Great Western Coffee Shop

Made four trips over the TW in the last two days at different times.

A couple of things have struck me

Thingley Junction

The daytime services seem to be losing time between Chippenham and Thingley Junction.  Tuesday's 10:47 from Swindon came to a halt at the junction signal having crawled all the way from the station stop at Chippenham.  I know there is a speed restriction on the junction but having checked on Realtraintimes there was nothing on the single line ahead of us (in either direction).  Had the signaller forgotten us?  The signal went from red to green after we had been stationary for nearly three minutes.

Yesterday's 12:47 did exactly the same crawl but we did at least have a green when we reached the junction.

I am wondering if there is some sort of delay while the Swindon signaller gets the ok from the Westbury one?  Whatever the reason it is meaning delays of up to 10 minutes after Chippenham.  The 18:50 last night - the old "regular" had no such problems.

Signage at Swindon

We almost left a couple behind at Swindon yesterday.

The Melksham unit was at the front, but at the back was a 150 laying over for Cheltenham.  However from the back the two, in the same livery, looked like one train.  Said couple were pressing the button on the locked up unit and it was only me mentioning to them that the Westbury train was in front that made them walk down.   The guard is not necessarily going to see them as he will be looking down the length of his one unit when he closes the doors, so he won't see what is going on behind him. 

The couple were going to Trowbridge, so it would not have been the end of the world if they had done the dogleg, but some simple signing might help.  Certainly the CIS should show "Front Train" - or possibly a permanent metal sign on the platform - or a poster as a short term expedient.

An email to a senior contact at FGW would seem to me to be the best course of action here.

Indeed ... however I suggested to Bob that he post here so that we get a fuller story if anyone else has thoughts on these issues.   We are very much in touch with FGW, but a few hours to get the story right and complete is worth waiting.