By ROGER FORD
Feature
ROGER FORD EXAMINES THE FORMULA FOR PROVIDING RELIABLE TRAINS

The bogie drop at the Siemens-run depot at Northam (Southampton).
TONY MILES
It is an unfortunate fact of life that operators of London commuter rail services have little or no chance of ‘delighting their customers’, something to which their inter-city cousins aspire. This is not a counsel of despair, simply a reflection of the fact that the season ticket is a forced purchase, the least worst travel option.