• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

GWR's recent declining performance?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Parallel

Established Member
Joined
9 Dec 2013
Messages
3,929
The Bristol suburban stations could do with electronic display boards and announcements to be honest. How long they’d last, I don’t know but maybe something has been planned for when the Filton quad-track is completed or for MetroWest.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

PHILIPE

Veteran Member
Joined
14 Nov 2011
Messages
13,472
Location
Caerphilly
Currently 19 trains shown on GWR Journey Check showing toilets not available. The figure would have been higher earlier this morning but numbers decreasing as trains complete their journey
 

Dren Ahmeti

Member
Joined
17 Oct 2017
Messages
550
Location
Bristol
Air con?! You'll be lucky. GWR and predecessors have all been unwilling to fix the awful air con properly.
The air conditioning functions pretty well, when people don't (force) open the hoppers and the air con goes into overdrive trying to cool the hot air from outside.
This is what breaks the air con (by overheating).
 

Parallel

Established Member
Joined
9 Dec 2013
Messages
3,929
The air conditioning functions pretty well, when people don't (force) open the hoppers and the air con goes into overdrive trying to cool the hot air from outside.
This is what breaks the air con (by overheating).
I find normally the windows are only opened if the air conditioning is not working, or inaffective. Sometimes the aircon works leaving the first stop I.E Cardiff Central and then fails by the time the train gets to Filton. (Recent experience)
 

irish_rail

Established Member
Joined
30 Oct 2013
Messages
3,813
Location
Plymouth
I find normally the windows are only opened if the air conditioning is not working, or inaffective. Sometimes the aircon works leaving the first stop I.E Cardiff Central and then fails by the time the train gets to Filton. (Recent experience)
The trouble is there is always that one middle aged menopausal women (or man) who is too hot even when every one else is just right and insists on opening windows and then ruining the effect of the air conditioning.
 

Parallel

Established Member
Joined
9 Dec 2013
Messages
3,929
The trouble is there is always that one middle aged menopausal women (or man) who is too hot even when every one else is just right and insists on opening windows and then ruining the effect of the air conditioning.
Not possible on a GWR 158 as all windows are locked shut - The guards are usually the only ones that can open them.
 

Mugby

Established Member
Joined
25 Nov 2012
Messages
1,917
Location
Derby
The trouble is there is always that one middle aged menopausal women (or man) who is too hot even when every one else is just right and insists on opening windows and then ruining the effect of the air conditioning.

Perhaps not on 158s but this is annoyingly true on 150s, 153s, 156s etc., even in the depths of winter, there's always one!
 

45107

On Moderation
Joined
3 May 2014
Messages
311
Perhaps not on 158s but this is annoyingly true on 150s, 153s, 156s etc., even in the depths of winter, there's always one!
And these units are not fitted with air conditioning, so that is a completely different issue.
 

InterCity:125

Member
Joined
15 Jul 2018
Messages
352
Location
Bristol
The Bristol suburban stations could do with electronic display boards and announcements to be honest. How long they’d last, I don’t know but maybe something has been planned for when the Filton quad-track is completed or for MetroWest.
The only ones I know with displays are Clifton down and maybe avonmouth.
 

peter166

Member
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
227
Location
NW
Eventually was rescued from Trowbridge 189 mins late having caused over 3 hours of chaos.
Reports that the brakes had seized up.
1F37 20.30 Cardiff to Portsmouth just left Bristol TM at 23.14, so 110 mins late. First service to Trowbridge, Westbury & Salisbury in over 3 hours !!
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C40268/2018/08/08/advanced

20.48 Bristol to Weymouth delayed 157 mins & departed at 23.25. Not now due to arrive into Weymouth until 01.45 !
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C42997/2018/08/08/advanced
 
Last edited:

Warwick

Member
Joined
10 Apr 2018
Messages
353
Location
On the naughty step again.
Declining performance.
I travelled home on the 12.03 Paddington to Penzance to-day. I should have been on the earlier one but it had all gone pear shaped when I attempted to take the 10.25 from Horsham but that's not GWR. Never mind, it gave me the chance to have a decent lunch on the train as it's a Pullman - except it wasn't as the set had been swapped which I didn't find out until the train was pulling out and the buffet car attendant AKA customer host made an announcement to that effect. Because the train was the wrong war around it meant that I didn't have to pass the dining bit as I walked along to the basic class section of the train so I didn't notice. B***er!

Oh, I forgot to mention.....My journey to Horsham on Friday; Penzance - Reading - Gatwick Airport - Horsham resulted in one ticket check - at Horsham to get through the ticket barrier. My return Journey also resulted in one ticket check - to get through the ticket barrier at Horsham. At no other time was I asked for a ticket. The Penzance train departed off P1 at Paddington.
 
Last edited:

HantsExile

Member
Joined
22 Jun 2018
Messages
61
Terrible GWR journey yesterday (Fri). I was on 10.41 from Truro to London Paddington (pretty full) which failed at Plymouth with broken windscreen wiper. Situation not helped by faulty PA in some carriages so announcements and instructions not heard. Passengers from that train directed to join (pretty full) 12.55 from Plymouth to Paddington so very definitely 'full & standing' - I stood Plymouth to Reading. Departure then delayed due to points problem (and lack of driver) delaying failed train moving to depot, and lost further time en route due to 'being behind a Cross Country train'. Train Manager was fantastic, kept us informed and gave revised connections information for each station. Hoping for some Delay Repay but GWR scheme looks poor compared to SWR.
 

Parallel

Established Member
Joined
9 Dec 2013
Messages
3,929
Looks like there was a train heavily delayed (20:23 ex Portsmouth) from Filton last night due to ‘a fire on a train’ - Anyone have anymore info? Terminated at Newport an hour late.
 

43055

Established Member
Joined
8 Mar 2018
Messages
2,884
The 1900 and 2100 ex Bristol was cancelled last night leaving a large gap between 2000 and the last train at 2210. Luckily i got the 1800 but was still full and standing from Bristol leaving 14 minutes late, with no explanation on why the train was late in the first place as it was on time till Parsons street area.
 

Fearless

Member
Joined
7 Jul 2018
Messages
123
Location
North Somerset
According to the BBC travel pages, the disruption in the Cheltenham area was 'due to shortage of train crew'. True? Or just a standard excuse?
 

FGW_DID

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2011
Messages
2,724
Location
81E
According to the BBC travel pages, the disruption in the Cheltenham area was 'due to shortage of train crew'. True? Or just a standard excuse?

Standard excuse???? Are you saying it’s something different and they are blatantly lying?

28 (which includes all the cancelled Cheltenham services) of 33 HSS cancellations were down to ‘No Driver’
 

FGW_DID

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2011
Messages
2,724
Location
81E
Seeing as this thread just seems to have turned into “I made a train journey the other day and it was late!” Here’s mine:

I had occasion to travel into Paddington last Thursday & Friday for various events:

Thu (mid morning) 5 car 800 Hanborough- Paddington, very busy, stood till Oxford but then managed to get seats from there. Arrived 2 early and stood outside Paddington awaiting a platform. Actual arrival 2L
(Evening) HST: Paddington - Hanborough, again managed to get seats, running about 2L throughout the schedule until Oxford, RT at Hanborough.

Fri(mid afternoon) Turbo Oxford - Didcot, HST Didcot - Paddington, travelled in the coach with the Express Cafe. The three of us each had two seats to ourselves, over half the coach was empty. RT arrival at Paddington.
(Night) Turbo Paddington - Oxford, got seats in the declassified first section, train quite surprisingly wasn’t all that busy. Toilet was working thankfully 8-). Dropped to 4L at Reading but was 2E arrival at Oxford.

3 of 4 trains arrived RT or early.
The one train that arrived late was the 800 but before all the 800 haters rejoice, it made good time, arrived outside Paddington early and had to wait for a platform!
 

Fearless

Member
Joined
7 Jul 2018
Messages
123
Location
North Somerset
Standard excuse???? Are you saying it’s something different and they are blatantly lying?

28 (which includes all the cancelled Cheltenham services) of 33 HSS cancellations were down to ‘No Driver’

It's been mentioned before that sometimes the reason given for delay/cancellation is a case of 'that old chestnut', e.g. 'operational difficulties' (what exactly does that MEAN in each instance?). I was just asking if GWR is really that short of train crew. It looks like they are.
 

JN114

Established Member
Joined
28 Jun 2005
Messages
3,346
operational difficulties' (what exactly does that MEAN in each instance?).

That there are ~250 fixed reasons to choose from but none of them accurately convey what has actually happened, so something has to be put in to keep the huddled masses happy.
 

FGW_DID

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2011
Messages
2,724
Location
81E
was just asking if GWR is really that short of train crew. It looks like they are.

Plenty of Train Crew, I suppose to be 100% accurate it should read:

“A shortage of Train Crew available to work / that don’t want to work a Sunday/ rest day.
 

JN114

Established Member
Joined
28 Jun 2005
Messages
3,346
Plenty of Train Crew, I suppose to be 100% accurate it should read:

“A shortage of Train Crew available to work / that don’t want to work a Sunday/ rest day.

Unfortunately the bit in bold isn’t an acceptable wording to the powers that be...

Frustratingly before ATOC/RDG frigged around with all the reasons the wording used to be “A member of train crew being unavailable” - which neatly encapsulated all scenarios...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top