More FGW entertainment......

[Nat the Ned]

Today it was the turn of 57604 to stop working (DSD fault). 57304 piloted the train to Penzance, pretty much two hours late. Popped down the road for a pic.

Its also of note FGW have cancelled the 07:10 BTM to PAD every day this week...


N

 

[Dennis]

What a lovely viaduct.

 

[WessexWarrior]

What a lovely viaduct.

I was thinking that.

'lol' at FGW.

 

[CraigS]

MMMM........

It is a nice viaduct. Nice pic aswell.

FGW should definately be renamed to Farce Great Western or something similar.

 

[devon_metro]

Evening peak was shambolic. 1633 56 LATE, 1703 VIA WSB 52 LATE, 1733 20 LATE, 1803 15 LATE 1V61 Failed at NTA!

Farced

 

[Dennis]

Why the delays this evening? It would be unfair to blame FGW for something they have no control over.

 

[Turbostar]

I've noticed the 07.10 BTM-London Paddington has been cancelled recently, it's been happening on a regular basis over the past few weeks, as I get the text messages come thru from FGW, with either the train has failed or no crew, though it's mostly train failure. Isn't this excuse wearing a bit thin, surely not more or less every day on the same service the train is failing??? I think not.

Mart

 

[David]

I've heard that the 0710 is cancelled most days because the 06xx (can't remember the exact time) of Westbury often has no stock ready, so the HST stands in for that....

Would any FGW employees like to comment?

 

[WessexWarrior]

Would any FGW employees like to comment?

Having seen this thread, I imagine they'd have run for the hills

 

[devon_metro]

I've heard that the 0710 is cancelled most days because the 06xx (can't remember the exact time) of Westbury often has no stock ready, so the HST stands in for that....

Would any FGW employees like to comment?

The adelante is usually unavailable or like last week is broken so an HST is called in providing the capacity that service needs!

 

[Julian G]

Today it was the turn of 57604 to stop working (DSD fault). 57304 piloted the train to Penzance, pretty much two hours late. Popped down the road for a pic.

Did 57304 make it all the way to Paddington on 1A40?

 

[devon_metro]

Yes

 

[g4mby]

I've heard that the 0710 is cancelled most days because the 06xx (can't remember the exact time) of Westbury often has no stock ready, so the HST stands in for that....

I heard that the stock for the 0710 is often used for the first Cheltenham to Paddington service if needed. Presumably if they are short of HSTs in Bristol the 0710 is the first to be cancelled.

I believe that if the 0710 BRI/PAD runs then it doesn't return west until the evening and sits at OOC/PAD as a spare all day. Cancelling the 0710 has least impact as there are no services for which another train needs to be found during the day.

What it does show is that ever since this train was introduced six months ago FGW have been unable to find enough trains to run the full service for more than a day at a time. If they are having these problems with their HST stock which has increased in numbers how are us users of their local services going to fare when they give back 11 ex-Wessex 158s at the end of the year?

 

[devon_metro]

I heard that the stock for the 0710 is often used for the first Cheltenham to Paddington service if needed. Presumably if they are short of HSTs in Bristol the 0710 is the first to be cancelled.

I believe that if the 0710 BRI/PAD runs then it doesn't return west until the evening and sits at OOC/PAD as a spare all day. Cancelling the 0710 has least impact as there are no services for which another train needs to be found during the day.

What it does show is that ever since this train was introduced six months ago FGW have been unable to find enough trains to run the full service for more than a day at a time. If they are having these problems with their HST stock which has increased in numbers how are us users of their local services going to fare when they give back 11 ex-Wessex 158s at the end of the year?

We've already got a high speed Paddington-Paignton stopper so what is stopping us having a Paddington-Portsmouth via Cardiff stopper.

On a serious note I agree with you. They are already stretched for units and its just going to be even worse when 11 (!!) units go back.

 

[thefab444]

Maybe SWT could take on Portsmouth - Cardiff, with their additional 11 units, plus maybe one or two picked up from FGW; it would be great to get 'proper' (as in decent inside) trains on that route. Or at least, let SWT run 6 services (each way) per day to Bristol, not just 3!

It will be quite funny when SHRUG, notorious for their bashing of SWT and promotion of other TOCs, hear of "We are sorry to say that the 14:51 First Great Western service to Portsmouth Harbour has been cancelled due to insufficient stock at Cardiff Central. We are sorry to say that the 14:40 service from Westbury has been cancelled due to insufficient stock at Westbury. This train will terminate here. We are sorry to say that the 14:45 First Great Western service to Westbury has been cancelled due to the cancellation of a previous service. This train will now start from Warminster. We apologise for any inconvience caused by these cance - We are sorry to say that the 14:05 First Great Western service to Cardiff Central has been delayed by 103 minutes due to the late arrivial of a preceeding service at Portsmouth Harbour."

 

[g4mby]

Maybe SWT could take on Portsmouth - Cardiff, with their additional 11 units, plus maybe one or two picked up from FGW.

All FGW's 11 surplus units are already spoken for and will transfer to Northern. SWT has taken on 11 158's from TPX to strengthen existing services within their own territory. They are doing something that FGW are not able/willing/going to do, run a service consisting of the number of carriages that loadings dictate. We only get decent length trains on a few select services where a 150/153/158 gets added for all or part of a diagram at peak time. Most services are just one or two carriages - ridiculous. Even 158798, FGW's only 3-car unit in the west doesn't always operate between Portsmouth and Cardiff and is often seen working between Taunton and Cheltenham. Fine for any peak time service into or out of Bristol but during the middle of the day it could be better utilised.

I don't blame FGW entirely, this run down in stock levels in the west has been going on for years, ever since the new generation DMUs arrived, replacing LHCS and the first generation DMUs.

 

[thefab444]

I meant pick up a few units out of FGWs current stock, not out of the 11 that are going to Northern as you said. 158798 would go down nicely as 159109. The other day I noticed SWTs Waterloo - Bristol service was formed of 6 coaches (presumably it came down as a 9, split off 3 at Salisbury and after the front 6 left another 3 came on?) when I passed it near Dilton Marsh from a busy 2 coach 158! Plus SWT had a unit essentially 'idle' on driving training runs, I thought 960012 was meant to take care of these?

As I said, in an ideal world the Portsmouth - Cardiff service would be run by SWT, and maybe it could be as follows:

Depending on loadings 2/3/4/5 car PMH - SAL.

On certain peak workings another 2/3/5 come on at SAL - these could either start afresh at Salisbury, or if permitted form a Waterloo - Cardiff service. Wasn't this done by Regional Railways and then continued by Wales & Borders/Arriva Trains Wales until a few years ago, anyone got the calling patterns?

I remember a while ago "London Waterloo" was still on ATW's station list on their website. It's a shame we've lost quite a few of those inter-regional services... Waterloo - Cardiff by ATW, Basingstoke - Ipswich by Anglia.

 

[devon_metro]

The trick FGW play with 798 is put it on a 4 car diagram and at least then it looks better than 2 car!

 

[Jim]

I heard that the stock for the 0710 is often used for the first Cheltenham to Paddington service if needed. Presumably if they are short of HSTs in Bristol the 0710 is the first to be cancelled.

And the 0630 from WSM IIRC

All FGW's 11 surplus units are already spoken for and will transfer to Northern. SWT has taken on 11 158's from TPX to strengthen existing services within their own territory. They are doing something that FGW are not able/willing/going to do, run a service consisting of the number of carriages that loadings dictate. We only get decent length trains on a few select services where a 150/153/158 gets added for all or part of a diagram at peak time. Most services are just one or two carriages - ridiculous. Even 158798, FGW's only 3-car unit in the west doesn't always operate between Portsmouth and Cardiff and is often seen working between Taunton and Cheltenham. Fine for any peak time service into or out of Bristol but during the middle of the day it could be better utilised.

I don't blame FGW entirely, this run down in stock levels in the west has been going on for years, ever since the new generation DMUs arrived, replacing LHCS and the first generation DMUs.

798 is a Diagrmed 2 car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqKdffHOnIk 57304 on the Up Midnight Fridy Night/Sat AM leaving Taunton

HEX faliure at EBW, Bridge strike and then Turdo Failure Line 4 at Pad!

 

[Turbostar]

Surprise surprise... the 07.10 BTM-PAD was cancelled again today... train fault. Also, the 05.40 CNM-PAD was cancelled, I believe this is ongoing as well. No doubt there are other services that are cancelled on a regular basis.

Mart

 

[kestrel]

57604 on the DN bedz last night

Apologies for naff pic, but was drivin last night an only had my camera fone with me.

The HEx unit that failed at E-BDY was units 006+014, 006 suffered a total failure, with the VCB bein totally buggered an transferring a fault to 014 causing them both to fail! last had this fault 8yrs ago!, drove 006 this morning all ok now lol

 

[g4mby]

Surprise surprise... the 07.10 BTM-PAD was cancelled again today... train fault.

But it ran today.

 

[Daniel]

Yep it definatley ran... albeit 7 late after one stop...

 

[thefab444]

It's actually on time today! hock: One minute early into BPW.

 

[Tom]

1L19 0710 BTM - PAD arr PAD 2 down. Pipped at the last post.....

 

[Daniel]

lol.... so close!

 

[Coxster]

More FGW amusement (not my vid): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9OmyRtXFeQ

 

[Turbostar]

What a day for FGW, courtesy of therailwaycentre.com:

Today was another VERY bad day for FGW with a huge number of delays and cancellations. Problems started in Cornwall with the failure at the start of service of set No. 150219 on the Falmouth branch. This was quickly followed by the 05.52 Penzance-Paddington formed of 43025/LA28/43124 failing at Camborne, after a delay the train was terminated and returned empty to Penzance. This failure blocked the up line and following trains were delayed. The 06.43 Penzance-Paddington was 113mins late at Par, the 07.30 Penzance-Glasgow 62mins (and terminated at Bristol), the 07.43 Penzance-Paddington 90mins and then diverted from Taunton to Reading missing stops at Bristol, Bath, Chippenham and Swindon, 08.30 Penance-Dundee 40mins (and also terminated at Bristol). The 05.05 Penzance-Paddington was 30 late from Exeter.

FGW also managed to cancel the 07.10 Bristol-Paddington, 05.40 Cheltenham-Paddington, while the 07.38 Paignton-Paddington was terminated at Exeter as was the 10.00 Paddington-Paignton.

If these delays were not enough, a major signal problem between Hayes and Paddington caused further delays from 11.00.

Virgin not to be outdone, managed to terminate the 06.25 Plymouth-Edinburgh at Totnes after a door fault, the set however managed to operate empty to Birmingham.

Mart

 

[devon_metro]

1L19 0710 BRI - PAD cancelled again today "Train fault"

 

[Lewisham2221]

1L19 0710 BRI - PAD cancelled again today "Train fault"

Along with the 1455 Cardiff - Paddington, 1730 Paddington - Bristol and 1600 Paddington - Taunton. All for the same reason.