More dangerous overcrowding to the Westcountry

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

No tales of woe about Maundy Thursday's  services from Paddington to Devon/ Cornwall being overcrowded this year then ? Perhaps schools breaking up for Easter this year a lot earlier than normal has made a difference ?

I travelled from Paddington down to Cornwall on the 10.03 on Good Friday; it was rammed. I'd guessed it might be busy but as I'd just come off a 12h flight I didn't fancy messing about, bought a first class ticket and nabbed a seat pretty quickly after the platform was announced. Other first class passengers were not so lucky, though they managed to get a seat by the time we'd left Plymouth. Standard class travellers overspilled into first and were standing in the first class aisle up until St Austell.
Obviously the refreshments trolley had no hope of getting through, so they handed out bottles of water and biscuits after a few hours.

I had a similar experience in reverse on Easter Monday. Did the 14.44 Penzance - Paddington 8 coach HST^▸ (High Speed Train) (a relief (remember them) of sorts, actually the 16.57 Plymouth to Paddington extended to start from Penzance). I enjoyed going to the buffet just after Plymouth - just as well I didn't try and go any later as you couldn't move after Exeter - the train was full and standing with, Tiverton Pwy, Taunton, Castle Cary, Westbury, Pewsey, Newbury, Reading and Paddington still to go. Due to the conditions we lost about half an hour, arriving in Paddington at about 9pm. According to the Train Manager on the PA^▸ (Public Address) (who had declassified first class to absorb some of the passengers) most services from the West Country had been like this on Easter Monday. Still it was nice to have an HST (even though the timings, at over six hours, were slower than their loco-hauled predecessors of thirty plus years ago).

The train manager also told us about the Delay Repay scheme, anyone tried this? I'm looking at it now, however it seems that I have to create a new login for Delay Repay even though I've already got a login for the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) app? And I have to provide the Delay Repay site with proof of my E-ticket when it's there anyway on the GWR app?

KM

To be honest you will find those conditions on most Penzance/Plymouth - Paddington services on any given Sunday (assuming that drivers can be found for them) - 9/10 car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) may ease this a fraction, but the lack of additional services in the new timetables to address the overall problem is shocking.

[grahame]

To be honest you will find those conditions on most Penzance/Plymouth - Paddington services on any given Sunday (assuming that drivers can be found for them) - 9/10 car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) may ease this a fraction, but the lack of additional services in the new timetables to address the overall problem is shocking.

The more significant uplift should come in December, when service goes up to every 30 minutes in the Peninsular, and every hour express up to London with extra (every 2 hour) trains running semi-fast, in place of what's basically an hourly service on which some make a scattering of stops at present.

Mind you - that news is Monday through Friday. Any questions I have about weekend services have been met with a deafening silence ... just a whisper that the weekdays are done first (and there is limited discussion) and then - perhaps - we just get what we're given at the weekend.  Having said which there has been good movement over recent years to brining all round, and morning, Sunday services where they were previously missing.

[Red Squirrel]

...brining all round...

...on the Sea Wall at Dawlish, on splashy days?

[a-driver]

To be honest you will find those conditions on most Penzance/Plymouth - Paddington services on any given Sunday (assuming that drivers can be found for them) - 9/10 car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) may ease this a fraction, but the lack of additional services in the new timetables to address the overall problem is shocking.

The more significant uplift should come in December, when service goes up to every 30 minutes in the Peninsular, and every hour express up to London with extra (every 2 hour) trains running semi-fast, in place of what's basically an hourly service on which some make a scattering of stops at present.

Mind you - that news is Monday through Friday. Any questions I have about weekend services have been met with a deafening silence ... just a whisper that the weekdays are done first (and there is limited discussion) and then - perhaps - we just get what we're given at the weekend.  Having said which there has been good movement over recent years to brining all round, and morning, Sunday services where they were previously missing.

LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) and West recently harmonised their terms and conditions to become GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) drivers, this now includes a commitment to working Sunday’s.
On HSS^▸ (High Speed Services), existing drivers can remain on the old terms and conditions.  Any new drivers to HSS side will be known as GWR drivers and will therefore have a commitment to working Sunday’s. Lack of drivers on Sunday’s will soon be a thing of the past. 

[Jamsdad]

That is good news about drivers, but the next problem is train managers and buffet trolley staff. Travelled on the 14 April Sunday 0805 Penzance- Paddington the other week,  composed of 2x5 coach IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train). All fine to Plymouth, then no buffet staff. Passengers not well pleased and by Tiverton were getting cross. Train manger in back set advised passengers needing drinks to move forwards to the front set, buy drinks then come back to seats at Taunton. This was done, but no buffet trolley in front set either. Grumpy passengers return and berate Train Manager, who then discovers there are NO STAFF ATALL in the front set, so all passengers and TM^‡(resolve) are moved to front set and back set is closed off as regulations require that no passengers can sit without a staff member being present. SO, not much point running 2x5 car units if there aren't buffet or TM staffing availble!

[broadgage]

One of the alleged advantages of down grading from a buffet to a trolley was that the trolley would pass ones seat and thereby negate the need to take belongings to the buffet.
Yet now it is suggested that passengers should leave the train at a platform and join the other portion in search of the trolley. Some improvement !
And whose crystal ball forecast that "the trolley will be in the other portion"?

And as for the "regulation" that requires a train manager in each portion, this is so far as I know a trade union requirement not an actual regulation. Other multiple units run without a union member in each portion.

[Sleepy]

Think the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) agreement for 2×5 car is member of staff in each so "lead customer host" in charge of the set without TM^‡(resolve) in it. Presumably ticket checking does not occur in the non - TM set ?

[Umberleigh]

That is good news about drivers, but the next problem is train managers and buffet trolley staff. Travelled on the 14 April Sunday 0805 Penzance- Paddington the other week,  composed of 2x5 coach IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train). All fine to Plymouth, then no buffet staff. Passengers not well pleased and by Tiverton were getting cross. Train manger in back set advised passengers needing drinks to move forwards to the front set, buy drinks then come back to seats at Taunton. This was done, but no buffet trolley in front set either. Grumpy passengers return and berate Train Manager, who then discovers there are NO STAFF ATALL in the front set, so all passengers and TM^‡(resolve) are moved to front set and back set is closed off as regulations require that no passengers can sit without a staff member being present. SO, not much point running 2x5 car units if there aren't buffet or TM staffing availble!

These new IETs look nice, can run on electric and offer greater capacity (when all sets can be utilised). But the lack of a staffed buffet, and the lack of a gangway between units* will come back to haunt GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) for years.

* yes, I know 125mph and all that, so why even have 5 car units...?

[rogerpatenall]

Think the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) agreement for 2×5 car is member of staff in each so "lead customer host" in charge of the set without TM^‡(resolve) in it. Presumably ticket checking does not occur in the non - TM set ?

Yes. Travelling to a very important meeting at the Railway Inn at Westbury earlier this year, the announcement at Paddington (several times) was that Weekend First upgrade was only available in the rear unit. Next time I will know what that means . . .

[Kernowman]

No tales of woe about Maundy Thursday's  services from Paddington to Devon/ Cornwall being overcrowded this year then ? Perhaps schools breaking up for Easter this year a lot earlier than normal has made a difference ?

I travelled from Paddington down to Cornwall on the 10.03 on Good Friday; it was rammed. I'd guessed it might be busy but as I'd just come off a 12h flight I didn't fancy messing about, bought a first class ticket and nabbed a seat pretty quickly after the platform was announced. Other first class passengers were not so lucky, though they managed to get a seat by the time we'd left Plymouth. Standard class travellers overspilled into first and were standing in the first class aisle up until St Austell.
Obviously the refreshments trolley had no hope of getting through, so they handed out bottles of water and biscuits after a few hours.

I had a similar experience in reverse on Easter Monday. Did the 14.44 Penzance - Paddington 8 coach HST^▸ (High Speed Train) (a relief (remember them) of sorts, actually the 16.57 Plymouth to Paddington extended to start from Penzance). I enjoyed going to the buffet just after Plymouth - just as well I didn't try and go any later as you couldn't move after Exeter - the train was full and standing with, Tiverton Pwy, Taunton, Castle Cary, Westbury, Pewsey, Newbury, Reading and Paddington still to go. Due to the conditions we lost about half an hour, arriving in Paddington at about 9pm. According to the Train Manager on the PA^▸ (Public Address) (who had declassified first class to absorb some of the passengers) most services from the West Country had been like this on Easter Monday. Still it was nice to have an HST (even though the timings, at over six hours, were slower than their loco-hauled predecessors of thirty plus years ago).

The train manager also told us about the Delay Repay scheme, anyone tried this? I'm looking at it now, however it seems that I have to create a new login for Delay Repay even though I've already got a login for the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) app? And I have to provide the Delay Repay site with proof of my E-ticket when it's there anyway on the GWR app?

KM

The good news is that I am going to be getting £17.05 from the Delay repay scheme! The bad news is that there is a delay to the Delay repay scheme and I am still waiting to be paid the money. I have been advised to phone again next week after the Bank holiday.. Maybe there should be a Delay repay delay repay scheme! 

KM

[plymothian]

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/live-police-overcrowded-train-plymouth-2927994

Shortformed IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) overcrowded on the exodus from Cornwall, it was delayed at Plymouth for police attendance and ran non-stop between Plymouth and Paddington.

[bobm]

Now calling at Reading to set down only.

[bobm]

..and also no mention on Journeycheck that it was shortformed.

[patch38]

As the deckchairs say,

Thousands more seats on trains across Cornwall from May...

Hmm...

[plymothian]

As the deckchairs say,

Thousands more seats on trains across Cornwall from May...

Hmm...

*T&Cs apply.  Not that train.