the 'staff' have little choice but to fill the trains to their capacity when there are such high numbers of people attempting to travel.
Agreed - but in this case the 'staff' seemed to show little concern about the state of this train or the waiting passengers.
The train arrived at the far end of the platform some 15 mins before departure time, some passengers set off in that direction to board the train but were herded away by station staff. The train sat there with the driver (apparently) just having a conversation with someone on the platform.
The train finally moved up to the area where the would be passengers were waiting some 2 minutes after its scheduled departure time. This then produced a disorganised scrum to board the already late train. If the train had been moved up earlier, passengers/grannies/buggies/bikes/luggage could have been boarded in a much more sensible manner.
As many will tell you, some commuters travel in those conditions every day
Indeed ! had this been the 1730 out of Cardiff/Bristol/Southampton on a weekday, I would have expected it to be packed - but the trains on this whole route are totally inadequate, and have been for years and are now regularly overcrowded even in the "quiet" times of the day. This lack of rolling stock is not generally the fault of the TOC - but (and I have seen others daring to mention this on this forum) there seems to be a lack of will/interest by
some railway staff to do even the simplest of things to help alleviate the problem.
There
may have been an announcement to explain what was going on but with every announcement being made twice (in English & Welsh) it was nigh on impossible to discern what was an important announcement and what was dross about unattended bags from the almost non stop babble from the loudspeakers. (The US Air Force proved years ago that the more audio information you are given the less you will actually take in)
On the journey earlier in the day to Cardiff, there was a minor incident which really typifies my point.
We arrived at Westbury on a train from Southampton. According to the timetable this train terminated at Westbury, as the train came to a stop, "all change" was announced. By this time the train was nearly 25 mins late - I had already rung the person in Cardiff I was meeting and told him that I had probably missed my (8 min) connection at Westbury. Every one gets off and most then look to see where the Temple Meads train is leaving from. Good news - same platform ! then after a couple of minutes confusion it appears that the train we have just got off is actually the one going to Temple Meads - so we all get back on again.
1. Why is none of this reflected in the timetable ?
2. Why didn't someone on the train/platform tell us to stay put ?
Very minor points, but when this sort of thing happens several times on a journey even the most placid/good natured traveller starts getting a little frayed around the edges.
I like travelling by train - but it both annoys and saddens me when I have to "endure" a trip like the one to/from Cardiff