FGW to convert First Class carriages

[jon0844]

That'll be for the people who want the comfort of a train, while still travelling by road.

 

[MCR247]

That'll be for the people who want the comfort of a train, while still travelling by road.

And for those who want to feel like they're travelling on a road* whilst they're actually on a train can use 142s!

*well travelling on a poor quality road on a poor quality bus

 

[CheshireCrusty]

Just seen a FGW coach on the back of a lorry heading North on the M6 near Carnforth.
Anything to do with this thread?
Going to Kilmarnock?

Interested to know if it came from South West England and whether its road journey from say Bristol to Carnforth or Plymouth to Kilmarnock was faster than the fastest passenger rail service available between those points? I suspect it was.http://www.railforums.co.uk/images/icons/icon7.gif

 

[Steve14]

I sat in one from PAD to Slough and it appears that the carriage has been divided up. So half of the carriage occupies a first class, the other half is standard class. There is partition and electric door which divides the two classes.

 

[pne]

I was on the 1006 from Paddington to Cornwall on Thu 16 April, and the first class compartment was full! There were perhaps three or four seats free, which surprised me for that direction at that time of the day.

No doubt due to the fact that there was only one first class coach (half of the one next to it had the yellow stripe outside, but that was the Pullman restaurant so not really general-purpose seating).

 

[Techniquest]

When did the renumbering of First Class coaches begin then? I happened to notice 46015 earlier on the 0955 Cardiff Central to London Paddington, didn't realise there were renumbered coaches about so was a bit surprised!

Couldn't see much of the inside of First Class but the headrests were very noticeable!

 

[hassaanhc]

When did the renumbering of First Class coaches begin then? I happened to notice 46015 earlier on the 0955 Cardiff Central to London Paddington, didn't realise there were renumbered coaches about so was a bit surprised!

Couldn't see much of the inside of First Class but the headrests were very noticeable!

I thought the 46xxx range was for the newly created mixed First and Standard composite coaches?

 

[Techniquest]

No idea, but this one was near the front of the train at least. To be honest all I know for sure is that it was the second coach behind the leading power car, it was a bit of a surprise so I was more interested in getting a pen out to write it down!

 

[g8396]

I thought the 46xxx range was for the newly created mixed First and Standard composite coaches?

They are indeed, not sure how many of them there are though

 

[GodAtum]

I was on the 1006 from Paddington to Cornwall on Thu 16 April, and the first class compartment was full! There were perhaps three or four seats free, which surprised me for that direction at that time of the day.

No doubt due to the fact that there was only one first class coach (half of the one next to it had the yellow stripe outside, but that was the Pullman restaurant so not really general-purpose seating).

That is extremely worrying. I hope I can get a seat from Paddington to Slough when I commute in the morning. I'll also be travelling to Plymouth Saturday morning but luckily have a reservation.

 

[Techniquest]

I suppose my main question now is how many are left to do?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They are indeed, not sure how many of them there are though

Five so far, including this week's deliveries I believe.

 

[DEE-DE]

So would you say it's worth upgrading with the new first class carriages? I'll be travelling on the 10:06 to Penzance on a Thursday in July. The tickets should be released tomorrow, which is why I am asking. In particular, I'm slightly worried about it being full, especially as I want to use the Pullman service and would have to return to my seat.

 

[CC 72100]

I wonder if some of the set formations are starting to become permanent again? - I just saw a set go by in which the first class coach at the far end had been re-lettered back to 'H', as per before the programme.

(Unless of course it was an old sticker that wasn't covered!)

 

[Goldfish62]

I was on the 1006 from Paddington to Cornwall on Thu 16 April, and the first class compartment was full! There were perhaps three or four seats free, which surprised me for that direction at that time of the day.

No doubt due to the fact that there was only one first class coach (half of the one next to it had the yellow stripe outside, but that was the Pullman restaurant so not really general-purpose seating).

I'm afraid that's normal. Then in the Summer there'll no doubt be the same situation as last year of 1st class passengers with open tickets having to stand as far as Exeter. But hey ho, we're told by some people that there's no problem with the reduction in 1st Class...

 

[jimm]

I'm afraid that's normal. Then in the Summer there'll no doubt be the same situation as last year of 1st class passengers with open tickets having to stand as far as Exeter. But hey ho, we're told by some people that there's no problem with the reduction in 1st Class...

You mean it's normal that it's full of people using first advances, which, despite all the doom-laden forecasts here and elsewhere, are still available on FGW at pretty reasonable rates, even with the allegedly catastrophic cut in first class accommodation which was going to mean the end of such tickets... all you are paying for, in any case, is one seat - not one seat surrounded by three empty ones.

And if I was able to afford to shell out hundreds of pounds for an open first, then I might also go to the trouble of reserving a seat while I was at it. Never mind that West Country services in the summer tend to be quite busy for some reason, so I wouldn't even contemplate using one most of the day, in either class, without a reservation.

Where I live in FGW-land, there has been absolutely no problem getting a seat in first class on HSTs in recent months, even in the peaks - because there were too many seats provided previously, compared with the number of tickets actually being sold.

When these changes were first announced, the prophets of doom were hard at it declaring there would be disaster on a daily basis the length and breadth of the FGW network - so by now there should surely be a lengthy list of trains that are suffering catastrophic problems with first class passengers going without a seat, week in, week out.

 

[Bishopstone]

I'm afraid that's normal. Then in the Summer there'll no doubt be the same situation as last year of 1st class passengers with open tickets having to stand as far as Exeter. But hey ho, we're told by some people that there's no problem with the reduction in 1st Class...

Nobody with an Open ticket in either class needs to stand, as they may use later services. If they absolutely had to travel on the 'full' service, they could have made a seat reservation without charge.

 

[Flamingo]

I'm afraid that's normal. Then in the Summer there'll no doubt be the same situation as last year of 1st class passengers with open tickets having to stand as far as Exeter. But hey ho, we're told by some people that there's no problem with the reduction in 1st Class...

One way to look at it is the chances of having 48 First Class ticket holders standing are quite slim, and an additional 80 odd standard class passengers now have seats.

If anybody has a First Class ticket and they can't get a seat in First Class, they can still sit in Standard Class (if available) and get the balance refunded, or (as is the way with a "Turn up and travel" railway) wait until there is a service they can board and get a seat on.

I don't remember seeing anything in the NRCoC saying that a non-reserved First Class ticket was guaranteed a seat any more than a non-reserved Standard Class ticket.

 

[Goldfish62]

You mean it's normal that it's full of people using first advances, which, despite all the doom-laden forecasts here and elsewhere, are still available on FGW at pretty reasonable rates, even with the allegedly catastrophic cut in first class accommodation which was going to mean the end of such tickets... all you are paying for, in any case, is one seat - not one seat surrounded by three empty ones.

And if I was able to afford to shell out hundreds of pounds for an open first, then I might also go to the trouble of reserving a seat while I was at it. Never mind that West Country services in the summer tend to be quite busy for some reason, so I wouldn't even contemplate using one most of the day, in either class, without a reservation.

Where I live in FGW-land, there has been absolutely no problem getting a seat in first class on HSTs in recent months, even in the peaks - because there were too many seats provided previously, compared with the number of tickets actually being sold.

When these changes were first announced, the prophets of doom were hard at it declaring there would be disaster on a daily basis the length and breadth of the FGW network - so by now there should surely be a lengthy list of trains that are suffering catastrophic problems with first class passengers going without a seat, week in, week out.

Perhaps you should talk to some of my train manager mates who have to work these trains then, and tell them they've got it all wrong.

 

[Retorus]

Nobody with an Open ticket in either class needs to stand, as they may use later services. If they absolutely had to travel on the 'full' service, they could have made a seat reservation without charge.

Shhh, don't ruin his moan with your darn logic.

 

[jimm]

Perhaps you should talk to some of my train manager mates who have to work these trains then, and tell them they've got it all wrong.

Perhaps you should tell us what your mates are telling you... because I have yet to see or hear or read anything that tells me there is a persistent problem with first class overcrowding following FGW's changes to the HSTs.

Do the FGW TMs posting here have any observations based on their own experiences?

 

[Flamingo]

Perhaps you should tell us what your mates are telling you... because I have yet to see or hear or read anything that tells me there is a persistent problem with first class overcrowding following FGW's changes to the HSTs.

Do the FGW TMs posting here have any observations based on their own experiences?

Bar a limited availability of Weekend First on some trains (where there have been Std Class seats available), then I have seen no problems. People who have been used to getting a table of four to themselves are finding some problems as they are having to share, and I have requested that passengers travelling solo (esp on Weekend First) might want to move to a solo seat from a table to make way for groups (or avoid having to share) but no overall problems on trains I work yet.

 

[Starmill]

First Advances are now available on Cotswold Line trains from London where none in either class used to be. Due to other and well-documented changes to walk-up tickets of course, but still amusing that it has now become cheap enough for me to book it!

 

[bnm]

Perhaps you should tell us what your mates are telling you... because I have yet to see or hear or read anything that tells me there is a persistent problem with first class overcrowding following FGW's changes to the HSTs.

You're not commuting from Maidenhead then. Full and standing in 1st on both the 0708 and 0759 on a regular basis.

Same goes for the 1749 return.

 

[Starmill]

You're not commuting from Maidenhead then. Full and standing in 1st on both the 0708 and 0759 on a regular basis.

Same goes for the 1749 return.

And how many seats are available in Standard...?

 

[Bishopstone]

Bar a limited availability of Weekend First on some trains (where there have been Std Class seats available), then I have seen no problems. People who have been used to getting a table of four to themselves are finding some problems as they are having to share, and I have requested that passengers travelling solo (esp on Weekend First) might want to move to a solo seat from a table to make way for groups (or avoid having to share) but no overall problems on trains I work yet.

Having to share a four (or horror, a two!) presents problems for some First Class ticket holders.

Just last week, a bloke gave me daggers when I asked him to shift his bag from the adjoining seat in a 377. There are also a couple (husband and wife) I regularly commute with, who are very territorial about occupying a four between them and not freeing the two spare seats, no matter how crowded or short-formed the train is.

 

[CC 72100]

Bar a limited availability of Weekend First on some trains (where there have been Std Class seats available), then I have seen no problems.

I must admit, since the programme I don't think I've heard 'Weekend First' being mentioned on the trains that I've used.

I imagine that if there is a squeeze on first class capacity (whether that means to such an extent that there are no seats available or not I don't know) that it is more likely on Pad - West Country and South West than on the Bristol/Cardiff/Swansea trains, hence why I've not found it being offered, using only the former.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Having to share a four (or horror, a two!) presents problems for some First Class ticket holders.

Just last week, a bloke gave me daggers when I asked him to shift his bag from the adjoining seat in a 377. There are also a couple (husband and wife) I regularly commute with, who are very territorial about occupying a four between them and not freeing the two spare seats, no matter how crowded or short-formed the train is.

Such people get told, not asked, to shift (assuming the polite request fails). You don't get to save seats other than by way of the seat reservation system if provided. Not even if your colleague is going to be there in 5 minutes.

 

[Kite159]

Such people get told, not asked, to shift (assuming the polite request fails). You don't get to save seats other than by way of the seat reservation system if provided. Not even if your colleague is going to be there in 5 minutes.

Although how many times has someone used "my friend/colleague" is coming on at station X as an excuse not to have someone sitting next to them?

 

[Bishopstone]

Such people get told, not asked, to shift (assuming the polite request fails). You don't get to save seats other than by way of the seat reservation system if provided. Not even if your colleague is going to be there in 5 minutes.

Indeed.

I must admit, as someone who puts his bag on the overhead rack when the passenger loading exceeds 30%, I feel mildly disgruntled when I end-up with someone sat next to me - typically an armrest hogger with a laptop - whilst the hardcore bags-on-seats brigade brazen it out.

The reason people deploy the bag ruse is rational: most of the time, it works.