Trains, planes, and timetables.

A bit of a rant really…

Why have a time table? i always thought the point was so the traveller knew when they would depart, and when they would arrive. The latter being rather useful for those time when you then need to transfer and depart onwards towards your final destination.

I get the impression that Time tables are actually, the time by which you the passenger will be ready for the service (i.e. departure time) if you are late then tough. This is coupled with the time you might arrive (and if they are late and that inconveniences you, then tough)

Is it only british rail companies which add time, so that if they are delayed then there is time to make up?

What brings this about?

Eurostar, thats what. The german train company Deutsche Bahn (there is english info in there…) advertise connections with euro star with a 15mins connection time, this is still on their website, and in the printed time tables my girlfriend has.

Moment of fairnes. They do say you might well miss the connection. But its a joke that their time tables say you can do it, and then Eurostar cannot deliver one to the right place. Hmmm, Euro star say you should leave an hour to connect with mainline stations? do they include kings cross? its fine in a hour from Waterloo, but how about plus a 30min delay?. Wouldnt an integrated transport system be nice?

moral of this story? If i am going to travel to the continent on a friday afternoon (as opposed to catching a train at lunch time) then its going to be a case of spending time in brussels me thinks… there is an “Ibis” hotel over the road from Brussels Midi! Course its cheaper to travel earlier, but that kinda depends on my timetable…

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