The main thing GWR promised was increased capacity in the peak. So what do they do? Last month they quietly reduce the 2R60 1759 London Paddington to Reading (a busy stopping service slap bang in the middle of the evening peak) from an 8-car 387 to a 5-car 165. No mention about it at all anywhere. If GWR were open about these things then people would be a tiny bit more understanding, but as things stand it once again shows GWR as not caring about their passengers, a reputation they've had for many many years. I did think things improved a bit once they rebranded in 2015, but since 2017 they've gone downhill again.
The 5 car Turbo gets to Paddington during the evening peak. Previously it would have worked a fast Oxford but that fast Oxford is now a Fast Didcot 8 car 387. It can’t just evaporate at Paddington; there’s no longer a convenient depot it can go stable at for the peak, so it has to do something productive. By running it as a stopping service to Reading it keeps the 90mph unit off the mainline and frees up 387s to make sure all other peak departures from Paddington are 8 or 12 car.
I mean they could always run it empty stock out of Paddington and just get rid of the 1759 altogether? I’m sure that would be great for capacity.
It’s putting capacity where it’s needed most and maximising the usage of what’s there. Unless you want to nominate a different service to run as a 5 car turbo and explain your reasoning for choosing that service?
I also don’t buy that they’re not being open about it - certainly in as much as they’re quite honest that it’s a 5 car. As has been seen nationally operators are struggling to get timetables out in good time as it is. Now you’re expecting chapter and verse about why changes are being made? No other operator does it, why does that suddenly make GWR substandard that they’re doing what every other operator does?