One less HST stopping at Maidenhead from August 10th - pm?

[whole diary]

[johoare]

It looks as if there are major works from Swindon to Kemble from 10th August meaning that there is one less HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) stopping at Maidenhead from Paddington in the evening (one left out of two then) from 10th August until 1st September..

Does anyone know if the missing train (19.48 from Paddington) is going to be replaced with anything?

I've seen no information about this at Maidenhead.. I only know as someone told me..

Brilliant...

[IndustryInsider]

Does anyone know if the missing train (19.48 from Paddington) is going to be replaced with anything?

Doesn't look like it.

[johoare]

Excellent.. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) know how to look after their passengers (not)

I guess that is why they are not communicating it to us then.. so it comes as a "nice" surprise 

[ellendune]

Do the people of Maidenhead who commute into London not have holidays or do none of them have them in August?

Perhaps the school holidays in Maidenhead are different to the rest of the country?

Or could it be that there will be fewer people wanting to travel between Paddington and Maidenhead at this time?

[johoare]

Not all of us and not 3 weeks all at the same time I guess? Does that happen in other towns then? 

If it's hot in August.. And since I don't want to be fried to death.. the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) are my only option that makes it certain that I won't be for those three weeks if it turns out to be a little warm during that time

[johoare]

And no excuse for no communication anyway

[grahame]

Timetable leaflet for the three weeks at

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/~/media/PDF/Planned%20Changes/Timetable%20booklets/Full%20Swindon%20Kemble%20Engineering%20Leaflet%20-%20WEB.ashx

but there's no mention in there of what I'll describe as "associated" amendments.  I do also have details of changes which will effect the services between West Wilts (Warminster, Westbury, Trowbridge and Melksham) and Chippenham and Swindon, which I'll post as separate threads in the boards associated with those lines.

I would contend that major changes get longer-advanced publicity.   A returning Reading to Stroud commuter in late August will leave Reading at 17:12 and get to Stroud at 19:00, or if (s)he misses that have to wait for the 18:44 (Stroud 20:24).  As against a regular commute off the 17:12 getting in at 18:22, or a direct train at 18:18 getting in at 19:22.  This sort of stuff - a peak gap of an hour and a half, and home an hour later than normal - is out there already.

Less major changes get shorter publicity.  There's probably not the same need for people to know well ahead - perhaps so well ahead that some will forget / get confused - for the changes that won't drop people back / hold them up as long.   You may well find posters going up that include the changes - they're probably planned, probably not as prominent in that the change will be included in other engineering works lists.

[ellendune]

Not all of us and not 3 weeks all at the same time I guess? Does that happen in other towns then? 

If it's hot in August.. And since I don't want to be fried to death.. the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) are my only option that makes it certain that I won't be for those three weeks if it turns out to be a little warm during that time

It is the case that during the peak times in August there are noticeably less people on trains around where I live and although most do not have 3 weeks they stagger their holidays throughout the school holidays so the reduction is over a longer period. 

Its usually a shock when the holidays end and the trains are more crowded again!

And no excuse for no communication anyway

Agreed

[NickB]

Awww - I am NOT happy about this. 

The 19.48 is not only the most pleasant journey out of Paddington all day, but is also the last fast train of the evening.  This will mean that I am stuffed on to some crappy stopping service with the windows sealed shut.

So what if less people use a service through summer - in case it isn't obvious commuters appreciate the slightly less awful conditions and don't want operators to artificially recreate the battery-hen conditions of the rest of the year by withdrawing services.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) make me so so so angry in so so so many ways.  Maybe they'd like me to get out and push?

[IndustryInsider]

Why not suggest to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) a temporary extra stop at Maidenhead on the 19:45 to Plymouth or the 20:00 to Bristol?  The 19:50 to Banbury could even stop there, but that's only a 3-car Turbo so might not be the best solution!

Either way, this is just the sort of change of service that should be plastered all over Maidenhead station on posters.

[ChrisB]

It probably will be nearer the 10th....prob next week, I'd say.

Major works (redoubling the South Cotswolds) means some disruption, and whatever anyone says, August IS the quietest month for travel. Commuters know where their train goes, and those on here can't have missed us talking about these works. If you really needed more than 10 days notice, you could have put 2 and 2 together & checked the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website. That timetable has been around a while, showing thattrain missing.

[NickB]

Commuters know where their train goes, and those on here can't have missed us talking about these works. If you really needed more than 10 days notice, you could have put 2 and 2 together & checked the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website. That timetable has been around a while, showing thattrain missing.

I can say in all honesty that I was completely unaware.  And I'm someone who tries to keep up with things.  I would say with some authority that at 19.47 on 10th August there will be a lot of very very vexed passengers at Paddington so FGW need to up their game significantly.

[ChrisB]

As I said, it'll be quite unusual if posters don't materialise at Maidenhead prior to this change.

If they were already up, what changes would you have already arranged to make that couldn't be made in the next few days?

[gpn01]

As I said, it'll be quite unusual if posters don't materialise at Maidenhead prior to this change.

If they were already up, what changes would you have already arranged to make that couldn't be made in the next few days?

Why not take a customer-oriented approach ?  Rather than putting up posters advising of a service interruption, instead provide an alternative.

[IndustryInsider]

Commuters know where their train goes, and those on here can't have missed us talking about these works. If you really needed more than 10 days notice, you could have put 2 and 2 together & checked the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website. That timetable has been around a while, showing thattrain missing.

Like NickB, I fear there will be many passengers caught out.  Commuters don't necessarily know where their train is going (and over what route as most Worcester trains don't go via Swindon!) when they have, say, a dozen different train home possibilities every night many going to different destinations.  Unless I'm missing something, the replacement timetable on the website makes no mention of Maidenhead at all.  The website alterations summary makes no mention of Maidenhead and that specific train at all.  And finally, the online .pdf timetable for London to Maidenhead services makes no mention of changes to this train at all, or that services may be altered due to the works (as the London to Cheltenham timetable does).

For those reasons I think, at the very least, Maidenhead should be covered in posters now.  And serious considerations should be given to a special stop on the 19:45 or 20:00 departures instead as 'gpn01' has suggested would be the customer friendly approach.