Didcot Parkway - station, facilities, services, improvements, events and incidents (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[didcotdean]

This start date is nearly a year after it was originally supposed to be. Looking at the detail I think it must be over the interim parking arrangements during construction; the original idea of constructing a temporary site located off the Didcot NPR connected by buses seems to have fallen by the wayside as it isn't mentioned.

[mjones]

Does anyone else find the two  new machines really slow and difficult to use? The touch screen responds slowly, leading to people pressing options more than once, confusing it. New menus appear very slowly and they don't seem to be consistent in whether they allow contactless payment. This adds to the already existing problems caused by the poor reliability of the TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) outside the station and the fact that the collection only machine by the shop isn't signposted so people add to the queues for the TVMs with the time consuming collection process.... Having a grump because I nearly missed a train because of it, but it is annoying.

[didcotdean]

I don't find it helpful that all the ticket machines at Didcot are different models.

The ones inside are incapable of selling an off-peak ticket to Reading on the 09:01 at 08:59.

They claim to accept contactless, but at least the one outside doesn't recognise Amex contactless.

The reliability of the one outside isn't helped by water flooding issues.

[ChrisB]

The timing issue was raised at last week's Customer Panel meeting and hopefully should be addressed.

If it's a network problem across many machines, then it might take a while to fix - if just the machines at DID^▸ (Didcot Parkway), then ought to be quicker fix. I think 0855 was mentioned as the start time, but customers propensity to try & beat the system and travel earlier than allowed is why it's been set tighter

[didcotdean]

The timing issue was raised at last week's Customer Panel meeting and hopefully should be addressed.

Yes, by me 

From discussions I have had, the staff at the station know about all the points I mentioned (apart maybe from the first one, which is more of an observation really); it takes action 'further up' to deal with them I daresay.

The off-peak issue may be difficult if it is how all machines of those types are programmed. 08:57 is the time of the last train from Didcot on which no off-peak tickets can be used (at least simple ones) so it is a very narrow window.

[ChrisB]

If that's the case, I can understand their reluctance to sell earlier and require anyone purchasing earlier to obtain from the booking office such that a clear warning of which train it will be valid on can be given.

[mjones]

If that's the case, I can understand their reluctance to sell earlier and require anyone purchasing earlier to obtain from the booking office such that a clear warning of which train it will be valid on can be given.

I'm not really convinced that it is fair on passengers to inconvenience them in this way because of their own failings in information provision and enforcement, potentially leading to people missing trains or paying higher fares than necessary. The risk that people will misuse a ticket applies throughout the day, and whether they buy it from a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) or the ticket office.

[didcotdean]

The 08:57 is a residual through turbo stopping service from Oxford, so arrives at Reading after the 09:01. The last non-stop non-off peak service is the 08:55.

There are plenty of announcements made that off-peak tickets are not valid on the 09:01 if going to London. I don't know if the machines are (or could be) set clever enough to know that difference though.

[chuffed]

Trying to book a journey next Monday 19th on the 1307 from Stonehouse to Bicester Village. GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) journey planners are sending me to Reading rather than Swindon and Didcot. Anyone know why this is ?

[ChrisB]

Fastest journey....

[brooklea]

Fastest journey....

It's not on this occasion however, as it takes just as long via Reading as it does changing at Swindon and Didcot. Fewest changes could be the reason?

In answer to chuffed, I don't know the reason for the routing offered, but Didcot is open, and the work around would be to enter 'avoiding Reading' in the search options.

[ChrisB]

Yup, fewest changes is another parameter it uses.

[didcotdean]

Does it take into account the need to go up and down long escalators possibly in a howling gale

Although the change at Didcot is rarely cross platform these days.

[stuving]

Fastest journey....

Indeed it is. If you start on the 13:07, the earliest arrival via Didcot is later than via Reading because of the trains that skip Didcot on both services. But when it works, via Didcot is quicker.

Via reading isn't a valid routeing for the direct ticket. That's sort-of indicated - you have to know that (for the NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) JP at least) not showing a price in the results page means you'd need separate tickets split at Reading. And for those two tickets, that makes it well over twice as much!

[didcotdean]

On your return journey you'd might want if you can to avoid the Oxford-Didcot shuttles anyway if you are travelling in commuting time. The 2-car ones get rather crowded.