Great Western Coffee Shop

I was on this train tonight. It didn't just leave from platform 13, it went from in front of another train on platform 13.. Platform 14 also had two trains in...

Platforms 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 were empty..

To me it looked as if they had stacked up enough trains at the far end of Paddington as they could to deal with quite a few local services during the evening so that the same train despatcher could do them all without moving too far (I'm just guessing here).

I've got used to this now and if I can I always arrive at Paddington assuming I'll have a nice long walk practically to Royal Oak just to get my train as the likelihood of getting platforms 13 or 14 is proportionally larger than it should be, but not everyone knows this and still people have to run fast and/or miss the train when they run from these two platforms..

The situation now seems to be getting worse... At a quiet time of night, to have to get a train which is perched in front of another train on platform 13 when there were at last 5 empty platforms is unfair and ridiculous..

On the occasions I've caught the last train back to Oxford it's irked me that it always seems to leave from platform 13, when the rest of the station is entirely empty.

No doubt there is a good operational reason for this (can anyone enlighten...?)

However, what it even more annoying is how late the platform announcement is often left - 5 mins before departure sometimes, resulting in an unseemly scramble to get to the train in time.

More likely to allow the continued refurbishment of the Span 4 roof which covers Platforms 9-12.  Various combinations of platform closures overnight will be commonplace to allow this work to continue until the end of the year.  Also track possessions on the approach to the station might mean it's easier operationally to use 13 or 14.

There's also still a fair number of long-distance services to arrive at that time of the night, so I would suspect platforms 4 and 5 would have been in use before long.

Platforms 13 and 14 are a nuisance stuck out there (unless you arrive at the H&C platforms), but the original plan to demolish Span 4 and realign the tracks so that 13 and 14 (and a new platform 15) would be level with platforms 11/12 never came to fruition, and now thanks to Crossrail and other developments we'll be stuck with them for a while longer!

Thanks IndustryInsider.. The roof refurbishment would definitely explain why it seemed even worse than normal last night in terms of the amount of trains travelling from 13 and 14...

The despatcher spent the last two minutes before we left blowing his whistle and gesticulating to people hurrying to the train (probably wondering why they were practically walking the whole way home  ;)) to make them hurry up even more.. I'm hoping we didn't leave anyone behind..

If the work on span 4  and platforms 11 & 12 require overhead line isolations this also means a possession of the effected lines. If this is the case its possible that the isolation process could start from around 21:00 to give the work as much time as possible

We have had a similar discussion about this in the past:  http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1400.0

However in order to reply to this train specifically please note the following:

First of all, the train is formed off 2116(?) arrival and splits to form 2127 & 2142 departures.

Plat 4 & 5 - only used for local services on Sundays when as you may know, the timetable is based on Mains or Reliefs not being available. So during the week at this time with Heathrow Express still at full intensity, delays will be caused crossing a class 2 across the throat. Also, the platform may be empty when you arrive, but that does not mean that a HST wasn't there when the 2116 arrived, or is booked to be in either platform between 2116 & 2142.

Platform 10 - 2115 Greenford is due to depart this platform, so the 2116 arrival CANNOT be planned to arrive into it 1 min later.

Platform 11 - the 2320 Oxford is due to stable here - so the 2116 (can't remember if its 5 or 6) arrival cannot be planned to arrive on top of it, as it will mean that access to plat 12, where the connect is due to arrive at 2124 would be blocked.

Platform 12.  Heathrow Connect is booked to occupy the platform between 2124 & 2133, so 2127 & 2142 departures cannot occupy it.

As to the trains on 14. the stock for the 2210 is due to go to the depot at about 2000, and return for the 2210 (booked off 14). So if there are driver issues, it is often stabled on the blocks of 14 until 2210, with other Plat 14 workings going in and out on top.

As for late boarding, procedure dictates that trains are not boarded until the split is completed, or at the least the rear unit locked up.

Could it not be stabled in 13 or 14 thus freeing up 11 for other trains?

Other trains still use 11 even with the 23:20 stabled there.

Unfortunately no matter what happens, if 23:20 was put on 13, then people would just complain about that train instead. Can't win.

Thanks for the info Ollie.. It just seemed like an awful lot of trains waiting to leave from those platforms all at once on Tuesday, even more than normal..

I still do think though that, since these platforms seem to be needed more and more these days, someone needs to come up with some plan that means that everyone (even those that for whatever reason are slower than most people) can get on their trains at the far end, if they only arrive with a few minutes to spare, but are through the barriers at a certain point in time..I hate to see old/infirm people panicing and running.. What that plan would be I can't quite work out yet.. :)

Make the public departure time five minutes earlier than the working time

What?!?! Is that a serious suggestion?

Even if it was it wouldn't work.. If people thought the departure time was five minutes earlier than working time (because it was advertised as such), they would still run...

yes it was

put it in the timetable the service departs at 21:22 - in reality it leaves on time at 21:27.  Most people will get there for 21:22.  Now, you have to have the train prepped for departure at 21:22 so early arrivals can get on - they wont care if they get home on time.

TOC's will buildin slack on journeys where it suits them - surely they can do it on P13 departures to suit the customer

They may still run but at least they'd get the train!

Its not a perfect solution but....

Good point.. Still not good for the old/infirm people though... running...  ;)

But they would not have the added stress of the platform staff yelling and whistliing at them

Which imho is most of the stress

Once in visual sight - they could determine there was no major hurry and slow down

Or have what Manchester Piccadilly has - moving walkways :)

No such problems tonight, as it was the turn of Platforms 13 and 14 to be closed.