Misleading Advice

[whole diary]

[John R]

So there I was, on my way from Nailsea to Cardiff today, when at Bristol the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) advised us that the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) on Platform 3 was non-stop to Cardiff and would get in before our 2x Class 153, (which would be rather rammed after STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station)). So we were advised to get off and switch trains. The screens confirmed the train was non-stop.

So I duly switched, along with many others, and was somewhat miffed to find the HST turn right at Filton, pick up passengers at Parkway, and then stop at Newport, arriving after the service I had got off. If this was a clever ploy to empty the local train to enable it to pick up more local traffic on its way into Cardiff then it certainly worked, but it was a bit galling.

Still, that won't be what I remember the day for.   

[eightf48544]

Always an interesting dilemma, is a seat in one train worth two in another.

Used to get this problem when travelling regularly from Taplow to Padd.

In the morning if there was disruption did you go to Maidenhead to catch the Bourne End or if you were really lucky a non stop from platform 3 which was booked out just before the Taplow train arrived on 4? Worked if it was only Up trains delayed and down trains on time, but was often successful.

Similarly in the evening did you catch a first stop Slough hoping it might pass a stopper on the way or get jam packed  on the stopper.  This was far more dodgy and Murphy's law tended to apply, and as in your case, one made the wrong choice. You'd either be jammed on the stopper and the fast would go wizzing by or you'd get to Slough to see the tail-lights of the Taplow stopper disappearing past Horlicks. The only thing was it was your wrong choice as you unlikely to get advice from the staff.