Great Western Coffee Shop

This train was so packed last night that the driver (DOO obviously) was having to tell people to wait for the next train (the 00.20 is first stop Slough though.. not sure people would want to wait ten minutes for one that stops everywhere and so get back a lot later... but FGW obviously think it's ok)... At Slough where I had to get off (as that train doesn't stop at Maidenhead) there must have been more than 100 people in the taxi queue...

Which raises a couple of questions

1.. What were all the other FGW carriages doing on a Friday night to make this train only 3 carriages (especially bearing in mind that the next day was Saturday so no rush hour to contend with train wise).. I was on a similar timed train on a Saturday evening a few weeks ago and it was the same.. so sounds like it's the norm with FGW..
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2..Where were all these people in the taxi queue going (hypothetical question  ::)?  If it's Maidenhead perhaps it might be worth having a better late night service there (altho the Slough Taxi drivers must love it....not so sure about the Maidenhead ones though)..

Write in and let them know how busy it was.  There are plenty of carriages about that time of night - even if three of them only went as far as Reading, a 6-car should be easy to resource.  Late evening services are so busy these days, and in the run up to Christmas especially there really should be more carriages provided.  Over the years there have been some improvements to the late evening trains - extra stops at Maidenhead, the Fridays only 23:42 train are two examples - but FGW haven't kept up with demand as they should have done, and at a time of day when there are no shortage of carriages available it is unacceptable that they haven't.

In my experience writing in will not get extra carriages.. but I could almost tell you what the reply will be (which will include the cut and paste bit about not being able to find extra carriages from nowhere as they won't read the time of the train properly)... ::) ::)

It's not just an FGW problem. I had the misfortune of catching a late train from Clapham Junction a couple of Saturdays ago on SWT. Every train came in as four carriages, and every time there were people left behind.

It will with South Eastern High Speed - but that's a whole different thing.

The specifics about each complaint all get logged, and the more complaints about overcrowding on late night trains, the more prominence that gets and the more likely something would be done about it.  Granted, one letter isn't going to change anything, but the more letters sent in, the more chance something will get done.

I remember during the Olympics, I worked the 00:30 additional PAD-EXD on a Friday night, and we had additional stop-orders for Slough and Maidenhead.  The DSM at Paddington told me that they had arranged the additional stops on the HST set, as the 2 stopper units leaving at a similar time were both short-formed due to train faults and earlier set swaps, so clearly there's some issue even at that time on a Friday.

The 23:00 Paddington to Oxford on a Saturday night was recently extended as it was getting silly with a 3-Car.  Much more could/should be done though.

How about sending in the link to this thread, as part of your complaint,  to emphasise the point??

I was on the very same train as the OP on Friday night and can confirm that it was absolutely mental.

I hopped off at Slough and joined the Maidenhead cab queue.  Fortunately we didn't have to wait too long as we cab shared with some strangers.

Its not just the Friday night trains that are silly - I caught a late night train last Thursday and could barely breathe it was so crowded.

But specifics in  my experience, as I said, just get standard cut and paste replies as they don't notice train times.. Don't worry I've been travelling and giving feedback to FGW for many many years.. Nothing has changed really...  ;D

I guess you weren't someone I shared a cab with then?  I shared with a couple and another female... Bit of a tour of Maidenhead..

Out of my area so no comment on the topic at hand, save to say welcome to the forum NickB.  :)

oops.. good point... welcome from me too! Sorry I didn't say that before NickB

<tounge in cheek> FGW seem to only notice exact train times when Compensation could be/is due :P :P :P </tounge in cheek>

I guess you weren't someone I shared a cab with then?  I shared with a couple and another female... Bit of a tour of Maidenhead..
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If your first stop on your tour was Cox Green, and then heading on to Altwood, then that could well have been me!   :D

Erm yep.. probably was then.. I was the girl in the back rather than the front.. Were you with your girlfriend/wife/partner?

This has to be the fastest Coffee Shop forum member meetup, ever! :o ::) ;D

Yep - that was me (and my wife)  :D     Small world!
Hope you got back ok and we chipped in enough for the taxi?

Same time this Friday?!?!   ;D

Just to add my two pence worth I have occasionally got this train or the local stopping services after midnight over the last 4 years, usually having attended a gig or gone out for a meal/ pub in London. And they are usually busy regardless of what day of the week it it, but especially packed on weekends.

With the amount of drunken revellers on said services it is only a matter of time, in my opinion, before a serious incident occurs.

Wow and Ha ha.. I did like your name for the girl in the front as "girl in the front seat".. and yes you did pay enough thanks..it makes such a big difference not paying for a cab all by myself from Slough..

And nope.. not going out this week.. I had an evening out yesterday cut short (after one drink!!) as my daughter was ill... and I spent the best part of 24 hours in a hospital in London (near where she works).. all back home and good now though.. but lack of sleep means I'd be fast asleep on the train, let alone in the cab.. :-) Mind you I did get my first ever ambulance ride..