FGW 1st Class - ongoing discussion of the benefits and their apparent reduction

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Call customer services....if everyone with a 1st class ticket did this, they'd need to up-staff...the cost m,ight just make them think again on this....

[JayMac]

On a more positive note about FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s 1st Class service.

I visited the Paddington 1st Class Lounge yesterday (Weds 29/04/2015) and was delighted to discover that it was 'Cocktail Wednesday'. 

Every Wednesday from 4pm to 8pm the ladies from Tipplesworth are on hand to serve complimentary cocktails to FGW's 1st Class customers.

I tried both. Very nice they were too. The cocktails I mean. 





Attached also is a larger image of the cocktail menu.

Oh, and once aboard my chosen HST^▸ (High Speed Train) I discovered that complimentary wine is offered on a Wednesday evening!

[Chris from Nailsea]

... complimentary cocktails ... I tried both. Very nice they were too ...

Attached also is a larger image of the cocktail menu.

... from which I note that you would obviously have tried the Light and Stormy - but which was the other one? 

[broadgage]

Even 6/3 is vastly different to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s 6.5/1.5.

Yes, though it's actually nearer 2 with space for the crumple zone, disabled toilet and kitchen taken into account.   99 first class seats, which is more, but not a huge amount more, that the current FGW layout, and pretty much identical to what's expected from the IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) 9-cars.

As I reported in the Rights and Redress section FGW are now refusing refunds for having to stand in First unless a reservation was made.  This goes against National Conditions of Carriage and their own Passengers Charter.  Disgraceful on so many levels.

I quite agree.  That is indeed disgraceful.

First class provision on the new trains has now been downgraded to 71 seats on the full length trains and to 36 seats on the half length ones that form most of the fleet.

[IndustryInsider]

And they still find room for a kitchen and shop!

[Timmer]

First class provision on the new trains has now been downgraded to 71 seats on the full length trains and to 36 seats on the half length ones that form most of the fleet.

Sigh, I had hoped that with the introduction of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) that we would see 1st back up to 100 seats on full length sets. Be interesting to see if East Coast reduce down to 71 as well. That would be quite a reduction from around 130 currently offered on class 91 electrics. East Coast HSTS are around 110 seats.

[NickB]

Firstly... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Now then...
Will you be able to make reservations for these trains?  I'm guessing not if they are driver only, so there will be no one to referee the fights.  This is imprtant because FGW^▸ (First Great Western) seem determined to replace actual capacity in 1st with seat reservations for the few that can phone up fast enough.  If you can't reserve then that becomes a problem.

That said, if all of the trains are effectively turbos with a shop then passengers in the Thames Valley (which I acknowledge is the crunch area) won't be fighting to get on the lone HST^▸ (High Speed Train) as all the trains will be equally crap, ahem, specified.

[ChrisB]

Where does it say anything about Driver-only?

[IndustryInsider]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if hardly any, perhaps no, IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) stop at Maidenhead, and the commuters from there get 8-car 387/365 EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) for the majority of their services until Crossrail arrives in town.  Same goes for Slough/Twyford.

[NickB]

Interesting.  The implication from previous 'Meet the Manager' sessions has been that Maidenhead will get IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.), but I realise that isn't a very trustworthy source.

[IndustryInsider]

Just an opinion.  Maybe the odd Oxford to London 10-car Bi-Mode would stop, though I guess that's not too different from now in terms of number of HST^▸ (High Speed Train) stops.  The timetable won't have much slack in it at commuter stations to allow for the extended dwell times that are needed for the door layout of the IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.).

[ChrisB]

If you remember discussing the new route map for IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.), the IEPs were not stopping after Reading, but the fast Oxford 387s were....

[broadgage]

Where does it say anything about Driver-only?

I am not aware of any proposal to regularly run the new trains as driver only in passenger service.
However if the employers win the dispute with the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers), then they have undertaken to ROSTER a train manager for each service, but would run it DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) for a part of the journey if the train manager was not available.

As regards refereeing fights over the much reduced first class seating, in the case of two half trains coupled together, then sods law dictates that the train manger will be in the other unit.

[plymothian]

Isn't this what YOU have all wanted?  FGW^▸ (First Great Western) complaints and surveys show that:

- you want more standard capacity, so first class capacity has been taken away
- you want to be served in your seat, so buffets have been taken away
- you want the train to run during disruption, so the requirement for a guard has been taken away
- you want first class exclusivity upheld, so the train manager has been told his priority is the first class coaches at the expense of standard

[IndustryInsider]

That's part of the problem.  Everybody doesn't want the same thing.  Except for less delays during disruption, presumably!