XC & FGW Service

[1e10]

Just thought I would post a bit here about how I've found the level of service on XC and FGW services.

I have found XC services to be very good. The staff onboard are very friendly, one of the Retail Service Managers that was working onboard the train was very jokey and polite and was very greatful for the sweat I offered him. He recognised me again when I alighted from the train and said bye, wished me a good day and thanked me again for the sweet. I felt this added a much appreciated personal touch to the service.

Today I've just travelled with XC from Exeter St. Davids to Bristol Temple Meads. I had reserved seats but found a drunked indivdual sitting in the seat who had already managed to get himself into an argument with the Train Manager before I had boarded. The TM was asking him to remove his luggage from the aisle. He refusing insisting that he must be able to see it at all times despite it being pointed out that there was an empty luggage rack at the end of the carriage with plenty of empty seats next to it. He was drunk and wasn't having any of it though. The TM then moved the luggage for him and the guy went mental, pushing the TM back and taking the luggage back. He was then told to move it or get off the train. He eventually moved but to first class whilst leaving a horrible smell behind. I think he was eventually removed from the train, we certainly had to wait for something.

Later on the Retail guy came around and I purchased a bottle of drink off him and he very kindly chucked in 2 cups so we could share it. He also was very friendly.

I also travelled on 4 FGW services today. Two were find but one was overcrowed and I had no seat whilst the other had beer bottles all over the place, the bin was spewing coffee cups and there was a ton of general litter and hair all over the seats.

All in all I'm impressed with XC and the service they have to offer, not so impressed with FGW.

 

[Requeststop]

Cor! Strike a sweaty light! If I offered a sweaty armpit to a Train Manager, they'd be walking down the train with a clothes peg on their nose.

Methinks and not "Mestinks" that this is a typical "anti" FGW post. There is nothing in your post that rings true. I leave it at that!

 

[yorksrob]

To be fair, the OP did say that two of the FGW journeys were fine whilst the others just had problems with litter. I wonder if he caught those services towards the end of their journey as trains tend to get swept through when they reach their destination.

 

[sonic2009]

Where you travelling from & to with FGW? Do remember it's Glastonbury this weekend so this may explain the alcoholic beverages

 

[Greenback]

It is a bit un usual to find a post about XC which doesn't mention overcrowding or discomfort, and even stranger to hear that XC is better than FGW!

Most people, particularly those sitting on their bags outside a very smelly toilet on a Voyager report that it is a horrendous experience, but there you go.

A little bit more context would be useful, such as the times of the journey, the stock and destinations.

 

[jnjkerbin]

Also the very long distance trains e.g. Paddington - Penzance, will get dirty by the time you're past Plymouth on a normal day, let alone if "Glasto" is involved.

If a train is dirty, unless at the very beginning of the journey, we can't really blame the TOC. People should put it in the bin in the first place. However, I do think on long journeys, a midway clean can be quite a good, and increasingly practised ploy.

 

[Greenback]

Also the very long distance trains e.g. Paddington - Penzance, will get dirty by the time you're past Plymouth on a normal day, let alone if "Glasto" is involved.

If a train is dirty, unless at the very beginning of the journey, we can't really blame the TOC. People should put it in the bin in the first place. However, I do thick on long journeys, a midway clean can be quite a good, and is an increasingly practised ploy.

ATW do a quick clean on west wales services at Swansea. Someone gets on board and removes the rubbish, but there is a limit to what cna be done in 5 minutes! It's good they make the effort though.

It's correct to say that it is the passengers that dirty the train. When I board a service that is the first working of the day for that unit it is almost always clean and well presented. The train has obviously been vacuumed and the tables wiped down but it is rare that there is the opportunity to take the train out of use during a busy day for a similar clean to reove such things as excess hair from seats.

 

[1e10]

Cor! Strike a sweaty light! If I offered a sweaty armpit to a Train Manager, they'd be walking down the train with a clothes peg on their nose.

Methinks and not "Mestinks" that this is a typical "anti" FGW post. There is nothing in your post that rings true. I leave it at that!

I have nothing against FGW. The first journey was pleasant and comfortable.

Where you travelling from & to with FGW? Do remember it's Glastonbury this weekend so this may explain the alcoholic beverages

I was travelling between Parson Street and Bristol Temple Meads and then a return journey.

Another between Exeter St. Davids and Dawlish Warren and the return journey.

It is a bit un usual to find a post about XC which doesn't mention overcrowding or discomfort, and even stranger to hear that XC is better than FGW!

Most people, particularly those sitting on their bags outside a very smelly toilet on a Voyager report that it is a horrendous experience, but there you go.

A little bit more context would be useful, such as the times of the journey, the stock and destinations.

To be fair the XC return journey last night was rather crowded. I was sat in coach B which only has around 10 seats since the buffet car is located in this coach. I had reserved seats and the TM did move the passenger that was sat in my seat when I boarded. The were others standing though because they were without seat reservations and all the available seats had already been taken. This was a HST from EXD to BRI though I believe the train had come from Plymouth and terminated at Leeds.

I've been on journeys with XC Voyagers too and they haven't been overcrowded yet, I tend to travel at off-peak time though. I have read on here that alot of people find the seats on the Voyagers uncomfortable but I've never experienced any discomfort with them whilst sitting on them for 2 hours at a time.

I hope I've included more detail for you

 

[CC 72100]

I was travelling between Parson Street and Bristol Temple Meads and then a return journey.

Another between Exeter St. Davids and Dawlish Warren and the return journey.

That would have been presumably (although there are one or two HSTs that stop at Dawlish Warren) the units that work the Paignton - Exmouth - Barnstaple triangle, with little time to do cleaning at the end. Dirty trains are never nice but I think on local stopping services then in my eyes it is more forgivable.

My experiences however would probably be exactly the opposite of the journey you describe, as I often find XC services to be far more litter-strewn, but that's a different debate
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

To be fair the XC return journey last night was rather crowded. I was sat in coach B which only has around 10 seats since the buffet car is located in this coach. I had reserved seats and the TM did move the passenger that was sat in my seat when I boarded. The were others standing though because they were without seat reservations and all the available seats had already been taken. This was a HST from EXD to BRI though I believe the train had come from Plymouth and terminated at Leeds.

Very, very surprised to hear this with it being a HST. Most XC services I've used that have started at Plymouth have no more than 10 - 15 per coach until Exeter, where its gets busier, but I'm surprised to hear how busy it was. Of course, with it being a Saturday your train either came from Paignton (relatively quiet) or Penzance which would have been busier than if the train started at Plymouth. Can safely say I've never had to stand on an XC service in Devon though, let alone ever on a HST working.

 

[Greenback]

To be fair the XC return journey last night was rather crowded. I was sat in coach B which only has around 10 seats since the buffet car is located in this coach. I had reserved seats and the TM did move the passenger that was sat in my seat when I boarded. The were others standing though because they were without seat reservations and all the available seats had already been taken. This was a HST from EXD to BRI though I believe the train had come from Plymouth and terminated at Leeds.

I've been on journeys with XC Voyagers too and they haven't been overcrowded yet, I tend to travel at off-peak time though. I have read on here that alot of people find the seats on the Voyagers uncomfortable but I've never experienced any discomfort with them whilst sitting on them for 2 hours at a time.

I hope I've included more detail for you

Yes, thanks! I personally don't find the seats in Voyagers uncomfortable, but the lack of them make sfor an uncomfortable journey. Added to which the ridiculous policy of last minute reservations means that you may run the risk of someone ousting you from your seat!

The core section Bristol and Reading to Manchester and Leeds are the most overcrowded, though some trains beyond Reading and Bristol cna be rammed too. I also caught a Voyager once from Exeter to Plymouth which was stinking, but this had probably come a long way and I have some sympathy for TOC's when the mess and detritus is caused by passengers who may have left the train relatively recently.

That would have been presumably (although there are one or two HSTs that stop at Dawlish Warren) the units that work the Paignton - Exmouth - Barnstaple triangle, with little time to do cleaning at the end. Dirty trains are never nice but I think on local stopping services then in my eyes it is more forgivable.

I think care should be taken when comparing a local service with 150's against a long distance service worked by an HST or Voyager. On a longer run, people ar emore liely to eat, drink and leave their rubbish behind in the form of a mess on seats and tables, and overflowing bins.

Although a local train will have less turn round tiem to be cleaned, there should be less of a mess to dispose of. the main point though, is that the capacity and comfort of a long distance train ought to be superior to a stopping service no matter who runs it.

My experiences however would probably be exactly the opposite of the journey you describe, as I often find XC services to be far more litter-strewn, but that's a different debate

I agree, in general FGW are better, though I have experienced the opposite, just like the OP, on rare occasions!

Very, very surprised to hear this with it being a HST. Most XC services I've used that have started at Plymouth have no more than 10 - 15 per coach until Exeter, where its gets busier, but I'm surprised to hear how busy it was. Of course, with it being a Saturday your train either came from Paignton (relatively quiet) or Penzance which would have been busier than if the train started at Plymouth. Can safely say I've never had to stand on an XC service in Devon though, let alone ever on a HST working.

During my travels to, in and around the west country, I have found all HST and Voyager trains to be well filled but tolerably so, particularly in comparison with the core XC netwrok.

I have been on some very full 150's in Cornwall where there was standing room only though. And I have also been some which were very quiet. Much depends on the day and the time of day!

 

[bnm]

I was travelling between Parson Street and Bristol Temple Meads and then a return journey.

Must've been a nightmare having to stand for all of 5 minutes! :roll:

 

[1e10]

That would have been presumably (although there are one or two HSTs that stop at Dawlish Warren) the units that work the Paignton - Exmouth - Barnstaple triangle, with little time to do cleaning at the end. Dirty trains are never nice but I think on local stopping services then in my eyes it is more forgivable.

My experiences however would probably be exactly the opposite of the journey you describe, as I often find XC services to be far more litter-strewn, but that's a different debate
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Very, very surprised to hear this with it being a HST. Most XC services I've used that have started at Plymouth have no more than 10 - 15 per coach until Exeter, where its gets busier, but I'm surprised to hear how busy it was. Of course, with it being a Saturday your train either came from Paignton (relatively quiet) or Penzance which would have been busier than if the train started at Plymouth. Can safely say I've never had to stand on an XC service in Devon though, let alone ever on a HST working.

This train was on a Friday evening, all the same I guess though

Must've been a nightmare having to stand for all of 5 minutes! :roll:

The train I had to stand on was the EXD to DWW which was about 17 minutes. You're right in implying it wasn't a nightmare, it was perfectly tollerrable. Sme seats did become available but I let other passengers use them rather than jumping to it at the first chance given since I wasn't going far. I was merely commenting on the fact there was no seats

 

[CC 72100]

This train was on a Friday evening, all the same I guess though

Ah yes, I've got my days mixed up! Oh that was the 17:23 Plymouth - Leeds, but that follows what I find is a bit of a pattern - dead until Exeter where quite a few get on.

The train I had to stand on was the EXD to DWW which was about 17 minutes. You're right in implying it wasn't a nightmare, it was perfectly tollerrable. Sme seats did become available but I let other passengers use them rather than jumping to it at the first chance given since I wasn't going far. I was merely commenting on the fact there was no seats

Some of those services can get busy - I've had to stand on the Barnstaple line before. Plus, get a nice day and a train formed of less than 2 coaches on the Exmouth line (which if there is a set like that out, it will end up being at some point!) then things can get a bit cosy. I generally don't do the stoppers down the sea wall, and use one of the Pad - Paignton services so can't vouch for how busy the units normally are on that stretch.
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I have been on some very full 150's in Cornwall where there was standing room only though. And I have also been some which were very quiet. Much depends on the day and the time of day!

During my Freedom of Devon & Cornwall (great value ticket by the way) every 150 I caught in Cornwall was a packed 150/1. In my ideal world I'd have these services as 3 car 158s or 153 + 150/2 at least, as people do do that journey end to end, and changing from a HST to a 150/1 with 3+2 seating and rubbish luggage space for the rest of your journey down to Penzance is probably not an enjoyable prospect.*

(Especially when the St Ives branch is 2x 150/2 with 2+2 seating, for a 10 minute journey in which they don't seem to need/use the corridor connection anyway!)