Rant First Great Western

Well this is a combined rant of many annoyances over the past few weeks or so:

I usually go Wokingham-> Reigate (&vv) daily commute. It's one of those rediculous services that has 3 carriages, and people standing in the doorways for like an hour. MANY times it is delayed due to...poor conditions, cowes on the line, signal failure, late train crews, missing train crews, level crossing failure. On one trip, it had both signal failure AND late train crews for the same service (different station boards gave different reasons). This morning the service was cancelled due to missing train crews...so at 7.43 (on time) the train itself rolls through the station with a 'not in service' sign. There was a bloke driving it, so why can't it damn well stop!! Of course the next service was a small one not meant for the rush hour (VERY local stopping - 30mins longer), 3 carriages, and the conducter was knocking on the windows shouting at people to move further down the aisle. There were people standing between the 6 seat blocks ffs, it was tube packed. At least if they weren't going to pick up people with the other train they could have tacked it onto the train which did have a crew (they were going the same route) and had 6 carriages. All in it made me 50mins late for work! Then once the train was walkable, the conductor (or should I say 'Revenue Protection Officer') comes round shouting tickets please, and makes a very good effort of looking through all the details on the tickets. Having bought a ticket for the train to get me here at 8.50, I was told in no uncertain terms i was not elegible for a refund.
Trying to get to london on friday night - was anyone at Reading station and heard 'The so-and-so service is delayed by 5 hours and 28 minutes'? I caught some 6pm service at 8pm. However I was impressed the Circle line wasn't toooo delayed.

/Rant (for now at least!)

- profqwerty

 

Cowes on the line? Have they moved the isle of white and not told any one, i'm sure the people of Cowes would be please to move for your train if you gave them enough notice.

 

Warning, Asshole Alert!

I would have a rant about pedants (which pede is gonna pede about that word?) but it would just encourage them

 

The Grapes of Wrath.

...oh, wait.

 

i was at reading station on Friday, it was bit manic at 10:30, the police had it surrounded and wouldn’t let anyone in. still trying to find out why!

 

If you still have the ticket call their customer service number 08457 000 125 (open daily, 0700 to 2200) if it's anything like first Scot rail if the train is over 40 minutes late you are eligible for a refund. If nothing else you can laugh at the level of disinterest shown by the customer service team.

 

Oh how I don't miss getting that train! I used to (mostly) catch the 0730 North Camp to Betchworth/Reigate/Redhill (dependant on cycling/lift/taxi other end) every day for 3 years up until June this year so I understand your frustrations, and it was always worse during winter. I found in the summer months the train was fairly consistent and always at least within five minutes of expected time at North Camp. However, as soon as it gets a bit cold/damp/leafy/snowy then it just goes to crap.

Best one was about eighteen months ago when I couldn't get to work for three days (if I'm getting a train any later than ~1000 it's not worth it so just work from home)
Day 1: Over running engineering works from weekend, services resumed from 1230 onwards
Day 2: Train running other way Guildford to Ash spilled diesel on the line. Electric train followed it. Yup, sparks + diesel = fire. Services continued some time mid afternoon.
Day 3: It snowed. 'nuff said.

I was commuting by cycle > train > cycle at the time and on day three I'd had enough and just cycled the 40 miles to work. Got there at half past nine so hardly even late.

How long you been using teh service, btw? Any more than six months and it's possible we've sat next to each other at some point.

 

There was a bomb scare... it was still holding trains up the next morning at 9ish.

 

If you're going to be a pedant make sure you get your facts straight first. Cowes is on the Isle of Wight.

 

erm yeah... fair cop.

 

When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought it was another one about movies... (more coffee)

 

We all know that FGW services are shoddy to say the least. Unfortunately, when i used the trains breifly before using the buses again, i found that Southern just used standard day time lenght trains (3-4 coaches), instead of increasing the trains, despite all stations on the route able to hold 6 coaches at least, this was when slam doors where being withdrawn, but even so.
To be honest, i don't see FGW increasing train lenghts at present, costs too much, and train prices cost enough as it is, increasing them further to allow more passengers is going to anger many, however, you can understand why prices would go up.
Although we all know, that our rail system needs to be controlled by 1 group, not many as it stands today.

Sam

 

Worst Late Western. I truly feel for those that have to use it every day.

 

Forgot to say; amongst all the crowds, try using it daily with a bicycle. And none of that flouncy fold up stuff, full on road bike. Fun!

Fortunately I boarded at North Camp and most of the crowds would alight at Guildford meaning I could leave the bike and take a seat the rest of the journey until Dorking where the college kids would rumble on.

 

Hwulex: That's exactly how it is now! I have only been doing it for a couple of months, so probably didn't see you. There are several people with bikes, and when it's full they get shouted at to get off by the RPO!

 

love FGW... oxford to worcester, always on time and always nice and relaxed.

cannae complain myself

 

FGW reliablity on its funny routes like Brighton - Cardif Central can be pretty delayed. I have stood at Fratton waiting for a train home, when the announcment for the FGW service to Cardif was cancelled, with no reason given, lucky i was catching a different train.
Give them there due though, the FGW HS service to Paddington from Exeter was smooth and confotable, just expensive.

Sam

 

They can't all take 6 if it's going via the Arun Valley. Amberley and Billingshurst can only take four at the most. I think there are a couple more on the line like that, but Amberley and Billingshurst are either side of me, so they kinda spring to mind.

I'm going to actually stick up for FGW a little bit. A couple of years ago I was coming back from Truro, back upto my hometown, and the longest leg was on an FGW service. Just outside St. Austell (Good brewrey there...), some moron decided to commit suicide in front of the train ahead of us, so we wound up being stuck for a good hour or more.

At which point, they said food / drink would be free for the inconvinience, and to be honest, at least it shows that when things do go wrong, they do try and make it upto the customers. (At least on that occasion)

 

I've got FGW Oxford to London Paddington returns for £5.30 plenty of times and never had a problem... each journey taking an hour or even less sometimes - perfect!