Great Western Coffee Shop

Monday - 07:08 Maidenhead - Paddington delayed.  Eventually, after much confusion (including an HST with the First Class section closed off and standard class overflowing stopping for a while, at Paddington at 07:54 (normally 07:29).
Tuesday - 07:08  Maidenhead - Paddington delayed.  Less confusion but still arrived at 07:50
Wednesday - 07:08  Maidenhead - Paddington delayed.  Didn't even look at clock at Paddington.
Wednesday - 18:36 Paddington - Maidenhead delayed.  Think we arrived at Maidenhead about 15 minutes late.

Grrrrrrrr.

Out of interest, is there any way to access raw data on train departure and arrival times?  I'd be curious to compare it with my experiences.

You're right.. it's not been a good week.. Mine I think was less bad than yours but that was just lucky..Mine started last Friday evening though.

I got to Paddington for the 18.18.. it was cancelled.. I got the 18.36 in the end but that arrived at Maidenhead just before quarter past seven (about ten minutes late).. So I managed not to be home to take my son to Scouts (thank you for that FGW!!)..

On Monday I got the 9.03 from Maidenhead (as I'd done some work at home first) and we arrived at Paddington about 20 minutes late (no warning of trouble at Maidenhead before getting on the train even though I knew it had been going on for a while as I'd checked and no announcements on the train)

This morning I got the 7.41 from Maidenhead and although technically it just about arrived at Paddington on time it is a joke calling it non-stop from Slough (but that is another issue - I'd rather get that and crawl the whole way there and not travel in conditions cattle wouldn't be allowed in)...

Incidentally my experience of the 18.36 on Friday and yours today probably won't be recorded as a late train as far as FGW stats go.. It's scheduled to spend so long at Maidenhead anyway ...

I am reminded of the old Southern Region definition of a 'semi-fast' train as being one that stops between stations (well, on the Dartford Loop at least).

Maidenhead commuters have got the added Christmas present of the 17:33 PAD-OXF service reverting to a Turbo from the December timetable change (revised to depart at 17:36), so that's one less HST service and even more pressure on the previous 17:18.  It remains to be seen where this Turbo is coming from, and whether it'll just be a 3-car, but if it is expect it to be busy and also put added pressure on the 17:18 which is bad enough already.

And what's more, the 07:19 morning HST to Paddington is also going to be Turbotised, along with its next working at 08:06 from Paddington (a popular commuting train from London to Slough and Maidenhead.

For Maidenhead commuters at least, it's going to get worse before these 48 extra carriages make it better!

The 07:28 service from Goring (07:58 at Maidenhead) is a HST and has been cancelled twice in the last couple of weeks.

That makes the 3 car 07:39 turbo a wee bit crammed. Its half full when it gets to Goring, then has all the HST+Turbo passengers on there at Pangbourne and Tilehurst. As this stops at Reading (unlike the HST), considerably less people get off at Reading compared to those on the train (as the HST customers wouldn't be on there usually), so then all the regular Reading customers get on. When we reach Maidenhead its like being on a suicide mission trying to get off!

Compared to last year, this year has been diabolical for services being late or cancelled. As I have had a discount on my season ticket every month this year - due to bad performance last year - I am fully expecting to get the same thing in 2012.

According to FGW Live Updates, tonight the 17:33 "will be formed of 4 coaches instead of 8.This is due to a train fault." Nice early Christmas present!  :(

We're used to it in Maidenhead..

My current mission is to find a train.. any train.. that it's pleasant (enough) to be on in both the morning and evening peak.. and at other times to be honest.. It might be a long mission it seems...

I would suggest trying Chiltern Line to Marylebone but apparently that's gone downhill recently.

I'm not sure a morning and evening drive to/from either High Wycombe or Beaconsfield will be any less stressful than sticking with FGW from/to Maidenhead.

Some mornings you can't get by road from Maidenhead to High Wycombe by road in a reasonable time.

Another reason for reopening Bourne End to Wycombe as heavy rail to connect into Aylesbury and Milton Keyenes, East West and Oxford via Bicester. Provides links from Tames Valley to all principle towns in Bucks and to further  North such as Birmingham and anywhere from MK.

The 17:36 from London is rostered as a 5-car Turbo so that should just about provide adequate capacity.  I presume that the units being used are those that would have been tied up in the recently completed Turbo refresh?  Even so, it would have been nice to have kept the HST and used them to strengthen other extremely busy trains such as the 18:45 to Reading or the 17:18 to Oxford.

I'll be watching very carefully what peak turbo trains are strengthened come the return of the 180s and the arrival of the 150s next year, and will report back.