Great Western Coffee Shop

I'm travelling up to London this afternoon so thought I'd best check the train times before I left..

I was pleasantly surprised to see that as well as the half hourly, stopping at most stations, service that I was expecting, there is also an extra train every hour that only stops at Slough and Paddington. I think it comes from Bedwyn.. I'm definitely not rushing to get one of the packed stopping services.. I much prefer to be a bit later and  stop as little as possible and hopefully (we'll see  :)) the train won't be as busy as the stoppers.. There is also a similar "fast" train on the way home too.. I'm a happy traveller... ;)

Yes, Jo. It's a welcome addition to the Sunday timetable for the busy station at Maidenhead - a 3-car is adequate for the loadings on most of the trains during the day, although late afternoon it can be a bit of a squeeze. It's a shame a weekday and Saturday service of the same type can't be offered.

I was about to say exactly the same thing! It was really pleasant on both journeys and not overcrowded at all (just a little warm due to "air conditioned" carriages.. ;) If only the same could be offered at all off peak times... Oh and one other bonus is that because it wasn't a stopper service it didn't use platforms 13 or 14! Good all round  :)

Sadly that nice fast train is no more  >:(
I assume we must be on the winter timetable now. I was just checking train times for me for later and it's back to a half hourly stopper which I know will be crammed to overflowing by the time it deposits us, no doubt on platform 13 or 14, at Paddington..

So I will either be driving to Slough who still have an hourly fast train, or even all the way into London..

Not good for the environment, but much better for my sanity  :)

There is a 2133 Maidenhead - Paddington (from Hereford) that calls at Slough only, however I suspect that is of no use.

In the other direction, the 0803 Paddington - Great Malvern calls at Slough then Maidenhead

Thank you, but yes, no use.. I need to travel into London about 1.30pm.. I guess that the people who write the timetables think that less people will be travelling into London on a Sunday during the Winter.. (apart from people in Slough that is as they still have their fast train ;D  ::))

Well,, I nearly missed the train thanks to the M4 roadworks.. By the way, slightly off topic, but does anyone know why the Junction 5 section of the M4 is subject yet again to major roadworks.. It's not that long ago that they finished the last lot?.. so anyway, thanks to Ring-go for paying for the car park (and me finding out it's not easy trying to buy a train ticket out of the ticket machine whilst trying to pay for car parking on the mobile), and a bit of sprinting on my part.. I just got the train which was rather full..

The journey home was even more packed.. When I came to get off at Slough I had to step over people sitting on the floor and various suitcases just to exit the train..

This suggested to me that the other fast service that has now sadly gone somewhere, would be very useful to have back please (FGW/NR/timetable people/anyone else)?..

As for me, any future trips up to London on a Sunday will be by car.. Parking on the streets is free after all.. Not good that people are being driven back to their cars though  :o

Bridge Maintenance Works
Should end 5th October

This is the M4 question I guess you're talking about Ollie? I'll be very surprised (and pleased) if they are finished tomorrow? The tailbacks have been ridiculous today, even worse when I came back the other way.. Shame they didn't do the bridge maintenance when they were doing whatever roadworks they were doing previously...?

Yeah sorry Jo I should have specified. In terms of being finished tomorrow I am just going by what the BBC says :)
I haven't driven through since last Sunday but it wasn't too bad then, just went a bit slow because of the 50mph restriction because of the narrow lanes.

Thanks again Ollie, Yep it seems each time they choose to make it two lanes rather than 3 (which is what they were doing today Eastbound) is when it gets really bad.. Hopefully it is short lived this time as the BBC have predicted  :)

Speaking of motorway roadworks, when will the roadworks on the Avonmouth bridge on the M5 ever end!!  :(

M4 Berkshire - Narrow lanes and speed restriction of 50 mph both ways due to bridge maintenance work between J5, Langley and J7, Slough West, in Slough

Last updated: 30th September 2009 at 13:08, started: 30th September 2009, ending: 5th October 2009

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M5 Bristol - One lane closed, narrow lanes and speed restriction of 50 mph both ways due to contraflow, resurfacing work and major roadworks between J19, Portishead and J17, Cribbs Causeway

Last updated: 14th September 2009 at 16:11, started: 18th August 2009, ending: 30th November 2009

Before Xmas. Just in time for a short respite before the 2 years' of work introducing hard shoulder running on the M4 and M5 in the Bristol area begins next spring.  Oh dear, we're getting dangerously off topic here, aren't we.

Maybe to bring things back on the subject of railways we could discuss the relative cost of the planned motorway works around Bristol with upgrading the rail network in the area. Though that is still far from the subject of Sunday services to Maidenhead I'll concede.    

7th September onwards until the winter timetable starts there's a reduction in the service to allow more intensive engineering work to take place. Unfortunately one of the casualties is that all of the Paddington to Bedwyn trains are only running between Reading and Bedwyn. They were the trains that called at Maidenhead.

Hopefully once they're up and running again, the Maidenhead stops will remain.

Thanks IndustryInsider.. Do you know when the winter timetable starts and therefore when we get the fast train back? I know I don't travel regularly anymore, so don't spend vast amounts of time at Maidenhead station,  but I've seen nothing anywhere to tell me that this train has been removed and why..or that it's coming back..

Meanwhile I shall take to the road  :)

The published timetable shows that the fast trains ran until 6th September. (Source: Timetable 8 )

Yes, it was a planned and published Sunday timetable change for the last two months of the 'Summer' timetable - an unfortunate one though. The 'Winter' timetable starts on 13th December, confirmation as to whether the trains will return or not should be available very soon.

Well.. I am going up to London Sunday and just checked NR journey planner mainly to check that there were no engineering works affecting me.. And... our nice fast extra Sunday train is back.. Thank you FGW for that  ;D :D :D.. Maybe please please could we also have it for the winter timetable too because lots of people would use it then as well as in the summer.. Ps I am happy with that  ;D

idenhead people maybe happy with a fast train Sunday we Taplow like would like some trains during the day on Sunday.

Well yes, I'd quite like a train that stops near my house but there isn't one even though the trainline is very close.. Taplow really isn't much further from Maidenhead station than I live.. Just come and get the nice fast  train from Maidenhead  ;D  :)