Maidenhead station - services, facilities, car parking and incidents (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I’ve encountered these guys too. Proper overkill.
On Tuesday, when the 7.02 and 7.07 were cancelled and several hundred passengers were crammed on to Platform 4 in the cold, their role appeared to be enforcing the yellow line to prevent encroachment.

I’d love to know who pays for these guys, what their actual job is, and why maidenhead is deemed to be under such imminent threat.

Probably a darned sight more to do that this security guard I came across ...



To be fair, I chatted with her and learned that they were overstaffed that day and so she was taking a "reeky" to learn more about the area she and her colleagues covered ... this was a station she had never visited before.

Perhaps the guys at Maidenhead are under training for tougher assignments such as Taplow 

[TaplowGreen]

0702, 0732, 0831 fast services all non stopping at Twyford and Maidenhead this morning according to Journeycheck.

[grahame]

0702, 0732, 0831 fast services all non stopping at Twyford and Maidenhead this morning according to Journeycheck.

Not running inward of Reading at all ...

06:21 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington due 07:22
06:21 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington due 07:22 will be terminated at Reading.
It will no longer call at Twyford, Maidenhead and London Paddington.
This is due to a speed restriction over defective track.

[TaplowGreen]

0702, 0732, 0831 fast services all non stopping at Twyford and Maidenhead this morning according to Journeycheck.

Not running inward of Reading at all ...

06:21 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington due 07:22
06:21 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington due 07:22 will be terminated at Reading.
It will no longer call at Twyford, Maidenhead and London Paddington.
This is due to a speed restriction over defective track.

0735 cancelled too.

[Sixty3Closure]

Another great start to the day.

[Sixty3Closure]

After the fun of getting home last night - Twyford being dropped from a couple of the services was really hoping for a smooth journey in.

Sadly not. Platform at Twyford was rammed so I'm guessing an earlier service was cancelled or ran fast to Paddington. As I couldn't get to my regular spot decided to take the drastic step of trying the rear 4 carriages. Didn't even get close. Was still queuing to get on when the TFL^▸ (Transport for London) person told us to move back up the platform as the train was departing. Eventually ended up in carriage 9 which was standing room only.

Is this really the culmination of billions of pounds of investment in trains, track, signals and stations? A service that subjectively feels as bad as any period over the last couple of years. Talking to my fellow commuters we were all quite angry that this appears to be as good as it gets.

[IndustryInsider]

The previous train was indeed cancelled, well, had the Twyford stop removed as it was running 20 minutes late.  The delay was due to a freight train with braking issues.

The culmination comes ones the Elizabeth Line opens I suppose?  At least the train you did get was on time and formed of 12-carriages - I had feared it might be a victim of 'more than the usual number of trains needing repair' syndrome, but I don't think it has been shortformed yet?

I see the 07:07 called at Maidenhead despite being 6 minutes late from Reading, though it lost a further 6 minutes to Paddington.  Perhaps words have been had with those making the decisions?

[NickB]

I was just about to say thanks/well done for the 7.07 being allowed to stop today at Maidenhead despite being slightly late. 

Tuesday is in my estimation ‘peak unreliability day’ and I feel the freight train that shuffles through is something to do with it.

Personally I’ve abandoned the 7.01/7.07 completely and have moved to the 6.45.  I wouldn’t choose to be getting up even earlier but that choice has been removed from me by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and the unreliability of the 7.xx services.  For the record the 6.45 appears quite reliable but was shortformed today so a lot of grumpy standing people at Slough.

Roll on summer timetable changes...

[stuving]

The previous train was indeed cancelled, well, had the Twyford stop removed as it was running 20 minutes late.  The delay was due to a freight train with braking issues.

The culmination comes ones the Elizabeth Line opens I suppose?  At least the train you did get was on time and formed of 12-carriages - I had feared it might be a victim of 'more than the usual number of trains needing repair' syndrome, but I don't think it has been shortformed yet?

I see the 07:07 called at Maidenhead despite being 6 minutes late from Reading, though it lost a further 6 minutes to Paddington.  Perhaps words have been had with those making the decisions?

But what about the one before that? The 06:26 (1P92) was on time, yet it too non-stopped at Twyford and then stopped at Maidenhead. Maidenhead's 06:45 doesn't have a Twyford stop to not do. So Today Maidenhead got the sweeties, and Twyford the empty packet - and probably loads of people saying "if I'd known how late I'd be I'd have got on the TfL^» (Transport for London - about) train".

[Sixty3Closure]

The previous train was indeed cancelled, well, had the Twyford stop removed as it was running 20 minutes late.  The delay was due to a freight train with braking issues.

The culmination comes ones the Elizabeth Line opens I suppose?  At least the train you did get was on time and formed of 12-carriages - I had feared it might be a victim of 'more than the usual number of trains needing repair' syndrome, but I don't think it has been shortformed yet?

I see the 07:07 called at Maidenhead despite being 6 minutes late from Reading, though it lost a further 6 minutes to Paddington.  Perhaps words have been had with those making the decisions?

Thanks for the update. Hasn't been shortformed yet but I think allowing a bit more time for boarding would make a big difference but then we know the timetable is very aggressive on timings. I'm not going to try using the back 5 coaches again.

Has a review date for the new timetable been set as I think there are a few issues with Maidenhead/Twyford as well as the London centric issues mentioned by other posters?

[IndustryInsider]

But what about the one before that? The 06:26 (1P92) was on time, yet it too non-stopped at Twyford and then stopped at Maidenhead. Maidenhead's 06:45 doesn't have a Twyford stop to not do.

Are you sure?  I can find no reference to any alterations to 1P92 today?

Just for clarification the freight train that was the cause of the delay to the train that definitely didn’t stop at Twyford wasn’t the one that has got in the way of trains at that time on the morning before.  This was a Whatley Quarry to Appleford service that doesn’t go east of Reading at all, but caused the delay in the Newbury area.  Though it’s not even booked to go that way as it should go via Melksham!

[grahame]

Just for clarification the freight train that was the cause of the delay to the train that definitely didn’t stop at Twyford wasn’t the one that has got in the way of trains at that time on the morning before.  This was a Whatley Quarry to Appleford service that doesn’t go east of Reading at all, but caused the delay in the Newbury area.  Though it’s not even booked to go that way as it should go via Melksham!

Goodness knows what was going on this morning ... the 06:12 Frome to Paddington which serves stations via Newbury got diverted via Melksham ... 7 late from Westbury, 8 late by the time it got to Reading and probably near as darn it empty by the time it had skipped all the stops from Pewsey to Theale on its normal route.

[stuving]

But what about the one before that? The 06:26 (1P92) was on time, yet it too non-stopped at Twyford and then stopped at Maidenhead. Maidenhead's 06:45 doesn't have a Twyford stop to not do.

Are you sure?  I can find no reference to any alterations to 1P92 today?

Well, no, I can only go by what's reported. I based that on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) showing the actual arrival time as "pass", the same as it does for 1K03. But looking wider, in this case RTT's in the minority - OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website) shows a call and so does liverail. Mind you, they all show slightly different times, as does RTT for the departure - and not just rounding the fractions either, it's whole minutes. Maybe that's telling me something about the data feeds, though I've no idea what.

[IndustryInsider]

If anyone returns on the 17:37 to Maidenhead (9-car Paignton IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)) it was absolutely crush loaded in the back part of the train.  Coaches B and A much quieter though - two people stood up and a handful of seats available.  I know where I’d rather position myself!

[lordgoata]

"if I'd known how late I'd be I'd have got on the TfL^» (Transport for London - about) train".

Isn't that the idea? Cancel the big bad GWRs^▸ (Great Western Railway) services, so that the oh-so wonderful Crossrail to Reading can be justified...