Great Western Coffee Shop

First Great Western is failing the region by not providing enough seats for passengers during busy times, claim the region's MPs (link below.)
http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=141507&command=displayContent&sourceNode=257390&home=yes&more_nodeId1=257393&contentPK=20553067

The MPs say they regularly see passengers standing in carriages for up to an hour until seats become available.




FGW spokesman Adrian Booth said the company had completely refurbished high-speed trains and phased out older rolling stock in the past year :

Travelling slower?

Oh right. Like how they don't travel faster when a coach is removed... funny how NXEC are fine with it really.

I think it would help if the person who worte this ever knew about FGW.

More seats, um what has the HST refurb done ??? One minute they complain about no tables and then about too little seats, you can't have both.

How can you add an extra carriage to a HST when there aren't any carriages ???

And paying an enormous amount of money. What are all the Advance tickets which people moan aren't available, who buys those then ???

There pricing is extremely cheap. Short distance BDR's are incredibily cheap in Devon and Cornwall and so are Advance fares.

People who write these articles should do some research first.

Are the MPs really so under worked that then have no other nonscence to talk about?

Why not give their yearly allowances to buy a 153  ::)

What do you expect from the liberal d1ckocrats, Paul Tyler is OK though, he travels first class at the expense of the tax payer and treats staff like sh1t on the train, doesn't even acknowledge you when you check his ticket.

For those who want to know more about Paul Tyler, his website is http://www.paultyler.libdems.org/ .

Well this morning they have stepped it up a level.
MP's are now meeting with the Rail Minister to demand that First Great Western is stripped of its franchise. Good luck. It is never going to happen. And we would be worse off with another company.

Quote from Connor
"Well this morning they have stepped it up a level.
MP's are now meeting with the Rail Minister to demand that First Great Western is stripped of its franchise. Good luck. It is never going to happen. And we would be worse off with another company."

I think you're right - from what I've seen, the recent punctuality figures are very good indeed, and the basics in terms of catering, working toilets etc seems to be getting back to where it should be as well.

That doesn't excuse FGW for the utter shambles we've had to endure over the past couple of years, but the new management team does seem to be making a difference - I reckon we should at least give 'em a chance to put things right...

Andy Roden

Since I have been travelling with FGW and wessex trains. The service has changed from reasonable to worse, and I personally feel that it has been improving in the last couple of months in Cornwall. Also if FGW are stripped of the franchise some of the high speed trains that they currently use will be unavailable for whoever runs the service.

But I can not see the government removing the franchise when it will bring in so much money for them over the full term. Since FGW were put onto special measures and changed the management team they were very approachable at London Paddington for a meet the manager session.

Chris2, you must admit FGW introduced very cheap tickets in Cronwall, certainly the best move they have made.

I certainly admit that the cheap day returns are a great move (but I don't travel at this time very often as I travel in the morning peak and evening peak), and so are the advance fares for prices in cornwall where available.

If you travel in the peaks and know what time you will travel at you can buy the week before on very cheap Advance fares. Lots of people do it.

For the advance purchase fares to Plymouth, you need to be travelling from beyond St. Austell, they are not available for St. Austell to Plymouth on FGW but are available on Cross Country trains.

Oh right. I know alot of people use them further down.

Alittle secret, some people who travel from Lostwithiel/Bodmin buy a leisure advance from Truro as it works out cheaper.

*cough*invalid*cough*

I did try that but on that day, there were revenue standards inspectors at St. Austell so I had to buy a standard day return. So now I use a monthly season ticket which gives me the flexibility I need.

But that would not be valid as you cannot breaka journey?

This also distorts the passenger figures which must cause a problem for FGW.

You can't break journies on any advance purchase ticket - but you can on any walk on ticket apart from Savers (return portion only can be broken).