Confusing announcements, sheds on the line & underwhelming pax numbers

[whole diary]

[Steve Bray]

Just a few observations from my weekend travels from Dorking to Great Malvern...

Firstly, Reading station Friday 10.25am. The screens suddenly display the 1032 to Penzance as 'Cancelled'. Much consternation and phone calls from passengers telling friends the train has been cancelled. Then 2 announcements - one that the 1031 arrival from Paddington "will stop to set down only" followed by an announcement that "the train is full and standing from Paddington, and only those passenegers with rerserved seats will be allowed to board" (How can this be enforced? - only open one door and have the Train Manager inspect everyone's tickets as they board)

Secondly, just to prove that things are sometime beyond FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s control, as luck would have it the single track between Charlbury and Oxford was blocked for an hour or so on Saturday afternoon, when a shed blew over a fence and down the embankment onto the track. Credit to Network Rail - with so much engineering work all over the place - that they had a couple of staff arrive on the scene and push the shed to the side of the track without huge delay (OK the train I was on was at a halt for 45 minutes). However this did create a cancellation and delays for later.

Thirdly, that same train - 1322 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington - which was a 2+8 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) (A, B, D and E standard class, C First, a Buffet and 2 other First Class carriages), had, between Kingham and Charlbury, a grand total of 30 passengers on board. And then I read of overcrowding on other routes....   

[Lee]

Secondly, just to prove that things are sometime beyond FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s control, as luck would have it the single track between Charlbury and Oxford was blocked for an hour or so on Saturday afternoon, when a shed blew over a fence and down the embankment onto the track. Credit to Network Rail - with so much engineering work all over the place - that they had a couple of staff arrive on the scene and push the shed to the side of the track without huge delay (OK the train I was on was at a halt for 45 minutes). However this did create a cancellation and delays for later.

Oxford Mail article link.
http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.2145683.0.flying_shed_strands_train.php