Great Western Coffee Shop

Has anyone else noticed how South West Trains regularly forget to put in seat reservations? it's not very nice standing between Basingstoke and Devon...

Yes, they really are very shoddy at this. I confess I haven't travelled QUITE that far without a seat, but I've not found the reservation I've been promised countless times.

They do not print out half the time, and when they do if the incoming service arrives a few minutes late, we can have the best part of 3 minutes to relabel the train..........eh no.  Obviously in a delay minutes Versus reservations contest, there will only be one winner  :(

Another problem seems to be the somewhat random way in which Salibury depot labels the coaches.  When I travel from Trowbridge to Waterloo my reservation is always in a coach which doesn;t exist on the train.  I have also seen trains arriveing at Salisbury with two coach D!

I would like to ask if people think 159s are suitable traction for the route?  The last time I used the route it was loco and coaches.

i personally think there great for the route, now in order to say that im going to have to put aside my love of loco halled stock and be honest, because of the connecting corridors there very adaptable ive seen 3 together quite often providing 9 carriges, there are bonuses to running dmu's in that in order to run locos with fast turn arounds you need two of them, on a route like this if one breaks down your stuffed im not 100% sure but if a dmu breaks down and another is attatched i think it can still run aslong as its not unsafe, also looking at the rolling stock available now days the 159's are comfortable fresh i enjoy traveling on them there isnt an abundance of coaches for loco halled about do you really want to travel in a 25 year old carrage

good to see people agree with me on this one!

I have heard that a relative of mine has been reserved a seat between Exeter and Honiton! a bit pointless if you ask me for a 20 minute journey...

yes and no... if you really cant stand for that amount of time because your not well or elderly (especially on a moving train) and were unlucky enough to be on a fgw hst for that journey today a seat reservation would be wise i have never seen a train so full down here before and that was with high density seating!

I would avoid getting an HST via Honiton as the trains are often packed and would be train - bus train.

if i was a regular traveler on this route i wouldnt mind paying ^5 more a week for a year along with everyone else to help fund doubling the line after the year was up and fairs went back to normal and the double line was reinstated i think everyone would agree it was worth it