Great Western Coffee Shop

From next week the 12:18 from Paddington will terminate at Taunton at 14:45 and passengers wishing onward travel to the West will need to transfer to the 14:50 departure, the 13:05 from Paddington. I would be interested to know whether the 12:18 will use the centre down platform, meaning that passengers will need to scamper across to the main down platform for the 14:50 to Plymouth or whether both trains will use the same platform. I very much that the latter will be the case but would like to know for sure. Sorry to be vague as regards platforms, just can't remember the numbering sequence at Taunton.

TJ

ok - so you get the 1218 and get to taunton 1445 and then have to do a mad change for the train you could have caught from the same place at 1305 and you could have stayed on all journey........


hmmmm


I know what I would do....

1. Get to work 40 minutes later and just leave later for the later train I will end up on anyway
2. If I had to be in Pad for 1218 - sit in the bar for an extra 40 minutes in comfort then get on the train at the start as in (1)

Cant see the issue

I suspect I would do exactly that too if I was travelling from Paddington.  More of an issue for the none-London joiners onto the earlier train, as I'm sure it serves stations like Westbury that the later train skips as it catches up.

The 12:18 is the semi-fast train. So calls Theale, Thatcham, Newbury, Hungerford, Pewsey, Westbury and Castle Cary. None of which the later train calls at.
On another note, this train takes 20 minutes longer to get to Taunton in the new timetable and it no longer stops at Slough which is probaly why it turns back at Taunton.

It is also often late, like most Berks and Hants stopper and is very often overtaken - happened to me on Saturday, although I was much more happy with the HST.

The original post was indeed intended to see how passengers from the intermediate stations will be affected.

The reason for the slower journey to Taunton, as given by FGW, is that an HST accerlates more slowly than an Adelante and dwells longer at stations due to having slam doors.

An answer to the original question would be appreciated sometime next week, if anyone is willing and able.

Thanks.

TJ.

Thats not how it came across since it referenced no other stations that taunton and paddington

It is a move which will enable the crew to have a longer PNB, IIRC

Now that the service has been running for a week has anyone been able to observe which platform this train uses at Taunton?

TJ

This service is booked to use platform 4 according to my book, although according to notes I have been sent it tends to generally use the down main (whatever platform that is) with the GW fasts going on platform 4.

Down main is Platform 4.

Down relief is platform 5 where most trains call.