Great Western Coffee Shop

Arrived in time for the 07:08 Maidenhead - Paddington HST this morning which showed on the board as due on time but in reverse formation (always useful to know as I have a First Class ticket!).  At around the time it was due there was a muffled announcement and a gradual shuffling of passengers away from platform 2.  There was then a followup announcement which, because I'd taken the precaution of moving to near the stairs 'just in case', I heard as "passengers on platform 2 awaiting the 07:08 are advised to board the 07:11 on platform 4".  No reason was given for this 'advice' but nonetheless, I heeded it even though the 07:11 doesn't have a buffet carriage, no free Times newspaper, no complimentary coffee, etc (which are actually important to me as I'd intentionally set off for the 07:08 precisely because it has those facilities).  Boarding the 07:11 along with everyone else meant that instead of relaxing in a nice and spacious first class compartment I had to stand in the standard class section as the first class area was packed.  Rumour has it the 07:08 was cancelled and that there were other delays expected on the route.  Nonetheless, why was everything shown as on time (and I didn't get an alert text, for which I'm registered for SMS alerts).

When will FGW realise that passengers want services that run on time, are reliable and that the informatioin provided is accurate?

I checked NR departures this morning before I left home and it was showing delays between Radley and Oxford which could delay trains by up to 30 minutes.. FGW showed not one single change to anything.. hmm.. I didn't believe that..  ::) ::)

Erm ... cue Ollie - again?  ::) :o

One thing that I have found increasingly annoying over the past few days is that our Ollie, as a stalwart member of this forum, is increasingly having to defend / explain the actions (or lack of them!) of First Great Western ...  >:(

Sue Evans, Dan Payne, John Ratchford - and anyone else in the official FGW PR area - please note!

Thanks,

Chris from Nailsea.  :-X

There has been a problem with the Network Updates page on the FGW website as mentioned in this thread http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6062.0;topicseen (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6062.0;topicseen).

I didn't look at Journeycheck early enough this morning to see if the 07:08 was on it but I have been getting SMS updates about my services including the bridge bash near Castle Cary this morning.

I agree it is incredibly frustrating to turn up at a station having endeavoured to check beforehand. It is even worse when those staff at the station either haven't been given the information or having got it are unable to disseminate it in a proper fashion. A timely explanation will do much to reduce ruffled feathers.

Well, I don't know whether this is good news or not..but..

The 07:08 from Maidenhead wasn't cancelled.

It did however leave Maidenhead at 07:48

Delay reason attributed is signalling problems near Oxford, it left Hanborough on time, left Oxford 42mins late.