How stupid can train/rail companies be?

[karohemd]

This weekend is probably the busiest of this year and what do they do? They shut down most of the lines to do repair work.
This means more traffic on the roads which will be quite full already.
I really don't understand this and can't find a possible good reason for doing this...

Thankfully, I don't want to go anywhere outside Cambridge this weekend.

Comments

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Easy: During the week the there is a lot of business related travel and they clean up on premium fares - plus if business travel is disrupted the govt. gets edgy.
At weekends, it's leisure travel and that can be made to wait as the economy won't suffer.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Yes, but why not any other weekend?
They definitely won't get more customers this way.
I guess there's a number of people who think, Oh, on the Bank Holiday weekend the roads will be busy, let's take the train. If they can't they might not consider using trains at any other time.

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

Partly because it is a three-day weekend and therefore they can get more work done. Anyone expecting the trains not to be busy and uncomfortable on a Bank Holiday weekend... well... they'd be a little overoptimistic.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

True but in this case, they won't go at all, at least only very few of them.
Good thing I can stay clear of either traffic this weekend, only need to get into town on Sunday and I'll take the bus for that.

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

If you're wanting to use the trains on a BH weekend then it is pretty much inevitable that you're going to need to book, and at that point you would have been told about engineering work and the like. I don't know, maybe I'm just too used to using cars *shrug*

[zenmeisterin.livejournal.com]

Oh FFS!

I'm supposed to be heading up there this eve to drive up to Manchester...

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

better check the WAGN site.
I think the Kings Cross line is OK, it's the Liverpool St and Piccadilly ones that are most affected.
Also, I think work starts tomorrow (as people need to get home from work first).

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

What were you doing in Manchester?

[zenmeisterin.livejournal.com]

Visiting various peoples 'cause it was Rikk's birthday.