28th Feb - late evening delays

[whole diary]

[johoare]

I ended up stuck at Paddington tonight due to a car fire near the tracks at Hayes and Harlington which stopped all trains for a while.. 30 minute delays in the end.. I was aiming for 23.18 departure which I just missed but I was glad about that as that obviously got stuck in the middle of nowhere for quite a while.. half hour at least..
At least I was stuck at Paddington with the train doors open on the 23.33 departure

Having said that, my fellow passengers were particularly loud and drunk.. The last people to join first class were the ones who fell through the door when it opened (mind you they turned out to be the quietest)..

What confused me the most though was, as we went through Slough on the (very) slow line, there was a turbo stopped on the up main line with all it's lights off going nowhere anytime soon.. Does anyone have any ideas why?

[Ollie]

What confused me the most though was, as we went through Slough on the (very) slow line, there was a turbo stopped on the up main line with all it's lights off going nowhere anytime soon.. Does anyone have any ideas why?

Are you sure it was the up main?

There would have been a turbo on the down around that time which would have come off the Windsor branch to go back to Reading depot.

[EBrown]

I got caught up in that, and the points failure at Reading West Junction. Myself and another passenger who missed our last connection were given taxis.

So I can't fault FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) customer service there.

Just me and my taxi and we managed to get a fair cost up (^243.60), thanks to FGW for paying.

[johoare]

What confused me the most though was, as we went through Slough on the (very) slow line, there was a turbo stopped on the up main line with all it's lights off going nowhere anytime soon.. Does anyone have any ideas why?

Are you sure it was the up main?

There would have been a turbo on the down around that time which would have come off the Windsor branch to go back to Reading depot.

Aah maybe I've got up and down the wrong way around.. It was on the Reading bound main line platform.. That might explain it then.. I guess it was only put there after the last two (delayed) HSTS had gone through then..

[bobm]

Think of going "Up" to London or "Down" to the country.  That's how I remember it.

[johoare]

I know.. think it was because I was heading out of London I just called it the up.. oops

[swrural]

I got caught up in that, and the points failure at Reading West Junction. Myself and another passenger who missed our last connection were given taxis.

So I can't fault FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) customer service there.

Just me and my taxi and we managed to get a fair cost up (^243.60), thanks to FGW for paying.

May I ask where was your end destination E B?

[EBrown]

May I ask where was your end destination E B?

East Kent.

[swrural]

Crikey.  I imagine this all has to be sorted at Paddington by convincing the station master who probably hasn't a clue when the last trains depart from any number of SR^‡(resolve) terminals?  I can never understand why trains to Kent can depart from four different termini, all criss-crossing each other and getting in each other's way.  One would never believe the railways were grouped in 1923, let alone nationalised in 1948.

Tell me someone, this was not possible prior to privatisation was it?  (laying on taxis to take people hundreds of miles I mean).  If so, a plus for pax arising from that event.

[EBrown]

I imagine this all has to be sorted at Paddington by convincing the station master who probably hasn't a clue when the last trains depart from any number of SR^‡(resolve) terminals?

Not really difficult in anyway. Spoke to the Duty Station Manager (nice guy), he directed me to the ticket office.

The ticket office took my tickets, asked to/from stations, if I'd allowed an hour to cross London (to which my response was no, I allowed the time listed on page 44 of the Commercial Information document). Some questions followed about my choice of trains, why I broke my journey at Reading and a few other attempts to get out of paying. Then a taxi was arranged, I was told to wait for that specific one with my name in the window - a short wait followed, and I got a taxi.

[Oxman]

I don't know what BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) did, but I used to have to arrange taxis at Reading, and the procedure was complicated by the need to decide which TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) was responsible and then get there agreement to pay for the taxi.

First step was to check the tickets - where they valid, do they have any?

If OK, second was to check they had a valid journey plan. Ask them what time they left and which way they came and check it out on a journey planner.

Third, ask them which train caused their delay - it could have been a late local service in Scotland which set the ball rolling!

Fourth, ring up the Control centre manager for the TOC that caused the delay and ask them to check on Trust that there had in fact been a delay. If there had, tell the manager of the consequences and ask for an authority to provide a taxi. The Control Manager will also check out the journey plan and check that you have seen the tickets, before reluctantly giving a reference to authorise payment.

Then you can order the taxi and get the passenger on their way, not forgetting to complete the paperwork! FGW^▸ (First Great Western) would pay the taxi company and cross charge the responsible TOC.

Simples! But would probbaly have been easier in BR days.

Longest journey I ever sent someone on in a taxi was Reading to Bodmin Parkway, overnight!

[IndustryInsider]

Longest journey I ever sent someone on in a taxi was Reading to Bodmin Parkway, overnight!

Blimey!  I think I'd have waited for the next train in the morning!

[swrural]

A Pad to Cornwall taxi was covered here back a while, due to a late running Edinburgh to Kings Cross, IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), (unless I read it on another list).  The sleeper was thus missed.  I got the distinct feeling that the effort was potentially dangerous, considering that the taxi driver may have booked on hours prior.  I expect there are the same regs in force for taxi drivers as for HGV drivers but I wondered, what did the taxi driver do on reaching Cornwall - turn around and drive straight back?  It sounds dead dodgy to me.  East Kent is not next door to Pad either.

It may have been on another list, to which sources I have been lured by references here, since I joined FGWCS!

Can 'last train missed' situations be substituted by TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) with a B and B?  Much cheaper surely?

Does anyone know what happened in BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days?  I just thought you were left to wander about.  In fact my wife and tiny children and I were left 200 yards outside Nottingham station on a broken down train for five hours and did not get home until the small hours on one occasion in the 70s!      .  We had a car parked in a side street but no onward travel was offered and the station appeared deserted.

[grahame]

Does anyone know what happened in BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days? 

I can recall travelling from Scotland to Euston on Motorail, due to arrive there early on Sunday morning, but the overhead wires came down on a train in front and our service terminated at Watford Junction.  Small problem - getting the cars off.  We all stuffed into the 3 car (?) EPB style local into Euston, where there were better waiting facilities which they worked out how to return the car to us.

My (ex)wife and I had two young children with us (I think it was 2 - makes it 1985/6; may have been 1980/81 with 1 child) and the idea of an extended wait at Euston did not thrill.  Alternative tickets for them to "nearest station to home" were offered, but when pointed out that (a) the next train to Pewsey wasn't until late afternoon and (b) We lived 15 miles from the station / how would they get home from there, a taxi was arranged.    I understand that my ex was shocked at the 186 pound taxi fare - funny how things change though, considering that an anytime return, Paddington to Pewsey, is now over 100 pounds - and that doesn't get you a private driver, nor guarantee a seat, nor sort out those final 15 miles to the village we lived in!

[Oxman]

Can 'last train missed' situations be substituted by TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) with a B and B?  Much cheaper surely?

Yes, accomodation is offered sometimes, rather than a taxi. In the case of the Bodmin taxi, the customer needed to be there first thing in the morning.