0937 Oxford - Padd

[whole diary]

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Between us, about twice a week, Mrs GTBE and I catch the above train which is due off Pangbourne at 1017.  Almost invariably it is late, often 8-10 minutes late.  This is despite a very leisurely journey from Oxford including an 11 minute layover at Didcot for pathing reasons. 

The train that normally comes through Pangbourne on UR at or about 1017 is a Freightliner.  This is usually closely preceded or followed by a train of EWS^▸ (English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd, now known as DB Schenker Rail (UK^▸ (United Kingdom)))-liveried stone waggons.  The 1017 Turbo, which often doesn't trundle into Pangbourne until maybe 1027, is thus unreliable for a connection at Reading into, for example, the 1041 XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) to Birmingham etc.

Whilst I can understand why the 1017 Turbo occassionally gets delayed by a late running freight train (although in my day a Class 2 train got priority over a Class 6 train), why does it happen so often?  Is there a fault in the timetable? Does anyone know what time these 2 freights should come through Pangbourne?

This late running probably never shows up in the punctuality stats, as this train has a leisurely 6 minutes Tilehurst - Reading, another long stop at Reading (6 minutes) and recovery time into Padd.

[eightf48544]

The 1017 Turbo, which often doesn't trundle into Pangbourne until maybe 1027, is thus unreliable for a connection at Reading into, for example, the 1041 XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) to Birmingham etc.

Whilst I can understand why the 1017 Turbo occassionally gets delayed by a late running freight train (although in my day a Class 2 train got priority over a Class 6 train), why does it happen so often?  Is there a fault in the timetable? Does anyone know what time these 2 freights should come through Pangbourne?

This late running probably never shows up in the punctuality stats, as this train has a leisurely 6 minutes Tilehurst - Reading, another long stop at Reading (6 minutes) and recovery time into Padd.

You have actually hit on the answer with your comment that it never shows up on the stats because it won't be late at Padd. The obseesion with having a train on-time at it final destination leads to padding, long station stops and actual recovery time being added to timetabe. Timed briskly I would suggest this train's overall journey time could be cut by at least 30 minutes

The comment about the making it unreliable for a connection at Reading is very apposite, that's why if I need a connection at Reading I get the train from Taplow 30 minutes before the one given by the journey planner. Especialy if I've got an advanced on next train just to save the hassle of having to get confirmation that connecting train was late.

Also there's time for an extra pint in the Three Guineas.

[JayMac]

Subsequent posts and discussion from this topic, about The Three Guineas, it's facilities and the preference for a handled beer mug have been split off and moved to The Lighter Side. 

[eightf48544]

Is no one going to argue with my assertion that the 09:37 Oxford could do the Oxford to Padd journey in 30 minutes less than currently scheduled?

Or have you all go to the Three Guineas to drown your sorrows?

[ChrisB]

No one's arguing because you're likely not too far off the truth.

And "me too's" don't look good as responses.

[IndustryInsider]

Is no one going to argue with my assertion that the 09:37 Oxford could do the Oxford to Padd journey in 30 minutes less than currently scheduled?

I'll throw in my expert opinion 

30 minutes would be pushing it a little, but I reckon 20 minutes quicker might be possible.  The layovers on most of the stoppers (in the up direction) are around 7-12 minutes at Didcot (depending if it's made any stops at Radley, Culham or Appleford), and 5-6 minutes at Reading.  The timings are a little slack from Reading to Ealing Broadway, maybe a couple of minutes could be trimmed, and then there's another 3 or so minutes of slack between Ealing and Paddington - usually whilst awaiting a path into platform 11 whilst the xx:27 leaves Paddington.  So, that make a maximum of 23 minutes by my experience and calculations.

Trouble is these freight trains get in the way all the while, and when the stoppers were timed to do the trip much quicker back in 2006/7 - the down ones were timed for 1h 25m with stops at Ealing, Hayes, Slough, Maidenhead, Twyford, Reading, Tilehurst, Pangbourne, Goring, Cholsey, and Didcot - there were quite often delays of 5 or so minutes, which would have had a marked difference on the PPM^‡(resolve) figure.  The usual reason for delay was either catching up with the previous stopper (which in those days made more stops) between Slough and Reading, or waiting a liner to come off of the Reading avoider and clear the long signal sections as far as Pangbourne.  With no recovery time at all, it was then game over for making the PPM.

That being said, there really should be a more attractive timetable devised with most of the slack at Didcot and Reading removed, and a journey time of around 15 minutes quicker than present achievable with a certain amount of slack still allowed for.  Trouble is, that's easier said than done with XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and freight trains in the mix on the relief lines.

The 09:37 was on time today though! 

[bobm]

I would much rather have a more realistic timetable and less reliance on meeting targets or avoiding having to pay compensation. I am not a commuter but I do travel by train both short and long distances two or three times a week.

I think since privatisation I have been eligible to claim for late running three times. However the times I have sat on a train at a station waiting for time are beyond count. I can leave Reading nearly an hour late yet arrive in Truro or Penzance close to or on time. That cannot be a sensible way to run things. Clearly there has to be some measure of how a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) is doing but it should include a requirement to run a sensible timetable or the statistics become meaningless.

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

The 09:37 was on time today though! 

Ah, but where was it on time? Pangbourne or Paddington?


Edited to fix quote. bignosemac

[readytostart]

The 09:37 was on time today though! 

Ah, but where was it on time? Pangbourne or Paddington?

Minute late off Pangbourne, latest call en route was Ealing Broadway at 2L and a minute early into Paddington!

Edited to fix quote. bignosemac