Great Western Coffee Shop

From JourneyCheck:

12:21 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 15:11
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5.
This is due to an earlier train fault.
Last Updated :14/11/2014 10:49

15:32 Great Malvern to Didcot Parkway due 17:03
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5.
This is due to an earlier train fault.
Last Updated :14/11/2014 10:50

17:15 Didcot Parkway to Great Malvern due 19:25
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5.
This is due to an earlier train fault.
Last Updated :14/11/2014 13:24

19:44 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 22:38
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5.
This is due to an earlier train fault.

... of which the biggest squash will be on the 17:15 from Didcot to Great Malvern, which usually leaves Oxford with a standing load on a 5-car Adelante.

Maybe on a Friday - but I've ridden that 1715 many times recently, and everyone's had a seat with spares when it's an Adelante....

I have been on the 1732 from Oxford almost every night for the last two weeks and it has been standing in every vestibule every single time, I have been on the train early enough to get a seat maybe 60% of the time but there has always been passengers standing until Charlbury.

Particularly notable was the evening when there was a SDO incident at Hanborough which resulted in us sitting for 30min at Hanborough waiting to depart  with the train manager rushing backwards and forwards. I spent this in the vestibule with no prospect of a seat in either B or C (I checked).

With the chaos on the A44 and A40 this train has got noticeably busier.

Last time I travelled was Monday, and there were the odd seats in the 4th from the front, and in the rear car too.

Maybe there are a few seats, but not enough for the people standing. Also many of those are possibly standing because they have to get off in the first few carriages at short platforms. Despite this passengers for Charlbury and beyond at least start the journey standing on a regular basis.

"Every vestibule" was a tad of an exaggeration

The last carriage always seems to have a fair few empty seats whenever I've seen it.  Perhaps a case of 'vestibule panic' where as soon as couple of people stand in them, everyone else assumes there's no free seats?

Having one passenger door on each end vehicle doesn't help of course, and the loading bias is towards the front due to the number of SDO stations, especially the ever-busy Hanborough.

Choice beckons. Do I find a seat & need to walk through a coach or two, or do I simply stand in the coach I need to alight from.

I suspect my choice isn't everyone elses