simoncox.com train times

I was at a model railway show today in Ally Pally but needed to meet up with Paula at Waterloo at 5pm to go and see the inaugural showing of 300 on the iMax screen. But I was almost scuppered by the Northern lines Charing Cross branch being closed. There was very little notice until I found a sign at Camden (long story) telling me it was sheet . This meant a journey down to London Bridge and then along the Jubilee. I was half an hour late and Paula was not best pleased. When I did the journey plan at the TFL site it did not mention this vital piece of information.

I have just purchased my annual season ticket and it has gone up from £1,452 to £1,512. That's a rise of 3.968% - more than current inflation, more than my pay rise yet again. Where is this money going? Perhaps it is into the pockets of wealthy institutional investor shareholders. Meanwhile I got to sit down on the train less last year - despite a 3.3% increase in the cost of my annual season ticket last year. I can see the pattern repeating again this year with even less space to stand in on the train which I am paying more for. I would move further out of town so I have a better chance of a seat but we cannot afford the housing further out now that the rail fair has gone up again. The rail companies claim they need to hike fairs to pay for investment in the railway. Yet government is constantly bailing them out whilst they are paying out large dividends to the shareholders. We are being fleeced yet again.