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

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Also, I've never understood the 20p extra 'convenience' charge to pay via the APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) app.  Surely it costs more to send someone to collect the cash from the machine as well as to maintain it, whilst the incremental cost of paying online is virtually zero.

I suspect it relates to what the market will stand - it's for the convenience of the car park user who does not have to have the change to hand nor have to walk to the machine.   Convenience (and cost) to the provider is not the issue.

This reminds me of the big sign ... "Loaves of bread at popular prices", and when someone says to the vendor that £5 is not a popular price he tells them "it's popular with me" ...

[Electric train]

There are also some semi fast Elizabeth Line services with only intermediate stops at Burnham, Slough, West Drayton and Ealing Broadway 38 mins to Padd instead of the 43 mins.

Whilst the 345's lack facilities, toilets, charging points and the seats are not the most comfortable where the Elizabeth Line does win is it removes the need in many cases to change trains at Paddington which can take more time than people often take into account.

Maidenhead does now have a very good level of service all day, 2 tph, now faster, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to Padd only calling at Slough, in under 30 mins and 4 Elizabeth Line in around 40 min. 

[sanfrandragon]

Looking at Realtimetrains and the new T10 GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) timetable there are non-stop MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) services at 0633, 0702, 0707, 0733, 0736, 0802, 0831 and 0905, each taking about 19 minutes into London.

I cant find that 7.07 on the GWR website.  Ex the 7.36 which looks ambitious, the service has gone to roughly every half hour in that peak period.  Higher fares for a worse service.

[Electric train]

Looking at Realtimetrains and the new T10 GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) timetable there are non-stop MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) services at 0633, 0702, 0707, 0733, 0736, 0802, 0831 and 0905, each taking about 19 minutes into London.

I cant find that 7.07 on the GWR website.  Ex the 7.36 which looks ambitious, the service has gone to roughly every half hour in that peak period.  Higher fares for a worse service.

Its 07:02 not 07:07, why do you say the 07:36 is ambitious?

Slough have it even worse, nothing in the morning peak much under 30 min, National Rail Journey Planner at some times gives the option to travel to Maidenhead and change although it only save a few mins

 

[TaplowGreen]

Looking at Realtimetrains and the new T10 GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) timetable there are non-stop MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) services at 0633, 0702, 0707, 0733, 0736, 0802, 0831 and 0905, each taking about 19 minutes into London.

I cant find that 7.07 on the GWR website.  Ex the 7.36 which looks ambitious, the service has gone to roughly every half hour in that peak period.  Higher fares for a worse service.

Its 07:02 not 07:07, why do you say the 07:36 is ambitious?

Slough have it even worse, nothing in the morning peak much under 30 min, National Rail Journey Planner at some times gives the option to travel to Maidenhead and change although it only save a few mins

 

I'd say for a lot of people out West though the benefits the Elizabeth Line bring in terms of not having to change at Paddington outweigh the loss of one or two fast services to Paddington?

[sanfrandragon]

Looking at Realtimetrains and the new T10 GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) timetable there are non-stop MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) services at 0633, 0702, 0707, 0733, 0736, 0802, 0831 and 0905, each taking about 19 minutes into London.

I cant find that 7.07 on the GWR website.  Ex the 7.36 which looks ambitious, the service has gone to roughly every half hour in that peak period.  Higher fares for a worse service.

Its 07:02 not 07:07, why do you say the 07:36 is ambitious?

Slough have it even worse, nothing in the morning peak much under 30 min, National Rail Journey Planner at some times gives the option to travel to Maidenhead and change although it only save a few mins

 

I guess a typo from Oxenhutch on 7.02/7.07.

Ambitious because running a fast service 3 minutes behind another fast service seems likely to be impractical and an anomaly that will get cut in any future new timetable.

A 'good service' and 'better than Slough' can't hide the fact it's not as good as it was in that peak time.  And for more money.

[Oxonhutch]

I guess a typo from Oxenhutch on 7.02/7.07.

No it's in the timetable but as it is ex-Oxford it may be cancelled with the bridge repairs

[NickB]

I’m very much with sanfrandragon on this topic - the current timetable (especially with the 07.07 that has never run) is a significant deterioration in service for Maidenhead since the introduction of the Elizabeth Line and I’ve written to our MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) to state the same.

We used to have a direct non-stop service every 10mins (average) from 06.30 until 08.00 and now we have shorter services once every half hour.

Taking the 07.33 as an example - that was full and standing upon arrival at Maidenhead yesterday.

[IndustryInsider]

The 07:07 will presumably resume next week?

[Oxonhutch]

Taking the 07.33 as an example - that was full and standing upon arrival at Maidenhead yesterday.

Would it not be best to step back and wait for the 0736?

That service starts at Reading, misses Twyford and acts as a relief for the 0733.

[paul7575]

Local MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) on the route pushed like mad for quite a few years for Crossrail to be extended to Reading. 

A great example of being careful what you wish for.

[stuving]

Taking the 07.33 as an example - that was full and standing upon arrival at Maidenhead yesterday.

Would it not be best to step back and wait for the 0736?

That service starts at Reading, misses Twyford and acts as a relief for the 0733.

The 0736 starts from Newbury. These two trains are on different platforms (4 and 2) and only three minutes apart, so you have to pick one to go for. The same is true of the 0702 and 0707, at five minutes apart - I guess it's feasible to go for both of those, but a bit risky.

The 0646 from Oxford should also be able to start next week, if that helps.

[Electric train]

The morning services and evening "commuter" services at Maidenhead have been impacted by the line closure between Didcot and Oxford next week should see this improve.   The levels of service have been impacted by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) (aka Treasury) taking the stance that rail commuter usage is at 70% of pre-Covid levels, this was based on figures last Autumn / Winter however now the industry believes the return is closer to 80 + % and in places 90%, however its not consistent during the week Mondays (Boom Town Rats day I don't like Mondays) and Fridays commuter passenger numbers are lower that Tue to Thur.

The DfT have placed a lot of pressure on the rail industry cut train / reduce services to reduce costs to the Treasury.


As a side note Monday I did travel off peak from Furze Platt to Euston, it was the quickest I have ever done it off peak just about an hour from boarding the train at FZP and arriving on the concourse at EUS.  The GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) off peak "fasts" with the connection off of the branch is an improvement.

[NickB]

Maidenhead Advertiser are reporting the reintroduction of the 07.16 fast (via Slough) to paddington

[sanfrandragon]

Maidenhead Advertiser are reporting the reintroduction of the 07.16 fast (via Slough) to paddington

Sounds like your letter had some impact!