Great Western Coffee Shop

Who says that the fares system is difficult to understand ???

(http://i41.tinypic.com/257f4nd.jpg)

Came across this today whilst trying to plan a journey !  BUT you have to say that the two cheapest fares shown are very good value.

Do SWT actually give you anything different in 1st?  Their website doesn't mention anything - not even a cup of tea!?

You get a seat and a curtain in 1st on SWT. On a few early morning services to London on the Weymouth-London line I think the trolley will give you a free tea or coffee but nothing else.

To be fair, you do get a bigger seat with more legroom, in 2 + 1 configuration - and it is less crowded.
I am only 6ft and find the standard class seating extremely lacking in leg room ! Apart from the wheelchair seats there don't seem to be any "priority seats" as on FGW's 158s.

The last "free" coffee I got (on FGW) was without doubt the worst hot lukewarm tepid drink I have had for years ! SWT's off the trolley (paid for !) is at least drinkable.

You get power plugs to charge up your laptop/phone etc as well in First... A feature that is certainly not available in Standard on the 158/159 units...

I believe on the Salisbury - Waterloo line on the peak trains you get a free drink as well... I recall travelling a few weeks back and had something to eat from the trolley and the lady didn't charge me for the hot drink... ;D

Also there is a First Class Lounge you can use at Southampton Airport Parkway IIRC that is operated by SWT...! But open to correction ;)


Sounds like something I regularly got when travelling with XC... But even worse, sometimes you didn't get a drink at all...! even though you are entitled to one... But I won't start that rant, as I have heard things are slowly improving since my previous regular commute with them...! :)

I can just about understand the ^6.30 not being available on the 09:46 service, but why is not available on the 10:25 service?

Catching this service costs ^9.90 more, involves 2? changes, takes 31 minutes longer and arrives only 20 minutes before the 11:16 one wonders why they even bother to advertise it as a London service.

Or is it a way of getting more revenue from those folk who miss the 10:06 and are told this is the next train to Waterloo.

Sorry, silly idea that's far too  subtle for a TOC to work out.

These are probably advance tickets, so are quota controlled (a bit like airline pricing).  A certain number of tickets are available at one price, then the price increases once these are sold.

It's because the 10:25 Service is an FGW Service into London Paddington (Changing at Westbury and then Tube to Waterloo)

I do like the way that the 1st Class ticket is cheaper than the Standard Class ticket on the 09:46 though...! ;D

Advance 1st single from Warminster: ^11.20 plus ^1.60 for the coffee.
Peak train 1st single from Salisbury: ^58.10 inc "free" coffee.

It had better be b****y good coffee for that sort of money !!  ;) ;)

Had a similar situation once coming back from Bristol when First was half the price of a Standard.

Simplicity?  A journey today involving a 4 was split in order to half the price of a through fare.