Great Western Coffee Shop

Just picked up a copy of booklet 8 for local services to Reading from 17 May.

Note that this is one of 40 timetables FGW issue covering all our routes.

It is absolutey pointlss! Especialy compared with the old D book.

No Greenfords
No Heathrow Connects!
No fasts to and from Slough.
Windsor/Bourne End/Marlow/Henley branches just shown as arrival/departure times for Padd. So need to consult up and down tables to get Taplow Windsor which is quite a popular journey.
No Gatwicks
No Castle Carys

On the inside cover it says I need timetable 7 for full services reading  Padd and 11 for full service to Slough.

Also absolutely no information about Getting to and from the Station, Buying tickets:  including ticket types: How to buy: No warning about buy before you board or Penalty fares or refunds. Nothing about On Board or safety information.

Nothing about Customer help and feedback. Although there are telephone numbers and website addresses for FGW Customer Services, National Rail Enquiries and Passenger Focus but no indication of what these bodies actually do.

It does state in large type "The First Great Western website provide useful ways of accessing train times."

There are no references to Rail User Groups or other TOCS, no Underground map.

I would have thought legally there ought to be a mention of Penalty fares. From the information in this timetable it would appear if I go to Taplow at a certain time and  just get on a train.

Are the other 39 the same?

Penalty fare stations legally need to have prominent signs at the stations.  I don't think thatthere is any requirement to mention the penalty fare zones in the timetable. 

I agree. I don't know what FGW are playing at! >:(

You missed no MD's message. Each LM timetable has a specific comment from the MD talking about highlights of the new timetable etc. The new Worcester - Birmingham timetable hints that passengers should ditch FGW and use LM to get to London during the Cotswold engineering works. ;D

Now with FGW is was just a generic comment for all timetables - but that was better than nothing.

Hopefully, they'll see sense and re-introduce 5-6 booklets. (sorting out booklet E)

I also agree totally. Having based my '10 years...' post around the new timetables, they overlap and are confusing - especially between Reading and London. Look out for the Cotswold Line next in my thread next...

I reckon FGW got egg on their face when they brought out the last lot of timetables but rather than admit they got it wrong they have gone for another style, which is frankly just as bad if not worse

Yes, i'd say its worse!

However, at least the London - Devon one now has B&H stations.

I think it's all very well producing these smaller ones, however there should be the option of a collective timetable akin to book E, B, D etc.