues in their minds. Having said that I must share my experiences of writing to both Suzanne and Melanie. I have been highlighting issues on an occasional basis since the Labour party came to power over 4 years ago - I suppose I naively thought that some action would be taken on the public transport fiasco we have in this country. My experience suggests I couldn't have been more wrong. Suzanne has always been very helpful and very honest; nevertheless it has proven impossible to force any changes or even to get some points across. For example, there seems to be a lack of comprehension about the need for fast and slow services to actually interconnect. Melanie has always palmed my questions off to someone else in WAGN, Railtrack, the Treasury etc etc; anything but actually pass comment herself. To my knowledge she has never taken any action to actively resolve any issues despite the fact that she claims to recognise the magnitude of the problems. I read with interest the desire to include Melanie in the 'Welham Green initiative' - good luck getting her to actually do anything. To close though it is true that the two senior Company and Government 'working level' people (as opposed to the PM for example) responsible for services on our line are the General Mgr (Suzanne) and the MP (Melanie). To an extent they are all we have without getting seriously militant !! For that reason I repeat that I think everyone should mail them on a regular basis until they are so fed up with it they have to do something. Regards Mark
Mark Charlish <;
Brookmans Park, No county/state, No country - 14:01:44 Wednesday 11 July 2001
I use the WAGN service from Potters Bar to Moorgate each working day and I have to say
that the level of service has been nothing short of appalling over the last few weeks.
Every evening we are confronted with the excuse of driver shortage, I find it incredible
that a service, which is relied upon by so many people, can be so severely disrupted by a
lack of staff.
I working for an international bank where the competition for business is very fierce, I
have to say that if we used this excuse then we would be out of the business very quickly.
To give an example on Friday 6th July 01, the 17:05 from Moorgate was cancelled, so I
caught the late running 17:10 to Hertford with the idea of changing at Finsbury Park onto
the 17:29 semi-fast out of Kings Cross. This train was also cancelled, then to my
astonishment WAGN made a fast Peterborough service stop additionally at Oakleigh Park, New
Barnet and Hadley Wood but NOT Potters Bar. The question is why; Potters Bar is a far
busier station than Hadley Wood is. To compound the issue the next available train that
arrived (late again) was made up of only three carriages. I am sure you can only guess at
the discomfort experienced by everybody.
Not making the Peterborough train stop additionally at Potters Bar showed a complete lack
of coordination, management skill and an utter disregard for the needs of the customers.
All this discomfort and aggravation for the incredibly large sum that I pay for my season
ticket.
Michael Reeve <
Potters Bar, Herts, UK - 13:29:13 Monday 09 July 2001
Last week during the driver shortages I overheard on Ticket Inspector telling a
passenger who was complaining that the reason WAGN are short of drivers is because they
are the lowest paying Rail company in the UK, hence drivers join WAGN get trained up then
leave to join other better paying train companies. Maybe WAGN should train up some of the
Ticket Inspectors to act as stand in's, there were certainly enough of them floating
around at Finsbury Park the other night.
Ashley Lightner <
Huntingdon, Cambs, UK - 13:20:56 Monday 09 July 2001
Oh well WAGN couldn't have liked me gathering evidence of the chaos yesterday - the
live update of their Web site is out of action tonight...
paul <
No town/city, No county/state, No country - 17:31:40 Thursday 05 July 2001
The WAGN situation is pretty scandalous. Obviously the driver shortage is exacerbated
by periods of good weather because drivers then don't want to work rest days. How crazy
that the service relies on drivers working rest days though! Why not join me by
complaining directly - the Great Northern General Manager is Suzanne Page and her eMail
address is .
The Welwyn Hatfield MP is Melanie Johnson and her eMail address is <
Mark Charlish <
Brookmans Park, No county/state, No country - 15:06:12 Thursday 05 July 2001
Does WAGN stand for ? We Ain't Going Nowhere.
GARY CLIFFORD <
No town/city, No county/state, No country - 13:30:01 Thursday 05 July 2001
Wagn's update page again makes depressing reading. But can you blame the drivers -
would you work your rest days on a regular basis?
Last updated at 17:16:24 on 04/07/01.
17:04
CANCELLATION
17:36 London Kings Cross to Cambridge due 19:00
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to no driver being available.
16:58
CANCELLATION
17:20 Peterborough to London Kings Cross due 18:48
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to no driver being available.
16:49
CANCELLATION
17:07 London Kings Cross to Peterborough due 18:10
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to no driver being available.
16:44
CANCELLATION
17:00 Moorgate to Letchworth Garden City due 18:05
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to no driver being available.
16:43
CANCELLATION
16:55 Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City due 17:41
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to no driver being available.
16:27
SHORT FORMATION
16:50 London Kings Cross to Peterborough due 18:19
This train will run short formed with 4 carriages between London Kings Cross and
Peterborough.
16:14
CANCELLATION
16:35 Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City due 17:21
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to no driver being available.
15:57
CANCELLATION
16:21 London Kings Cross to Peterborough due 17:52
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to no driver being available.
15:52
CANCELLATION
16:20 Peterborough to London Kings Cross due 17:49
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to no driver being available.
Paul
knebworth, herts, england - 17:14:00 Wednesday 04 July 2001
Reply from WAGN re the comment I made Yesterday:
Dear Mr Beer, the 'holding' system we used on monday night in conjunction with Railtrack
was the first time it had been employed in that way and I think you are right that it did
not work completely, but at the very last minute we did call some more passengers forward
to go down to the front end. We are going to have a review of its use and how we
communicate with the passengers being held out the front. Please accept my apologies for
Monday night, which I would say was even worse than some of the evenings in the thick of
Hatfield, as at least then we knew there were trains coming in albeit late, but at least
they were on their way, but as you know this was not the case on Monday night. It would
appear that we have now managed to calm the drivers and I am hopeful of a better end to
the week.
simon <
London, No county/state, UK - 10:12:48 Wednesday 04 July 2001
I was one of the fortunate few who managed to get onto the 18.45 Kings Cross to Kings
Lynn, last night (2nd July). Other passengers were held back, by railway staff, at
tempoary barriers and at the doors to the the section of the station where platforms 9-11
are located. The train left twelve minutes late. I was in the front four carraiges (the
Kings Lynn section of the train). Only about half the seats in thisportion of the train
were taken - it was certainly nowhere near as busy as it usually is. Perhaps WAGN would
like to explain why a huge crowd of people were prevented from boarding a half empty
train?
simon <
London, No county/state, UK - 16:44:01 Tuesday 03 July 2001
The rail network has been a shambles since privatisation and just beyond words since
the Hatfield crash. Although, there has been a marked improvement on WAGN services
recently once again commuters have been experiencing delays and cancellations. What I
really object to is WAGN's ticket inspections when they don't provide a proper train
service. I don't mind showing my ticket when asked politely, but at Finsbury Pk station
inspections are just outrageous. As soon as you leave the platform lined up at the bottom
are about 7 uniformed and plain clothed ticket inspectors standing around arms folded
looking like heavies. Once you reach the exit to the station after being glared at by
these heavies, you are confronted by a further 6 uniformed ticket inspectors who are
standing very close in order that you must squeeze through. What I object to the heavy
handedness of the whole proceedure. You're fed up with the train service after possibly
having your train delayed, cancelled or being packed on without a seat, then you're
confronted by a bunch of gorillas and treated like a criminal until you prove you have the
correct ticket. What is criminal is the obvious contempt WAGN has for it's passengers.
Angela Cutler <
Welham Green, No county/state, No country - 13:45:27 Thursday 21 June 2001
I don't use Wagn but if it is as bad as you suggest, don't waste your time writing to
Wagn - write direct to Sir Alistair Morton at the Strategic Rail Authority. After all, it
is the SRA which will decide which franchises are renewed.(See the GNER site re Franchise
Renewal). Good luck!
Les Brown <
York, No county/state, No country - 00:45:33 Tuesday 05 June 2001
Welham Green Rail Users Group are meeting again on Monday 14th May at 9 Coningsby
Close, Welham Green at 7.30pm - please join us if you wish to highlight issues about local
transport and the state of local stations.
Julia Guerra <
welham green, herts, uk - 19:42:07 Tuesday 24 April 2001
Those people hacked off with the train service may wish to know the eMail address of
the customer service manager which is as follows :
Mark Charlish <
Brookmans Park, No county/state, No country - 22:43:25 Wednesday 14 March 2001
I commute by car from Sandy, Beds to Baldock, Herts every day by car. The journey is
approx. 20 minutes door to door. I choose to use a car due to the fact that the train
timetable ignores the commuter who wishes to change at Hichin to travel east to Cambridge
in the mornings or north to Pterborough in the evenings. The journey time by train is
approx 50 minutes for a 20 minute car journey purely due to the lack of a sensible
connection at Hichin. Please look at your timetable. Thanks
John Gray <
Baldock, Herts, England - 12:24:53 Tuesday 13 March 2001
I would like to point out that the service I received from a member of staff at Enfield
Train station on Saturday March 10 was inappropriate. I asked to book tickets in advance
and the cashier replied I'm short staffed and cannot do it. I am appalled to hear this,
WAGN staff are there to provide a service and I did not receive any service, not happy....
lorraine <
Enfield, Middlesex - 15:58:47 Saturday 10 March 2001
Does anybody know why the 7:08am from Brookmans Park is only three carriages? The
journey becomes degrading from Potters Bar onwards!
Anon <Email address not supplied>
No town/city, No county/state, No country - 15:01:46 Wednesday 07 March 2001
The Welham Green Rail Users Group is interested to hear from anyone with comments about
rail services run by WAGN and the state of local stations. We have a meeting on 12th March
at 8.00 pm - all invited. Tel: 01707 276754 or e-mail. We are continuing to put pressure
on WAGN to address our concerns and work towards solutions.
Julia Guerra <
Welham Green, Herts, UK - 09:43:20 Wednesday 07 March 2001
I had cause to use WAGN railway today for the first time in around 12 years. I went
from Hertford East to Liverpool Street about 13.23 and returned about 15.10
On the plus side, the trains ran on time, and Liverpool Street station has been greatly
improved. On the minus side, Hertford East has lost its toilet facilities, the trains are
not allowed to run that fast once moving, and stopped at every station, and the interiors
of the trains were in need of some repair and cleaning, especially seat covers.
Christopher Brown ;
Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England - 07:05:18 Wednesday 07 March 2001
As a regular user from Royston, I would like to say how shambolic the return to the
'new' timetable has been. I have undertaken 2 return journeys in 2 days, and we ahven't
even come close to arriving on time .... or even at a reasonable time in the evenings.
Moreover, the drivers are decidedly lacking in simple politeness as they do not have the
decency to apologise for the appalling delays. Yours, Disgruntled from Royston
P.s I think that this sort of service is a great idea - the e-mails I mean!!
Peter Bayfield
Royston, Herts, UK - 07:56:05 Thursday 22 February 2001
WAGN appear to be worse than ever. Last Thursday,15th Feb, I waited in vain for the
17.57 to Moorgate. The train did not turn up. And to add insult to injury the 18.27 was 7
minutes late. No announcement was made (not that they are audible anyway)
Incidentally, I raised the subject of the lack of announcements with WAGN 4 YEARS ago
!!!!! Despite their stated intention to remedy this situation, absolutely nothing has been
done.
rupert pyrah <
Brookmans Park, Herts, UK - 18:56:20 Tuesday 20 February 2001
I recently moved to Hertford and have been absolutely amazed at the service WAGN is
able to get away with. I have to travel from the Theobalds Grove station, and the service
to this station (along with Turkey Street and Southbury) is really beyond belief. This
morning the 8am train was canceled. The 8.30am was a bit late and so full of passengers,
that approximately half the commuters on the platform were not physically able to squeeze
into the train. We then had to wait until 9:45 for another train. My total journey time
was pretty much spot on three hours when it should be no more than one. There were similar
problems yesterday. And it is not only recently. Ever since I've started using this
service it has been very poor indeed. Hardly a day passes without one of the rush hour
trains being cancelled. I have had to wait over an hour for a train (going to and from
Liverpool Street) over 10 times in under three months. On average I have a delayed journey
three days out of every five-day working week. Their service is an absolute farce. If I
wasn't so pi**ed off it would be funny, Regards, John Arter.
John Arter <
Cheshunt, Herts, UK - 09:09:21 Monday 19 February 2001
Ref Angela Cutlers comments on the state of welham green station (Jan 7th). The smell
is worse, the rubbish increased (the bag of rubbish hanging from the fence since before
christmas is still there) and further vandalism has taken place. The railway company have
however put in a nice new ticket machine - The Station doesn't look or smell any better
but I'm sure the railway company feel happier. Still that's what counts. Who cares about
the railway users.
David Warren <
welham green, hertfordshire, u.k. - 20:56:58 Monday 29 January 2001
I am a second class citizen, travelling on weekly season tickets (because I don't have
enough money to pay for a longer period season ticket - even though weekly tickets cost
more in the long run). Because of this I didn't get the same level of compensation that
Anual and monthly season ticket holders got. I renewed my weekly season ticket, from Ely
to London, and was truly astonished to discover that the fare has gone up. It now takes
around 15 minutes longer to get to London, and around 30 minutes longer to get back to
Ely. I think WAGN should have waited until their services were at least back to what
passes for normal, before delivering this new insult to the travelling public.
Simon
Simon Beer <
London, London, UK - 10:09:00 Monday 22 January 2001
WAGN Whilst we're on states of platforms, Brookmans Park one was great last Thursday.
It had been raining hard for about an hour, and of course the new sloping design means all
the water flows to the middle of the platform, then down the lowered channel to a drain at
the far end. This works fine unless the drain is BLOCKED - then all the water flows to the
middle of the platform and.. stays there, creating a lovely lake. And where are the
shelters build? Why, right over the middle of the platform of course. By the time I got on
the train, there was about an inch of water on the floor of the shelters, so you could
stand in the shelter with soaking feet, or stand outside and get soaked by the cloudburst.
Thanks WAGN!
James <
Brookmans Park, Herts, UK - 13:49:48 Sunday 07 January 2001
I received my compensation before Xmas. Apologies for starting the new year off with a
moan, but as we are on the topic of WAGN I would like to bring up the appalling state of
Welham Green platform into London. Since before Xmas the platform and especially the
shelter have been in a revolting state and have not been cleaned at all. Due to the trains
running so badly and the inclement weather, many passengers including myself have had to
use the shelters. However, they are littered with refuse, rain-soaked newspapers, larger
cans and at one point it looked and smelt as if there was excrement there. I do remember a
previous personal email from Suzanne Page from WAGN who said that 'if they could update
the shelter, then at least they could keep them clean'. Well, perhaps WAGN should stick to
their word.
Angela Cutler <
Welham Green, Herts, UK - 12:10:29 Sunday 07 January 2001
I am also waiting for my compensation from WAGN. Everyone I know seems to have received
their compensation the week before christmas! I am trying to find a telephone number to
see if they have received my form. There doesn't seem to be any telephone number on the
compensation form just a freepost address.
Cleo Conway <
North Mymms, No county/state, No country - 12:13:44 Friday 05 January 2001
Has anyone received any money back from WAGN yet, or have they just misplaced my claim
form?
Michael Leedham <
No town/city, No county/state, No country - 14:36:41 Thursday 04 January 2001
Am I the only one who is seething every time I come home 'late' (ie after 7.30) and
Potters Bar station is locked. The passengers then have to walk all the way around the
outside of the station to the queue in the forecourt for buses to Brookmans Park. This
slows the whole process and means the buses wait even longer to depart. Surely SOMEONE at
Railtrack realises that they don't want to annoy passengers even more. How much would it
take to keep the station open? It's the little things that count. I would love to find
someone at Railtrack to complain to, but all the staff seem to know less than me....
Paul Saffer <
Brookmans Park, No county/state, No country - 22:16:36 Friday 17 November 2000
Despite the resumption of a 'service' by WAGN between Hertford North and London -
Watton-at-Stone still has no rail service. We have to catch a bus - that never seems to
arrive for Hertford in the morning or scandously are expected to travel to Stevenage where
we have to pay more. There is now a real fear in the village that WAGN will use this as an
excuse to close Watton station permanently.
Dr. Peter Smith <
Watton-at-Stone, Herts, UK - 22:55:24 Wednesday 15 November 2000
Railtrack may claim that the line is open, but trains were still not stopping at
Brookmans Park on Friday and the buses were still running today! Plus why is the 10th four
days before the 13th? By that logic if they had of open on the 13th they would be one day
early.
John Fraser <;
Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, UK - 20:39:31 Sunday 12 November 2000
Note from editor: You are right John,
it was three days - the report has been changed to reflect that, thanks. The fact that
there will be relief buses some weekends while rail repairs continue has also been
included. However Railtrack's comments that there would be a new emergency timetable and
that services would not be back to normal for some time were included in the original
report.
Re: WAGN
The Parking situation at Potters Bar is awful. I have found that if I arrive at PB station
car park at 8am all the spaces have been taken. To make things worse they have reduced the
number of spaces available at the front of the car park by allocating them to 'Premier
permit holders only'. But hardly anyone seems to be parking and paying for one of these
'Premier permits'! What a waste of badly needed spaces!
Cleo Conway <
North Mymms, No county/state, No country - 13:16:55 Friday 10 November 2000
Stories about the incredibly bad service from the rail replacement bus seem to be all
too common. Some passengers on Tuesday evening had to wait over an hour for a bus home.
WAGN made us stand in the pouring rain in order to queue for the bus. A friend of mine
waited one morning for about an hour and a half because all the buses were full going
through the village. She now leaves incredibly early to drive to Potters Bar so she can
park, where WAGN charge her a further £3.10 for parking everyday on top of the £2500 for
the yearly rail ticket. The service is appalling and outrageous. Can we be compensated?
Angela Cutler <
Welham Green, Herts, No country - 16:25:58 Thursday 09 November 2000
What is the point of a relief bus service made up of vehicles unable to cope with the
demand? Being forced to miss one coach at Brookmans Park this morning because it was
already full was bad enough, but when the next one rolled up fifteen minutes later, again
with no room, questions have to be asked. A season ticket from Brookmans Park is near on
£2k. That is too much to pay to stand on the side of the road for more than half an hour.
It also happened last night at Potters Bar when the bus left full with passengers left to
wait for another 15 minutes, but this morning was one full coach too far. Surely emergency
measures, which these relief services are, should be up to dealing with the emergency?
Please forward this mail to the authorities at WAGN and Railtrack.
Angry commuter <Email address not supplied>
No town/city, No county/state, No country - 09:23:30 Thursday 09 November 2000
Editor's Note: Thanks for your
mail which was in turn forwarded to both Railtrack and WAGN. Railtrack replied with an
apology and the news that the East Coast Mainline was due to reopen four days earlier than
scheduled on Friday, November 10 and the problem of overcrowded relief coaches would be no
more. On another point - and this to all users of 'Have Your Say', please add your name
and leave an e-mail address. Anonymous mails will usually be taken down.
HELP! As part of my university course, I am currently travelling from Brookmans Park to
Cheshunt twice a week (Mon+Tues), and having a bit of a mare. Not being able to drive
means that I go by train, which so far this week has averaged four hours travelling a
day... I was wondering whether anyone who lives in the village and goes to cheshunt each
day would be able to offer me a lift - I would be willing to pay a contribution towards
petrol costs. I need to be in Cheshunt by about 8:15, and leave between 4:30-5:00. Thanks!
James Bentall <
Brookmans Park, Herts, UK - 13:11:57 Wednesday 08 November 2000
Can I just say that I have never met a more unhelpful and ignorant service in all my
years. My bag was left on one of Wagns trains last Wednesday evening (we were told
incorrect information of what train to get on). As soon as we realised that our bag was
left on the train, we advised a member of staff who said that they would telephone the
station at the next stop. The memeber of staff then advised us that his shift had now
finished and passed on the problem to a collegue! We waited for a least 20 mins until
finally a guard ambled over to us and advised us that there was no sign of the bag. We
then decided to go to our own station (Enfield Town) and see if anyone could help us
there. The guard there was VERY helpful inviting us into his office and telephoning Seven
Sisters to get a telephone number of the station our bag was heading to, only to be told
that they were 'too busy' and then had the phone put down on him! There was over £350
worth of possession's in the bag, I would have expected a little more help that I
received. Don't get me wrong, I left the bag on the train, no one else, but the service I
received was disgusting. Sorry WAGN I am not impressed in the slightest!!
Sam <
Enfield Town, London, UK - 11:00:55 Monday 05 June 2000
Is anyone aware that contractors involved in refurbishment of the station at Brookmans
Park have also been asked to measure up and quote to erect a 10' pallisade fence from the
end of the station car park, running all the way along the rear of the gardens in Westland
Drive, finishing at the field adjacent to Bluebridge Road? We are currently awaiting
comment from WAGN, having pointed out to Balfour Beatty who were found at the end of our
gardens measuring up, that a 10' high fence is unnecessary and potentially unsightly.
Their comment was that children were allegedly spotted on the railway line in this
vicinity and that this would stop that from recurring. We pointed out that the fence on
the opposite side of the track (footpath side) is extremely easily scaled and poses far
more of a potential threat than the perfectly adequately fenced ends of gardens. Will post
more when comments received from WAGN.
julia christo <Email address not supplied>
brookmans park, No county/state, No country - 23:41:02 Sunday 02 April 2000
Has anybody heard the latest rumour that WAGN are going to stop the fast Kings Cross
service from Potters Bar? My friend told me that she had read this in the local
Newspaper last week. I live in Warrengate Road North Mymms and I drive into Potters Bar
everyday to catch the Kings Cross fast service. Although these trains seem to be getting
slower. The 8:20am to KX takes 30 minutes, it stops at New Barnet, Oakleigh Pk, New
Southgate and Alexander Palace! Three years ago it used to take 15 minutes! A lot of
people commute from Potters Bar and I think quite a few also drive to Potters Bar from
surrounding areas. I would like to be able to use Brookmans Park Station as it's
nearer to home.
Miss C Conway <
No town/city, No county/state, No country - 11:38:01 Thursday 23 March 2000
If the Railway ticket area is to be revamped, can we have an additional ticket machine
which takes credit/debit cards? It will be a less prone to vandalism than the existing
machine and be less costly for WAGN to maintain. Lloyds plan to take away our local cash
machine in April. After this date it will become even more difficult to buy a train ticket
with cash. If we can't buy a ticket because the ticket machine is out of order and/or
there is no Lloyds cash machine,will WAGN accept the Cherie Blair excuse for not buying a
train ticket? I doubt it somehow!!
Jay Wheeler <
Brookmans Park, No county/state, No country - 11:17:33 Monday 21 February 2000
Glad to see improvements being made to Brookmans Park Station, does anyone know whether
the ticket office area is also going to be refurbished? It is impossible to buy a ticket
when it is not staffed because the ticket machine and the permit to travel machine are
both out of order having been vandalised.
D.Moore <
Brookmans Park, Herts, UK - 20:29:48 Friday 18 February 2000
The latest report on the state of the Brookmans Park station says that the new shelter
was vandalised because 'glass was used by mistake instead of perspex' for its panelling.
This morning I was delighted to see that the panels had been replaced, but dismayed to
find that the 'mistake' had been repeated: the new panels were glass again. I wonder how
long they will last. And if they are broken again, will they be replaced with yet more
glass, or what? If perspex is really impossible/unacceptable, could wire-reinforced glass
be used perhaps?
Rupert Lee <
Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, U.K. - 09:13:24 Thursday 03 February 2000
Brookmans Park Station - Like everyone else I deplore the vandalism at our station and
I am not trying to make excuses for WAGN. But it seems to me that everyone is abdicating
their responsibility by merely blaming WAGN for putting up a shelter which is then
vandalised (which actually lasted a day longer than I said it would). Who is doing
the vandalising? I don’t think it's gangs of underprivileged youths from an inner
city sink estate. They are almost definitely local youngsters! We've all seen them hanging
around at night, using their mobile phones to make sure they aren't caught. I also realise
that everyone hanging around the station is not necessarily a vandal. The parents
among us have to make sure we know where our children are and what they are getting up to.
It won't solve all of the problems, but a bit more parental control and responsibility
could make a lot of difference. We have to try and prevent the vandalism, making the
station vandal proof will just push the problem elsewhere.
Michael Leedham <
Brookmans Park, No county/state, No country - 13:57:04 Thursday 02 December 1999
WAGN - One thing that no-one seems to mention with WAGN is that they have no excuse for
their terrible service. It is not as if they took over a West Coast Mainline or
Tilbury-type service that had been run down for years. The Royston-Kings Cross line
pre-Privatisation was possibly the best, most reliable and most efficient commuter service
in the South East. Not perfect, but very good. Standing was largely unheard of (north of
Stevenage anyway), the trains kept to time (and there were more of them), and so on.
Prism took on a service that could not be bettered. So they made it worse. Much worse.
And now they have the gall to ask for their contract to be extended in return for
'extra investment'! Words fail me.
John Birch <
Letchworth, Herts, England - 11:55:45 Thursday 02 December 1999
Brookmans Park Station: security. The problem is that Railtrack rely on CCTV
cameras for security on the station. Vandals know what we all know: that a CCTV camera
means a small fuzzy picture on one screen among several in an office somewhere in Welwyn
Garden City. If someone happens to be looking at the screen when an incident occurs, they
will presumably phone the police. Depending on how near the nearest patrol car is, a
couple of policemen will arrive within ten minutes or so. That gives the vandals time to
get well away, especially if they do the deed when a train is about to arrive. The quality
of the CCTV picture is poor enough, especially at night, to ensure that they cannot be
identified, especially if they wear nondescript clothing. CCTV surveillance is
little more than a sham. Its only real purpose is to enable Railtrack to claim that they
are doing something when in fact they are doing nothing practical at all. It will never
deter vandals.
Rupert Lee <
Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, U.K. - 09:18:58 Thursday 02 December 1999
News: Vandals have won again! - As I'm sure all subscribers to this website using the
train station may have noticed thisevening, the NEW shelter has now been vandalised. It
would seem that, even thoughRailtrack has made all of these new promises regarding
security, cleanliness andmodernisation of the station, more needs to be done.
Frankly......if nothing drastic is done now, it looks like the rail users of this
villageare going to be fighting a losing battle against the idiotic, small minded minority
thatwish to ruin the station and village for the rest of us. Can't something be done??
Ian Wheeler <
Brookmans Park, Herts, UK - 18:22:17 Wednesday 01 December 1999
WELL THANK GOD FOR THAT!! RAILTRACK HAVE FINALLY LISTENED TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING
FORYEARS! - Brookmans Park station, under privatisation, had become the biggest shame of a
villagethat prides itself on it's neatness, tidiness, and it's high quality of life...all
I cansay is thank goodness that we've finally been listened to and work to improve the
stationis finally being done, after it was left to neglect following the contracting out
of thestation to WAGN. All we need now is a good looking station, perhaps a few more
train services a day toreplace the frankly poor bus service, and we will have a transport
link we can be proudof! Well done to all those who told Railtrack for years what it
took one of it's regionalmanagers to figure out in 5 minutes: Brookmans Park station needs
WORK!
Ian Wheeler <;
Brookmans Park, Herts, UK! - 19:14:34 Tuesday 30 November 1999
Great to see the web-site again raising pertinent issues to the 'locality' and may
Iapplaud Phil Heath's attitude to meeting the association and explaining strategy. A
smallnote of concern has crept in though as I have seen no evidence of the new shelter
which isgoing to be very welcome as the weather has turned ugly. Also it would be lovely
to hearfrom Railtrack's survey results of moving the footbridge as once again last week
thelights around the ticket office were the focus of attention of the 'Yobos'.
Theovercrowding is a problem but if I have a choice between 6 carriages at less
frequentintervals, then I would rather live with the 3 carriage trains. As regards service
thetime intervals could be much more intelligently spaced, they seem to run 2 Hertford
trainsfollowed by 2 WGN trains, bizarre really. Also as a really easy way of avoiding
irritationwhen all is delayed, drop Harringay and Hornsey and Ally Pally as they are
normally servedby the Hertford line and stop the 'fast' trains at all the stations. It's
logical andshows that an effort is being made. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Tony Miller <
Brookmans Park, Herts, UK - 14:22:15 Saturday 20 November 1999
I understand Railtrack may be looking at the comments on this page regarding train
services. I have much to say and would welcome the opportunity to participate in a
user group or whatever should the opportunity arise.
I too have written to WAGN on numerous occasions and as has been stated elsewhere they
simply do not care.
Their service is laughable. Perhaps with a new MD things may improve - I have yet to write
to him.
So, the good and the bad :
Good - we now have 3 trains an hour, the driver shortage problem seems to be better, the
push button doors
reduce train failures
Bad - running short trains in the rush hour, bad timetable with no linkage between fast
and slow, unjustifiably
expensive, derelict station, no train information at the station, late trains, dangerous
footbridge, lots of
services to Hertford and less to WGC, no resilience if one thing fails, redirection of
trains to Hertford during
failure conditions, holes in the timetable where you have to wait for ages, no services to
Kings Cross, allegedly
Thamselink 2000 won't stop at Brookmans Park, no air conditioning, etc etc.
What we need is someone who will actually act. Because for sure this Government is not
delivering in any way
on it's transport promises. Comments - direct or via this page - welcome.
Regards
Mark
Mark Charlish
Brookmans Park, Herts, UK - 13:32:39 Wednesday 08 September 1999
I don't know how many other people noticed the poster at BP station promising us with
new trains on the capital connect route to London, with (at LONG last) passenger operated
doors. They were due to come in from Jan 4th - out of interest, (and before I write a
letter to WAGN asking them what they're playing at) has anyone actually seen or travelled
in one yet?
James Bentall
Brookmans Park, Herts, England - 23:24:15 Friday 12 February 1999
I agree with what Paul says about extending the bridge over to the carpark, however I
would imagine that this would not be too cheap, and sorting out the waiting room so
there's somewhere slightly warmer to wait in the mornings.
Oh, and another current gripe with WAGN - lost property. Namely, the fact that they
haven't got any centralised office. I accidently left my small rucsac on the train a
couple of weeks ago, and much to my disgust have found that WAGN don't have a centralised
lost property office - any lost property is just kept at the station it is handed in at,
reducing my chances of finding it again to somewhere near zero.
James Bentall
Brookmans Park, Hatfield, UK - 23:27:53 Thursday 19 November 1998
I read the comments on Brookmans Park station with interest. I do despair at the state
of the station and the locked waiting rooms, but particularly the terrible announcement
system. If the trains are late (and to be fair that is not too frequent), you can only
find out by running to the WGC end of the platform. You cannot hear at the other end! When
I complained to the Stationmaster he was interested & unaware!
Another point. In these days of on-train inspectors, why is it necessary for people to
have to walk round past the ticket office (which is shut)instead of simply extending the
bridge through the car park. It is actually quite a long & superfluous diversion.
This site is fine BUT HOW CAN WE CHANGE THESE THINGS.
Paul Saffer
Some comments about Rupert Lee's feedback regarding the WAGN service.
These things are all relative. There is no doubt that our train service is better than
that received by many London commuters. However, that does not mean that the service is
actually good. A few trains an hour that comprise only 3 carriages is not a good service
by my
reckoning particularly when you consider the cost - but I recognise that the overall
picture is better than other lines.
I think there is a danger of being lulled into accepting something on it's relative
merits; certainly WAGN would have us believe that the service is excellent.
I mean no disrespect to Rupert because I am sure he will have noticed a positive change.
Unfortunately, those of us who have travelled in this area for a few years know that the
service has gone down while the price has gone up. The recent survey documented on this
web page is testimony to the views of commuters using WAGN services.
Sadly, WAGN and their MD seem to be in denial. Despite the survey results they seem to
think that the service is improving. They cling to the few statistics that are good while
ignoring the huge number of real issues.
Finally the comparison with BR is interesting. I would say our service is worse than it
was under BR; the number of cancellations and breakdowns seems about the same but the
frequency of trains, availability of connections and overcrowding are noticeably worse
re: WAGN woes. I am new to Brookmans Park - I arrived in March - and I am surprised to
see people complain about the unreliability and unpunctuality of the trains. Ditto about
their being overcrowded. In my experience, the service is generally very reliable - and I
use it for commuting every day. I have had a few bad experiences, but not many. The trains
almost always run on time, are never crowded by the time they reach Brookmans Park, and
are seldom cancelled. They are vastly better than the ones I used in a former existence,
run by the infamous Stagecoach; and bad though they were, even they were not as dreadful
as the old British Rail service they replaced.
Having said all that, I fully agree with the complaints about Brookmans Park station. It
is an absolute disgrace. I fear the problem is not just ours, however - Railtrack are just
not prepared to spend anything like enough money on rural stations. Definitely an issue to
write to our MP about.
Rupert Lee
Brookmans Park, Herts., U.K. - 09:41:10 Thursday 10 September 1998
WAGN - Nice to see a little debate getting going. I'm not so sure we'll get a response
though. Sorry, but I have very little faith in the privatised railway system at the
moment. I've been at war with GNER today too. It's mentally exhausting !! WAGN will
continue to rip us all off, because basically, like the rest of the 24 TOC's, they are
being allowed to rob us blind. How can they justify such high prices ? Peak time, Hitchin
to London Travelcard is £23.50 return. In Scotland, on ScotRail, the SAME DISTANCE
journey, with a 'ZoneCard,' which is like a travelcard is £3.50 RETURN !!! Ever
feel like your hitting your head against a brick wall ?
WAGN will continue to do this. We have no choice. We use WAGN or we drive. The whole thing
is just a nightmare. We pay hundreds of thousands of pounds into WAGN's pockets. Where
does the money go ?
James Graham
Hitchin, Herts, UK - 22:42:45 Tuesday 25 August 1998
I read with great interest the views expressed about WAGN. I had suggested this topic
be covered on the web page and it is gratifying to see the strength of feeling about the
state of our trains.
I urge everybody to write to the WAGN Managing Director. The address was posted on the web
page until recently but I can't locate it right now. Could the webmaster please advise? In response to this request, an earlier news item
containing the contact numbers for WAGN has been republished. Click here
for details... Alternatively write to me at the address shown and I will
provide the address. I have written to this guy on several occasion and he does always
reply; nothing actually changes but he does reply. I suggest we all bombard him as
frequently as possible. You will be interested to hear that he doesn't believe there is an
overcrowding issue.
Finally a few thoughts to get your writing skills going. The station is derelict, the
trains are late and frequently cancelled; the trains are always over-crowded; none of the
slow and fast services interconnect; it actually takes longer to get to London now than it
did a few years ago; we can't get a semi-fast train any more; the cost is astronomical;
the value is appalling; we can't travel directly to KX any more ( I believe WAGN avoid KX
has they have to compete for space with GNER, they send only long-distance travellers
there and point everybody else to the cheaper Moorgate, I also suspect a related
conspiracy regarding the absence of connecting services); there are no announcements; some
of the staff are rude; I believe WAGN have diverted services to the Cuffley limb; WAGN are
focussed on competing with GNER from Peterborough and don't give a crap about the captive
market of inner suburban commuters etc etc etc etc.
Write to the MD. Don't both with their customer service dept as it's a complete waste of
time. Also write to our MP as she is sympathetic to this subject.
Mark Charlish
Brookmans Park, Herts, No country - 17:55:49 Tuesday 25 August 1998
Regarding the destination boards at Highbury & Islington, they excelled themselves
tonight, Monday. The board at the north end of platform 4 offered an enticing tour
of Hertfordshire...not exactly what the exhausted commuter is after at 18:00 on a Monday
night. It read..."Next train: All stations to Gordon Hill, Cuffley
and then all stations to Welwyn Garden City". As expected that was not
the case and the train arrived bound for Hertford North. Good job we all know
the line and the idiosyncracies of the local train information bulletin and were not
misled.
Extremely amused and baffled commuter , Herts. - 20:53:16 Monday 24 August 1998
It's about time someone showed WAGN that quite honestly, their service leaves a lot to
be desired. I'm not a Brookman's Park person - but commute from Hitchin. It's about time
we stopped WAGN walking all over us. My annual season is £2800pa for the privilege of
waiting every morning for a station that smells like a urinal and has staff that are as
helpful as an ice-cream in a hot sun. Once I have waited in the urinal, a train will
possibly turn up looking like it's been in service for at least 200 years. On board this
knackered train, will be one available seat, which over 20 people bundle for. Usually, I'm
not the fortunate one so I end up standing. The train never runs to time, there are
constant cancellations, and staff are plain rude when you try and find out what is going
on. I think that this is an absolutely disgusting amount of money to pay for the service
we receive. As for reacting quickly when there are problems, I was told to '#### off.' I
wrote to WAGN 5 months ago - I am still waiting response. They are NOT interested. These
people should not be in the roles that they are in. I understand that coming from Hitchin,
my problems are probably not as bad as you guys, but if we ALL complain, we might get
somewhere, and besides, our season prices should go down, not up. One point WAGN has been
good on, is the introduction of the new trains - the ride is a lot better. But this is no
use if the bloody thing doesn't arrive/depart on time.
James Graham
Hitchin, Herts, UK - 15:22:44 Sunday 23 August 1998
Re : WAGN Woes. The thing that annoys me most is that there is no train information at
all at Brookmans Park station after about 10am. If a train is cancelled, you're not told -
you just have to wait half an hour for the next one - really nice when it's raining
without any shelter!
James Bentall
Brookmans Park, Herts, England - 11:05:35 Sunday 23 August 1998
The WAGN service from Knebworth has no doubt been intensified but at the cost of
comfort. We now have a six coach inner suburban set which departs Knebworth at 0801.
It calls at Welwyn North, WGC, Hatfield, Potters Bar, New Barnet, Oakleigh Park,
New Southgate, Finsbury Park and King Cross. This journey takes forever, and as you
are well aware, this rolling stock has no toilets. The next service is the 0815.
This used to be an 8 car train. Since May, it has been reduced to 4 cars and
is diagrammed to take longer to complete its journey to Kings X. The infuriating thing
about this service is that can and does sit at WGC for anything up to 5 minutes before
setting off.
One Friday a few weeks back, this train was 10 minutes late away from Knebworth. However
it still arrived at Kings Cross on time thereby completing its journey in 25 minutes inc.
its stops at Welwyn North,WGC and Finsbury Park. So it goes to show that a fast service
CAN be provided but it suits the train operator, not the customer. This train already
suffers from severe overcrowding now and a lot of people are away on holiday. I
shudder to think what its going to be like once everybody returns. With the
exception of maybe 3 trains in the morning all trains from Knebworth appear to be short
formed. The irony of this is that returning in the evening all the rush hour trains
reverts to 8 coaches.
Vic Wildish
Knebworth, Herts., U.K. - 17:21:01 Friday 21 August 1998
In response to the survey on WAGN - a warning to all commuters using Highbury &
Islington...don't trust the destination boards. Tonight it flicked up the destination
'Welwyn Garden City', a train pulled in loaded up the passengers and then headed for
Hertford North. It is the second time this has happened to me in as many weeks. The first
time I heard the announcement at Finsbury Park and got off. Tonight I was deep into
reading the paper and ended up at Palmers Green. Don't trust the signs!
Angry Commuter, Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire, UK - 20:26:43 Tuesday 18 August 1998