BBC News Online: UK

The train not stopping at platform one...

The train operators, Connex South Eastern, which has come under fire for poor service, had designated Wednesday as a performance day when all staff make a special effort to get all their trains in on time.

But some passengers waiting for the 0620 Connex service from Ramsgate in Kent were angry when their train whizzed past their stations.

Sally Leaver, a commuter left stranded at Rye station, told the BBC: "When we arrived at the station we were told that it was Connex South Eastern's 100% Day. The train had left Ramsgate seven minutes late so in order to catch up and meet the 100% targets they wouldn't be stopping at our station nor the two stations before us."

Connex denials

But Connex denied the incident was directly related to its designated performance day, saying it was "standard operating procedure" to make delayed trains miss out stops.

"It's pure chance - people are putting two and two together and coming up with seven," said a spokesman.

"Decisions of this nature are made on a daily basis, throughout the UK, to ensure the smooth running of a rail network.

"We apologise to any customers who may have been inconvenienced this morning but it is our aim to get the maximum number of customers to their destinations safely and on time."

Once a week Connex ecnourages normally office-bound managers to join colleagues around the network in a special push to make trains run on time by, for instance, encouraging passengers to board trains quickly.

The Focus 100 day was designed as an extra big effort to reach 100% punctuality.

'Fiddling with the figures'

But the commuters' pressure group Save Our Railways was not impressed.

SOR campaign director Jonathan Bray said: "We all want the trains to run on time - but missing out station stops is not the way to do it.

"We need action from the new rail regulator to eliminate this kind of nonsense which is all about fiddling the figures rather than providing a decent service."

Relevant Stories

Billions planned to boost rail (22 Mar 99 | UK)
Warning on late train timetables (20 Jan 99 | UK)

Internet Links

UK Railways on the Net

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

In this section

Next steps for peace
Blairs' surprise over baby
Bowled over by Lord's
Beef row 'compromise' under fire
Hamilton 'would sell mother'
Industry misses new trains target
Quins fightback shocks Cardiff (From Sport)
Vodafone takeover battle heats up (From Business)
IRA ceasefire challenge rejected
Thousands celebrate Asian culture
Christie could get two-year ban (From Sport)
Colleagues remember Compo (From Entertainment)
Mother pleads for baby's return
Toys withdrawn in E.coli health scare
Nurses role set to expand (From Health)
Israeli PM's plane in accident
More lottery cash for grassroots
Pro-lifers plan shock launch
Double killer gets life
Cold 'cure' comes one step closer (From Health)
Straw on trial over jury reform (From UK Politics)
Tatchell calls for rights probe into Mugabe
Ex-spy stays out in the cold
Blair warns Livingstone (From UK Politics)
Smear equipment `misses cancers' (From Health)
Boyzone star gets in Christmas spirit (From Entertainment)
Fake bubbly warning
Murder jury hears dead girl's diary
Germ warfare fiasco revealed (From UK Politics)
Blair babe triggers tabloid frenzy
Tourists shot by mistake
A new look for News Online