IETs into passenger service from 16 Oct 2017 and subsequent performance issues

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Journey check seems to be becoming less and less reliable of late

I frequently get a complicated display up in the top left of the Coffee Shop, but when I click on 'Train Running', JourneyCheck shows nothing-to-report. 

Is this just me or are other people getting the same?

There is what, I believe, may be a longstanding issue that has got worse with Journey Check.   We send you offsite for this page.   Also map at top is sometimes clear when it should not be.

I am looking / wondering whether to switch to official open source industry feeds for future train running reports; code development required, case will be put / discussed in Taunton tomorrow.

[rogerw]

Five now six short forms on Journey Check today
06:42 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:47
06:47 Penzance to London Paddington due 12:21
06:59 Swansea to London Paddington due 09:55
07:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 08:48
07:48 Paignton to London Paddington due 11:39
07:59 Swansea to London Paddington due 11:00

[martyjon]

Journey check seems to be becoming less and less reliable of late

I frequently get a complicated display up in the top left of the Coffee Shop, but when I click on 'Train Running', JourneyCheck shows nothing-to-report. 

Is this just me or are other people getting the same?

Sometimes, but when I click refresh it usually comes ok.

[martyjon]

Journey check seems to be becoming less and less reliable of late

... and honest on the reporting.

Take this morning, a round trip between Reading and Basingstoke was cancelled with both legs of the round trip being due to a late running train in front of this one.

How can a cancelled train have a late running one in front of it ...

Path of the local stopper from Reading taken up by a late running Cross Country express?

Well tell the truth to Joe Public why their train is cancelled so JP can retaliate and question why the Cross Country express was not cancelled instead.

[bradbrka]

Five now six short forms on Journey Check today
06:42 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:47
06:47 Penzance to London Paddington due 12:21
06:59 Swansea to London Paddington due 09:55
07:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 08:48
07:48 Paignton to London Paddington due 11:39
07:59 Swansea to London Paddington due 11:00

But none of the later services that are formed off these from Paddington are short formed currently. Are these the result of yesterdays changes leaving the 9 car units in the wrong place to the start of service today.

[Wizard]

19:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 20:43
Facilities on the 19:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 20:43.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.
Last Updated:06/06/2019 13:17

Not a good train to be formed of 5 coaches.

However, it’s not.  800010/13 doing the honours as seen at Reading.  You can’t believe what’s on JourneyCheck!

Late notice swap with the 19.12 I believe, as that ran 5v10 instead.

[IndustryInsider]

A good decision as the 19:12, being first stop Swindon, will load much lighter than the 19:00.

[bradshaw]

There seems to have been a high speed special today. 1Z77 Covered Oxford to Paddington in just under 39 minutes

https://twitter.com/swlines/status/1136941625886875649

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V00002/2019/06/07/advanced

[IndustryInsider]

There seems to have been a high speed special today. 1Z77 Covered Oxford to Paddington in just under 39 minutes

That unit has now gone on to covering some Bedwyn's, though it could have been put into passenger use this morning.  Two IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) also just observed running empty from Laira to North Pole passing through Newbury.

No wonder there are some short forms today!

[bradshaw]

There was an earlier special 1Z76, the 10.15 to non-stop to Oxford. This took almost an hour, running late until Twyford. It formed the 1Z77 back to Paddington

[SandTEngineer]

This is what you get when you don't have a full maintenance depot in the far Southwest, in consequence having to send empty units back to London or Bristol......

[bobm]

The problems with the reservation system has been commented on before but have come across a variant on that today.

800 307 not only has no reservations but no coach letters on the inside or outside.

It is also lacking automated announcements. 

[Boppy]

I haven't posted for a while but have read with interest some of the views and issues with short formations.
This morning I'm on the 7.45 Paddington to Swansea. It's delayed as initially this was a 5-car set and because so many people (mainly traveling to the cricket) couldn't board at Paddington they had to switch it to a longer set. This in turn caused a delay to the service. Considering how full and standing this train was from Paddington and Reading onwards (as a 9 carriage set) it makes you wonder why a 5-car set was booked in the first place when there was going to be such a clear demand for the service.
Boppy.

[phile]

I haven't posted for a while but have read with interest some of the views and issues with short formations.
This morning I'm on the 7.45 Paddington to Swansea. It's delayed as initially this was a 5-car set and because so many people (mainly traveling to the cricket) couldn't board at Paddington they had to switch it to a longer set. This in turn caused a delay to the service. Considering how full and standing this train was from Paddington and Reading onwards (as a 9 carriage set) it makes you wonder why a 5-car set was booked in the first place when there was going to be such a clear demand for the service.
Boppy.

It would not have ever been booked for 5 coaches but the result of a shortage of available trains on the day.

[Timmer]

On the issue of five car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train), I agree with broadgage they should have never been built for the GW^▸ (Great Western) IC^▸ (Inter City) routes.

It’s caused nothing but problems for various reasons as discussed on this thread. Another poor decision by Dft who clearly learned nothing from the VT^▸ (Virgin Trains - former franchises) XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) debacle with 4/5 car Voyagers.

Only a matter of time IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) before we see them extended with extra carriages whilst the production line for the class 800 series at Newton Aycliffe still exists.

I don’t get this line I see on other forums that it’s better to run 5 vice 10 than no service at all when most of problems why the train is down to 5 vice 10 are because they are two trains joined together...attaching or lack of train crew to crew both trains.

It may be okay if you board a five car train at its starting point, but it’s as good as cancelled if you can’t board it further down the line because it’s so full and very unpleasant for those who did manage to get on.

On the occasion this has happened to me, I refused to board the train and waited for the next one despite travelling on an advance ticket. Why should I have a **** journey because the railway can’t get its act together.