Is it possible GWR will run direct Paddington - Windsor service for royal wedding?

[JonathanH]

Four trains per hour on SWR. More here:

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/royal-wedding

So Waterloo to Reading trains diverted to Windsor and Waterloo to Weybridge trains diverted to Reading taking 99 minutes all stations via Hounslow. Shuttle Virginia Water to Weybridge.

 

[FGW_DID]

Every 20 minutes which is what it normally is, being basically one unit going back and forth with little layover.

As a 3 car unit is the norm in summer that's only 1/3 capacity uplift. I reckon they'll need some buses too.

It's normally a 2 car unit, so 4 cars is a 100% capacity increase.

I've definitely seen 3 in summer, quite regularly, unless they have stopped that.

The branch, which is probably seen as an insignificant twig by those who don't have experience of it, is probably the busiest "One engine in steam" branch in the country. Often run with a 3-car unit, which nevertheless at peak periods can have substantial standing. It's not just a tourist line, but a substantial commuter route, both for connections and for the local trip. Ever since the old Eton-Windsor bridge over the Thames was closed a generation ago it has formed a far more practical route between the two towns than the bus, which has to go round maybe three times the distance over the main road bridge, and due to traffic congestion can take considerably longer.

It's been 2 cars almost every time I've seen it!

Anyway I believe that 4 cars is the maximum that will fit down there, and 3tph is the maximum that can run.

The Slough / Windsor is always diagrammed for a two car 165. However if there is a need to longform (i.e. 3 vice 2) a 2 car diagram off the depot due to more 2 cars stopped than normal, then the Windsor diagram is always a favourite and usually first choice with the controllers.

 

[Adlington]

On a less technical note:

Sixty thousand chocolates and 1,000 boxes of confetti will be handed out to royal wedding train passengers when they alight at Windsor.

Great Western Railway (GWR) will give away the free goodies to "keep the party atmosphere going" for those travelling by rail on 19 May. The network operator warned travellers should arrive early due to "very high demand" and "sizeable" queues.

It added it would also provide 10,000 free bottles of water.

Eight trains will all arrive at Slough train station between 08:00 GMT and 09:30 GMT, where they will board Windsor shuttle trains. Rail travellers from London can use South Western Railway services from London Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside.Those travelling from the West, south Wales and the Cotswolds should change at Reading for services to Slough

BBC report

Something to watch: "Eight trains will all arrive at Slough train station [...] where they will board Windsor shuttle trains."
Royal wedding special - eight trains boarding shuttle trains??

 

[6Gman]

Come December, SWT from Windsor goes up to 4 an hour. Much more capacity.

Perhaps they could put the wedding back a few months?

 

[GW43125]

Perhaps they could put the wedding back a few months?

When I'm living halfway up the country so don't get caught in the resultant train chaos? Sounds good to me!

 

[7ftBroad]

Wait the annocment on Friday, we regret of no service tomorrow on Windsor route. The tree felling was organised last year and we hired a chainsaw as well. Why not visit next week it be less crowded

 

[Taunton]

It's actually not a bad walk from Slough station down through Eton and over the pedestrianised old bridge straight into Windsor. Takes about an hour, it's a dead straight walk due south along the old road which crosses the platforms at the west end of Slough station. If there are substantial queues for the shuttle, and with the roads jammed, likely as quick. You can see the trains on the GWML from the terraces up at Windsor Castle, if you know where to look.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I can't help but wonder if GWR will have train crew issues this Saturday like they do a lot of weekends. It'd be an absolute miracle if just 1 cancellation happened. They can't afford 1 cancellation unless it's because of something out of their control!

With the amount of people expected, I bet there'll be delays due to overcrowding - especially the services to and from Slough / Windsor & Eton Central given that 4 coaches GWR say is the maximum they can operate on the line.

Thankfully I'll be watching the Royal Wedding on TV this Saturday!

 

[tiptoptaff]

Travel advice seems to be from GWR that pax from London should use the SWR and pax from the West should change at Slough

 

[IainG81]

They seem to have a 3 coach train running now normally it's 2 coaches. Still think Waterloo, Richmond is the best way to go from London.

See what they do on Saturday. Love to see a direct service from Paddington. Doubt it will happen due to the Slough junction being east of platform 2, on a Saturday i would think a gap could be found to run it but i cant see it.

 

[JN114]

They seem to have a 3 coach train running now normally it's 2 coaches. Still think Waterloo, Richmond is the best way to go from London.

See what they do on Saturday. Love to see a direct service from Paddington. Doubt it will happen due to the Slough junction being east of platform 2, on a Saturday i would think a gap could be found to run it but i cant see it.

I can categorically guarantee there will not be any through services from Paddington to Windsor on Saturday.

A virtually normal Saturday timetable will be in operation; the only difference being a pair of units being used rather than a lone 2/3 car.

Last through train from Paddington to Windsor that I'm aware of was last Summer - the branch unit had broken down; there was an empty stock at Paddington booked to go to Old Oak; which we then commandeered to become the Windsor car. Due to other cancellations at the time decision was made why not just run it in Passenger service from Paddington, so we did, calling Slough only.

 

[6Gman]

BBC News has just announced that people should use public transport, but that "trains will not call at local stations" if the town is deemed to be at capacity.

Interesting to see trains passing through either Windsor station without calling ...

 

[IainG81]

This is what awaits people at Paddington

 

[Non Multi]

First Berkshire buses - https://twitter.com/firstberkshire/status/997137358725287936

We will be running a free shuttle service between Slough and Windsor on Saturday on behalf of @SloughCouncil @RBWM @firsttravelsol

The free shuttle bus service runs operates from 0600 from Slough, and until 1800 from Windsor Coach Park (next to Central Station).

 

[SWTrainspottin]

165120 - 165124 allocated for today's big day.

 

[IainG81]

Running a 4 coach train today it looks like.

 

[dk1]

Trains are absolutely heaving with 90-120 minute wait for trains earlier at Slough. By 09:30 Harry & Meghan Central had seen 4500 arrivals with Riverside station seeing 16000. Passengers still pouring in at 10:15.

 

[A Challenge]

It will be interesting to see total usage figures for the whole day!

 

[IainG81]

GWR say 6,600 have travelled between Slough and Windsor so far.

 

[43096]

Trains are absolutely heaving with 90-120 minute wait for trains earlier at Slough. By 09:30 Harry & Meghan Central had seen 4500 arrivals with Riverside station seeing 16000. Passengers still pouring in at 10:15.

SWR side workings appear to all be 10-car 707s, which makes sense from a capacity point of view. There’s also a 10-707 in Staines sidings, I assume this is a standby set for any issues.

 

[GW43125]

SWR side workings appear to all be 10-car 707s, which makes sense from a capacity point of view. There’s also a 10-707 in Staines sidings, I assume this is a standby set for any issues.

Correct. Original plan was to stable it in the up loop but they weren’t allowed due to a light 66 being stabled in the down loop (or so I’m told)

 

[Bessie]

Did it all go according to plan? I assume Slough East Car Park will return back to use by Monday as it was being used as a queuing/overspill system on Thurs/Fri.

 

[30909]

Did it all go according to plan? I assume Slough East Car Park will return back to use by Monday as it was being used as a queuing/overspill system on Thurs/Fri.

I think we can assume it did as there are no postings telling us of horrendous ques, delayed services, poor staff or passenger behaviour, wrong rollingstock, and or how it could have been managed so much better (irony!)

 

[A Challenge]

Next week's Paddington 24/7 is on the (GWR side of the) operation for the Royal Wedding.

 

[SWTrainspottin]

Next week's Paddington 24/7 is on the (GWR side of the) operation for the Royal Wedding.

By GWR side, what do you mean?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

By GWR side, what do you mean?

Filming the events happening at Central as opposed to Riverside I would think

 

[causton]

By GWR side, what do you mean?

Not the South Western Railway line to Windsor and Eton Riverside - as the Paddington series mostly focuses on GWR (as is expected by the title )

 

[A Challenge]

Not the South Western Railway line to Windsor and Eton Riverside - as the Paddington series mostly focuses on GWR (as is expected by the title )

Indeed - I did mean not SWR - at least I don't think it will cover it as its on Paddington (well and the rest of the Western Route)

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Next week's Paddington 24/7 is on the (GWR side of the) operation for the Royal Wedding.

Having now seen the show, a comment and a question.

- given the number of people being moved through a very constrained area at Windsor Central, was having 'fun' nameboards ('Harry and Meghan Central') at the station and unveiling a 'just married' sticker on the DMU really a good idea? It would seem people wanted to be photographed with these, causing congestion in an already very crowded station. (For the avoidance of doubt, yes, I am a miserable so and so. But offering 'fun' (free 'royal wedding' chocolates for example) is a good idea if it keeps people happy on the railway: offering 'fun' if it obstructs the smooth running of the railway isn't.)
- How were passengers got to platform 1 at Slough for the Windsor train? If I understood things correctly, it was barricaded off from the rest of the station, and all passengers were shepherded out of the front (platform 2) of the station to join a queuing system in the east (London end) car park. But how did they get passengers from the east car park on to platform 1?

 

[JN114]

How were passengers got to platform 1 at Slough for the Windsor train? If I understood things correctly, it was barricaded off from the rest of the station, and all passengers were shepherded out of the front (platform 2) of the station to join a queuing system in the east (London end) car park. But how did they get passengers from the east car park on to platform 1?

The platform was temporarily shortened to 4 car length; and a temporary gangway was installed across the track formation at the Buffer stops end to allow access into the fenced off zone.