CC 72100
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Well, it's not really legitimately using it, but I can understand the autopilot argument, even more so on a Friday evening.
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1915 from Paddington skipping the Pick up only call tonight
- Thread starter richw
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Well, it's not really legitimately using it, but I can understand the autopilot argument, even more so on a Friday evening.
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R
RailUK Forums
3141
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Virgin do have a special train - the "Pretendolino" - to provide the extra service.
I agree with Bishopstone's comment yesterday about righteous comments on this thread. Although many may have been aware that that train isn't scheduled to set down at Reading, that's something of a technical point for most people, the reality being that it does stop there.
However, and particularly if it was announced that it wasn't going to stop at Reading on this occasion, it seems to me that you may take a chance of getting on board at Paddington and being able to get off at Reading, but when it doesn't stop there you haven't got much ground to complain.
How are people being 'righteous' exactly?
Rules are rules, the train is advertised as pick up at Reading only. Therefore, if you decide to get on with the intention of alighting there, surely this is effectively travelling without a valid ticket? Equally, if it trundles straight through Reading and you had wanted to get off, tough titty.
Rules are rules, the train is advertised as pick up at Reading only. Therefore, if you decide to get on with the intention of alighting there, surely this is effectively travelling without a valid ticket? Equally, if it trundles straight through Reading and you had wanted to get off, tough titty.
Don't stop it at Reading?
This reminds me of a late night train out of Victoria in slam door days. It had a staff set down at redhill but this was never advertised as a stop simply incase if engineering works in which case the staff would be taxied back to their depot. Being slam door people got wind of the fact it stopped there and got off anyway. Drivers and guards often got a lot of abuse at Horley when the train was diverted via the quarry despite pointing out that the train has never been advertised as calling at redhill.
I would imagine that the majority of people planning to alight at reading took it in good humour. Most probably new that it wasn't advertised but know it stops anyway and would be very accepting that their 'gamble' or assumption had caught them out on this occasion.
I would imagine that the majority of people planning to alight at reading took it in good humour. Most probably new that it wasn't advertised but know it stops anyway and would be very accepting that their 'gamble' or assumption had caught them out on this occasion.
That is probably the most workable solution, but would that even stop them? After all, the excuses in previous posts are about 'auto-pilot' mode, especially on a Friday apparently.
I don't believe that anyone mistook it as a stopping train, I am fairly certain that most people just knew it was an 'unofficial' stop. I don't see a problem with that personally but one needs to accept that they don't have a leg to stand on should it not stop for any reason.
So who would collect the PFs (or whatever)? I imagine the official on the outward train would not have been able to get through, if it were so rammed. Would the train have been met by a heavy mob, gleefully repeating "You have landed on Swindon Station. That'll be £nn, please". Or would some poor, unsuspecting Flamingo be expected to pick up the tidal wave of wrath on the train back. I pity that man!
[And let us not forget that much of this discussion about the commuters is pure "speculation" and thus not to be allowed on this board]
[And let us not forget that much of this discussion about the commuters is pure "speculation" and thus not to be allowed on this board]
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Class 170101
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I am afraid if this is the case then FGW are asking for trouble. Commuters are strange creatures. They use the same trains every day and probably sit in the same seat as well. I have even seen commuters stand on platforms waiting for trains that haven't been advertised yet in a particular spot whilst earlier trains to the same destination roll out. When it goes wrong they are out of their comfort zone and don't know what to do.
Something else no-one has commented on is the effect on passengers planning to join the train and travel west. If I was planning to catch that train I wouldn't be amused to see it speed through the station without stopping.
I know the train was supposedly full (albeit there would probably been a lot get off at Reading) but what about anyone with a seat reservation?
I know the train was supposedly full (albeit there would probably been a lot get off at Reading) but what about anyone with a seat reservation?
NLC1072
Member
Maybe FGW should put a team of RPI's on this service once a week on different days? That'll do the trick! Or be more fussy to what is full and standing a little bit more and skip reading a few more times...
If it's a cancelled stop then it counts as a cancelation so passengers will be allowed to use tickets on other trains and claim compensation for any delays.
Canceled stops due to overcrowding happens fairly regularly. If I am driving a train into London in the peak during disruption and I know no more will for on then I regularly ask control for permission to skip stops and it's usually granted.
No need for FGW to target the train on different days as it's only booked to be pick-up only at Reading on Fridays.
I'm in favour of rules being enforced but this should be done in an equitable way. In this instance either have a revenue block at Paddington preventing passengers travelling to Reading from boarding or run a relief train that can cater for passengers travelling from Reading.
I hope FGW hasn't decided to not stop at Reading to 'teach the commuters a lesson' without putting plans in place for the passengers from Reading they will be inconveniencing.
PermitToTravel
Established Member
To get them off the train, making space for people who aren't going to Reading.
From earlier posts this doesn't seem to be the case - and the inconvenience caused by not being able to board safely would be limited to 30 minutes at most.
Reading and Didcot passengers from London get a 1912 additional on FO BTW
But if the train isn't announced as stopping there then they don't need to announce it as not stopping there!
I don't announce kings Lynn trains as stopping at Cambridge, water beach, Ely etc and then state 'this train will not stop at Finsbury park, harringay, Hornsey, Ali Pali etc etc'.
If they say this train will call at Swindon then wherever else then they don't need to mention stations NOT stopped at!
Class 33
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Serves them right in my opinion. Any passengers for Reading should not have boarded that train! On the departures board for this service it would have read "Calling Swindon, Bristol Parkway,"... etc. As well as any PA announcements on the train mentioning this also(which might have also been whilst the train was still stationary at London Paddington). So why these passengers for Reading boarding this service anyway??!!
Any of these passengers for Reading complaining about this and hoping for compensation won't have a leg to stand on!
In my opinion they need to have a few more peak time services between Bristol/Weston-Super-Mare/Taunton, Devon/Cornwall, South Wales, and London Paddington that do not call at Reading atall. Because of the hords of commuters between Reading and London. Just a few years ago there used to be an 1815 service from London Paddington-Swansea than ran non-stop to Swindon.
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Is the 1803 to Penzance still Pick Up Only at Reading? I've taken that service a number of times in the past and despite it announcing Pick Up only at Reading it seems that you cant get a seat on leaving Paddington yet at Reading despite apparently only more people boarding there suddenly becomes plenty of seats available!
PermitToTravel
Established Member
Because people from Reading know that it stops at Reading, and will take it anyway.
Punishing these people is nice, but is significantly less important than making sure that people who want to go to Cornwall can actually get on the train, which they won't be able to do if it's full of Reading commuters.
The next train to Penzance is 1 hour later. The next train to Reading is 2 minutes later.
In fact at this time of the evening the next train to Cornwall will be the night Riviera.
1803 is the last direct service, the 1903 requires a change at Plymouth. After the 1903 a wait until 2345 is required. The train in question last night was a Swansea service though, which I think still have a couple more hourly services. I'm assuming Swansea passengers can get to Cardiff and change to a local ATW service though which are more frequent.
PermitToTravel
Established Member
Sorry, I was confusing the 1803 Penzance and 1915 Swansea, both of which don't set down at Reading on Fridays
The principle is still the same, though. There are no more journey opportunities for an hour, except for the Reading commuters (who have to wait all of 7 minutes for the 1922 train)
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(the 1903 does go to Penzance, not that it matters)
It hasn't whenever I've used it was the basis of my comment.
I've just checked timetable and its a Friday only to Penzance. Monday to Thursday terminates at Plymouth at 2226 with a unit for onward travel to Cornwall departing at 2246/
... and have been suffering family stress, and are studying for a law career which would be ruined by ... blah, blah, blah
Flamingo
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Just to cover a couple of points raised in posts earlier:
- This train is known to be rammed, Advance tickets are not sold for it.
- Last year it was planned to run two, one normal stops, one Seindon onwards within 5 minutes of each other on a Friday, staff were diagrammed for it, but the paths never materialised.
- From 15.45 onwards, all South Wales trains go to Swansea except the 23.30. They are half-hourly until 19.15, then hourly until 21.15, then 22.45 last Swansea.
-I would suspect that the decision was made on the back of the TM saying it's too crowded, I'm not taking it, and sticking to his / her guns.
-I would also be pretty damn sure announcements would have been made on board before departure.
- Revenue staff would not have been on duty at that time on a Friday, and even if they had been, would not have been on a HST in the Thames Valley unless on their way home.
- This train is known to be rammed, Advance tickets are not sold for it.
- Last year it was planned to run two, one normal stops, one Seindon onwards within 5 minutes of each other on a Friday, staff were diagrammed for it, but the paths never materialised.
- From 15.45 onwards, all South Wales trains go to Swansea except the 23.30. They are half-hourly until 19.15, then hourly until 21.15, then 22.45 last Swansea.
-I would suspect that the decision was made on the back of the TM saying it's too crowded, I'm not taking it, and sticking to his / her guns.
-I would also be pretty damn sure announcements would have been made on board before departure.
- Revenue staff would not have been on duty at that time on a Friday, and even if they had been, would not have been on a HST in the Thames Valley unless on their way home.
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Andrewlong
Member
Back in 2012 when I commuted from Reading to Paddington, the availability of fast services to Reading was curtailed during rush hour and the 1803 was one of those that didn't 'stop' at Reading. When you are used to a 15 minute choice of trains Monday to Thursday, finding fewer trains on a Friday when people are in a hurry isn't great.
I never chanced getting on one of these non stopping trains but I can imagine there will be those will have figured out that train will stop at Reading and will do as they do very week.
The solution offered by FGW to the Reading commuter wanting to get a fast train was the 1818 fast DMU. It was noisy but you got a seat because I imagine when Reading commuters turned there noses up at a DMU preferring a HST instead.
Problem as usual is overcrowding on a Friday caused by an increase in demand by the casual traveller or people on business going home after working in London all week. I suspect numbers of Reading commuters to Paddington is down on Fridays because many choose to work from home. I could always get a seat on trains into Paddington on a Friday.
As a dyslexic person I can quiet easily see how someone might board the train. A commuter who usually works from home on a Friday. Given the numbers traveling 6 over carries could easily be people who made a mistake rather than knew the risks.
I was once was a train from Portsmouth where I was going to change at Woking. What I hadn't noticed was that the service was one of the very few not to stop at Woking. Most 17 minutes passed the hour services from Guildford stop at Woking but the 18.17 doesn't. I don't remember hearing an announcement saying it doesn't stop at Woking but there may have been one.
Some might say why should there be an announcement, given it lists the calling points. Well I'm dyslexic and mistakes can be made.
I was laughing at people stupidity until I read the train stops there Monday to Thursday. I though all Monday to Friday services would have the same stopping patterns these days.
In the past say 50 years ago, there were often different changes depending on which day it is but I thought things had become more standardised.
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Why is that? Does no one try to fare dodge then or is there no space to check for fare dodgers?
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The 19.00 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads arrived and departed at about the 19.15 service time anyway, so connections at Swindon
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The 19.15 is always like it on a Friday
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