Maidenhead Station

[whole diary]

[Lee]

I notice some criticism of the staff at Maidenhead in the comments section of the link below.
http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/12/tidings-of-comfort-and-joy.html

What do forum members think?

[gpn01]

First of all...what's all this about refund/discount vouchers ?  As a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Annual Season Ticket holder, I'd expect FGW to notify me in advance of my ticket expiry of any additional refunds that I'm eligible for.  I also believe that pigs can fly.

That aside, I went along to Maidenhead station at 10:45 on Sunday 30th December (which I thought would be pretty much off peak).  Wasn't encouraged to see just a single ticket kiosk open and a queue beginning to snake out of the front entrance.  Took about 20 minutes to get to the front of the queue (which meant several people missed the train just after 11:00 to London).  Took just a few minutes to renew my ticket.

I didn't have a problem with the staff at all - they're always helpful and informative.  Mind you, I couldn't quite understand why it was, with a long queue, etc. that there was only one person issuing tickets and yet there were threeticket inspectors (I presume) standing the other side of the barrier - why they weren't able to help relieve the queue by using portable machines I really don't know.

[WDcommuter]

I tend to buy my season ticket at West Drayton, so don't really have many dealings with the Maidenhead staff. The one time I decided to renew a ticket at Maidenhead (the next 2 trains home were cancelled, so at least it was something to do), the guy at the ticket desk messed it up. I didn't realise until 4 days later when I was trying to get through the gate and the ticket inspector pointed out that it had expired - didn't know they had a special offer of 3 days for the price of 7, but there you go...

[smokey]

3 days for the price of 7, well thats one way FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will make it's meggar payments to the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).

[Lee]

Proposed improvements to Maidenhead's railway station will be put before a town forum next week. The meeting will also discuss the potential impact of Crossrail and timetable changes (link below.)
http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news_article.php?section=5&category=89&story=5608

[gpn01]

Thanks for the info.  Haven't seen any posters appear at Maidenhead station yet - just the sort of thing that regular commuters would find useful to be informed of.  As an annual season ticket "Gold Card" holder I would have expected some sort of notification from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) directly.  I can but dream...

[Ollie]

I can't see any indication that this has been arranged by FGW^▸ (First Great Western). It appears to focus on crossrail which makes me think it's organised by them or the council?

[Lee]

More than ^1m will be ploughed into the refurbishment of Maidenhead railway station by First Great Western (link below.)
http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news_article.php?section=5&category=89&story=5633

In a presentation to the Maidenhead Town Forum meeting, Richard Rowland, FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s regional manager for London and the Thames Valley, explained that the cash injection would be amongst the largest of its kind into their chain of stations.

Improvements are set to include a platform extension, a larger ticket hall, a better network of subways and gateways, and lighting and flooring refurbishments.

[gpn01]

It's great that there's investment being made in the station.  Hopefully there'll be barriers that work reliabily and electronic noticeboards that don't keep failing.  Pity that they're investing in having a larger ticket hall rather than on working on ways to reduce the queues though (e.g. increase use of RELIABLE automatic ticket machines and additional staff on duty on desks). More fundementally though, as a regular commuter, I'd prefer investment to improve the reliaibility of the service over and above any cosmetic improvements to the station.  I don't believe that Crossrail will result in additional lines being built so I'm obviously nervous that it'll mean more, slower trains using the capacity and getting in the way of the faster services to Paddington.

[WDcommuter]

It's great that there's investment being made in the station.  Hopefully there'll be barriers that work reliabily

Agreed - those ticket barriers are always breaking down. Is it true that they're talking about closing the Shoppenhangars Road access (see comment on the Advertiser's site)?

[WDcommuter]

Does anyone know why they close the Shoppenhangars Road entrance in the evening? I get off the bus there at around 17.30 most evenings aiming to catch the 17.33 - currently I have to walk around to the front entrance of the station and go through 'the maze' (and if you get stuck behind a tourist with a suitcase or someone pushing a pram, there's no way you're getting the train). The majority of the time, the ticket inspector doesn't even look at tickets of people entering the station, so why not just have the other entrance open?

[Electric train]

and if you get stuck behind a tourist with a suitcase

What in Maidenhead   

There are some major revamp works going as you will have noticed, my guess it is to manage the safety of people using the station while the builders are working

[gpn01]

"Safety" ?  Don't see how that would be compromised by having the entrance open (it was shut this morning). 

I think if safety of passengers was a concern we wouldn't see the situation that happened this morning - SMS message from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to say delays/cancellations likely on 06:43, 07:04, 07:19, 07:24.  So, arrived at station early (not early enough to catch the 06:43 though because the Shoppenhangars entrance was shut).  No mention of any delays to 07:02 (my normal train). 

Whilst waiting on platform 2, 07:02 was then reported as due 07:07 on the monitor.  A few minutes later tannoy announcement that 07:02 was due in 4 minutes, immediately followed by tannoy announcement that 07:04 was due in 4 minutes.  The 07:04 passengers then started to move through the tunnel from Platform 4 to Platform 2 (presume they'd been told something). Then announcement while this was happening, that the 07:02 would operate from Platform 4.  This meant that we had a large number of passengers switching between platform 2 & 4 through the single narrow tunnel and stairways.  Finally compounded by the 07:04 arriving on Platform 2 before any sign of the 07:02 (which we'd been told would be earlier than the 07:04) and so there was some further scurrying of passengers back from Platform 4 to Platform 2.

The good news (yes there was some) was that, even though the 07:02 left after the 07:04 (which stops at Slough), we arrived at Paddington at around 07:35.  By this stage just being 11 minutes late didn't feel quite so bad!

[devon_metro]

0643 was cancelled due to a problem with lineside equipment apparently.

Interestingly the 0702 lost 4 minutes at Maidenhead, otherwise chances are it would have officially been 'on time' at Paddington.

0704 doesn't stop at Slough at arrived at Paddington early at 0728
0702 arrived at Paddington 11 late at 0734.

Should have got the 0704 

[WDcommuter]

and if you get stuck behind a tourist with a suitcase

What in Maidenhead   

OK, maybe not tourists - let's call them 'people on their way to the airport who have not used public transport in a long time'. Last week I got stuck behind 3 of them who had been directed into the tunnel and had no idea how to get to the platforms, so just blocked the way with their luggage instead...

my guess it is to manage the safety of people using the station while the builders are working

Strangely enough, I got to the station at 6pm yesterday and the entrance was open - even better, the 17:58 was delayed by 5 minutes, so I managed to catch it. There aren't any builders around in the evening (at least, not in that part of the station), so I don't think that has anything to do with it. Fingers crossed the gate will be open this evening as well.