Great Western Coffee Shop

Noticed a sign next to the Reading gateline this morning which said that filming was in progress for a new Channel 5 documentary on Great Western Trains. Also gave advice on what to do if you didn't want to appear in it!

Thanks for the replies. I am guessing the signs weren't up when I came through early this morning and it was so manic tonight I was more worried about not getting hit by pax with wheely suitcases!

Paul Goldsworthy (@BS11_Paul)

20/08/2013 12:06
@FGW Documentary following the work of First Great Western Starts 29 August 8 PM Channel 5 For those Interested

Problems arise when 15,000 extra passengers descend on one tiny station, tempers boil over when the Glastonbury music festival disrupts the regular commute, a station goes on lockdown when a man falls onto the tracks and a picturesque branch line receives a royal visit.

Have heard that the production team were at the Dawlish Air Show on Friday and Saturday (23rd/24th August 2013).

---

Moderator Note: As the broadcast of this series is imminent and I predict comment on the content of the episodes, I've taken the liberty of renaming the topic to include the programme name.

12 episodes, each of approximately 45 minutes run time excluding commercials and trailers for other shows.

They should do a Saturday night at Redruth...  Priceless viewing.

Cheers Bignosemac, i was also going to mention about the commercials myself. Does there really have to be a commercial every 15 minutes or so, as it spoils the documentary, which it has done on other documentaries.
Anyway you wait until next week Thursday to see what drama's unfold  ;D

Does there really have to be a commercial every 15 minutes or so,

And you could wait until the episodes appear on Channel 5's online catch-up service - Demand 5 - and watch it with an adblock browser add-on.

Daring to say, on another rail forum, that I often do this, had someone questioning my morals and likening it to media piracy! I see it as avoidance rather than evasion. Using an adblocker isn't illegal.

I have adblocking on as a default in my browser and chose which websites I wish to whitelist. Demand 5 isn't on that whitelist... yet. If this series turns out to be good then I may revisit that decision.  :)

hmmm - trailer I saw yesterday referred to 8 in the series.

Channel 5 is currently filming a new train-themed series, which will follow the staff of First Great Western as they connect the capital to the beautiful South West and destinations such as Cornwall, Devon, Swansea and Reading.

During the eight 60 minute episodes we^ll see a scenic iconic panoramas of trains crossing viaducts and bridges. As they pass lakes and rolling fields, we'll learn from those driving, managing, fixing and dealing with customers along the spectacular 170 year-old route.

From the Radio Times (http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-07-15/sneak-peek-first-great-western-train-series-on-channel-5):

And my apologies for saying it was 12. My source was incorrect. Should have been more thorough and corroborated with the ever reliable Radio Times.  :-[

<one self administered slap on the wrist>

Radio Times (printed version) does say 12.

Possibly 12 on extended platforms only.

And going to the horses mouth, the production company, further confuses matters:

http://www.twofour.co.uk/work/first-great-western/

It says on that page that the series is 8x30'.  ???

I really hope they haven't edited 30 minute episodes (typically 23 minutes of material) up to a runtime of 45ish minutes, with one of the all too common traits of recent 'fly-on-the-wall' type shows. That is, to constantly flash-forward and flash-back with scenes, prior to and after commercial breaks. In one episode you can often see the same scene four times. Broadcasters seem incapable of a linear narrative these days. Seemingly of the belief that the modern TV viewer has the attention span of a....
.
.
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.... what was I talking about?

Tonight at 8pm on Channel 5 is a TV Documentary about How FGW is run...

...and here's the four page thread about the series already running:
 http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=11912.0

Oh dear I may be a lone voice.

Shame about the 180 with no air con presumably on the 17:18 a few weeks back

Interesting that, on twitter, employees thought it a poor program while the punters thought it reasonable to good. Unfortunately, watching footage of a good day on FGW would be quite boring, hence the editors will always plump for the problematic days as it makes for a more interesting programme, especially when they feature staff dealing well with it....

...There are however continuity erros in moany TV programmes...

Others have already said, but the only things that wound me up were the repeated shots from the 180 cab going backwards/forwards between Royal Oak and Paddington and trains going forward/reversing when it would have been the other way around. I suspect this is because the production company don't have much in the way of library footage, although I find this a surprise because they've had crews everywhere over the last few months.

Shame about the 180 with no air con presumably on the 17:18 a few weeks back, just about kept with that bit after shots of about 5 other trains.

I think I saw one of the class 43 powercars with HP advertising stickers all over it, which must be new rather than library footage.

The Railway: First Great Western

It's obvious what's wrong with our rail network ^ the passengers

(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/8/29/1377790458632/Jody-Edwards-train-manage-010.jpg)
Stop lipping her ^ train manager Jody Edwards in The Railway: First Great Western. Photograph: Channel 5

Oh no! Cows on the track! And drunks on the train! If only it was the other way round. Then, you see, we'd have docile passengers who wouldn't get trollied, dodge fares and block the toilet. Plus, if we harnessed bovine methane somehow to power the railways, trains would have a minimal carbon hoofprint.

In this happier world, expresses could speed on, slaying intrusive local wildlife without fear of Shami Chakrabarti launching boring human rights suits. A cull of drunks, not badgers, is what Britain demands in 2013.

The problem with our rail network isn't the rolling stock, ticket pricing structures or track. It's you. If you stayed home, trains would be tickety boo. So, at least, I now believe, having watched The Railway: First Great Western (Channel 5).

"It's taken me longer to get here from Reading than it took me to fly from Montpellier," brayed one passenger to Paddington's duty manager Simon who, incredibly, affected to care. Maria, who is Paddington's ^ I love this ^ welcome ambassador (yeah, and I'm Birmingham New Street's greetings tsar) should have little pots of bear marmalade to give to those who are nice to her. She should also have water cannon for middle-class complainants whose bleats imply a second home in Languedoc-Roussillon, when she's dealing with the network-neutralising consequences of little twerps setting fire to the track outside Swindon. "He mentioned Montpellier!" "Spray the ponce!" Too much? Perhaps.

Hell, as Sartre failed to realise, isn't so much other people as other people on Saturday's 20.45 from Paddington to Swansea. Stop hiding in big suitcases to evade your fare! Stop lipping train manager Jody Edwards, who is, insanely, the only person on duty in this mobile circle of hell (the driver, you'd hope, notwithstanding). Take your rubbish home, Sloberella! Thank you for choosing First Great Western and have a lovely weekend, human slime.

There was too much of the engineer who nightly extracts fecal matter from a loco's infernal underbelly before putting the train back in service. Hours later he repeats his Sisyphean task. They say Britain is broken. Not so: while you sleep it is being fixed so you can screw it over anew during your waking hours.

What happened to the romance of the railways? It got shunted into a museum. It got frozen like a Grecian urn on that Blur album cover. In Sherlock last year, Russell Tovey asked Benedict Cumberbatch how he inferred from the stain on his cuff that he'd had a disappointing breakfast on the train. Is there any other kind, the master sleuth retorted.

"It's taken me longer to get here from Reading than it took me to fly from Montpellier," brayed one passenger to Paddington's duty manager Simon who, incredibly, affected to care.

A rather amusing review, from the Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/aug/30/the-railway-first-great-western):


Hell, as Sartre failed to realise, isn't so much other people as other people on Saturday's 20.45 from Paddington to Swansea.

At 26:20 minutes in, in the middle of the item on Long Rock depot, there were shots of an HST Power Car being lifted and a power unit being changed.  And there was me thinking Long Rock only did A exams!

.......I had already made that observation back in post No.57 ::)

Sadly, none of the Train Managers were as good looking (to my eyes... YMMV) as Jody. But then, they were all male.  :P ;) ;D

Not just me, then...

Although I am definitely not one, I'm surprised that the more PC posters/moderators amongst us (and we know who you are!!) are comfortable with personal comments being made about the appearance etc of FGW staff. 

It would not be acceptable for such comments to be made by his/her line manager.

Oh dear. Did I cross a line in the sand?

Russ or Ross in Lost Property, Bristol?

Introduced by voiceover and caption as Russ. Thereafter referred to in voiceover as Ross.  ::)

That does, however, raise the question of why this distinctive regional accent was chosen for a program with a distinctively regional subject, not a voice with some link to FGW's territory.

That does, however, raise the question of why this distinctive regional accent was chosen for a program with a distinctively regional subject, not a voice with some link to FGW's territory.

That does, however, raise the question of why this distinctive regional accent was chosen for a program with a distinctively regional subject, not a voice with some link to FGW's territory.

Also the issue of (Off Peak Day) returns being valid until 0230 the next day got me thinking it should really be a bit later than that. Having to pay an Anytime fare for a service at 0330, say, seems a bit excessive.

Do commuters generally start before 0430, which I believe is the cut-off on Oyster?

Had to laugh at the passenger last night having a go about lack of ticketing facilities at Reading late at night, then was found with a ticket to Reading West when he allegedly wanted to go to Maidenhead.

Also the issue of (Off Peak Day) returns being valid until 0230 the next day got me thinking it should really be a bit later than that. Having to pay an Anytime fare for a service at 0330, say, seems a bit excessive.

Do commuters generally start before 0430, which I believe is the cut-off on Oyster?

With my understanding of electronics being lacking, can somebody explain why battery problems stopped the lights working on the sleeper? I thought power for heating, air-con and lighting came from the locomotive (hence you can't use a class 66 on a sleeper as they aren't equiped to supply power to coaches), with batteries only for keeping the lights (and not the heating/cooling) on for half an hour if the loco fails.

The journey planner is stating a CDR ticket for a journey starting the day before is not valid for return on the 3:54.

If you look at a return journey that starts after midnight you can still buy a CDR for an outward leg on the 2:24, but no later (until after 9:00).

If you put in say Maidenhead to Reading into the NR planner it indicates the cheap day return is valid on the 2:24, but the 3:54 requires an anytime single. However, the restriction code on the CDR is W3 which indicates validity as "DATE ON TICKET UNTIL 0429 THE NEXT MORNING'.

Some inconsistency somewhere ...

Valid for travel on the date shown on the ticket and until 0429 the following day, by which time all travel must be completed.

Goodness - does that mean that if a train that's scheduled to arrive at 04:20 gets delayed until 04:40, anyone who's using the end of a CDR/CDS/FCD/FCR/FRX/FSO/FSX/ GE1/OPF/SVH OFF-PEAK DAY is considered to be travelling without a valid ticket?   Why not "scheduled to arrive" in the rule?

11. The period during which you can use a ticket
The period during which a ticket is valid is printed on the ticket or will be made clear to you when you buy your ticket. If you use a ticket after the expiry of the ticket^s validity, you may be treated as having joined a train without a ticket and Condition 2 or 4 will apply.

If, as a result of a delay to your train, the validity of the ticket you are using expires during your journey, you will still be allowed to complete that journey. However, in these circumstances, you may not break your journey unless your train is so delayed that a break is reasonably required.

Your obligations
You must:
^ Have a valid ticket or tickets for the whole of your journey, at the time you want to travel and on the route and trains you want to use. Unless otherwise indicated, you must purchase your ticket before boarding the train you intend to use.

I wasn't laughing. As a fare paying passenger and taxpayer I was rather angry that the railways are losing ^1 billion a year through fare evasion seeing how these people operate to avoid paying fares or paying the approriate price and despite some effort on the part of the TOCs something that will continue...bit like shoplifting I suppose.

Sure the program showed them all having to queue to get a ticket to get through the barrier making out that the surprise of having the barriers closed late a night had foiled the fare dodgers but what tickets were they buying?

Just to clarify, I agree with your sentiments. It was the individual who had the brass neck, I certainly do not find the whole situation funny.

It does seem the application of the rules tapers off as the day/evening wears on. The people who arrived without valid tickets were allowed to purchase them. What about PF's?

You would encounter a more robust approach if you turned up at Reading during the day IMO.

Funny. I tried the journey planner, from Slough to Reading, and it offers a CDR at ^8.10 for return up to 05:10, and lists all times of return trains currently being shown as available. If I ask for later return trains, so the first time displayed is 05:10, the CDR is no longer offered ("no return fares available"). So the JP itself appears to know the rule but not to apply the rules correctly.

Maybe a day return should be valid for a whole day, ie within 24 hours, not part of a day :)

Can anyone explain to me why a return journey that can be completed within a day (if that's not a tautology) should be significantly cheaper than a return journey that cannot be completed within a day (if that's not an oxymoron)? Or am I falling into the same trap of trying to apply logic where logic is not appropriate?

A question I asked in July 2011. http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=9296.msg95576#msg95576 (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=9296.msg95576#msg95576)

There is a quite a long thread.  Not really sure I ever got a satisfactory answer though!

The other point made in that thread is that for some flows they are the regulated walk on fares. So it is not just down to train operating companies.

Pick of the day: The Railway - First Great Western

(http://images.dailyexpress.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/590x/ody-432218.jpg)
Jody starts another day on the Paddington-Swansea line [CHANNEL 5]

This week sleepy Newbury racecourse station springs to life for two major racing events, with a team dispatched to the usually unmanned halt to keep things running smoothly.

Meanwhile train manager Jody (above) braces herself to expect the unexpected as she starts another day on the Paddington-Swansea line, and the emergency services spring into action at the Penzance depot.

Looking forward to next week's episode to see the resolution of the, 'kicked up the ass', incident at Newbury.  ;D

An obvious assault caught on camera, but I did chuckle.

Naming the guy is fine, but I suspect his promotion after the incident was coincidental and not causal.

P.S, did I spy superguard in it?

Apologies to other forum members, but only "know" sg.  Perhaps an insult to others, but none intended!  Working in my little part of the world, I don't get out much (odd thing for a bus driver to say)........... :'(

 Comparison to my local station at Totnes, which is falling to bits.
 'Back into sarcastic shell' - Perhaps it would help if my local MP
  was the Prime Minister.

Was told today that a second series is being considered.  If it happens it would be interesting to see what new ground they could cover.

After Charlbury's fame on C5 the lights no longer work around the B.O area. So I'm not to sure wether being in the Prime Ministers constituency has all the perks one would think.

Allowing a film crew behind-the-scenes access to the inner workings of a brand sounds like it has all the hallmarks of a PR nightmare, but these ^warts and all^ documentaries are on the rise ^ with positive results despite the potential risk to reputation.   

Another bonus is the fact that the shows offer a view of the brand from a third party, so any positive reflections on the company will be a result of what the film crews find rather than messages pushed by the brand itself, as First Great Western found from its recent series. 

Dan Panes, head of communications at First Great Western, says: ^It^s a film crew that has uncovered and delved, and is presenting stories in an independent way. As much as you want to get in there and stage-manage you have got to rely on the relationship you build up with your staff and the production company. Above and beyond everything is that third-party endorsement, and that resonates much more with our potential customers.^ 

Trust appears to be a major factor in why brands are agreeing to TV company involvement. Channel 5, which is running the sixth Eddie Stobart series and also commissioned the First Great Western documentary, believes the relationship between brand and production company is born out of honest communication.

It is not just faith in the production team that a brand needs. For First Great Western, weighing up the reasons for and against taking part also came down to whether the company trusts its staff, who serve 90 million customers every year.

Panes says: ^It was a leap of faith ^ we trusted them to shine.^

That is not to say that everything can be planned. The First Great Western series recently concluded, earlier than the brand had envisaged, meaning that investments in the business intended to coincide with the last episode did not get the mention that was hoped for. 

This is an inevitable aspect of taking part in a TV programme. Because editorial control and scheduling decisions lie with the TV channel, it cannot necessarily be aligned to any marketing or brand activity the company has in the pipeline.

First Great Western takes the same stance on the negative aspects that the film crews might find, which Panes believes adds to the authenticity of the series. The train operator found that those episodes which were a ^little less fluffy^ and contained aspects that the brand was initially nervous about ^ for example, delays and overcrowding ^ resonated more with the viewers and perceptions of the brand were better because those negatives were exposed.

Panes says: ^By making sure there was a broad spread of narratives we were able to give the production team the opportunity to go in and experience disruption. It was interesting to see that had a direct positive impact on people^s perception of us rather than a negative one, as you might instinctively think.^ 

First Great Western built in a measurement system when Channel 5 filmed The Railway, with a viewer panel of 42 people who watched each episode for qualitative feedback. The brand also looked at forums and discussions online and asked questions regarding perception. As a result, 57 per cent of viewers said their view of First Great Western improved following the series.

^We were under no illusion that it was going to be an hour-long ad for us but we had to make sure we were clear about what we wanted to achieve, how we were measuring it and we needed processes in place to make sure we were doing that,^ says Dan Panes, head of communications at First Great Western.

@Cynthia and anyone who hasnt seen it, it is still on Channel 5 on demand!

http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-railway-first-great-western

Enjoy!

The first episode of series 2 of 'The Railway: First Great Western' aired last night. Episode titled 'Railway In Crisis', so no prizes for guessing what it's about.

Available online on demand:  http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-railway-first-great-western/episodes/episode-1-638

For those who wish to watch on their telly, or record, there is a repeat broadcast today on Channel 5+24 at 8pm:

Sky 175
Virgin 152
Freeview 55
Freesat 132

I'll not review the episode so as to avoid spoilers, but 'meltdown' isn't too strong a word!

Superb episode, well done that production team.  Let's hope the rest in this series is of such high a quality.
Regret MasterChef has had to be removed from the record list - to Mrs GBM horror, can only record two at a time, BUT she has been assured MC can be viewed on the TV via iplayer.

Episode One (TX date 4 December, 20:00, Channel 5)
The second series of Channel 5^s observational documentary series The Railway - First Great Western kicks off in dramatic style.

We see the impact of the conveyor belt of Atlantic storms which battered the South West at the start of the year when it knocked-out the rail artery into Cornwall, as savage currents and tumultuous waves dragged away seawall and ballast materials.

But there were huge challenges looming elsewhere on the network too. Flooding in the Maidenhead area took-out signalling, and water levels on the Somerset Levels rose dangerously high and turned the area into a vast lake, making it impossible to run train services.

In the Swindon Control, cameras were there to capture the joint Network Rail / FGW team during the worst impact of weather on services in the history of the Great Western Route.

In these times the FGW Control team led by Operations Manager Dave Slater, is seen operating under tremendous pressure, and colleagues on London Paddington station are also seen trying to help customers against a backdrop of worsening services. Most customers seem to understand though that these are truly difficult times.

MD Mark Hopwood makes an appearance to meet Theresa May at Maidenhead.

Understandably, much of the programme is devoted to Network Rail and their efforts to maintain and restore service against a very difficult background. Look out for the NR engineers^ genuine amazement that water levels are so high on the Somerset Levels.

Also in Episode 1 we see the impact of the tube strike on Ealing Broadway and the measures we need to take to cope with a massive surge in customers who usually hop on a tube. Station Manager Dean Haynes has obvious concerns about the health and safety risks associated with having so many people on the station.

And do look out for DSM Gary Brownlie^s object lesson in keeping disgruntled customers upbeat in challenging times by calling on his personal resource of great cheer.


Positives
^   Viewers are left in no doubt about who manages the infrastructure, which is a strong message.
^   FGW colleagues (and NR^s too) conduct themselves with integrity. They give a strong impression of caring about the job and the service to customers
^   FGW and NR are seen as working hand-in-glove to get passengers to where they need to be

Negatives
^   The network is fragile, particularly where it is exposed to flooding, the sea and Atlantic storms
^   Cornwall is said to have lost some ^20 million a day while the railway was out at Dawlish
^   There is no contingency route into Cornwall apart from Brunel^s old coastal route


Episode Two (TX Date 11 December, 20:00, Channel 5)
The welcome return of familiar FGW faces from the first series of The Railway - First Great Western are to be seen in the second episode of the second series, which offers a diverse view of the Western Network early in a most unusual year.
The programme follows Six Nations rugby fans aboard FGW services with Train Manager Jodie Edwards appearing in control and cheerful as ever.
And Simon Jeffries, previously followed on Paddington Station as DSM, is seen diving into a new similar role on Reading station where the impact of massive signal failure at Maidenhead caused by flooding is being felt by disgruntled customers.
Also on the programme we see FGW's operation on Cardiff Central station where over 40 thousand fans converge for the Six Nations Wales/Scotland match. The effectiveness of the queuing system in front of the station, which allows customers to depart on a first -come-first-serve basis, is apparent. With so many people and so much alcohol consumed, the need to keep people safe is vitally important. Dave Bailey is FGW's well-established man on the station and it is refreshing to see how calm he remains throughout these hectic scenes.
Back with the weather theme, we see the difficulties caused by the rift in rail in at Dawlish with HSTs in need of service being stranded on the wrong side. So they put power cars and carriages onto low-loaders to haul them by road to the FGW depot at Old Oak Common.
Elsewhere in the programme driver Tom X talks us through his amazement at the amount of water to be seen on the Somerset Levels; we look at a night servicing shift at Taunton; and follow new DSM for Paddington station, Joseph Holmes, as he faces his first challenges to keeping his customers on the move.
Finally Network Rail provides a rare glimpse inside Whiteball Tunnel during essential maintenance to stem the ingress of water which threatens to bring down the roof. Mounted on a train, impressive new concrete spraying equipment creates a new lining for the tunnel.
Positives
^   FGW and partners ATW use tried and tested techniques to keep huge crowds flocking from the Millennium stadium in Cardiff moving in a fair and safe way.
^   FGW is prepared to make every possible effort to keep customers safe despite challenges like the Dawlish track being washed away
^   Regular, planned maintenance often involving innovative techniques keeps the railway safe and extends the life of the old infrastructure
Negatives
^   There is no alternative route into Cornwall
^   In times of disruption to the infrastructure it is a challenge to keep customers happy

Episode Three (TX Date 18 Dec, 20:00, Channel 5)

Episode three offers another mixed bag of stories which together help build a picture of life on the modern railway.

And at Cheltenham, station manager Richard Morrish operates a safe and fair system of queuing for customers wishing to catch buses to the race track and again, much later for those wanting to get home by train.

As evening progresses, many of those turning up at the station display increasing signs of alcohol consumption, so the BTP are a welcome presence. 

We get the sense of very long days for Richard and the station team, and of their relief when the last trains have finally departed and  shutters are rolled down for another day.

Also in Episode three we get an update on how work is progressing at Dawlish, where in addition to rebuilding the station, track and seawalls, a land-slip caused by excessively wet conditions threats to dump 355,000 tons of rubble and soil onto the track.

Still in Dawlish, ballast loss was a major issue in the severe storms, so NR have developed a technique to stop this happening to the replacement ballast by literally glueing it in place.

Elsewhere, Train Manager Jay Choudray is seen "living the dream" as he puts it, by dispensing good cheer on the line between Reading West and Gatwick in an interesting branch-line segment.

And the customer relations team offers insight into the world of Twitter, which is a growing element of the team's work. They also give some examples of the many customer concerns they will get in a typical day.

Positives
^   FGW and partners NR and the BTP place  high emphasis on rail safety
^   FGW highly focused on customer service in testing circumstances
^   FGW provides additional services for major events

Negatives
^   Our customer relations team may be seen as being slightly flippant about custom concerns
^   The Dawlish coastal stretch of track is vulnerable to the ravages of the elements, and there is no alternative route
^   Despite providing extra services for Cheltenham Festival, some customers still don't think there are enough

Episode Four (TX date TBC)
The fourth and final part of Channel 5's The Railway - First Great Western offers another interesting and varied collection of stories from across the Western route.
We see how work is progressing rapidly at Dawlish where the reopening of the line after is eagerly anticipated after two months out of action. Network Rail, the station team and the volunteer Friends of Dawlish station are all making making final preparations to receive the first passenger services.
Paddington's Lost Property service is also explored in some depth in the programme, and we see the efforts made to reunite customers with precious items left on trains.
In Weston-super-Mare services are still heavily affected by the closure of the line through the Somerset Levels due to flooding and that means bus replacement services. As fate would have it, cameras are on hand the first time there is insufficient capacity on the last coach home for people who have come to Weston for a night out. So the team have to organise taxi services to get somewhat disgruntled customers to their destinations.
The Pullman service gets a deserved spotlight in the programme as the team set off from London Paddington on another trip heading for the West Country. To add to spice to their busy schedule, an international food critic is looking forward to sampling the menu. No pressure for the team then!
In Plymouth it is engine change time for an HST power car at Laira depot, which should delight the audience, as engineering sequences have proved popular so far.
And finally, we return to Dawlish where Premier David Cameron is on hand to mark the huge sense of occasion afforded by the reopening of the coastal route, much to the relief of everyone involved.
Positives
^   There is a huge sense of pride in working on the railway
^   FGW and its partner Network Rail invest a great deal of effort in keeping the railway running to time for customers
^   FGW still operates a Pullman service
Negatives
^   Bus replacement services, which are operated by outside contractors can sometimes cause problems for customers if they don't run exactly to time
^   The coastal route between Exeter and Newton Abbot is vulnerable to the ravages of the elements

Here's the synopsis from FGW, episode by episode

Surely not :)

The conductor on the Reading-Gatwick service was making alot of joke anouncments. Do they act like that all the time or just creating material for the TV programme? Interesting they refered to him as a 'train conductor', when on the PAD services last week they had 'train managers'. Is that a distinction FirstGW makes or just the TV being inconsistent? Also, they had him boarding a 150/0 then the 'return trip' was a Networker Turbo. Is there something with the staff rosters or with the editing of the programme?

Interesting they refered to him as a 'train conductor', when on the PAD services last week they had 'train managers'. Is that a distinction FirstGW makes or just the TV being inconsistent?

The conductor on the Reading-Gatwick service was making alot of joke anouncments. Do they act like that all the time or just creating material for the TV programme? Interesting they refered to him as a 'train conductor', when on the PAD services last week they had 'train managers'. Is that a distinction FirstGW makes or just the TV being inconsistent? Also, they had him boarding a 150/0 then the 'return trip' was a Networker Turbo. Is there something with the staff rosters or with the editing of the programme?

As to that 150 - I've never seen one on this service, so it would have to be a very rare swap. It was the first of the day and maybe that makes a difference, though I can't imagine why (I've never used it). Alternatively, that footage might have been from him on another run - but I think it looked right for RDG-GTW (or more likely RDH or even Shalford).

Maybe that footage was taken on the Reading->Basingstoke branch which has 150(s) working it?