AIBU to expect a better service when prices go up?

[bbcessex]

Sorry - this is probably a bit of a boring commuter rant, but I need to know if I am being unreasonable at expecting a good service from a train company, and more importantly, can anyone give me some advice on how to proactively try and do something about it?

Long story short. I live in a smallish commuter village, and travel in to London every day on the train.

In January, the cost of a season ticket went up from £3,350 to £3,800. A signficant increase in my opinion (not helped that both me and DH use the train).

There are only 2 trains per hour from our station, but pre-christmas, they were pretty good, and the times enabled me to get to work for 9.00am.

In January, the timetables changed.and 2 extra stops were added to
the trains. This mean that the advertised journey time increased from 50 mins to 54 minutes. However, since this has happened, the trains now get 'stuck' behind slower trains, and journey times have every single day bar one gone over the 62 mins.

I know I sound like a dullard, but it's driving me mad. Paying 10% extra for a service that is now at least 10% worse. I am consistently late for work.. I am stuck - I can't get an earlier train, because I already have childcare for my DC at 7.15am, and would have to have childcare at 6.50am to get the early train.

AIBU to expect to 'get what you pay for'?
But more importantly - does anyone have any suggestions of how to effectively galvanise support, as I'm sure I can't be the only person livid with this, and surely a group of dissatisfied passengers may have more impact that one?

Set up a FB page called ReInstate Our Timetable or some such.

Print some little flyers on your PC, and walk up the train handing them out. ask people to go on the page and register their issue.

Send a letter to train company with FB link.

You may be ignored, but at least you can say to yourself you tried.

enjoyresponsibly - that's a great idea, thank you. I'm not on FB - I'll have to brave it.

I had thought of the flyer approach - I'm quite happy to do that. I just wasn't sure what I was demanding or what I was asking people to sign up to.. I guess "Reinstate our Timetable" or similar is a good start.

I have a similar gripe, I have to use a train to get into London, then use the tube to get to my office. On Tuesday night it took me almost three hours to get home, because when I arrived at the train platforms, they had cancelled every single one of the trains I could use, I had to use various tubes and buses to get home.

If it was a one off, I could handle that, but it's alarmingly regular, yet I pay over two thousand pounds a year for my season ticket, and they increased the price this year. The service seems to get increasingly worse whilst the price sky rockets.

I hope you have some luck, I've complained on varius occasions to my train network and either get a bog standard reply or ignored completely.

bbcessex YANBU to expect a better service if you pay more money, unfortunately its all too common and not just on trains to pay more and get less... you'll probably be told there's a recession on, but that doesn't really cut it does it?

The increase you describe is over 13% where most regulated commuter routes increased by 6%. So you should be given a reason for this level of change I think.

I guess I personally accepted the 6% my ticket went up by because everybody had to put up with it but 13+ % seems a bit steep for reduced levels of service.

Thanks all.
Agree, it's flippin shocking. SunRaysthruClouds there are some 'new trains' on our route, hence the extra increase (I think).
To be honest, to a greater extent I don't really care about the newness of the train - I just need it to get me in to work on time.
TheRealMrsHannigan - If I had to get a tube as well, I'd be totally stuffed. I really feel for you.
*Aldiwhore" - that's why I think getting more people involved must be the only option - I was going to send my own invididual complaint, but I totally expect it to get ignored, like you say.