Great Western Coffee Shop

I've got this train before, last summer, when it was the 6.43 and an HST.. I have to be in very early on Wednesday so took a look at the journey planner.. It looks like it's not an HST anymore but it's not obvious.. Does anyone know what sort of train it is and also how busy it gets? Thanks

The 06:41 according to the Timetable 8 FGW route book and realtimetrains, is booked as a HST although i think times its a Adelante Class 180 with 5 cars. Either way since it comes from Oxford and stops at various places it may be busy or very busy just depends. But one thing is sort of certain, its not the wonderful turbo that will run, a nice surprise maybe :).

It ought to be an HST since once it arrives at Paddington it forms the 7.30 to Penzance

Excellent.. Thanks for that.. On the off-chance it isn't and the conditions aren't good I've worked out that I can get off of that one at Slough and a few minute behind it is one from Bristol Temple Meads which will 100% definitely be an HST so a win win situation (notice my optimism there  ::))

Before you get off at Slough check the  platform CIS to see if the Bristol is running and how far ir is behind. Both trains will probably be on platform 3.

You'll also get an idea if the following train is runnng or not if everyone piles on your train at Slough be suspicious.

Always a HST unless something has gone very badly wrong!  Marked as such in the GW pocket timetable - though, then again, so is the 19:48ex PAD...  ;)

Thank you again.. It was an HST.. It's just not easy to tell from Journey Planner on the NR site. that is technology for you

Oh good, hope that train holds out for you and other peeps. For the journey planner i for one hardly use it as its complete rubbish, so yes i agree with you on that one.  I recommend just using the timetable 8 pdf booklet for future reference or you can use realtime trains by putting Maidenhead as location and the time period you prefer. Hopefully thats also some help...

I'm not sure what happened with the 6.41 today.. When I left home it was showing as being cancelled between Oxford and Didcot Parkway but running as normal as an HST the rest of the way.

National Rail/Journey check were showing it as not stopping at Maidenhead and Slough due to a train fault and being 5 carriages not 8... I went anyway in case Realtime trains was correct

It seems to have stopped at Didcot and Reading and then went straight through to Paddington about on time (I saw it pass through Maidenhead a couple of minutes late though not obvious if it was carrying passengers or not)...

Does anyone know why it couldn't stop at Maidenhead this morning? It looks as if it subsequently made it to Penzance on it's next journey ok..

It was a bit boring sitting at Maidenhead for half hour when I could have had half hours extra sleep...

It was running on one engine only so was late travelling empty through the Thames Valley to reach Oxford to start its journey so it was started from Didcot. 

Passengers from Oxford were brought down on a 180 which was in Oxford ready to run to Didcot to form a later service.  So it was five carriages from Oxford to Didcot and eight thereafter.

The HST never made it to Penzance - the 07:30 was worked by a different set and the sickly HST from Didcot was sent to Old Oak Common for some tender loving care.  Whether the set which worked the trip to the West of England had the right facilities for the advertised Travelling Chef I don't know.

Thanks bobm. That doesn't completely explain why it didn't call at Maidenhead and Slough as it was running to time by then.. Slough also lost it's other fast service this morning that leaves 10 minutes before this one so not sure how happy those passengers trying to get in from there would have been..

Stopping at Reading makes sense, because the line speed at the start of platform 11 is only 25mph - so stopping and starting on one engine wouldn't cause that much of a delay. Plus at Reading there is more platform flexibility compared to Slough and Maidenhead.

But at Maidenhead on platform 2 the line speed is 125mph. At Slough platform 3 it is 125mph (although there is an 80mph TSR just before the station at the moment). On one engine it will take a lot longer to get back up to line speed. To then stop and start off again you are going to delay and slow down the trains behind you - especially in morning peak when there'll be a train on the Up Main line every 4-5 minutes.

Thanks for that information too... It's good to know the reasons.. It's a pity we got no information other than that the train was cancelled at 6.40 this morning.. Also not good since I really was supposed to be in work at 7.30am today.. oops.. ho hum...  ::) ::)