Great Western Coffee Shop

Two virtually identical articles from the same paper/website.  One referring to commuters, the other passengers (no prizes for guessing which is more accurate on a Sunday!)

http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/ealing-news/local-ealing-news/2010/08/12/passenger-outrage-over-reduced-train-services-64767-27050485/ (http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/ealing-news/local-ealing-news/2010/08/12/passenger-outrage-over-reduced-train-services-64767-27050485/)

http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/ealing-news/local-ealing-news/2010/08/12/commuter-anger-over-reduced-train-services-64767-27050347/ (http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/ealing-news/local-ealing-news/2010/08/12/commuter-anger-over-reduced-train-services-64767-27050347/)


An interesting situation though, as Southall is a very busy station even on Sundays, yet from September to December (covering the run-up to Christmas with all the extra weekend shoppers heading to London/Reading) the up service is being reduced from four to two trains an hour. 

It's hardly a well thought out timetable at the moment as the 4 trains an hour depart Southall at 02, 06, 32, and 36 minutes past the hour with the 02 and 32 trains (which will hoover up virtually all the passengers of course) being the FGW trains that have come from Reading/Oxford and will already be full, with a virtually empty Heathrow Connect services following just four minutes behind!

From September it's just two trains at 22 and 35 minutes past the hour - that's a huge gap of 47 minutes for such a busy station!  For some reason (presumably pathing restrictions) the xx:18's from Reading which would usually stop there at xx:05 are going to whistle by having stopped at Hayes a couple of minutes earlier.

The situation in the down direction is a little better with departures from Paddington three times an hour at 12, 15, and 43 minutes past the hour, but still, not very impressive at all really.  Will the Reading to London services be strengthened from 3-car trains to 5 or 6-car I wonder to cope with the reduction in the number of trains - remember, many of these Sunday services are already busy - or will limited platform lengths on the main line at some stations prevent that?

Though I'm not sure that John Beeston of Ealing Passenger Transport User Group (EPTUG) is really justified in claiming that people weren't informed or consulted though as these timetables have been online for several months - perhaps they just didn't spot it before now?

This was always the plan, to reduce the services ever since the timetables were printed.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/May%202010%20amendments/GW10M_TT08_WEB_(2).pdf

It clearly shows a new timetable pattern as of September, just people never read the timetables in full!!! Consultation??? Youve had since the timetable came out to moan!