shame no football specials this weekend

[whole diary]

[infoman]

for Sundays EFL trophy final at Wembley between Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle.

[GBM]

https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/wembley-rail-update

Trains before and after the match on Sunday 2 April:

Rail timetable (unable to copy/paste)
Travelling from Cornwall

Only one train on Sunday morning from stations in Cornwall will arrive in time for kick-off. (08:15)

The only train back to Cornwall after the match leaves at 1803 which will not be useable should the match go to extra time.

Why are seat reservations mandatory on so many trains?

Limiting entry on trains to those who hold seat reservations helps ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers on board. It also helps to give certainty to those intending to travel that they will be able to board their preferred train.
Trains before and after the match on Sunday 2 April:

Following suspension of planned strike action for the weekend, we are delighted to have partnered with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to provide an updated rail timetable for the Papa Johns Trophy Final.

What you need to know:

Saturday 1 April: Following the suspension of strike action, trains are planned to run as normal on this day, allowing fans looking to travel early to do so
Sunday 2 April: All direct trains between Plymouth and London Paddington before and after the match will be reservation only – you must have a seat reservation to travel on these trains
Most trains on Sunday morning are now fully reserved. If you do not have a seat reservation for a train on Sunday, you should travel on Saturday instead
To help people board safely a queuing system will be in place at Plymouth and London Paddington. Customers without seat reservations will not be able to board reservation only trains
Passengers boarding at Plymouth should arrive at the station in plenty of time to allow for full ticket checks and boarding controls

[TaplowGreen]

for Sundays EFL trophy final at Wembley between Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle.

It is indeed a shame. 39,000 going to Wembley and not a single extra train there/back.

More missed opportunities for the railways.

Usual excuses will no doubt be incoming...............

[GBM]

It's a Sunday, so some crews on rest day.
No spare trains (even if the football teams wanted to charter them), and no crews for those trains anyway.
Don't even mention the buffet trolley!

[PhilWakely]

It's a Sunday, so some crews on rest day.
No spare trains (even if the football teams wanted to charter them), and no crews for those trains anyway.
Don't even mention the buffet trolley!

I am sure West Coast Railways would have spare stock to run a footex if they had been asked.

[RichardB]

It's a Sunday, so some crews on rest day.
No spare trains (even if the football teams wanted to charter them), and no crews for those trains anyway.
Don't even mention the buffet trolley!

I am sure West Coast Railways would have spare stock to run a footex if they had been asked.

I am sure you are right but can you imagine the cost?  And Argyle would have had to have paid it or someone else chartered the train and sold tickets. 

[a-driver]

It’s a complete shambles.

I hear that most staff have made themselves unavailable. The BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) are next to useless and with little or no extra onboard for support they believe it isn’t going to be worth the grief they will receive, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) haven’t even declared any dry trains! 

As for “reservation only” trains. For those passengers who have bought tickets before this restriction was imposed GWR have broken their contracts.

Sunday will be absolute carnage. I feel sorry for the staff that are working. Sheer incompetence.

[PhilWakely]

It's a Sunday, so some crews on rest day.
No spare trains (even if the football teams wanted to charter them), and no crews for those trains anyway.
Don't even mention the buffet trolley!

I am sure West Coast Railways would have spare stock to run a footex if they had been asked.

I am sure you are right but can you imagine the cost?  And Argyle would have had to have paid it or someone else chartered the train and sold tickets. 

If Exeter City can do it for a Third Round FA Cup match at Old Trafford and sell out, I am sure a bigger club with a larger fanbase could have done it for a cup final at Wembley 

[TaplowGreen]

Keep it going, crossed quite a few off the Bingo card already! 

[RichardB]

It's a Sunday, so some crews on rest day.
No spare trains (even if the football teams wanted to charter them), and no crews for those trains anyway.
Don't even mention the buffet trolley!

I am sure West Coast Railways would have spare stock to run a footex if they had been asked.

I am sure you are right but can you imagine the cost?  And Argyle would have had to have paid it or someone else chartered the train and sold tickets. 

If Exeter City can do it for a Third Round FA Cup match at Old Trafford and sell out, I am sure a bigger club with a larger fanbase could have done it for a cup final at Wembley 

We'll never know.  Hope Argyle do the job on Sunday - and get promoted too.

[infoman]

Okay if no TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) can't supply the rolling stock thats fair enough,

could Pappa johns not have organised themselves a few specials as part of a contract of the sponsorship deal?

[TaplowGreen]

Okay if no TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) can't supply the rolling stock thats fair enough,

could Pappa johns not have organised themselves a few specials as part of a contract of the sponsorship deal?

They could certainly organise the catering.

[infoman]

I travelled up to London on Sunday,loads of footy fans arriving from all over the place.

Approached the underground gates,as a member of staff was shouting some thing from the large ticket gates by the "ticket booth"

I showed my oyster card, now hoping I could tap the oyster card on the card reader INSIDE the gates,that I could see,as I could not hear what they were shouting

No,you will have to go back through the ticket gates.

I then have to reverse behind the queue thats now building up

There was no one by the ticket gates urging travellers with paper tickets to use the side entrance.

Thinks to one self: this attitude(I'm in charge)does not help moving loads and loads of passengers around in a short space of time.