Great Western Coffee Shop

This thread tries to summarise the current status of this train. Notes for this particular service have appeared at various times in other threads. Due to my location this has a Charlbury bias, but I am sure other regular users can correct this (WillC?)

Historically this train formed the first offpeak service to Paddington along the Cotswold line  forming the important 0938 from Charlbury. Since 2006 we have been promised (and scheduled) a HST for this train but this was normally formed by an Adelante or even a turbo. Finally from the middle of last year (2008) a HST was to be found more often than not on this route and at last it became common to actually be able to get a seat at Charlbury.

From December 2008 FGW took the decision to delay this train by 30minutes so the earlier service 0835 became even busier and the (now) 1008 lost some custom. The final straw was that the HST was replaced by a turbo without changing timetables or consultation.

The timing of this could not have been worse happening without warning just before the February Half term as overcrowding reached ridiculous levels for the first cheap train into oxford and London. During term time overcrowding is still a problem and it is rare that everyone from Charlbury and Hanborough get even a chance of a seat.

FGW state that they cope with this by adding a further 3-car set at Oxford, but this does not always happen and is not always announced.

On asking (via email) why the change and why no consultation or advance notice the latter two questions are always ignored and the former question is explicitly answered by stating that it is to make better use of an HST elsewhere. Timetables (hardcopy and online still show HST).

Reliability: This service has in recent times run reliably, this has not always been the case (in Jan 08 it was cancelled twice a week for several weeks running). The stock for this train leaves London for an early morning run up the cotswold line against the main flow of trains during the morning rush. If there is any delay due to train failure or line/signal problems then this train is often terminated at Oxford meaning that the service from Worcester is restarted from Oxford missing out the Cotswold line stations completely. For Hanborough in particular this means no service after the stopper service (approx 8am) until the approx 1120, a gap of over 3 hours.


This morning due to signal problems this train was restarted from oxford as above, however platform departure board showed this train as On Time at Charlbury..... only when you checked a scrolling message in small type did you realise that the train was restarting from Oxford and was not going anywhere near Charlbury!

Indeed Ian, a pretty dreadful tale of events that will only have a negative effect on the impression of the Cotswold Line amongst its users - a real shame given the recent improvements in the general punctuality of services. There have also been other semi-permanent changes with HST's replaced by Turbos, but this train is by far the most high profile and it's right that users should complain as loudly as they can.

What was even more frustrating about this cancellation was that the 6.48 did run through to Malvern (and made extra stops at Hanborough and Charlbury). Why couldn't someone have arranged for the stock from the 5.42 to be coupled on the back at Oxford and then run out as far as Moreton or Evesham for the crew to pick up the return path there?

At least that way, many passengers would have had a train service, rather than a coach or taxi to Oxford, which in most cases would have arrived after the departure of the restarted service, meaning a London arrival time about noon, well over two hours after the previous London arrival from the Cotswolds.

The 0852 was a classic example of the single line problem.  The stock for this train departs Paddington at 05:43, arriving Oxford at 0654.  On this day due to a problem near Paddington the train was more than 20 minutes late arriving at Oxford.

If it had continued on the single line from Wolvercot to Ascott, it would have held up the first Hereford-Paddington train (Morton at 0707, Charlbury at 0727) for about 20 minutes at Ascott and then the stopper would have been around 40 minutes late leaving Moreton.  In addition both of these trains have return workings along the line and these would have also been delayed.

What would you have preferred? 

FGW took the decision to terminate this train at Oxford and as there is no way of getting the stock to Malvern (and no spare stock anywhere near Worcester) to start the working that stops at Worcester at 0852, the train did not run.

No, of course it couldn't have run from Malvern or Worcester - as I said, it could have started at Evesham or Moreton by hitching a lift with the 6.48 - saving a lot of FGW money spent on the coaches and taxis that were used instead.

There was a train and crew at Oxford from the 5.42 and towing Turbo empty stock on the line is nothing new. The other morning, when the halts train was cancelled due to late running by the first train from Hereford, the halts set was moved to Oxford coupled on to the set for the 8.52 - with us all crammed into the two-car set and the three-car empty on the back.

It doesn't even have to hitch a lift as Will has just suggested, though that's a nice neat solution now that the 08:52 ex Malvern is a Turbo, and would mean that Evesham and Honeybourne would also get their train as advertised.

What has happened in the past is that the Turbo runs empty from Oxford to Moreton after the 06:43 Hereford to Paddington clears Wolvercote (approx. 08:45) and before the next down working at 09:21 from Oxford. There's a surprising 40 minute gap in occupation of the single line from Wolvercote to Ascott at this time of the morning which gives ample time to let this Turbo run through in time to return from Moreton on time at 09:50 - at least the punters from Moreton, Kingham, Charlbury and Hanborough then have a service as advertised.

It obviously might not make sense if there is disruption to the Up trains, but if everything is reasonably normal then I see no reason why every effort should not be made to do either of the solutions above - however, it seems very hit and miss and might just depend on who's on shift making the decisions at Swindon.

Why not use the 'spare set' to run the service on time from Oxford to Malvern keeping the schedule as much as possible?

Or alternatively, shift it onto the single line just after 08:45, giving Oxford to Hanborough commuters a stop at about 08:55 (rather than the current morning choice of 07:03 and 09:31) and then run it onto Moreton from there...

Well, there's no 'spare set' as such. It's just using the original turbo that works the first Down train that when it gets significantly delayed often sits at Oxford until half ten.

And it there was an 08:45 ex Oxford as James has suggested then it would have to be an additional set found from somewhere otherwise either the 08:52 or 09:55 ex Malvern would not be able to run. I'm not saying it would be a bad idea though, in fact if an extra set could be mustered up an 08:45 departure from Oxford to Evesham or Worcester would then allow for a return service late morning to plug the 2-hour gap between the 10:06 and 12:06 ex Worcester.

That's just the sort of thing that might well make a business case post-redoubling and when some additional stock is delivered.

And more mysterious operating today caused a 15-minute delay to this train.

Although by 9am the FGW website was saying the 6.48 would be turned round at Evesham, after being held up by the signalling problems in west London, when it finally reached Moreton and the 8.52 was at Evesham at the same time - and running on time - the decision was taken to send the 6.48 on to the single line.

This was even though it probably had the usual handful of passengers on board and would still have reached Evesham with at least 20 minutes to turn round in, had it waited at Moreton for the 8.52 to arrive.

Net result - busy train delayed, to bafflement of FGW staff, and people with onward connections in London and flights to catch from Heathrow get worried they may not make it.

Have the controllers at Swindon all gone on holiday this week?