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

[whole diary]

[Sixty3Closure]

.. I think I’ve found my new regular spot on the platform though... bye bye to my travellers from coach 8 after all these years 😁 ...

Stand in a different spot? That sounds a bit drastic. We struggled with the idea of moving a couple of metres along the platform to align with the new doors. Fortunately that took us back to our regular spot of so many years for the DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) so crisis averted.

[IndustryInsider]

Although commuting numbers were no doubt down this morning, all of the high peak Maidenhead trains ran within a couple of minutes of time and at the correct formation.

[NickB]

Happy new year!  The 7.07 extended its reputation as the problem child of the new timetable - cancelled today due to ‘a member of train crew being unavailable’ but it didn’t have a problem calling at every other station on it’s planned route.

Does anyone know when the new timetable is due for its first revision?!?

[NickB]

7.07 cancelled again today.  Today’s given excuse was that a problem occurred when coupling units together, but that would again appear to be BS because it made every other calling point and was only 3mins late from oxford where the connection is made.

This lack of reliability tips all of the 7.07 passengers into the 7.01. An utter mess.

[IndustryInsider]

Totally with you this morning, Nick.  As it left Reading just two minutes late, and at its worst was 4 minutes late from Oxford, that was a ridiculous decision to remove the Maidenhead stop.  I note that shortly after it flew through Maidenhead (2 minutes early) it caught up with trains in front!

[NickB]

Thanks II - what is your take on when the new timetable will be revised to sort out conspicuous problems such as this?

[stuving]

Thanks II - what is your take on when the new timetable will be revised to sort out conspicuous problems such as this?

Isn't this what was expected, sooner or later? NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have always made clear that running more services on the Main Lines (taking advantage of the grade separation at Reading) requires the reduction in other conflicts inwards to Paddington. Those conflicts are the trains that stop at Twyford or Maidenhead on the Mains, and the (proper) semifasts that switch to or from the Reliefs. If there is less leeway to recover a train being late then skipping that stop is one way to get it back, and is more feasible than not switching to the Up Main!

Yesterday it was the stopping train that was late, but it could be a non-stop one. Today it's not clear that any train was late - the two following trains through P2 were early! I think they've just set the excuse generator to "random pick" for the time being.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, I outlined the reasons why it might be the sensible thing to do if it’s at Reading getting on for ten minutes late in a post before Christmas.  No obvious such excuses today though.

It will get more slick as drivers get used to the coupling procedure at Oxford.  It’s  being done by Worcester drivers (most of whom have never coupled before in service) and are understandably taking it steady until more confident.  You could retime it a couple of minutes earlier from Worcester in the morning to allow a little more time, but that sort of change won’t be possible until May I doubt.

Until then it remains a risk, but if decisions like this morning are made then they might as well just take it out of the calling pattern totally!

[sanfrandragon]

I was on the 7.02 this morning, first day back for most people I should think, but coach 8 wasn't too bad; just a couple of people left without seats.

[IndustryInsider]

A good morning all round this morning.  Even the 07:07 managed to stop at Maidenhead! 

[Sixty3Closure]

In coach 4 I was surprised how crowded it was. Wasn't even sure I was going to get a seat when it pulled into Twyford.

Really struggling to understand why its so busy when you've gone from 3 and a bit IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) coaches to 12 EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) (is that correct term)?

On the platform we were discussing the 'golden days' of the 5 or 6 coach DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) where the boarding at Twyford was much more relaxed and polite than currently.

[TaplowGreen]

0702 not stopping at Maidenhead this morning as it's running 9 minutes late.

[NickB]

7.02 and 7.07 cancelled today due to a delay of moments.
7.15 via Slough formed of 8 coaches to take its normal flow plus the previous 20 carriages of passengers.
Car park full and turning cars away by 6.40 which is a new record.

Maidenhead is fast becoming a non-commuter town. I used to proudly state that from shutting my front door to standing on Paddington concourse could be done in 35 minutes. That same journey is now always over an hour and today will be an hour and twenty.

[Timmer]

Maidenhead is trending on Twitter. Before even clicking on the page I knew exactly why.

[Sixty3Closure]

07.02 didn't even reach Twyford until 07.06 but no information other than a continually changing display screen that was little help. At least the stopping trains are now purple so you know not to get on them if it's not clear which train has just arrived.

The irregular freight train that makes everything late turned up again as well. It must be scheduled so I'm never sure why trains have to run late because of it.

All in all another great start to the day