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Sardines sent to rail boss |
Passengers send rail boss sardines in campaign launchAngry passengers have launched a fight back campaign against East Midlands Trains by sending tinned sardines to rail boss Tim Shoveller. The campaign is in protest at the poor service provided on the troubled Liverpool to Norwich line. |
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The passenger campaign, called TrainSardine.org , is targeting the rail company which regularly turns passengers into sardines by sending two carriage trains when it should send four. The ‘half size’ trains result in severe overcrowding across the country with many passengers not able to get on trains, making them late for work, and people with guide dogs left stranded because the RSPCA advise animals should not travel in such conditions. A spokesperson from TrainSardine.org, said; “This campaign is run by passengers who are sick of the poor service offered and the excuses we have been given over the past twelve months to explain the shortage of carriages and overcrowding. We are frustrated with the inability of anyone to sort the problem, poor communication, and a lack of respect. We intend to discover who is behind the chaos. Once we know we will make sure they get special recognition - their own tin of sardines.” “East Midlands has a legal contract to provide a service. However, they only have to communicate late or cancelled trains. Their website ‘faults with service’ page never mentions the incomplete trains they send. So no penalty-no action.” “The millions of Government money East Midlands should have spent leasing carriages is presumably going straight to shareholders. By right passengers should be able to claim compensation but we can’t. We are not sardines - we are people - we are not standing for this.” The TrainSadrine.org campaign also launched its website, a newsletter and revealed a poster. About Tim ShovellerThe Sardines have been sent to CEO or East Midlands Trains, Tim Shoveller. Tim has gone from train guard to running the railways in just 16 years. In November 2007, Tim had the task of welding together Midland Mainline and part of Central Trains to form East Midlands Trains which would run the service on the Liverpool to Norwich line. According to Rail News, the leading publication for the rail industry, Tim has a great reputation. He solved Midland Mainline’s late running trains by getting staff to blow whistles louder and giving them atomic watches. At the time Tim said; “Nothing about this is rocket science. It is all about giving good customer service.” However, passengers have begun questioning if the head of East Midlands Trains is up to the job given the problems on the Liverpool to Norwich line. “Perhaps Tim can solve the overcrowding by returning to his duties as a guard and seeing the chaos on the line for himself. Tim, we send you our love. You should be our champion. We want no more blag from the same old Customer Relations script - it’s time to sort it, communicate, and salvage your hard-worked-for reputation.”, said a spokesperson for TrainSardine.org . Why there are not enough carriagesEast Midlands won the right to run the Liverpool to Norwich line from Central Trains in November 2007. However, Central Trains submitted low passenger figures to the Government so, when they lost the bid to East Midlands, they were able to hand only half the carriages needed over. New carriages were then ordered from the carriage leasing company. However, the leasing company had a 90% share of the leasing market and made £175 Million with this monopoly position. Thinking this seemed a bit excessive the Government called for an investigation of the carriage leasing industry. Confidence in carriage production then stalled, delays occurred, leaving passengers standing high and dry. Everyone blames everyone else and there seems no way to break the deadlock. Passengers on the Liverpool to Norwich line include those living in Liverpool, Warrington, Manchester, Sheffield, Peterborough, Norwich and stations in-between.
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“Don’t pack us in like sardines”-say East Midlands passengers |
Click above to viewour latest poster |
