CUSTOMER SERVICE OFF THE RAILS

26-09-2006

Ever wondered why more people don't use public transport? Mark Wilson offers a tale of woe from the weekend...

On Saturday 23 September me and a couple of Albion-supporting friends decided to give the post Bryan Robson roadshow a wide berth, and instead of heading to watch the Baggies at Luton, we plumped for the delights of St George's Lane, home of Worcester City.

After an afternoon of good entertainment (a thrilling 3-2 win for City), and a few beers until the mid-evening we decided to head back to the'comforts' of the West Midlands conurbation,AKAhome.

We climbed aboard the 21.52 service from Worcester Foregate Street bound forDorridge. My mates got offat Stourbridge Junction but as I was going backtoTipton,I stayedon untilGalton Bridge where I could change trains for Dudley Port - the closest station to where I live.

Galton Bridge is an interchange station. The upper platforms serve the Stratford/Warwick to Worcester Line, while the lower platforms are for Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton.

We arrived at Galton Bridge a minute late at22.45,and as we pulled inI heard a train arriving on the downstairs platform, and it was going on my route, soI tore down the stairs as fast as I could.

I reckon my total running time was 30 secondsfrom one platform to another. Just as I arrived, the doors wereclosing. The guard saw this, but did not hold the train. Indeed with a smirk he said something that translated as 'too late this time', and I was left with a long wait on a dark, deserted station.

So much for customer service.

A friend of mine who works for Sandwell Youth Offending Team has told me many times about the problems in the area of Galton Bridge.

In the 1970s itwas home to the infamous 'Concrete Jungle',just a few hundred yards down the dual carriageway towards Oldbury. This has since been demolished and been replaced by new development, but the crime problems remain relatively high and there areinfamous gangs of teenage youths looking to rob anyone they come across.

Now I am not one to panic about media stories (even though only a just over a week ago a lad was killed as he was set on by a gang in nearby Smethwick) but it does not feel comfortable , even as a male, waiting 30 minutes for a train in such an environment. What if I had been a vulnerable single female?

Anyone who has been there can testify that it is an isolated and lonelylocale inGalton Bridge station and surrounding area.

However, aside from threats of crime, the real issue should be tackled by Central Trains.

Saturday evening wasn't the first time this has happened to me at this station - in June when travelling back from Stourbridge Junction I failed to get the last train in similar circumstances and was left to pay £10 for a taxi when my ticket would have covered me.

So Central, what is the problem? If the trains from Stourbridge are running , say, around 1-2 mintues late, why can't the Wolverhampton train be held, even for one minute or so, in order to let passengers make their connection?

Is the problem a lack of communication between the guard and the station controllers? Couldn't the guy at Galton Bridge let the guard on the Wolverhampton train know the situation? Surely the schedule cannot be so tight on a Saturday evening that it can'tallow a 1-2 minute delay?

Alternatively, whycan't the Stourbridge train be re-timetabled to arrive at Galton Bridge a few minutes earlier? And what if some of your passengers/customers need to use the lift (elderly customers or those with disabilities for example), therefore leaving them even less time to make the connection?

I am an advocate of public transport use, but it isn't surprising that people refuse to use it and be treated badly by those who purport to serve us.

Having recently visited Japan and seeing how smooth, polite and efficient their transport system is, even in the bustling chaos of Tokyo, it makes you wonder why we cannot be treated like the Japanese .

Customers service skills are second to none in the Land of the Rising Sun - something you cannot say about Britain today.

Over to you Central Trains.