I used a mobile ticket last week (1) for my journey to Slough and paper tickets (2) for my return journey to Cardiff on Tuesday

1) I was convinced I had made a bike reservation for my journey to Slough (as I had for the return journey to Cardiff more on this later...) but there was no indication on the mobile ticket about it.
This led to me having to phone GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to reserve a bike space which was a kerfuffle s I was passed from web booking to telesales and back again

When I disembarked at Slough the revenue protection officer at the gate could not read my mobile ticket adding further time to my journey.

2)  Paper tickets - for my bike reservation to Cardiff (Splitting at Swindon) I picked my tickets up from a machine at Slough and was rather taken aback to be given approximately 10 tickets back. I mean wtaf? I was then asked if I had made a reservation before boarding the train and was asked to show it. It took me ages to find the relevant 'ticket' as it did for using the barriers at Cardiff Central.

What a bloody carry-on (deliberate pun)

Apologies if in the wrong section

I took one of the new Hitachi trains today and although a vast improvement noted that the 'bike' coach is carriage B and doesn't seem to have many spaces for bikes compared to the 5 or 6 on the older GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trains.

Is there capacity to carry more bikes on these new trains? I can see it being quite a problem if not (and I am aware of the reservation requirements for bikes and I am guessing these will be policed more strictly?.... So much for an integrated solution to environmentally friendly travel!)


***edit post - just read an article from the Guardian Nov 2017 about lack of bicycle space on new GWR services. Honestly this country and its commitment to peoples' wellbeing and the environment!! In Canada, for example, you can put your bike on the front of a bus. Oh well I won't be needing to take my bike on a train that much anymore but imo this is yet more short-sighted thinking***

In my experience services on a Monday lunchtime/ afternoon rarely have (m)any bikes on them

Hi. I have e-mailed them twice about it but am yet to receive any reply. (been waiting a month from initial enquiry)

 Don't really do twitter but do they respond if I do?

Due to one of the platform staff at Slough being extremely wary of reservations on HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) I always try to reserve a bicycle space. However recently I have had two occurences where this has proved nigh on impossible using the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) app and the GWR website.

On Monday I tried to book a bike space using the mobile phone app for a train departing in 4 hours time to Cardiff (from Slough via change at Reading) this proved impossible, I assumed due to lack of time or it being a non-direct train. I then had to go into the ticket office at Slough to explain and in fairness the ticket person managed to get me one for the next HST service despite it not being a minimum of 2 hours as per the GWR rules.

Then tonight I have tried to book a bike reservation from a train on Mon 17th Jul from Slough to Cardiff via the website but it said no reservations were available for this outward journey. Its a bit of a bummer considering the bike reservation on my journey from Cardiff to Slough on Fri 14th Jul was accepted with no problems.

I'm glad most GWR staff are not too strict upon the HST bike rule during off-peak services, but it only takes one jobsworth to potentially ruin my travel plans and see the possibility of my rather plush bike being stolen as I am forced to leave it at a station for days upon end.

Having used the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) app over the last 5 years to collect my tickets from ticket machines due to ordering them online through a computers I notice (unless I'm being thick) that this option is no longer available since the app upgraded. Hence I nearly missed my train today as I had to go into a ticket office and try and explain my predicament without a reference number.

As I've been stuck in work most of Xmas I thought it advisable to take full advantage of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s sale and get advance tickets for £15 travelling between South Wales and London/ Berkshire for Jan, Feb, and March

So I managed to get some great deals but realising I needed to make a few more journeys I am now met with the "Ooops you have encountered an error" message on the missing desk screen. There is still 5 hours left of the sale
 

***update always read the T&Cs - its limited to 9 journeys***

Appreciate that but it appears to have been this situation for awhile. Where in days of not too distant past I could book an advacne ticket 2 days ahead on unpopular daytime services these appear to be unavailable. Even if I try to book 2 weeks ahead the savings are not fantastic.

I'll report back in September but suspect FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have decided due to the popularity of the route they can make less adv tickets available.

I have noticed recently that there seems a distinct lack of opportunity in attaing Adv tickets for services from South Wales to Reading/ London even allowing for changes at Swindon eg trying to book a train for Thurs 30th Jul and only off-peak single tickets are available.

This is a pattern I have seen on a few occasions recently even when booking over a week in advance? Have FGW^▸ (First Great Western) purposefully reduced the availabilty of Advance tickets on this (or any other) route?

Just to add my two pence worth I have occasionally got this train or the local stopping services after midnight over the last 4 years, usually having attended a gig or gone out for a meal/ pub in London. And they are usually busy regardless of what day of the week it it, but especially packed on weekends.

With the amount of drunken revellers on said services it is only a matter of time, in my opinion, before a serious incident occurs.

Ruddy hell, anyone would think its 2012

Hello

I booked my advance tickets and as I've done my usual trick of splitting the tickets at Swindon (thus saving myself ^5) I've had a confirmation e-mail saying that the two "separate" legs of the journey are now under the same booking reference, which is now called a confirmation number?

Is this correct? It would make sense but usually the two "separate" legs come under two different booking reference numbers.

(Please feel free to move to related thread)

A little. Cheers

Usually when such a substantial change takes place to computer systems in my place of work we get a training course to go with it! :-)

Tht mixing desk appears to be really simple to use. 

How to appeal to the non-computer savvy amongst your customers

I was ona trainf rom Reading to Bristol yesterday at 09:11 and swear I heard the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) asking for tickets and mobile devices. I may have been daydreaming though... is this how it works when/ if you buy a ticket on your phone. Would save the hassle of dealing with those magnifcenit ticket machines and their incredible non-touch sensitive keys