Great Western Coffee Shop

I've noticed that at SWT run stations, even remote ones like Whimple and Holton Heath, the passenger information screens (CIS I think they're called) telling you when a train will arrive and where it calls also state the train length at the end 'This train is formed of 3/5/6 etc coaches'. I don't recall ever seeing a FGW station show this. Are FGW likely to start showing this anytime soon? I realise it'd probably be limited to major stations but it's quite useful knowing whether the train you want to catch is likely to have a bit of room or whether it's more likely to be rammed to the gunnels, as well as allowing the more experienced passenger to anticipate what they'll be catching.

In my experience (Maidenhead and Paddington) FGW do this only when it's different to the norm.. So if it say's it's 2 or 3 carriages you know it should be 5 or 6 and so it'll be packed.. I've never known them run a longer train than expected though.. now wouldn't that be a nice surprise ;D :D

Mind you if it says nothing against a train it's quite likely that that will be packed too during the peak at least...

Sometimes we get longer trains than expected as far as the local trains are concerned in Cornwall  8)

The CIS display at Par is currently showing this information for all FGW services, it has recently started providing this information, so it may be providing this information at some of the ex-wessex stations.

I am sure that I saw the information about train length on the CIS at Truro last week.

Southern always show this and it is essential when a train could be 8 or 12 cars and divide en route.

The information about which end has the first class is really useful too. Gets everyone in the right place before the train arrives. Sadly though this often seem to be incorrect for XC trains causing much confusion.

Here is First Capital Connect Land (Great Northern territory), we usually get the number of carriages on the screens and audible announcements.  The printed timetable also shows the number of carriages, at least in the peaks.

Started doing it at Redruth as well....Doris even anounces the train names such as the 'Cornish Riviera' which is a nice touch as well! Are they doing this as part of the GWR 150?

Unfortunately this seems to be a FGW problem as far as I can see, all relevant TOCs CIS centres recieve overnight formation advice for the following day's services, if for any reason a set comes off shed in reverse or is swapped off it's diagram systems are updated and a further formation advice is sent. In my experience from Bournemouth to Birmingham, SWT, Chiltern and Virgin screens are usually correct, with FGW lagging behind in the accuracy. SWT also usually pur the train coach letters on CIS screens eg: Train formation: F, D, C, B, A so that people can try and judge where to be on the platform.

My experience is that XC formations are right nearly every time on the SWT PIS between Bournemouth and Basingstoke - in both directions. They even mention the coach (I forget which one) has the bike racks and luggage area.

Given that the trains reverse on the way down at Reading, presumably the data provided accounts for this as well...

Paul