FGW rumours

[jon0844]

At least then passengers would know exactly where they stand on every journey on FGW

The vestibule?! Outside the toilet?

 

[Suraggu]

I've heard we're putting an RPI on every train, with instructions for zero tolerance, NRCoC applied for every ticket, regardless of excuses, with a target of 100 PF's a week...

I thought the old Revenue Protection Manager for the central region (not sure if he got sacked after that incident) wanted that on every station, every train and every toilet.

 

[ainsworth74]

The vestibule?! Outside the toilet?

Is it a first class vestibule or not? That's the important question!

 

[JaJaWa]

I did wonder when I saw this earlier if it means the line will be re-branded as Great Western Railway and the First name/logo dropped? Perhaps showing that the new IEP stock will just have the DfT-style livery - and maybe the HSTs getting that same livery even before?

This image is used on Ray Stenning's Best Impressions website:

 

[Busaholic]

I've heard we're putting an RPI on every train, with instructions for zero tolerance, NRCoC applied for every ticket, regardless of excuses, with a target of 100 PF's a week...

All 'customers' are Guilty until proven Innocent, the RPI being judge and jury on the matter. Hedge-fund managers won't be bound by this, of course, and will be given 100% tolerance and a chauffeur-driven car home from Paddington.

 

[Parallel]

I quite like the current FGW liveries, but if they somehow manage to hold on to the franchise I think rebranding is a good idea. It's currently a joke to a lot of people down here about how late some of the trains run (Worst Late Western) and how tired the stock is (I actually encountered the yellow and black hazard tape again today, this time holding a bin to the wall on a 150) so new start with new inter city stock and refurbishment of old stock may be better for both passengers' perceptions and the company image!

 

[387star]

I quite like the current FGW liveries, but if they somehow manage to hold on to the franchise I think rebranding is a good idea. It's currently a joke to a lot of people down here about how late some of the trains run (Worst Late Western) and how tired the stock is ( I actually encountered the yellow and black hazard tape again today, this time holding a bin to the wall on a 150) so new start with new inter city stock and refurbishment of old stock may be better for both passengers' perceptions and the company image!

Nothing new there

 

[21C101]

We've still not heard any more explanation about the absurd sounding idea to turn the class 153s into a latter day diesel version of a Motor Luggage Van.

Has someone decided to run boat trains from Bristol to Weymouth for people moving house, has Red Star risen from the dead. We await the explanation with bated breath (and not a little cynicsm).....

 

[paulravuslante]

I've heard we're putting an RPI on every train, with instructions for zero tolerance, NRCoC applied for every ticket, regardless of excuses, with a target of 100 PF's a week...

Wouldn't surprise me. The ticket gates at Paddington for the long-distance services are generally in operation 24/7 as of this week. And a number of Turbo services I've used lately have a ticket checker on board. Seems like a big crackdown on fare evasion at the moment.

 

[jon0844]

I do hope FGW has been keeping the forum admins informed of their plans, so the servers can be upgraded to cope with the influx of new posts from people who 'normally buy a ticket'.

 

[hassaanhc]

Wouldn't surprise me. The ticket gates at Paddington for the long-distance services are generally in operation 24/7 as of this week. And a number of Turbo services I've used lately have a ticket checker on board. Seems like a big crackdown on fare evasion at the moment.

The only two times I've used the stopping service from Southall to Reading, both in the last three months, an RPI has boarded at Slough and stayed on towards Reading.
A few days ago on the 1552 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill, there was a ticket check immediately after leaving Paddington. Then the 1701 from Oxford to Paddington again had it immediately after leaving Oxford.
Not seen a revenue block at Southall recently.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I quite like the current FGW liveries, but if they somehow manage to hold on to the franchise I think rebranding is a good idea. It's currently a joke to a lot of people down here about how late some of the trains run (Worst Late Western) and how tired the stock is (I actually encountered the yellow and black hazard tape again today, this time holding a bin to the wall on a 150) so new start with new inter city stock and refurbishment of old stock may be better for both passengers' perceptions and the company image!

There do seem to be random delays on the relief lines both leaving Paddington and from Reading towards Paddington. 2-3 minutes is the norm but can reach 10 minutes sometimes. No idea what is causing them, but whatever it is doesn't help.
The wedged trains are also annoying, but much could be done with regards to strengthening as the stock isn't available. I do think the 2tph that stops at Ealing Broadway and Hayes & Harlington but not Southall should stop there, which will help reduce pressure on the 4tph already available.

 

[Mojo]

I quite like the current FGW liveries, but if they somehow manage to hold on to the franchise I think rebranding is a good idea. It's currently a joke to a lot of people down here about how late some of the trains run (Worst Late Western) and how tired the stock is (I actually encountered the yellow and black hazard tape again today, this time holding a bin to the wall on a 150) so new start with new inter city stock and refurbishment of old stock may be better for both passengers' perceptions and the company image!

But hazard tape fixes EVERYTHING on the railway

 

[TEW]

Wouldn't surprise me. The ticket gates at Paddington for the long-distance services are generally in operation 24/7 as of this week. And a number of Turbo services I've used lately have a ticket checker on board. Seems like a big crackdown on fare evasion at the moment.

There has been a bit of a crackdown on revenue with longer barrier operating times at many stations.

 

[Central Trains]

There has been a bit of a crackdown on revenue with longer barrier operating times at many stations.

Yes I was rather surprised to find Bristol Temple Meads gateline still in operation at 23.00 on Thursday night.

 

[Hadders]

Let's hope that the staff operating the additional checks have a decent knowledge of ticketing matters.

I hope we don't see threads on here about people being denied travel with (valid) long distance off-peak tickets on evening peak departures from Paddington.

 

[thelongestroad]

It's currently a joke to a lot of people down here about how late some of the trains run (Worst Late Western)

This isn't necessarily systematic of it being run by First though.

You could have Virgin, DB, Shirleys Sexy Trains.... not much will change.

 

[Xavi]

On Saturday 23 August there were 3 revenue staff at Digby & Sowton and 8 at Topsham. Well done FGW for deploying these extra staff for the Topsham Carnival and collecting a huge amount of revenue. The public appreciated the chance to pay for their travel even though there were queues 50 deep. It was also a great demonstration of what a huge asset to the area and local economy the Exmouth line is; 3-car 150927 resembled the Central Line at 5pm! It's going to get even busier with Newcourt opening soon. To think this route was proposed for closure under Beeching. Sadly many others that would have thrived (Sidmouth is a great example) were closed.

I am sure there were similar revenue arrangements for the Dawlish Air Show earlier in the day.

 

[21C101]

On Saturday 23 August there were 3 revenue staff at Digby & Sowton and 8 at Topsham. Well done FGW for deploying these extra staff for the Topsham Carnival and collecting a huge amount of revenue. The public appreciated the chance to pay for their travel even though there were queues 50 deep. It was also a great demonstration of what a huge asset to the area and local economy the Exmouth line is; 3-car 150927 resembled the Central Line at 5pm! It's going to get even busier with Newcourt opening soon. To think this route was proposed for closure under Beeching. Sadly many others that would have thrived (Sidmouth is a great example) were closed.

I am sure there were similar revenue arrangements for the Dawlish Air Show earlier in the day.

I'm not convinced about Sidmouth. The local nimbies insisted that the station was built at the top of a hill a mile out of town to deter working class day trippers foir fear of lowering the tone of the place. So there was a choice of direct bus to exeter from the town centre or walk a mile to get a train to Sidmouth junction and wait there half an hour for a train to Exeter.

I think Budleigh Salterton to Exmouth should have been retained though as an extension of the Exmouth service.

 

[Xavi]

I'm not convinced about Sidmouth. The local nimbies insisted that the station was built at the top of a hill a mile out of town to deter working class day trippers foir fear of lowering the tone of the place. So there was a choice of direct bus to exeter from the town centre or walk a mile to get a train to Sidmouth junction and wait there half an hour for a train to Exeter.

I think Budleigh Salterton to Exmouth should have been retained though as an extension of the Exmouth service.

Ottery St Mary has expanded considerably and had the convenience of a rail service been retained then it would have been greater still. Serving the similarly expanded Feniton (formerly Sidmouth Jnc), Whimple, Pinhoe and the new Cranbrook as part of the Sidmouth branch would have been beneficial too enabling Waterloo trains to operate fast from Honiton to Exeter. Sidmouth (agree station location was not great) itself would have been a small part of the total traffic. The very central location of Exeter Central and the employment there is what makes local rail access to Exeter so popular.

 

[Flamingo]

Yes I was rather surprised to find Bristol Temple Meads gateline still in operation at 23.00 on Thursday night.

Lots of people are

 

[387star]

A FGW 150/9 is going around with 'First Great We tern' branding at the moment... Been like that several weeks must be short of the letter 'S' at the depot

I have heard from a work colleague if Cardiff to Pompey get the turbos 158s will most likely go back to Devon and Cornwall

 

[HowardGWR]

Yes I was rather surprised to find Bristol Temple Meads gateline still in operation at 23.00 on Thursday night.

There was a shaming letter in the local press from a chap who gets on at Severn Beach and gets out at TM and never pays and this was followed up by several others from people who would like to pay but are not even offered the opportunity - and it's only two quid!

 

[DaveHarries]

If they have the spare diesel stock to convert trains into luggage vans and swap 2 coach trains with 1 coach trains, the stock can be better utilised elsewhere. I hope the DFT immediately stops the hire of SWT units and also forces them to forfeit some units for franchises where they would be used for passenger accommodation, if FGW actually try this.

Each to their own. As a user of the Severn Beach Line I would gladly see the back of the 2-car Class 150s. We did get 158s in the morning peak until fairly recently: sometimes 2-car, sometimes 3-car and I personally found them quieter and better to travel on.

I heard a rumour at one point last year that at least some of the 165s and 166s were to be deposed from the local services around Reading and possibly sent west! As for the 153s I would keep the 153s for passenger use and convert the 150s to be half-bike rack and half seating: could be used as the middle of 3 carriages. Would cause less irritation on some of the trains I use on the SBL.

Dave

 

[swt_passenger]

There was a shaming letter in the local press from a chap who gets on at Severn Beach and gets out at TM and never pays and this was followed up by several others from people who would like to pay but are not even offered the opportunity - and it's only two quid!

I saw that letter. Odd that he says he 'just walks off at Bristol'. Isn't Temple Meads normally barriered at peak times?

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I heard a rumour at one point last year that at least some of the 165s and 166s were to be deposed from the local services around Reading and possibly sent west!

Not a rumour at all, it is a fairly detailed plan published in the CP5 enhancement plans by NR, called "West of England DMU Capability Works"; project W009.

CP5 output driver
To provide infrastructure capability enhancements to enable operation of cascaded DMUs from the Thames Valley to the West Country.
Scope of works
The constituent parts of the infrastructure capability works are as follows:
 gauge clearance for the cascaded Class 165 and 166 DMU fleet; and
 a review of station operations at all stations where cascaded DMU trains are due to stop; this may result in platform extensions; selective door opening; revisions to permissive working for attaching; detaching; platform sharing arrangements and alterations to signal controls and signal locations to deal with changes to train operations.
The project is in the early stage of scoping and DfT, Network Rail and FGW have determined that the phased cascade of Class 165 and 166 units will operate over the following routes:
Group 1 – Core routes (clearance required by December 2016)
 Bristol Temple Meads (BTM) to Cardiff Central.
 Avonmouth to Bristol Parkway plus the Filton chords.
 BTM to Portsmouth.
 BTM to Worcester (including Gloucester).
 Bristol TM to Weymouth.
 BTM to Severn Beach.
 BTM to Portishead (*noting MetroWest Phase 1 proposals).
 BTM to Exeter St Davids (including Weston–super-Mare).
 Routes to and from Bristol St Phillips Marsh depot.
 Swindon to Standish junction.
 Swindon to Salisbury.
 Brighton to Portsmouth.
 Southampton to Poole.

There are later parts to the project, but that's the bulk of it.

 

[ValleyLines142]

The issue I've got with the Turbos on Cardiff to Portsmouth duties is that they'd need a huge refurb, with PROPER tables (not just the silly bits of plastic that can barely hold a cup of coffee!) and preferably plug sockets, as journey times are hitting close to four hours end to end. They couldn't be used in the standard they are at the moment on the Thames Valley commuter stoppers (although knowing FGW they probably won't do anything about it anyway!)

 

[bnm]

(although knowing FGW they probably won't do anything about it anyway!)

Who's to say it'll be FGW running the services come the time of a potential cascade?

 

[jon0844]

Lots of people are

That's you that is.

 

[D2022]

I heard a rumour FGW are rubbish. Is that true too?

 

[Flamingo]

Latest rumour I heard is that the platform staff at a large station play strip-poker between trains, and one had to dispatch a train just wearing a High Vis vest and safety shoes due to a particularly bad run of cards...

 

[richw]

I heard a rumour FGW are rubbish. Is that true too?

They are much improved from 5 years ago in the South West.
Their customer service is shocking though, and you even get 3 different answers to a Yes/No question if you speak to 3 different people!