I have contacted GWR directly and received two standard letters that do not actually say much, beyond a very vague general apology.
I agree that the 17-30 from Paddington is an odd choice for travel to Taunton, my first recent trip on this service was for the "novelty value" in order to see what the new trains are like.
Several subsequent trips were to take advantage of the much lower fare* payable on this service, EVERY trip was a half length unit.
I have now learnt my lesson and reverted to the 18-03, despite the much higher fare*
The 18-03 is still a proper 8 car train with padded seats, a buffet, reservations, and even a restaurant. That however is only a short term answer since all long distance GWR services are to be downgraded to DMUs, and presumably the risk of a 5 car on a busy service.
I appreciate that my views place me in a minority, and that many forum members strongly support the new trains.
Outside of the rail industry and these forums, views are less positive.
*The full open fare is of course the same on both services. However heavily discounted advance tickets may be purchased for the slow train. Discounts are very limited on the busy 18-03.
I was at Reading last night to travel to Swindon, and just missed the 1730 Padd which was a 10 car IET. The 1742 Padd Cheltenham doesn't stop at Reading, the 1745 Padd Swansea was cancelled, so I ended up on the 1800 Padd "Bristolian", which was also a 10 car IET. This would have had the Swindon passengers who had missed the 1742 at Paddington and a double load of Reading to Swindon passengers. Despite this my coach H which was 2nd from the front was only 20% occupied, I had a table to myself, the table opposite was also unoccupied, and I was highly impressed by the 10 min 29 secs journey time from Reading to Didcot Parkway start to stop for 17 1/4 miles. Given that the 1730 leaves Paddington too early for many people to reach it after working in other parts of London, I remain to be convinced that a 5 car IET cannot handle the load, at least after Reading. There are often unoccupied seats on busy trains between Paddington and Reading, but people cannot reach them because of the number of Reading commuters standing in the vestibules who can't be bothered to sit down.
I don't understand the "downgraded to DMUs" comment, whilst in the diesel powered coaches you can hear the engines clearly during acceleration, once you get up to speed you can't hear them. The first time I experienced a "mode change" at 120 mph after Taplow, I had to listen very carefully to hear the diesels powering up, had I not been paying attention I definitely wouldn't have noticed it. The 1803 will continue to have its restaurant car after the IETs take it over later in the year, and this is something of which GWR is justifiably proud. There is already an IET restaurant car on the South Wales route.
You mention the risk of a 5 car on a busy service, as others have also commented, there is also the risk of busy services being cancelled completely, as happened with the 1745 last night.
I was interested in your comment on Advance Fare availability, surely if there are so many advance fares available that would indicate that the 1730 is not a busy train.
On the subject of positive views about the IETs between forum members, the rail industry and the general public, my experience is the opposite of what you have described. In my local pub in Stoke Gifford, my former railway background is known, and I meet many people who use the railway to get to Temple Meads, London, Swindon, Gloucester, Cheltenham and one who goes to Carmarthen on a weekly basis. Yes they do comment on the seats on the "new trains" being harder, but not in a particularly critical way, and they are more unhappy about how rough riding the "old trains" (HSTs) have become recently. This is quite important if you are trying to use a tablet and inadvertently touch the screen in the wrong place! I have to say most of the complaints I hear in the pub are about the state of the local services in and around the Bristol area. On the rail staff side some of the catering staff are extremely unhappy about having their buffets taken away and being made to pull a heavy trolley through the train continually.
We have to remember that the IET introduction is only one aspect of a revolution throughout GWR the size of which I have never experienced. 8 car 387s replacing Turbos between Paddington and Didcot, Turbos cascaded to Bristol, the effects of Crossrail and the introduction of the European Train Control System to just pick a few. This is being done against a background of modern financial pressures and Health and Safety legislation which were not generally comparable with those under BR.
To sum up the whole of the GWR network is not in a place anyone wants it to be at present, Hitachi/Agility Trains, GWR and their respective staff, the Government, politicians national and local of all persuaions, and of course the passengers. We just have to be patient.
