Progress of Complaints about the Southminster Branch Line
Complaint bought by Christine Drew
(reproduced with her full permission.)
Christine Drew advised me on the 13th July 2004 she had sent a letter to One Great Eastern. The reply , which first refers to her as Mr, then Ms, is interesting for two main reasons. These demononstate the total stupidity in one's arguments.
It is clear the person writing the letter to Christine, or the person(s) supplying him data, can not do basic arithmetic. The letter states:
In mileage terms season ticket rates from Southminster Branch Line stations are on average 1.4% more expensive than season ticket prices from Southend line stations. This slight disparity ....The first stations past Wickford along the two different lines (Rayleigh and Battlesbridge) are approximately the same distance from Wickford, and have identical costs (£2480 for annual season tickets.) But all other stations along the branch line are much more expensive than to the very end of the Southend Line! Woodham Ferrers, which is considerably closer in mileage terms than Southend, is 4% more expensive than Southend. Althorne, which is approximately the same distance as Southend, is 8% more expensive. So how 'one' can get an average of just 1.4% is anyone's guess.
One of the excuses for not running a train after 2200 from London (needing access to the branch line for maintenance purposes) is very poor, as the following argument shows.
The last train presently leaving London (the 2200) connects with the 2240 from Wickford to Southminster, which arrives at Southminster at 2310 - a journey time of 30 minutes between Wickford and Southminster. Assuming a 5 minute break before the trains returns and 30 minutes for the return journey to Wickford, the train must currently be clear of the branch line by 2345. (In fact, it will be 5 or 10 minutes before this, since the train does not stop at any stations on its return from Southminster, but passes through. But let's forget that for a minute.)
If a train was introduced that departed an hour after the current last train, it would depart from London at 2300. It is reasonable to assume another train would then depart at 2340 from Wickford. Assuming the same 30 journey time, this train would arrive at Southminster at 0010. If the train then departed from Southminster 5 minutes later at 0015, it would be back at Wickford by 0045 (or before, assuming like the current last train, it does not stop on its return journey). This is before the last train leaves London. So even with a service an hour later, the last trains would be clear of the branch line, before others had even departed from London. So this excuse is not valid.
The second argument given, that such a service is unlikely to be economically viable is unreasonable I feel. Many commuters have already paid for season tickets, and most people I have spoken to cite this as the single most common complaint. Hence the service would be used I feel, and 'one' have yet to provide any evidence to make me feel any different.
