Fuming at First!

[heart-of-wessex]

Hi all,

Yesterday me and DJC_158 had a geat day spotting in london, however crumbled on the way back! We had to get a 2045 Paddington - BTM HST (why is there no 2015) to Chippenham due in at 2200 and was able to get the 2210 234 Chippenham - Melksham bus. 43009 left on time racing out then stopped at Hayes & Harlington (pressumibly for a red light) and we thought it was either a HEX (and a very slow one!!), a Class 7 freight put in front or the signalman forgot to set the route. after 3 minutes we were away with what seemed like greens all to reading. People started getting on/off as slow as possible, already 5 down at Reading, then away to Didcot full whack. Same again at Didcot, people started getting on slowly leaving doors open and at this time we were due into Chippenham at 2207, we left powering to Swindon and on the way the guard said we were due into BTM at 2220...2220?? by my calculations that would mean if we are to arrive at Chippenham at 2207 it would have to take no more than 1 minute from Chippenham - Bath for a 2220 arrival at BTM!!

Anyway we stayed on to Bath Spa to get the 2300 Bus from Bath - Melksham instead, didnt pay for a single to Bath as twice the guard came to our carridge and ran away to do the doors each time (not that I wanted to pay for their delays) but what REALLY got me fuming was:

- We were 10 down nearly all the way, especially at Chippenham/Bath
- The guard made NO apologies OR a reason why we were late, but yet he couldn't apologise enough that there was no buffet on board
- And whats really annoying is the 2211 Swindon - Westbury no longer runs!! If this was Wessex days we would of got on that back home, alot easier!!


Anyway really annoyed with FGW's services at the moment, ill be like Julian W. soon


cheers,
James.

 

[devon_metro]

But none of that was firsts fault and 10 minutes isn't exactly much of a delay.

Do the BTM trains not leave at xx.00 and xx.30 or have they gone back to xx.15 and xx.45?

 

[Tom]

10 min on FGW HSS doesn't go against their PPM.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

PPM?

well ok its not entirely First fault but no apologies from the guard or any updates is low customer service skills!

Plus 10mins is late, when the last bus has left! plus we couldnt leave any earlier anyway

 

[Guinness]

10 minutes lateness is quite good compared to experiences I've had with them and the stories I've read....

 

[heart-of-wessex]

well I've learnt my lesson..never take public transport to a station

 

[Dennis]

How about dropping First an e-mail (cc the local paper and your MP)suggesting that some degree of integration between the trains from Bath or Chippenham to Melksham might be an idea now that the train service has been decimated.

 

[yorkie]

The thing is, what matters is the actual delay experienced by a passenger to their ultimate destination, regardless of whether or not the initial delay was as little as 10 minutes.

The problem here is that the bus/train is not integrated - it should be.

If you had a ticket from Melksham, and it was a train you were getting, and they failed to hold the train, they'd be liable to get you back. But as it's a bus involved, they aren't - it's at your own cost/risk that you attempt the connection.

I am fortunate in that I live near a main station, and am able to make my own way to/from the station so I don't need to rely on bus connections.

In the past 3½ months I have caught 95 trains, and average 1.6 minutes delay per train, so 10 minutes isn't really that typical. (the average delay falls to only 1 minute when FGW trains are removed from my total though! )

 

[Nat the Ned]

10 minutes late and you are moaning?? At least you had a train!! Over the First Group Rail Division on Tuesday there were 122 cancellations. Yes, 122 services cancelled in one day. About time the DfT sorted this shower out..... First for the future but only if you support road transport....

 

[16CSVT2700]

Delays?
What delays? I don't bother with delays, more time on the train to doss as far as I'm concerned, unless I'm trying to get somewhere important, that's when I get a tad mardy

 

[AlexS]

Or if you're on the platform in the cold waiting for it!

Only time I've been happy to wait for a 1.5 hour delay was for one of Virgin's last HSTs to Brum from Bristol, purely because the Voyagers I hadnt reserved on looked like death traps with people hanging out the crumple zone.

 

[Jim]

10 minutes late and you are moaning?? At least you had a train!! Over the First Group Rail Division on Tuesday there were 122 cancellations. Yes, 122 services cancelled in one day. About time the DfT sorted this shower out..... First for the future but only if you support road transport....

122!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Yes I am moaning at 10 minutes..put it this way. If First Bus didnt run the 2300 from Bath we WOULD be stuck at Chippenham, forced to either walk the 7 miles to Melksham or an expensive Taxi!

Well the 2045 wasnt really a choice, according to the ticket woman at Chippenham we could not leave Paddington between 1700 (or was it 1600) and 2000 this the 1956 to Weston bound HST wasn't a plan we would try (well we could of tried it if our C stock didn't stop in the tunnel for 8 minutes, arriving to padd at 1954).

The 234 does connect with some trains, not all, and sometimes run up to the station itself. IF the bus did go to Chippenham station we could of got it but unfortunatly First Bus dont show which buses do go to the station, another suggestion I'd make to First.

 

[Jim]

The 234 does connect with some trains, not all, and sometimes run up to the station itself. IF the bus did go to Chippenham station we could of got it but unfortunatly First Bus dont show which buses do go to the station, another suggestion I'd make to First.

Not sure where you got that last comment from, I know roughly by heart what does & doesn';t