Record Public Transport Growth To The Lake District As Keswick Added To National Rail Network
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the sub-heading.
Record numbers of visitors are travelling to the Lake District by public transport after Avanti West Coast introduced a “virtual railway station” at Keswick, according to newly released figures.
These two paragraphs add more detail.
By adding Keswick to national rail journey planners, passengers can now purchase a single, fully integrated ticket covering both train and bus travel. From today (27 April), the ticket will be available year‑round following a successful two‑summer trial.
The initiative allows passengers to travel on Avanti West Coast or TransPennine Express services to Penrith – the gateway to the North Lakes – before continuing to Keswick on Stagecoach’s X4 and X5 bus services, all using one ticket.
This paragraph describes the impact of the initiative.
The impact has been significant. Over the past year, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express and Stagecoach have all reported record-breaking passenger growth, underlining growing demand for seamless, car‑free travel to one of the UK’s most popular visitor destinations.
That looks like a good result all round.
I have some thoughts.
Buying A Ticket
I have just tried to book a ticket between Euston and Keswick for tomorrow, using my normal ticket retailer.
- The destination was Keswick Bus.
- It was just like buying a ticket between Euston and Liverpool Lime Street.
- I could have entered my Senior Railcard.
- The only thing that is needed would be to ask if you have a bus pass and adjust the ticket price accordingly.
I think one day in the summer, if I’m at a loss for something to do, I might visit Keswick.
I also found Keswick Bus on this ticket machine at Kings Cross.
Someone is getting the Ticketing Act together.
Getting To Events
In 2011 I visited all 92 English League Clubs in alphabetical order and some were difficult to get to from the nearest station.
Perhaps if a club has a bus between the local station and the ground, a virtual station could be added, which might be called say York Football.
There would be details instructions at the exit to the station about where to catch the bus or how to walk there if it were close.
It would obviously work for other sports and what about events like Glastonbury, Glyndebourne, The Suffolk Show and racing of both horses and horsepower.
Testing The Viability Of Possible Stations
It is very difficult to test the viability of a new station before a large sum of money can be allocated to build the station.
But supposing Merseyrail wanted to test the viability of a new station at Skelmersdale.
- Skelmersdale Bus would be added to the Rail Ticketing System.
- A bus route would be created probably between the new station at Headbolt Lane and Skelmersdale.
Done properly, it could give a reasonable estimate of the viability of the new route.
Conclusion
I can see this being a very popular and successful development.
Lumo Targets Drivers With ‘Pump-Primed’ Campaign Showing How To Travel To London For Less
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Business Daily.
These three paragraphs outline the story.
Motorists driving to London are being shown how taking the train could save up to half the cost of their journey – as they fill-up at the fuel pumps.
Lumo has launched digital screens at a filling station to display real-time travel information and ticket prices.
Lumo believes the bold new trial, a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Smart Outdoor digital advertising firm, will give motorists a timely reminder of a greener and often more affordable alternative to driving between Scotland and England.
Note.
- Displaying real-time travel information is done regularly all over the transport network, for buses and trains.
- Adding ticket prices would not be difficult.
- All filling stations must have good enough broadband.
- I suspect, it could work best, where the train operator sells good value walk-up tickets. This is done at LNER stations on the East Coast Main Line and in An Affordable Trip To Doncaster, I told how I went to Doncaster for the day for £46.45 with a Senior Railcard, buying the tickets on a walk-up basis.
But who knows, where this technology will lead?
As a non-driver, if anybody sees the system in action, I’d love a comment and a photo.
A Ticket Buying App
I also think, I could specify a ticket buying app for trips someone needs to make.
The app would keep a list of train journeys you want to make.
Every day, it would look up the best prices available and if you wanted to go somewhere, you could buy a ticket.
FirstGroup Applies To Run Rail Services Between Hereford And London via Cwmbran
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from FirstGroup.
These first two paragraphs, add more detail to the title.
FirstGroup plc has submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between Hereford and London to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its successful Lumo business, building on Lumo’s existing service which has transformed long-distance connectivity between London and Edinburgh. This has helped materially grow rail demand on the East Coast Mainline in recent years, through a new and enhanced choice for customers and providing more trains to more destinations.
These are some more points from the press release.
Route and Frequency
The news item says this about route and frequency.
FirstGroup’s proposal is for two return journeys a day (one on Sundays) between London Paddington and Hereford, calling at Bristol Parkway and Severn Tunnel Junction as well as providing direct London services at Cwmbran, Pontypool & New Inn and Abergavenny.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the route between Bristol Parkway and Pontypool & New Inn stations.
Note.
- Bristol Parkway station is in the South-East corner of the map.
- Severn Tunnel Junction station is marked by the blue arrow in the middle of the map.
- The electrified South Wales Main Line connects Bristol Parkway and Severn Tunnel Junction stations.
- From Bristol Parkway, the electrified Great Western Main Line goes to London Paddington via Swindon and Reading.
- From Severn Tunnel Junction station the South Wales Main Line goes West to Newport, which is on this map and then to Cardiff, Swansea and West Wales.
- Pontypool & New Inn station is in the North-West corner of the map on the Welsh Marches Line between Newport and Crewe stations.
- Welsh Marches Line is connected to the South Wales Main Line at Maindee triangular junction, which is a few miles East of Newport station.
- Cwmbran station is on the Welsh Marches Line between Newport and Pontypool & New Inn stations.
After a quick look on Wikipedia and Real Time Trains, it appears that few if any trains run in either direction between Cwmbran and Severn Tunnel Junction stations using the North-East side of Maindee junction.
Lumo’s trains would use this route to go between Bristol Park and Pontypool & New Inn stations via Severn Tunnel Junction, and Cwmbran.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the Northern part of the route between Pontypool & New Inn and Hereford stations.
Note.
- The orange track is the Welsh Marshes Line between Newport and Crewe.
- Pontypool & New Inn station is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Abergavenny station is on the West side of the map.
- Hereford station is in the North-East corner of the map.
Looking at the route as a whole, it is a very simple route.
- Trains go as fast as traffic allows, non-stop to Bristol Parkway station.
- Trains then take the South Wales Main Line with a single stop at Severn Tunnel Junction station to Maindee Junction, just to the East of Newport.
- Trains then take the Welsh Marches Line to Hereford stopping at Cwmbran, Pontypool & New Inn and Abergavenny stations.
It is an innovative route, that has these advantages.
- It uses a little-used leg of Maindee Junction.
- London Paddington and Maindee Junction is electrified.
- The fastest Hitachi trains seem to take about one hour and forty minutes between London Paddington and Maindee Junction.
As direct trains between Newport and Hereford take around fifty minutes, a time of two-and-a-half hours between London Paddington and Hereford could be possible.
This would compare with current Great Western Railway services, which take upwards of two hour and forty-five minutes, which often have a change of train.
Lumo Trains Should Be Faster Between London Paddington And Bristol Parkway
This may seem surprising, but most if not all current services stop between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway, stop at Swindon and Reading.
Cutting out a stop saves a few minutes on the journey.
New Trains
The news item says this about new trains.
The new Hereford service would support further investment in new trains. In December 2024 FirstGroup placed a £500m order for 14 trains from Hitachi Rail in County Durham. The Group has an option for a potential second order of similar size and the Hereford fleet would form part of this option.
Yesterday, I went to North Wales and used Avanti West Coast from Euston. The trains both ways were new Class 805 trains, which are bi-mode versions of Lumo’s Class 803 trains. These Class 805 trains travel all the way between Crewe and Holyhead on their diesel engines, so the much shorter leg between Maindee Junction and Hereford will definitely be in range.
But Hitachi are developing battery-electric versions of these trains and as there-and-back between Maindee Junction and Hereford is only 88 miles, I wouldn’t be surprised in a couple of years that Cwmbran, Pontypool & New Inn, Abergavenny and Hereford stations have a direct electric service from London.
Services At Hereford
The news item says this about services at Hereford station.
For Hereford, the two direct London paths each weekday would increase services on this flow from four today, to six. The new services would help mitigate the current large gaps in the timetable with additional daytime and evening arrivals into London, giving Hereford more regular connectivity. The new services would also provide the stations on the route with new direct journey opportunities to Bristol Parkway.
I also believe it would be a faster, fully electric service.
Services At Abergavenny
The Wikipedia entry for Abergavenny station says this about services at the station.
With a few exceptions, the weekday daytime service pattern typically sees one train per hour in each direction between Manchester Piccadilly and Cardiff Central, with most trains continuing beyond Cardiff to Swansea and West Wales. There is also a two-hourly service between Cardiff and the North Wales Coast Line to Holyhead via Wrexham General. These services are all operated by Transport for Wales. The northbound Premier service from Cardiff to Holyhead calls here on Monday to Fridays but the southbound service does not call here.
Note.
- The station has partial step-free access
- The station has 74 parking spaces.
Two trains in each direction would improve the services at Abergavenny station.
Services At Pontypool & New Inn
The Wikipedia entry for Pontypool & New Inn station says this about services at the station.
On weekdays and Saturdays, there is generally a two hourly service between Holyhead and Cardiff in the middle of the day, with additional peak time services southbound in the mornings and northbound in the evenings for commuters to Newport and Cardiff. These include services between Manchester Piccadilly and West Wales via Crewe and Swansea. From December 2013 the evening northbound Arriva “Premier” service train began to call at Pontypool for the first time. The southbound service in the morning does not call here. On Sundays, an irregular service operates, with 8 trains calling southbound and 10 northbound. These mainly run between Manchester and Cardiff.
Note.
- The station is step-free with lifts.
- The station has 150 parking spaces.
Two trains in each direction would improve the services at Pontypool and New Inn station.
Services At Cwmbran
The Wikipedia entry for Cwmbran station says this about services at the station.
Services that stop at Cwmbran in both directions are all operated by Transport for Wales and include the hourly service between Manchester Piccadilly, Cardiff Central and West Wales and the two hourly service between Holyhead and Cardiff Central. Most Sunday services only run on the former route (there are only two services each way to/from Holyhead).
Note.
- The station is being made step-free with lifts.
- The station has 76 parking spaces.
Two trains in each direction would improve the services at Pontypool and New Inn station.
The Heads Of The Valleys Road
The A465 or Heads of the Valleys Road could be considered the South Wlaes equivalent of the North of England’s M62 Motorway.
This description is from the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry.
Approximately following the southern boundary of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder guide describes it as the unofficial border between rural and industrial South Wales. The A465 provides an alternative route between England and the counties in South West Wales and to the ferries to Ireland.
This Google Map shows its route between Merthyr Tydfil and Abergavenny.
Note.
- Merthyr Tydfil is in the South-West corner of the map.
- Abergavenny is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The full length of the road is just under seventy miles.
- The Heads of the Valleys Road connects to all the towns, that are the Northern termini of the South Wales Metro.
- At it’s Western end, the A 465 connects to the M4 near Swansea.
The news item says this about the tourism benefits of the service.
The new service is expected to have positive economic and social benefits for the communities it serves. Both of FirstGroup’s open access services Lumo and Hull Trains are on track to deliver more than £1.4bn in economic benefits along their routes and FirstGroup hopes to have a similar positive effect for the South Wales and Herefordshire communities.
The service should also provide a convenient link for visitors travelling to the Brecon Beacons/ Bannau Brycheiniog National Park; Blaenavon World Heritage Site and cathedral city of Hereford, driving growth and supporting jobs in the area’s tourism sector.
I do wonder if other tourism related services will be developed at Pontypool & New Inn, Abergavenny and Hereford?
Monmouthshire
This paragraph from the Wikipedia entry for Monmouthshire gives a flavour of the Welsh county.
The county is rural, although adjacent to the city of Newport and the urbanised South Wales Valleys; it has an area of 330 square miles (850 km2) and a population of 93,000. After Abergavenny (population, 12,515), the largest towns are Chepstow (12,350), Monmouth (10,508), and Caldicot (9,813).
I was surprised that the population of the county, was as high as 93,000.
This second paragraph, lists the railway stations.
Monmouthshire is served by four railway stations: in the south are the Severn Tunnel Junction railway station at Rogiet on the South Wales Main Line, which connects South Wales to London; and Chepstow railway station and Caldicot railway station on the Gloucester–Newport line; and in the north, Abergavenny railway station on the Welsh Marches line.
Severn Tunnel Junction and Abergavenny stations will be served by Lumo’s new service.
From my experience of using parkway stations in East Anglia with connections to London, I suspect residents of several towns outside of Monmouthshire will use these two stations for trips to the capital.
Are plans in place for extra parking and bus services?
Travelling To And From Heathrow Airport
I wouldn’t be surprised if Lumo picks up quite a few passengers, who are going to and from Heathrow.
Consider.
- I suspect Severn Tunnel Junction to London Paddington will take about one hour and forty minutes, with just the single stop at Bristol Parkway.
- The Elizabeth Line to the Airport will take 28 minutes and cost £13.90, according to Transport for London.
- The Elizabeth Line is an easy step-free change from National Rail at Paddington.
- Elizabeth Line trains between Paddington and Heathrow are every six minutes.
- It’s not a very long walk at Heathrow between the Elizabeth Line and the terminals.
- Driving from say Monmouth to Heathrow will take about two-and-a-quarter hours and cost you to cross the Severn Bridge and for parking.
If your local Great Western Main Line station is between say Chippenham and Cardiff, you might be surprised at how fast and affordable it can be to go to and from Heathrow by Great Western Railway and Elizabeth Line.
When Lumo starts running to Heathrow, I am sure it will be faster, as the trains will not stop East of Bristol Parkway station.
Running In Conjunction With Services Between London Paddington And Carmarthen
The news item says this about running services in conjunction with Lumo’s services to Carmarthen.
The service would operate in conjunction with the planned service from London to Carmarthen which is due to launch in December 2027, and it is anticipated it could begin at the same time.
Consider.
- Both routes are identical between London Paddington and Maindee Junction.
- Both routes could share depots.
- Hitachi’s trains can split and join with alacrity.
- Class 800, 801, 802 and 803 trains have twenty-six metre cars, which mean a five-car train is 130 metres long.
- Bristol Parkway station has 280 metre long platforms. Pairs of trains could split and join here.
- Seven Tunnel Junction has three 171 metre long platforms. Pairs of trains could not use this station, unless the platforms were lengthened.
- Newport station has three platforms longer than 278 metres. Pairs of trains could split and join here, if the Hereford trains reversed direction.
I suspect if trains split and joined, it would be at Bristol Parkway station.
Note that Bristol Parkway station has 1,800 car park spaces, so Lumo could target passengers wanting to park and take the train to London, Cardiff, Newport and other Welsh destinations.
Co-operation With Great Western Railway
In Does Innovation Get Mr. Ed Miliband Better Prices To Doncaster?, I talked about the ticketing on the East Coast Main Line.
It appears to me, that if you put more seats on a popular route, like King’s Cross and Doncaster, then the availability drives down prices.
I also believe that if the tickets are all available through a common walk-up system, then this fills the seats.
The system has now been applied to the West Coast Main Line and I believe that if Great Western Railway and Lumo collaborated on ticketing, this would improve competition between London Paddington, Bristol Parkway and Cardiff.
There is also the issue of train rescue.
Supposing a pair of five-car Hitachi trains broke down with a fault, that allowed the train to be towed to the nearest station, so that passengers could be disembarked.
Hitachi trains are designed, so that up to twenty-four trains can be joined together in rescue mode.
That would certainly be an impressive sight.
The Lack Of Information At Edinburgh Waverley Cost Me £55.10
The ongoing works at Edinburgh Waverley ruined my day. I had intended to come up to the city to take some photographs for this blog and see an old friend, who like me is widowed.
I also wanted to take a train to Leven to see the new stations.
I have a very unusual skin and on some days I can’t use ticket machines, so I need to use a human in a ticket office.
Today was one of those days and to complicate matters, I couldn’t find the ticket office.
I also wasted more time finding platform 17 for Leven.
Going back to London, where I live, my friend advised me to take the escalators from Princes Street to get into the station, which I have used many times before.
But they were shut and I missed the 16:13 Lumo to London by about a minute.
To get home, I had to buy another ticket on LNER for £55.10.
If there had been more information, perhaps in leaflets or from real people around the station, I would have had a much better day.
Does Innovation Get Mr. Ed Miliband Better Prices To Doncaster?
The East Coast Main Line has ticketing unlike any other in the UK.
Turn up at any LNER station to go to any station that is served by trains from that station and you will be given a choice of the best prices at the ticket machines or at the booking office.
Effectively, you are sold your choice of the cheapest Advance tickets for your journey, at the time of booking.
In the last few months, I have taken three trips from London to Doncaster. All were priced between £20 and £25, with one trip on each of Grand Central, Hull Trains and LNER.
Some might argue it is because of the three Open Access operators on the route, that good value is available. But I would argue that it is down to the fact that because of the Open Access operators there is more seats on the route.
This ticketing model should be adopted on the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line.
The ticketing has certainly modified my behaviour.
If I want to go to Sheffield, I go to Doncaster, as it’s a lot cheaper, then get a local train between Doncaster and Sheffield.
Ed Miliband Is A Doncaster MP
When he is going between his Doncaster North constituency and London, does he use last minute ticketing?
Changing Trains At Newcastle Station
In the last few weeks, I have changed trains at Newcastle station between the East Coast Main and the Northumberland Line four times.
I took these pictures on Sunday, when I changed twice.
Note.
- On my two train changes yesterday, I needed to buy a ticket for the next leg of my journey and I had to walk miles to the ticket office.
- The walk was rather straining on my dodgy knees.
- There are no signs to the ticket office and I only found it due to a helful human.
- In the morning, I missed my connection and had to wait an hour for the next train.
- A lot of these pictures show diesel multiple units, that were working the Northumberland Line to Ashington in Platform 1, surrounded by happy passengers.
- Platform 1 appears to be able to take at least a pair of Class 158 two-car diesel multiple units.
- Platform 1 appears to be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires, even if the Northumberland Line isn’t electrified.
- The staff seem extremely pleased with the success of the Northumberland Line.
The staff were very helpful, but it was all very much organised chaos.
But from what I saw yesterday, it appears that something powerful is stirring along the Northumberland Line.
Perhaps what the BBC predicted in Northumberland Line: Railway ‘Could Create Economic Powerhouse’ is starting to happen?
This was the sub-heading of the BBC article.
An “east coast economic powerhouse” stretching from Edinburgh to Leeds could be created if the Northumberland Line rail scheme goes ahead, a public inquiry has been told.
I’m well aware that one busy weekend doesn’t make a powerhouse.
But Northumberland Council must get ready for the next phases of the project.
Larger Zero-Carbon Trains
In Alstom Hydrogen Aventras And The Reopened Northumberland Line, I suggested that Alstom hydrogen trains might be suitable for the Northumberland Line, but these trains have not been seen in the flesh, so they can probably be discounted.
But this is a picture I took yesterday of Platform 1 at Newcastle station.
Note.
- The wires of the electrification above the Class 158 diesel multiple unit.
- An out and back trip between Newcastle and Ashington is probably less than fifty miles.
In the Wikipedia entry for Merseyrail’s Stadler Class 777 trains, this is said.
In December 2022, a maximum test range of 135 km (84 miles) was achieved, which was “much longer than we expected”.
It would appear that a small fleet of perhaps three trains, that were fitted with pantographs for charging could work the Northumberland Line, without the need for substantial additions to the infrastructure.
In the Wikipedia entry for the new Tyne and Wear Metro’s Stadler Class 555 trains, this is said.
The new trains will be five cars long in fixed formations, with a Jacobs bogie between the inner cars. One centre car will be fitted with a Brecknell Willis pantograph to draw the power from the 1,500 V DC overhead lines. They will also be fitted with regenerative braking technology for greater energy efficiency, and a battery energy storage system that will allow the trains to remain powered and reach the nearest station if the overhead lines fail. This offers the potential to be used on routes that are not fitted with overhead lines that may be added to the network in the future.
As the Class 777 and Class 555 trains appear to be cousins, perhaps those innovative Swiss engineers at Stadler can come up with a 25 KVAC battery-electric Class 555 train, that could charge its batteries in Platform 1 at Newcastle station and then use battery power to get to Ashington and back.
With perhaps a couple of short lengths of 25 KVAC overhead electrification, I feel Stadler could create a battery-electric Class 555 train, that could handle.
- Newcastle and Ashington and on to Newbiggin, as I wrote about in Onward To Newbiggin-by-the-Sea For The Northumberland Line?.
- Newcastle and Carlisle
- Carlisle and Morpeth via Newcastle
- Hexham and Nunthorpe via Newcastle
How many other branches from electrified main lines in the UK, could be handled by such a train?
How about these routes for starters.
- Darlington and Bishop Auckland
- Darlington and Saltburn
- Preston and Blackpool South.
- Skipton and Preston via Colne.
- Lancaster and Morecambe
- Leeds Metro
- Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog
- Middlesbrough and Whitby.
- Sheffield and Huddersfield
- Sheffield and Leeds
- Sheeffield and Manchester Piccaduilly
Sheffield and York
The Class 555 trains would also have other advantages.
- In the Newcastle area, I’m sure the Tyne and Wear Metro could probably service them.
- They have the Stadler steps for easy access.
- Most Stadler trains, tram-trains and trams are good at climbing hills.
Great British Railways could do a lot worse, than buying a reasonable number of Class 555 battery-electric trains.
Taking Pictures In Doncaster And Cleethorpes Today
My faith was restored a bit in UK railways today.
I had to go to Cleethorpes at the last minute to take some pictures for this blog.
I went with a change at Doncaster each way.
- I bought the single ticket to Doncaster from a person in King’s Cross for £28.55 on LNER.
- I bought the return ticket to Cleethorpes from a person in Doncaster for £20.55 on TransPennine Express.
- I bought the single ticket to King’s Cross from a person in Doncaster for £15.30 on Hull Trains.
I bought all tickets with my railcard on a walk up basis.
All four trains were on time.
The only problem was the weather in Cleethorpes and the pictures could have been better.
Great British Railways And Private Sector To Compete For Ticket Sales
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The Department for Transport has announced that the future Great British Railways will sell tickets online, while retaining a ‘thriving’ private sector market where third party ticket retailers can compete in an ‘open and fair’ manner.
I would certainly like to see more innovation in the selling of rail tickets.
A few things I would like to see in ticketing include.
Ticketing Machines At Busy Interchanges
When, I wrote My First Trip On The Northumberland Line – 18th December 2024, I bought my Lumo ticket between Kings Cross and Newcastle at King’s Cross and needed to buy my ticket for Ashington at Newcastle station.
There is no ticket machine on the long walk between where Lumo trains arrive and leave and the Northumberland Line.
This is a common problem and someone needs to design a ticketing machine for interchanges to simplify the changing of trains for passengers.
Stations that need such a machine include.
- Clapham Junction on the bridge.
- Ipswich on the central platform.
- Leeds on the bridge.
- Reading on the bridge.
It should be noted, that in some cases train staff will sell you a ticket, which gets round the problem. But other train companies are getting tough on revenue enforcement.
These ticket machines could be provided by Great British Railways or a private company.
Automatic Freedom Pass Extension
If I don’t want to buy a physical ticket for Gatwick Airport, I can use my Freedom Pass to East Croydon. Then I exit the station and come back in using a credit card or my phone. I then exit at Gatwick, using the method I used to reenter at East Croydon.
But wouldn’t it be so much easier, if I could link a credit card to my Freedom Pass, so that the charge for East Croydon and Gatwick Airport was automatically charged to my credit card.
Collection Of Tickets
In Collecting National Rail Tickets, I had a moan at Transport for London about their unwillingness to provide facilities for passengers to pick up National Rail tickets.
This was their unfriendly notice at Tottenham Court Road station.
Facilities should be provided in many more places, where passengers can pick up rail tickets bought on-line.
These ticket collection machines could be provided by Great British Railways or a private company.
Stratford Station – New Gittins Road Entrance
I’ve been meaning to check out this new entrance at Stratford station for some time, as it opened in July 2024.
It is only a simple entrance with a gate-line, ticket machines, information displays and a warm hut for a ticket checker.
Transport for London and other transport operators could do with a few of these entrances, to cut off travelers, who don’t think they should pay.
Is Internet Security Sometimes Over Secure?
On Friday the 13th December, I received a Purchase Confirmation from eBay by e-mail.
As I get lots of spam e-mails, I decided it was just the usual spam and ignored it.
But then I got thinking.
- I have never bought anything on eBay.
- I sold a lot of surplus things, when I last moved house on eBay and was very satisfied with their service.
- The purchase was for a watch and I don’t wear one.
- It was also an Apple watch and as the company has given me so much grief on their non-standard co9mputer and file formats , when I was a programmer, I never buy or use any Apple products.
- It was also for £650, which is never the sort of sum, I ever would pay for a watch.
So I did all the safety checks on my bank accounts and credit cards and found everything was as it should be.
On the Purchase Confirmation from eBay is a 0204 phone number offering help . So I rang it on the Saturday.
My call was answered by a male operator with a slight accent, but speaking good English.
- After I gave him the Order ID, he said that eBay had closed my account because of inactivity.
- I have since found an e-mail from eBay saying they were closing my account and I remember answering it, but as I felt I didn’t need the account, I took no action.
- The operator, then said that someone had reactivated the account and told me that this needed documents like Council Tax to prove I lived at the house.
- He then asked if anybody lived with me. I told him no, as I’m a widower in perhaps a rather curt manner, as I don’t like being accused of a crime.
- I then realised that this was an inside job, from my experience of working with police forces, banks and consultants in stopping crime.
- I told him my thoughts in a quiet way.
He then said he’d close the account and the conversation ended.
On the Monday, I decided I wanted to go to see the new Northumberland Line on the Wednesday.
- So I decided to book online using Lumo to Newcastle.
- Before entering your bank/credit card number, Lumo ask for your name and address.
- I didn’t get past the name and address entry, probably because, I suspect eBay had put my name and address on a black-list!
In the end, I bought my tickets at the King’s Cross station ticket office using a credit card. At least they were the same as the on-line price.
It was a good trip and I wrote about it in London And Newcastle In A Day By Lumo and My First Trip On The Northumberland Line – 18th December 2024.
Conclusion
I have phoned Lumo, most of my banks and credit cards, Action Fraud, the BBC, the police and I still can’t find out how I get myself off this accursed black-list.
The only good thing, is that I have not had ay money taken out of my bank account.
I have also reported the fraud to the Metropolitan Police and got a crime number for it.
The Anonymous Widower 