Great Western Coffee Shop

Anyone know if there is some shortage of serviceable HSTs at the moment? I ask because the 17.51 from London to Worcester was a 166 last Friday and again Monday and Tuesday this week.

Website has used the earlier train failure excuse every time, but in that case, where the hell are the 180s? Each of the three mornings, I have seen a 2x180 combo (104 and 105) roll into Oxford ecs to work the 10.30 to London. Even allowing for one set being off on a Hereford working for the afternoon, that would still appear to leave at least one working Adelante available at Old Oak, so unless each of these failures has happened in a tiny time frame, just before 17.51 without time to call up a 180, what's going on?

Doesn't exactly augur well for next summer, with the 180s gone and a single HST coming in their place, especially if the Turbos are in the middle of being refreshed as well, with a depleted fleet as a result. But then if the Cotswold Line is blockaded, I suppose I may not have a train to worry about anyway...

Same again today it would seem will. Also worth noting that the 15.33 Hereford - Pad service terminated at Reading after a train fault it was Down 52 minutes from Oxford Thus the 18.51 Pad - Oxford Service will start at Reading also.  I bet the 19.48 Cheltenham Service will be a tad busier than normal.

Both Cl.180's have been planned to work all day since going into the high summer period of the timetable. That leaves one Cl.180 under maintenance at Old Oak Common. The problems towards the end of last week were due to traincrew not being able to drive an HST.

Yes, day four of Turbo operation on the 17.51, and a tatty three-car 165 this time. Probably be down to a 2-car by the end of the week at this rate, reviving memories of the worst days of last autumn and winter. So much for inter-city standard rolling stock on most Cotswold Line trains.


But the official website excuse every day has been train failures, not lack of crew, so which is it?

Why can't FGW do what Virgin did, and get a loco haul set to act as a back-up?

The Paddington-Worcester train tuesday pm 2nd Sept departing Oxford 1449 was a broken HST, it limped into Oxford 35min late on one engine, replaced by another HST set to continue the journey, at least they didnt terminate the train as this is the only one in a bigh timetable mid afternoon gap.

Basically because FGW has missed the boat and all the decent loco hauled stock has been grabbed by other TOCs. I'm not sure regular users would like some of the Mark1 charter stock which may be availble, even though there is table for every set of seats in standard. One problem is that it has door locking but not CDL, each door has a garden shed type bolt!

Because it costs a lot more money than simply short forming a service. Common sense would prevail and use the Turbo!

But to a company that makes so much profit, the comfort of their passengers should be a factor.

What about mark 2s at Honeybourne?

Fgw only have a handfull of driver/guards who actually sign loco hauled stock now....so a loco hauled set is really a non starter

No all of the Exeter Drivers and Guards (HSS) sign Loco & Coaches as well as about 40 drivers at Padd.  This is because the sleepers have coaching stock as well.

Most of the Guards at Plymouth and Penzance also sign and would only take a few weeks to re train HSS guards at Paddington as the difference between the knowledge required for HST and loco and coaches is not great.

are you sure ALL Exeter crews sign Loco hauled stock?? even the regional crews..even if they all did the only work is the sleepers and with the 40 PAD crews you mention it would be near impossible to keep up your competances

Received a response from FGW customer services today, which does indeed put the blame down " a number of HST problems".