Great Western Coffee Shop

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=510408&in_page_id=1770

I dont often post links but............(and sorry if someone has done so already)

Many thanks for posting that and starting the thread.  A sprinking of links such as this help widen the information available indirectly through here and we are a ".info" domain after all!

MTLS are out this morning with their protest hoping to put the spotlight on the gross overcrowding thats takes place and they have suceeded in having the media present to highlight this. As I type this, I'm watching BBC's Breakfast News thats at Bath Spa this morning. Whether you agree with the way they are carrying out the protest or not no one can deny there is a big problem and if highlighting it through the media gets FGW and DaFT to do more and quicker then all well and good.

FGW were also interviewed with Andrew Griffiths saying it will be better by the Spring.  :)

 :o :o :o Not the famous "It'll be better next week"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Wounder how many people will have been fined come the end of they day ;D

See also link below (I like to "integrate" similiar topics where possible.)
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1534.msg9805#msg9805

More on this in the link below, which also includes an endorsement of MTLS from the RMT.
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/01/fare_strikers_target_rail_serv.html#more

Whilst I am sorry that this little girl ended up as she did I must I am sorry to say pass some of the blame on to the adult/s who were supposed to be in charge of her.

You see FGW don't employ people with guns and force passengers onto an already crowded train when it arrives at any particular station they do it on their own accord!. If this train was already heavily overcrowded on it's arrival at Bath then why did grampy insist on boarding it knowing full well that it could pose a problem with a younger member of the public. Common sense could have prevailed here I expect. This is no excuse for short trains but also remember that rolling stock cannot be pulled out of a hat at the busiest time of the year to bolster an already shortage of trains just like that.

Also why when this happened on the 22nd December has it taken 3 and a half weeks to reach the press?

Then you are also watching the so called fare strikers being turned back at the gates for not have a ticket. To think that that bloke would be getting through holding an orange bit of paper really show what a bunch of fools these people really are!

Actually I tend to agree with you here...... I wouldnt have gotten onto it myself!

I've boarded a train which wasn't overcrowded and stood in the midde of the cariage expecting that not many more people would board.  Unfortunately lots more people have then shoved their way in and I was unable to get off.....Should I pull the emergency cord at this point ?

I have been close to passing out on the train a few times and once spent about 20 mins in the toilet as it was the only place to get some 'fresh' air.

On the way home the other evening, the driver was actually making announcements saying "If you want to get off at the next station, start making your way towards the door now" because it was so crowded. It was quiet when I got on it and found a seat, but the previous train had been cancelled, so about half the population of Slough decided thay 'had' to get on.

In the interests of balance, I should point out that this may not be the full picture.

According to the BBC article link below, some passengers have been allowed to travel using the tickets while some have been made to buy valid tickets. Others, as 12hoursunday says, have been turned away at the gate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7212697.stm

It would seem to be unclear what FGW's official line was. Can anyone clarify?

I wrote that AG made that comment just for you Jim  :)

corwding is related very closely to preformance.  Its not just if the train before is cancelled, that the next train gets overcrowded, I also suspect that passengers are more likely to get on an overcrowded train if they lack the confidence that the next train will be turning up on time.

I've squeezed onto trains at Bath before now for a very crowded trip to Bristol even though there has been an HST 5 minutes behind that would have got me to Bristol in time for my connection just because I don't trust the information screens until the train has passed Bathampton junction.  At times of disruption at Paddington I've jumped on very overcrowded trains to Cornwall or Wales and changed trains down the linerather than wait for the next Bath train just because i haven't trusted that 15 minutes later a Bath train will depart.   This behavour contrasts with what I do on the London underground where I am happy to let one or two jammed trains go pass because I know that there is another one along any minute.   Also with the increased enforcement of penalty fares would you be prepared to wait for the next train if your ticket was limited to an earlier one?

I wonder where the Daily Mail get the story from, a Coffee Shop maybe.

The story appeared both in the local press and the Daily Mail on the same day (Friday 25th) The Times then took up the story the following day.

Links to the story were then posted on the Coffee Shop forum the day the story was released in the press.