GWR's recent declining performance?

[PHILIPE]

All the headlines are being taken up by GTR and Northern, so GWR are managing to hide behind their woes instead of the appalling service coming out into the media

 

[PHILIPE]

Noticed on Journey Check multiple cancellations in the Gloucester area this evening involving Regional services due to shortage of train crew.

 

[TractiveEffort]

4 sets for Driver training today, 800005/800005 & 802001/802002, and enough sets to fulfil every passenger service offered up. One diagram today was a trip from SG to PAD and return, no other workings for the day. Hopefully, they can utilise that one and the 3 spare at LNP.

 

[fgwrich]

From a passengers point of view the IETs are not proving to be reliable either. I was on a set which terminated at Reading the other night due to a technical issue. Then overheard the wrangling between GWR and Hitachi over who would send a fitter out to fix it. And didn't. So whether GWR managed to get it working I don't know as I'd left on another service, but it's rather embarrassing for another 5 vice 10 car to give up in service. The Op Princess warnings were there, but we know how well they were listened too.

Still, Goes Wrong Repeatedly are at least living up to one thing. And to think that one of the reasons for the rebrand was to move away from some of their previous nicknames.

 

[fgwrich]

I know the plural of anecdote isn't "data", but,.. I get an early train from Basingstoke to Waterloo and it does seem that the first train from Reading to Basingstoke is listed as delayed more often than not recently, based on hearing the auto-announcer whilst waiting for my train. For commuters using that route it must be intensely frustrating!

As a regular commuter on that line it has become very frustrating lately. As you mention, a lot of the early services are more often than not running either late or find themselves to be cancelled all together. I've now been told that part of the reason for this is due to the sets forming some of the first 3 services from Reading coming off the depot together (3x165 then split in Reading station into 3 different services), however due to the long layout of the depot they can either end up in the wrong order / end / the wrong sets in the way etc (think of the new Reading Depot as like being a big game of Tetris). In part due to not enough staff, and due to other technical reasons. However it's becoming an all too frequent occurrence and having to apologise to my employers every other day is starting to wear a little thin.

 

[TractiveEffort]

From a passengers point of view the IETs are not proving to be reliable either. I was on a set which terminated at Reading the other night due to a technical issue. Then overheard the wrangling between GWR and Hitachi over who would send a fitter out to fix it. And didn't. So whether GWR managed to get it working I don't know as I'd left on another service, but it's rather embarrassing for another 5 vice 10 car to give up in service. The Op Princess warnings were there, but we know how well they were listened too.

Still, Goes Wrong Repeatedly are at least living up to one thing. And to think that one of the reasons for the rebrand was to move away from some of their previous nicknames.

There wouldn’t be any wrangling, GWR technical staff have no competencies on Hitachi trains, so don’t attend to them.

 

[Cardiff123]

Do we have any idea yet how bad the cancellations this Sunday are going to be?

No doubt if you ask GWR twitter you'll just get the standard response of "all scheduled services are expected to run".

I have no choice but to travel from Cardiff - London on Sunday and I'm dreading it. It'll be just my luck to find myself on a 5 car IET after a series of consecutive cancellations

 

[PHILIPE]

Do we have any idea yet how bad the cancellations this Sunday are going to be?

I have no choice but to travel from Cardiff - London on Sunday and I'm dreading it. It'll be just my luck to find myself on a 5 car IET after a series of consecutive cancellations

GWR will not announce anything until the day in order for them to try and resource the trains in the meantime.

 

[MizzyMoo]

The good bit of BASRE signalling update at Temple Meads are the staff information screens which are now on each platform island. Now when your train is late, can gaze in bewildered merriment as routes are set in direct contradiction to what the CIS says is going to happen, with CIS then bouncing through various physically impossible scenarios to be corrected just as the train actually arrives. Thankfully have so far managed to avoid 5-car IET rides to/from Paddington (partly by choosing to take a later train), but have seen far too many arriving full and standing, and there is still a general sigh of relief when an HST turns up instead.

The new improved 10mph layout aside, what really don't get are the departure delays that now seem to get repeatedly (often with advice of signalling related delays), when there is nothing else moving that could possible be in the way, and no obvious lack of train crew, train, etc. 18:27 on Monday as a case in point (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/basic/BRI/2018/07/02/1800), where ran in empty from the south a good ten minutes before departure, but still left six minutes late. The only thing that could have conflicted was the 18:20 to Taunton (which was cancelled at BTM without a driver), and the 18:30 to Leeds (which was far too far away (late) to affect anything). What's that all about?

 

[43096]

GWR will not announce anything until the day in order for them to try and resource the trains in the meantime.

And in all probability fail miserably yet again to do so.

 

[Parallel]

Two diagrams on the Bristol Parkway to Portsmouth circuit shown as being cancelled this afternoon due to ‘a fault on this train’ - What’s happened? Also, I guess everything else shortformed so no spare units to cover.

 

[FGW_DID]

As a regular commuter on that line it has become very frustrating lately. As you mention, a lot of the early services are more often than not running either late or find themselves to be cancelled all together. I've now been told that part of the reason for this is due to the sets forming some of the first 3 services from Reading coming off the depot together (3x165 then split in Reading station into 3 different services), however due to the long layout of the depot they can either end up in the wrong order / end / the wrong sets in the way etc (think of the new Reading Depot as like being a big game of Tetris). In part due to not enough staff, and due to other technical reasons. However it's becoming an all too frequent occurrence and having to apologise to my employers every other day is starting to wear a little thin.

Not quite right, some bits wide of the mark, there are other influences that are playing a major part in hampering our operations. I would love to have a rant about these but i’m not going to, at least not on here!

 

[Kite159]

Why do I picture tomorrow as going to be worse than a normal Sunday?

 

[Tim456]

Why do I picture tomorrow as going to be worse than a normal Sunday?

What qualifies as ‘normal’ for GWR on Sundays these days?

Every Sunday is exactly the same with a long list of cancellations and services starting/terminating short. The only thing that varies is which line(s) take the biggest hit alongside the South Wales mainline that always seems to bear the brunt of cancellations regardless of what engineering work is taking place.

 

[Cardiff123]

Why do I picture tomorrow as going to be worse than a normal Sunday?

What qualifies as ‘normal’ for GWR on Sundays these days?

Every Sunday is exactly the same with a long list of cancellations and services starting/terminating short. The only thing that varies is which line(s) take the biggest hit alongside the South Wales mainline that always seems to bear the brunt of cancellations regardless of what engineering work is taking place.

 

[Parallel]

The 18.13 from Bath today was advertised as having 9 coaches! MK III rake with an extra carriage? Quite rare for GWR. The London train departing an hour before was cancelled though due to a train fault, so swings and roundabouts I suppose.

The CIS at Bath gets really confused if the xx: 07 trains are running a few minutes late. It kept announcing the next train would be the 18.13 to Paddington when the delayed 18.07 was clearly in front of it. It’s really bad and should be sorted out as tourists board the train expecting to go to London and then have to get off at Bradford on Avon and wait for the train back to Bath.

 

[JN114]

The 18.13 from Bath today was advertised as having 9 coaches! MK III rake with an extra carriage? Quite rare for GWR. The London train departing an hour before was cancelled though due to a train fault, so swings and roundabouts I suppose.

800308

 

[cactustwirly]

Well there weren't any shortforms on the Henley branch this week, which I'm very glad about...

 

[Fearless]

Have they fixed the info screens at Paddington yet? When showing the info for IET services via Bath, where not all carriages are platformed, the text doesn't wrap to fit the screen - the crucial detail about which carriages you need to be in falls off the edge somewhere. Surely they'd have noticed that? I feel so sorry for overseas visitors who find themselves wondering why they can't get off the train at this World Heritage destination. (By the way, my first post - hello everybody!)

 

[TractiveEffort]

I wonder how many cancellations next week if England are in the final......

 

[fgwrich]

Not quite right, some bits wide of the mark, there are other influences that are playing a major part in hampering our operations. I would love to have a rant about these but i’m not going to, at least not on here!

Interesting, so not quite the case but not far from it. It's more operational than I thought then.

Well there weren't any shortforms on the Henley branch this week, which I'm very glad about...

Indeed - 7 Car Turbo formations today. Most of which where very well used and came in handy. It also revealed some interesting features of which I will post in either the dedicated Turbo thread or GW one.

 

[fgwrich]

Have they fixed the info screens at Paddington yet? When showing the info for IET services via Bath, where not all carriages are platformed, the text doesn't wrap to fit the screen - the crucial detail about which carriages you need to be in falls off the edge somewhere. Surely they'd have noticed that? I feel so sorry for overseas visitors who find themselves wondering why they can't get off the train at this World Heritage destination. (By the way, my first post - hello everybody!)

A warm welcome to the forum!


Unfortunately I've noticed the problem too, im not sure why the info seems to be dropping off the screens as of late - it is as you say a rather unhelpful feature.

 

[PHILIPE]

I wonder how many cancellations next week if England are in the final......

Where was the usual Saturday long list of HSS services today ?

 

[JN114]

Where was the usual Saturday long list of HSS services today ?

The work got covered. It’s too soon to say whether this is the tipping point back towards a normal service on weekends; but we can hope.

 

[railfan26]

Great example of GWR performance issue even replacments for Electrification are terrible.
The release of turbos on line has also been catastrophic started with driver training issues, then issues with door operation system in place , also turbos ate not fit for short stopping services.
The one plus is that capacity has increased .

Hi @Andy1066 what website is that from? Looks very useful

 

[Mag_seven]

The work got covered. It’s too soon to say whether this is the tipping point back towards a normal service on weekends; but we can hope.

Yes pleasantly surprised today at the low list of cancellations - but of course today is Saturday and tomorrow is "outside of the working week" Sunday......

 

[irish_rail]

I suspect if England fail to win Wednesday there will be a flood of offers last minute to work next Sunday. If England win midweek however don't think service stands a chence nxt Sunday!

 

[father_jack]

Hi @Andy1066 what website is that from? Looks very useful

I couldn't translate what he said into the queen's english so I don't think you have much hope of a source !!!

 

[father_jack]

Yes pleasantly surprised today at the low list of cancellations - but of course today is Saturday and tomorrow is "outside of the working week" Sunday......

I'd worry more about units running low on "gogo" juice than crew tomorrow.

 

[Kite159]

Well so far (as at 08:00) there is only 8 cancellations showing, 2 in Cornwall & 6 for Paddington - Bristol services