Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2015

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

What we really want is a meet the NETWORK RAIL manager since it is often their defective infrastructure that is to blame.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could do better, especially by ensuring that they have enough staff, but most of the recent problems are network rail, not FGW.

[BerkshireBugsy]

What we really want is a meet the NETWORK RAIL manager since it is often their defective infrastructure that is to blame.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could do better, especially by ensuring that they have enough staff, but most of the recent problems are network rail, not FGW.

I totally agree BG^▸ (Brake Gangway (carriage)) - the main aspect I think FGW could improve is how they communicate with the public when things go wrong. I am thinking of getting in touch with them to see if there is any benefit in having an objective round table session with some of the regular customers to get their input. I stress objective because there would be no point in doing this if it just turned into a moaning session

I've added a picture of an unusual sight at Paddington station last night...every picture tells a story etc

[Timmer]

West Wales services have borne the brunt of the cancellations following yesterday's disruption with no GW^▸ (Great Western) services running on the Pembroke line.

Doesn't bode well for the future for direct trains from London if it was decided to can all GW Pembroke trains in the height of the summer season.

[NickB]

Saw this headline on the bbc and thought my dreams had come true...

Delayed passengers 'missing out on millions in compensation'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33833059

[phile]

What we really want is a meet the NETWORK RAIL manager since it is often their defective infrastructure that is to blame.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could do better, especially by ensuring that they have enough staff, but most of the recent problems are network rail, not FGW.

Many complaints are due to overcrowding which is the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) responsibility and who hide further into the background than Network Rail.   The TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are to blame for everything so far as Jo Public is concerned.

[BBM]

On a general point - for those who were involved/got caught up in the chaos last night (thankfully I didn't) - pretty much the worst ever? Looking at the pictures, listening to the interviews and reading social media it would certainly seem pretty much that way.

On a technical point - FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are FUBAR^▸ (fouled up beyond all recognition (I have toned down the F word)), last night was a SNAFU^▸ (Situation Normal: All Fouled Up (I have toned down the F word))!

Let's hope for a quiet few days, although I note there are quite a few problems already today.

I also wasn't caught up in last night's problems but I'd guess that the disruption on July 25th last year was that bit worse because there was absolutely NOTHING running between PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) and RDG^‡(resolve) for several hours due to a lightning strike at Ruscombe and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) wasn't an option because they were SNAFU too. I had to share a taxi to TWY^▸ (Twyford station) with 3 others with a fare on the meter of ^145. And it's thanks to that evening that I wasn't caught up in last night's problems because on the following Monday I put in a job transfer request to the Reading branch of the organisation I work for, and I started working there last January. 

[TaplowGreen]

What we really want is a meet the NETWORK RAIL manager since it is often their defective infrastructure that is to blame.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could do better, especially by ensuring that they have enough staff, but most of the recent problems are network rail, not FGW.

Many complaints are due to overcrowding which is the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) responsibility and who hide further into the background than Network Rail.   The TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are to blame for everything so far as Jo Public is concerned.

That's because it's the TOC to whom "Jo" (or Joe!) Public hands thousands of ^ a year to, so they every right to expect them to provide a decent service and an explanation/communication when things go wrong, as well as managing the relationship effectively with NR^» (Network Rail - home page)/DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).....whatever the relationships are, it's not something the customer should have to worry about.

[TaplowGreen]

On a general point - for those who were involved/got caught up in the chaos last night (thankfully I didn't) - pretty much the worst ever? Looking at the pictures, listening to the interviews and reading social media it would certainly seem pretty much that way.

On a technical point - FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are FUBAR^▸ (fouled up beyond all recognition (I have toned down the F word)), last night was a SNAFU^▸ (Situation Normal: All Fouled Up (I have toned down the F word))!

Let's hope for a quiet few days, although I note there are quite a few problems already today.

I also wasn't caught up in last night's problems but I'd guess that the disruption on July 25th last year was that bit worse because there was absolutely NOTHING running between PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) and RDG^‡(resolve) for several hours due to a lightning strike at Ruscombe and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) wasn't an option because they were SNAFU too. I had to share a taxi to TWY^▸ (Twyford station) with 3 others with a fare on the meter of ^145. And it's thanks to that evening that I wasn't caught up in last night's problems because on the following Monday I put in a job transfer request to the Reading branch of the organisation I work for, and I started working there last January. 

I recall that incident too, and I too jumped in a cab (from Reading) and was refunded in full (^45) by FGW without question...........this is why I always recommend people to stick in a claim whether or it may appear to be "consequential losses", if you ask, you often get, regardless of this absurd blanket exclusion which is generally cited.

[eightf48544]

Last night coincided with Slough and Windsor Railway Society annual barbeque. Very quite evening, with just the Windsor branch and a Reading Slough shuttle reversing in Platform 5. That was until around 20:45 when the first High Speed Train's (HST^▸ (High Speed Train))s came through. The first ones from Padd were definitely full and standing!

You might have seen us siting outside the Manor with a very smokey barbeque.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[SirBroccoli]

At the same time the generic apology went out at lunchtime today, they also announced that a void day would not be declared. Dodgy decision in my opinion, especially given that there was less disruption on 8/12/14, when the last void day was declared after two broken High Speed Train's (HST^▸ (High Speed Train))s outside Paddington.

Time for the declaration of void days to be taken out of TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) hands methinks..

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[NickB]

Totally agree. Full compensation should be payable to all travellers, including season ticket holders who get a very rough deal at the moment.
I already plan to raise this at the meet the manager session on Thursday, where I was going to enquire why 28th December wasn't void when fgw ran nothing at all at any time.

[TaplowGreen]

Totally agree. Full compensation should be payable to all travellers, including season ticket holders who get a very rough deal at the moment.
I already plan to raise this at the meet the manager session on Thursday, where I was going to enquire why 28th December wasn't void when fgw ran nothing at all at any time.

May be worth asking how much compensation FGW^▸ (First Great Western) received/will receive from Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page))?

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[NickB]

So it was Meet the Manager session this morning. I had a chat with some representatives about a number of issues including void days and left still unclear/fobbed off.
Did anyone else get any useful information?

[NickB]

Quote from this morning "turbos are much more reliable than hst's which is why they rarely break down". Cue cancellation of the 18.18 turbo and 1000 Maidenhead passengers squeezing on to the 18.42 3 carriage to Bourne end via Slough and magical 20min detour that no one understands.

[Andrew]

So it was Meet the Manager session this morning. I had a chat with some representatives about a number of issues including void days and left still unclear/fobbed off.
Did anyone else get any useful information?

I got told that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) get negative publicity and public criticism if they declare a void day as this is then excluded from their PPM^‡(resolve) performance measures which impacts season ticket discounts. I was told they were damned if they do and damned if they don't.

I was also told that in the past that FGW had been too generous in declaring void days, and that they have since made a corporate decision to assess the criteria rather more strictly. The manager wasn't able to explain what these criteria actually are, and agreed with me that these need to be better publicised. Indeed I was told they would pursue this with their web team as a high priority.

On last Friday, she said that disruption did not impact enough of the day to be declared void. The manager I was speaking with didn't know the reasons for the 28th December but they promised they would get back to me with an explanation and took my email.

All in all, whilst I didn't really come away particularly convinced by any of this, I did get the impression that some of my points about the lack of transparency in the way void days are declared was at least heard with a degree of sympathy. They also admitted that this issue had been raised by a number of other people that morning.

If I ever hear anything more I'll let you know.