Great Western Coffee Shop

Reading the posts on this web site, reliable train services is the top of most peoples requirements.

Let me look at this issue today and how it was under BR.

In the BR days trains did break down but untill the HST introduction, all Western Region trains had buffers and if a train became a total failure the following train could 95% of the time be brought up to the Rear and push the failure forwards, or a rescue engine sent wrong line to the front to coupled up and drag the train forward.

Today often a total failure is that, and assistance from the rear is not an Option, because of different coupling types.
Resuce from the front these days can be tricky, some times possible, but more often than not a total failure is stuck untill fitters can arrive on the scene, this of courses causes real misery to the public.

More often trains fail before starting a journey because of safety issues, under BR with drivers and guards being muilt-disciplined if an express service failed, say at Swansea a local unit would be used to work the service to Cardiff where a spare express train would connect and work forward.

When FGW get round to harmonising grades this would become an option once again.
Spare stock however, well BR had a bit laying around to cover for failures, relief trains and strengthing services when needed.
Today with Rosco's charging for every unit there is no spare stock, this is wrong, hire a tv from a shop and if it breaks down a spare tv is provided by the shop.
The Rosco's should have spare stock supplied at various locations to cover for failed trains.

Today servicing of trains is done at depots like Old Oak in London, Laira in Plymouth, however the resources to investigate failures are not in place, and units or HST failures don't get investigated as they should, no dis-respect to the fitters, the work they can do is limited by time and the need to get a train back to work.
It's frustrating to train crew and fitters that the trains suffer from repetitive failures.

In BR days all coaching stock had the Letters SP and a date on the external left hand end,
SP was shopping projected and was (I believe) done every 18 months when stock would visit works for a inspection, lifting from bogies, and any work required done, however stock having repetitive failures would be sent to works earlier than the SP date.

There was a lot of pride in BR workshops (Crewe, Derby, Eastleigh, Glasgow, Swindon, York) how many people realised that all screwheads inside a MKI coach were tightened and left with the screw head slots in alignment, no that wasn't excessive it was pride in the work that the staff were taught.

BR wasn't perfect but it provided value for money that today's railway doesn't. Given the money that poors into todays shareholders pockets and BR would have been the most upto date railway in the world.

What do other people think?

Station Manager.

It would be interesting to know what the most common types of failure are, e.g. I have often been on a Turbo from London and it has been terminated at Reading due to "a mechanical fault" when the train seems to have been running perfectly normally all the way.

What kind of fault is this likely to be?

Probably related to safety equipment (but obviously it is not as FGW don't care about safety and are only bothered about profits!)

No, those Thames Turbos are "clapped out" I tell you!

I was on one on the way back from Oxford to Worcester once, and the engine cut out every ten/twenty seconds!

After every clap out, I hear a clank from under the carriage (the driver doing something with the gears I think), and then the engine restarted.

Of course it could be because the load was too heavy as the service was critically over crowded due to it being a Thames Turbo and not an Adelante!

And no, the website did not give prior warning. No, the station staff at Oxford did not give a warning. No, the guard (sorry "Train Manager") did not apologise on the address system. No, when I handed my ticket over to him with a reservation in coach x (which did not exist on this train), he still did not apologise.

So not only was the train overcrowded, late and clapped out (ie dangerous), none of the staff at FGW gave a damn what was going on, nor did they make any attempt to warn/apologise!

What will happen when these trains die? Pacers (if they are still alive) on a Hereford to London "express?"

Why can't FGW offer a competent level of customer service? Chiltern Railways (even Virgin) always pull out the stops to apologise.

Ok, Central Trains (and London Midland- Central trains in disguise) also don't do this.

It is because of these reasons also, that they should lose the franchise.

And meanwhile, the fares strike tomorrow...........

If it was a set swap be thankful there was that turbo there.

Would you prefer it to be cancelled?

No, but note that it was the lack of customer service that got me the most.

I understand that set swaps are likely at the mo due to the HST refurb.
 
They could warn!

In terms of the station it would depend if they had the information, and well, like you say, would have been nice to have some sort of announcement by the train manager.

Sorry for my reply.

The thing is, I take it that the 180 had been changed to a Thames Turbo all day.

I was getting the train in the afternoon, so they should have known!