Weather disruption caused in 2014, and how to prevent it happening again - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[phile]

Not looking very good this morning.
More weather damage at Penzance, according to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site. Services due to run to Penzance are terminating short.
So London to Penzance is now train/bus/train/bus or 3 changes instead of a direct service.

Since last Friday.   There is access to Long Rock Depot but no trains running west of StErth in passenger service.       Covered already, see Post #467 etc.,

[SDS]

the only "true" London airports are Heathrow and City.
 

What about Biggin Hill?

Id agree that Gatwick is in London. Yeah it might be in Sussex but using the RyanAir 'standard' of London Airports its slap bang in the middle!
'London' Luton is miles away.
'London' Stansted again no where near London.
'London' Southend?
What about that one that happened the other night with the winds, "London Liverpool International. Change here for terravision connections."

[stuving]

'London' Luton is miles away.
'London' Stansted again no where near London.
'London' Southend?
What about that one that happened the other night with the winds, "London Liverpool International. Change here for terravision connections."

You left out "London Oxford Airport (OXF^» (Oxford - next trains)/EGTK - Kidlington)". Being the far side of Oxford, it's just about twice as far as Luton.

[grahame]

London International Airport?   [[link]]

[SDS]

London International Airport?   [[link]]

Nah thats like abroad like. Still wouldn't put it past Ryanair to advertise it as "London proper".

[BBM]

'London' Luton is miles away.
'London' Stansted again no where near London.
'London' Southend?
What about that one that happened the other night with the winds, "London Liverpool International. Change here for terravision connections."

You left out "London Oxford Airport (OXF^» (Oxford - next trains)/EGTK - Kidlington)". Being the far side of Oxford, it's just about twice as far as Luton.

And you also left out London Ashford Airport which isn't even that close to Ashford let alone London: http://www.lydd-airport.co.uk/

[TaplowGreen]

.................how about London Plymouth Airport? 

[NickB]

Northolt ?

[grahame]

However...... I looked at flying from Newquay for my regular Plymouth/Central London journey.
Usually: short drive/train/tube - Alternative: long drive/checkin & wait/fly/long walk/train/tube.
Unsurprisingly the fly option turned out to be longer, and with all the interfaces, much more complex.

I suspect that where the airlines will gain is in international traffic from Plymouth and beyond; up until now, 3.5 hours will see you from Plymouth to Heathrow, or 4.5 hours will see you to Gatwick.  But the hassle of changing with luggage and somewhat longer timings may persuade people to fly from Newquay.

[stebbo]

Assuming Ryanair could land and take-off with a Boeing 737 at Kidlington. I don't know but I suspect the runway is not that long - tho' maybe with fuel lite version...............

[SandTEngineer]

Some photographs of the damage at Penzance can be found lower down the page here: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/newspage---latest-news-reports-and-photographs.html

[NickB]

Another disastrous evening at Paddington. 18.18 taken out of service having come direct from the depot.
Sat there for 45mins before being cancelled. My phone told me before the driver or station announcement.

I'll say it again... The cancellation of so many maidenhead services is unacceptable. 18.18 was the only scheduled direct train between 17.50 and 19.20. It just doesn't cut it.

Absolutely at the end of my patience with fgw.

[TaplowGreen]

Another disastrous evening at Paddington. 18.18 taken out of service having come direct from the depot.
Sat there for 45mins before being cancelled. My phone told me before the driver or station announcement.

I'll say it again... The cancellation of so many maidenhead services is unacceptable. 18.18 was the only scheduled direct train between 17.50 and 19.20. It just doesn't cut it.

Absolutely at the end of my patience with fgw.

I think there was a signal failure between Reading and Twyford earlier, Were there no stoppers that you could have caught? Bit slower but better than hanging around?

[NickB]

We were on board and awaiting imminent departure - for 40mins. Think the problem was onboard involving a door.
Stopping services take 50mins as against 20mins and are spaced so that they arrive after the direct trains. ie by the time you know your train is cancelled you have to wait an hour for the next direct which will still get in before the stopping service that leaves in between.

[bobm]

Seems the 18:18 was indeed cancelled because of a train fault.

Annoyingly for you the scheduled 18:15 to Oxford had intermediate stops cancelled and ran fast to Slough - but not much help if you didn't know.  It left late at 18:35 and reached Maidenhead at 19:03.