Does the 8.51am from Maidenhead to Paddington ever arrive on time?

[whole diary]

[martyjon]

Arrived at 0916, according to my information, this morning after departing Oxford 3 down which had increased to 8 down departing Reading.

[johoare]

So for this week then thats a 40% punctuality rate.. And that's been pretty much the norm since this train was introduced nearly a year ago. Hence this topic!

[devon_metro]

To be fair though, the line from Reading - Paddington is running at full capacity at that time of morning so delays are inevitable.

Unless Notwork Derail has some plan to increase capacity its going to be a problem for a very long time.

[johoare]

I don't think my boss will appreciate that excuse! Anyway it won't be a problem soon. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have kindly added 15 minutes to my journey daily from December by removing this train. And that's before delays.. So half an hour late each day then!

[martyjon]

05/11/2007.

NOTE johoare TONGUE IN CHEEK.

Left Oxford on time but the pampered commuters at Maidenhead took their time the sque-e-e-e-eze on board this morning and delayed the service so that it left 2 minutes down and arrived Paddington, according to my screen, at 0915.

I am a cheeky devil aren't I.

[johoare]

Ha Ha. I think I'd have guessed that one was tongue in cheek even if you hadn't have told me!!  Let's hope for a better week commuting wise this week then!

[martyjon]

Must've been ok this morning, watched it on my screen and was 2 minutes late leaving Oxford but this was recovered and left Twyford on time but was 2 minutes down on leaving Maidenhead (AGAIN) but as the crucial last two minutes of its pending arrival at Paddington approached I was called away from my screen and when I returned at 0918 it was gone (arrived). Doh.

[devon_metro]

And today 1F22 arived at paddington at 0913.

1 minute later then planned

[johoare]

Yes, things are looking up this week. The train was on time and it was a turbo so I got a seat for once (I guess the people joining at Reading chose an intercity above our turbo!).. So a good day all round..

[martyjon]

07/11/2007.

6 minutes down on leaving Oxford this morning but this was pulled back by Twyford but AGAIN lost time departing Maidenhead 3 minutes later than scheduled. My screen showed an arrival at Paddington at 09:14, 2 minutes down.

Also noted it was a 3-car turbo this morning.

[johoare]

Yep, just about on time in Paddington. It was a turbo, they just forgot to tell us.. so it was busier than usual. I guess that is why it was busier, cos the Reading people only found out as it arrived that it was a turbo, so got on anyway. It didn't really lose any time at Maidenhead today, it actually arrive two minutes late..

However FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (I assume?) have just disgraced themselves totally. At very short notice I had to unexpectedly rush back to Maidenhead to pick my children up from school. I got the 14.30 out of Paddington. This got to Hayes on time and then crawled all the way back from there to Maidenhead finally arriving 12 minutes late. I did phone up FGW from the train, but the very helpful lady there knew nothing more than I did, and the train driver obviously didn't either as he made no annoucements.

The result, I was ten minutes late for the first school pick up I do, to find my child wandering up and down the road wondering what he should do next. I am NOT pleased about that.

If anyone knows what happened please could you let me know? If not I'll ask FGW and add the reply here when I get one!

[devon_metro]

5 Late from Slough and 11 late from Maidenhead.

[johoare]

Yes, thank you. I was there... crawling along... so I kinda know the late timings....

But does anyone know the reason for the delay? FGW^▸ (First Great Western) certainly didn't at the time!

[devon_metro]

I know you know, was just giving you all the info I am able to retreive!

[johoare]

Sorry, I wasn't having a go, honest.. I'm just very frustrated that I could get no info from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) as to whether I needed to frantically phone round friends to get someone to pick him up, and by the time I'd finished talking to FGW (not their fault at all, they spent a long time looking for non existent info), it was too late anyway, so he just kind of had to hang around wondering why no one had picked him up...  And still there is no apparent reason for us to have crawled all the way back from Hayes!