As a c2c season ticket holder I have particular interest in this.
The punctuality stats are always impressive, usually top 3 of the TOCs.
So I was surprised to see them in the bottom third of the customer satisfaction survery results this week.
I wonder why that is. There are occasional service disasters, but nearly always due to some external cause.
More likely is the overcrowding between Fen St and Barking/Upminster. The advent of Canary Wharf and Westfield
has resulted in far more people joining evening peak trains at Limehouse and West Ham, and they never get a seat.
I'd be more than fed up with that!
So is this the background to the proposed 20 tph Upminster all stopper service. There'll be winners and losers.
The losers will be the vocal and influential Southend commuters. Currently they get the 12 coach (fast) trains, and they're packed.
What benefit is there in stopping already packed trains?
Given the announced 20tph from Upminster, what happens after Barking for the trains from Rainham?
Can Barking to Fen St cope wih more than the 20tph it has now? Or will the Rainham trains start/stop at Barking?
And where will the extra 4 tph at Upminster come from? They can't start from there.
Not from Grays/Ockendon along the single line, surely.
Not Laindon starters either - I can't see it turning round more than the 4tph is already does.
So more from Leigh or beyond? That sounds more beneficial to Southend commuters than outer London commuters.
Wherever they come from, making them 12 coaches is essential for those West Ham and Limehouse passengers,
but we have a 10 year wait for that. Shame.
Anyway, I'll continue as a reasonably content commuter, using coping strategies to get a seat - ie arrive at Fen St at 9.01,
thus ensuring a seat, and be the first on to the train home.
If only c2c could arrange to stop the trespassers, jumpers, taken ill, level crossing crashers, OHLE clothing throwers,
breaking down class 66s, derailing freights, etc, the service would be perfect!