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Jonathan H
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« Reply #30 on: February 15, 2009, 20:39:28 » |
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On my journey on the North Downs line, I don't have a choice but to travel by Turbo and I reckon they are reasonably suited to this journey. However, every 166 used to cover for an HST▸ on the main line puts us at more risk of having 165s substitute. The North Downs line is obsensibly booked for six 166s and one 2-coach 165. Since the timetable changes in 2006, 2-coach 165s on the 166 diagrams have been few and far between, certainly less common that they might have been in the past.
In the past few weeks there have been more 165s and, even worse, 2 coach 165s on Gatwick services. Travellers to the airport expect luggage racks and there is some confusion among occasional travellers when a 165 substitutes - luggage ends up on seats which isn't great.
On the matter of 16x refreshment, the difference between the middle section of coach 58117 [1] and the rest of the fleet is quite telling. Does the recent CCTV▸ fitment count as part money allocated for refreshment work?
Jonathan
[1] 58117 was, as I understand it, the carriage where someone set the interior alight at Reading station a few years ago and has considerably cleaner surfaces (and ceiling) than the rest of the fleet.
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IanL
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« Reply #31 on: February 17, 2009, 09:22:45 » |
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This morning (tuesday 17th Feb) 13 train revisions, 11 short-formed or cancelled due to train failures. None of these are Cotswold line, but a spread of Padd-BTM▸ , Padd-Oxf, Padd-Bedwyn, Cardif-Portsmouth.
Also major disruption on CL ast night due to broken down train at Evesham, I wasnt on the trains yesterday but looks like lots of trains were stopped at Oxford/cancelled.
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willc
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« Reply #32 on: February 17, 2009, 13:23:25 » |
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But the 08.52 from Malvern was full and standing arriving at Moreton and was cattle class from Charlbury onwards - and not even an announcement arriving at Oxford that more seats would be available after coupling to the other set.
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IanL
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« Reply #33 on: February 17, 2009, 13:45:08 » |
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Will,
Is this the HST▸ that seems to have recently been permanently demoted to a 3-car turbo?, it wasn't on the revisions list so appears to confirm that this is now an official change despite FGW▸ not announcing it. Last friday they didn't even have the extra set waiting at Oxford.
Ian L
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #34 on: February 17, 2009, 15:11:41 » |
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But the 08.52 from Malvern was full and standing arriving at Moreton and was cattle class from Charlbury onwards - and not even an announcement arriving at Oxford that more seats would be available after coupling to the other set.
This really is an FGW▸ own goal of spectacular proportions. 1) Re-time your first off-peak long standing through London train 30 minutes later, and 2) knowing that it used to be a bit of a crush with an Adelante you then replace the booked HST▸ with a turbo for several months without notice. Even with the extra carriages attached at Oxford this really is a way to get your regular customers riled. |
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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Don
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« Reply #35 on: February 17, 2009, 19:12:49 » |
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Also major disruption on CL ast night due to broken down train at Evesham, I wasnt on the trains yesterday but looks like lots of trains were stopped at Oxford/cancelled.
Train failed between Moreton and Evesham on the single line during the evening peak. No trains were canceled or re-routed. Although one - the stopper only made it as far as Moreton, and lots of people were delayed (especially at Moreton) until the failed train got going. FGW▸ did a great job in this case. |
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Regards,
Don.
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willc
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« Reply #36 on: February 17, 2009, 20:52:48 » |
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Will,
Is this the HST▸ that seems to have recently been permanently demoted to a 3-car turbo?, it wasn't on the revisions list so appears to confirm that this is now an official change despite FGW▸ not announcing it. Last friday they didn't even have the extra set waiting at Oxford.
Ian L
Yes. This working, 05.41 from London, 0852 back from Malvern and the 13.21/17.00 duty are definitely officially Turbos for the time being. The 15.51 is still meant to be an HST. And today's experience will have done nothing to persuade all the families who were off on half-term trips to Oxford or London to take the train again - do FGW have someone in marketing with an ounce of common sense, who can bang heads together in the operating department when they come up with these strokes of genius? |
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« Last Edit: February 17, 2009, 21:02:40 by willc »
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #37 on: February 17, 2009, 21:34:28 » |
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Good point, willc! Just as an aside, the 0859 Nailsea to BTM▸ this morning was a 150, not the three-car 158 we were promised for this service in the new timetable. Same comments apply - it was full of families, having to stand in the doorways, for possibly their first and last half term rail travel experience?  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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IanL
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« Reply #38 on: February 18, 2009, 11:02:36 » |
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Don,
The 1722 from Paddington (1816 from Oxford) was truncated at Oxford (from a passenger who was on the train).
WillC, I was on the 1008 from Charlbury this morning, is was standing only when it arrived and was standing all through each of the three carriages on departure, worse at Hanborough, three further carriages were added at Oxford after a short delay but these carriages were already fairly full before any of the excess standing passengers could decant onto the front carriages.
I confirmed that the online and printed (poster and small booklet C) all show this still as a HST▸ , verbally the staff at Charlbury confirmed this is now a fixture due to lack of available rolling stock.
Also, at 0830 this morning FGW▸ had 14 train revisions across its region, 12 due to train failures 2 due to lack of available staff.
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BBM
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« Reply #39 on: February 18, 2009, 13:54:21 » |
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I've just noticed the following in the Live Updates on the FGW▸ site: 15:48 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 18:03
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 8.This is due to an earlier train fault.
Last Updated: 18/02/2009 13:44 They're not going to run a Turbo to Cheltenham are they??? |
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Steve Bray
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« Reply #40 on: February 18, 2009, 15:17:35 » |
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And the 1650 from Reading to Shalford will be formed of 1 coach not 2. Surely not a 156 unit?
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super tm
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« Reply #41 on: February 18, 2009, 17:29:55 » |
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Well they ran a turbo to Swindon a few months ago when there was a shuttle service in operation. ie Bristol trains via Newbury and trains to Swindon terminting so it is possible.
More likely to be a typo though. possibly a 180 ?
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devon_metro
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« Reply #42 on: February 18, 2009, 19:17:11 » |
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About time the DfT» stepped in and funded more loco hauled sets. A number are on the cards...
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Ollie
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« Reply #43 on: February 18, 2009, 21:43:10 » |
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I've just noticed the following in the Live Updates on the FGW▸ site: 15:48 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 18:03
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 8.This is due to an earlier train fault.
Last Updated: 18/02/2009 13:44 They're not going to run a Turbo to Cheltenham are they??? No, it ran as an HST▸ . The set for the 15:51 was used on the 15:48 |
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dog box
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« Reply #44 on: February 18, 2009, 23:02:20 » |
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And the 1650 from Reading to Shalford will be formed of 1 coach not 2. Surely not a 156 unit?
pretty hard job as FGW▸ dont have any class 156 units |
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All postings reflect my own personal views and opinions and are not intended to be, nor should be taken as official statements of first great western or first group policy
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