'Perfect day' on the railways?

[LAX54]

Oh yes. Cost an absolute fortune with money no object. Wonderful few weeks though & doubt I’ll ever see the likes again.

Recall being in Colchester, nearly every train to time, or early ! but then we also had very few Line Blocks allowed during the day, they of course have the potential to slow the whole GE up, if just one is 3 or 4 mins late being given up !

 

[J-2739]

Not sure what prompted your post (enquiry).It is unlikely anyone will be having a perfect day on the railway.

I just thought it'd be interesting to escape from the current mood of cancellations and disruption, and reflect on the (rare) perfect days, that's all.

 

[TPO]

I'm intrigued! What was the absolute fortune spent on?

Lots of overtime (and extra contractors) to babysit the assets........

TPO

 

[Dr Hoo]

Did much happen on 11th April 1954? Statistically the most boring day of the 20th Century.

A very perceptive question!

Some UK railway enthusiasts would regard that week (just before Easter) as the pinnacle of just what the British Transport Commission (best not mention the then recently-lamented Railway Executive) could achieve.

No lesser traction icon than the prototype Class 8 Pacific, 71000, to be dubbed Duke of Gloucester, was being completed at Crewe Works ready for presentation before the International Railway Congress to be held at, er, Willesden at the end of the month. If that wouldn't show the World how Great Britain had a clear vision of future traction policy nothing could!

What could be better?

 

[satisnek]

In terms of general good years, is it fair to say that the period from 2003-2017 was a good era for the railways? Network Rail had replaced Railtrack and maintenance had improved; there were the Grayrigg and Ufton Nervet crashes but otherwise it was a very safe era and were there any notable periods of industrial unrest or timetable disruption? The 2008 timetable had a few teething problems but I don't remember huge disruption, at least compared to 2018.

How about 1995-98?

I would say it is. I can remember when things started to go downhill towards the end of the London Midland franchise (staff shortages, etc.) and thinking that the railways had been pretty stable for quite a few years up until then.

I'm not sure about 1995-98; this was when I wasn't using the railways very much (objecting to privatisation, and I wouldn't have had that much spare income to splash out on train trips at that time anyway), but I do recall that things were pretty dire at the end of that period and the turn of the century (Northern Spirit with all those rail replacement buses waiting outside Leeds station, and of course Connex!).

 

[johnnychips]

I do remember a period from 1987-1995 when me and my friend visited Belgium regularly and virtually all the trains ran on time - they don’t now - and we were astounded, so that probably wasn’t a good time for railways in the UK.

 

[Shrop]

I remember the days of commuting to school, every school day for 7 years between Church Stretton and Shrewsbury from 1969 to 1976. The afternoon train was late a handful of times each year, but it was quite rare, but the morning train was almost invariably on time. As kids we used to crave the train being late in order to have a valid reason to turn up late at school, but from memory I'd say it was more than 2 minutes late only once per year, and in 7 years I can only remember perhaps 2 or 3 occasions when it was more than 30 minutes late, out of around 1500 journeys!