I've had a reply from
FGW▸ ..I like the bit that says that information about extra services is USUALLY available.. Not sure if I need to take that up with them.. Other than that not too bad a reply I guess..
Thank you for your email of 25 June 2011
I was very concerned to learn how disappointed you were with the formation/size of our service back to Maidenhead on 24 June. I realise how disappointing this must've been for you, and I am genuinely sorry that you feel so let down.
I appreciate that you feel we did not provide a sufficient amount of carriages for those returning from the Hard Rock music event. We carefully monitor passenger movements on all areas of the network, to ensure that we provide the right type of rolling stock for each journey. We also have a dedicated Special Events Manager who closely liaises with various events organizers, such as those running the Henley Regatta, Millennium Stadium or football/rugby clubs etc. This helps us to predict the unusually high passenger numbers travelling to/from such events, and were possible, to provide additional services. Indeed, I can confirm that we did provide extra services that evening for those returning from Hard Rock.
We'd very much like to be able to run all of our trains as the larger High Speed Trains (HST▸ 's). However, I regret that this just isn't possible, as there simply isn't the rolling stock available to do this. Instead, we have to decide what services to run as the larger trains, and what services to run as the smaller Turbo trains.
Whilst simply adding additional carriages may also seem like an obvious solution, rolling stock is a major challenge for most train operators as there is simply not enough stock available in the UK▸ at the moment. Similarly, we have a duty of care to our regular passengers across our entire network. We must therefore remain mindful of the knock-on effects of adding additional carriages for special events, as these have to be removed from normal services elsewhere. I am sure you can appreciate how this is a difficult balance to achieve.
You may feel that a train operator should commit to the purchase and construction of extra stock; however this is not always possible if a company is not able to see a return on investment over a relatively short franchise period. I am sorry for the concern that this has caused and I would reiterate that we do monitor our services and make changes where possible.
I was also concerned to learn how disappointed you were with not being told about the additional services that evening. Information about traveling to such events is usually available on our website in advance and customers also have the option to contact our Customer Relations Helpline.
It's clear that you feel let down by the provisions on 24 June, and I really am sorry this is the case. I'll make sure that the details of your case are passed on to the relevant managers, for inclusion as part of their post-event review. They'll be able to take your feedback on-board when planning future rolling stock allocations for music/festival-goers - including how we subsequently advertise such services.
Thank you again for contacting First Great Western.
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