Major delays/cancellations, Paddington to Reading, 20 December 2012 and ongoing ...

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Anecdotally, it did appear to me that priority was being given to long distance HST^▸ (High Speed Train) services to the detriment of Thames Valley services.

Perhaps that explains why, despite the major disruption, I had a relatively trouble free journey home. No doubt, if I'd been heading to Heathrow, Slough or Maidenhead, my journey would've been more fraught.

 

[chemphys]

I didn't even bother trying to use the main line going home yesterday (to West Drayton about 19:00) instead taking the Piccadilly line to Heathrow T5 and then a bus. Have to say that the Piccadilly line didn't seem overly busy, people standing but no where near crush conditions in the carriage I was in.

Anyway, the problem is sorted now according the NRE^‡(resolve) and trains look to be running near normal (though FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website hasn't caught up yet).

Thanks to all those FGW and NR^» (Network Rail - home page) employees, who I imagine have been doing some very long hours over the past few days.

[Brucey]

Anecdotally, it did appear to me that priority was being given to long distance HST^▸ (High Speed Train) services to the detriment of Thames Valley services.

Perhaps that explains why, despite the major disruption, I had a relatively trouble free journey home. No doubt, if I'd been heading to Heathrow, Slough or Maidenhead, my journey would've been more fraught

I'm assuming their line of thought is that shorter journeys can be made by other means without too much inconvenience, whereas someone heading to Bristol, Cardiff or beyond does not get too much choice.

E.g. Heathrow on the Piccadilly Line, Slough on a London Bus and Maidenhead .... well, not at all.

[Electric train]

The fault at Acton was a 650V power cable on the DM side that supplies the signalling in the area for the Main Lines, this may have caused the problem with the Hayes PSP.

Normally a simple cable fault is relatively quick to repair it may have caused damage to other cables (signal) in the same route when it went phut

[HexDriver]

That does make me wonder....I did ask today and was told that trains being displaced was the reason that they could only find 2 (out of very many carriages that I know are used in the rush hour) to operate the emergency half hour timetable between Reading and Paddington (mid morning today in my case)...

Could they possibly have operated a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) on the local services using SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) at stations with short platforms or would this have caused additional delays?

[TaplowGreen]

Welcome to the forum TaplowGreen.  

A shame that you've come here following some pretty major disruptions on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) network. I understand your frustrations, but I hope that the comprehensive coverage this forum has given to this recent disruption has a least given you some idea of the challenges faced by rail staff. Do stick around though. We may not have the answers at times like this, but we can empathise and discuss.

FGW are doing their best to get people to where they want to be going. I'm neither rail staff or a FGW apologist, but I feel it's only fair to point out that this isn't a problem of their making. The infrastructure had failed, and the responsibility for that lies with Network Rail.

I do however partly agree with your observation that the information given to customers by the operator (FGW) could and should be better. This is a common theme that crops up whenever there is major disruption. Ultimately the train operator is trying its best to get people from A to B and up to the second information on the ground may be lacking. Often times those staff 'at the coalface' may be just as much in the dark as the punters. That said, there isn't really any excuse for staff to be hiding away, and if that really was what was happening at Slough today then you should raise a complaint with FGW.

   ..........thanks for the welcome but I'm sorry the whole picture is pretty appalling - if this was a oneoff it could possibly.....just be understood but in recent weeks the service has been pathetic - we had the farcical situation on 6th December, morning and evening, just because the weather was a bit chilly....as I understand it the chaos in the morning was largely due to insufficient anti-freeze being used.....if it's a Network Rail problem then its incumbent upon FGW to sort that out with them - in the commercial world you never blame your suppliers/subcontractors/partners - as far as customers are concerned its a FGW issue and they are correct to blame them - it's FGW who soak up the ticket revenues and they should be all over Network Rail at all times to make sure the infrastructure is sound....as for staff at stations I used to use Slough all the time and it seems trapped in a timewarp, some of the platform staff seem barely capable of civilised speech never mind being helpful at all.....but that's a side issue......no doubt there will be an A2 poster up at Reading station saying "we realise our service isn't good enough"....but that in itself is not good enough!!!  With airlines you have a choice, they know that and that is why their passengers are treated properly.....FGW and the railways generally have a monopoly, they know it and its reflected in the way people are treated and what they are expected to put up with.....

Edit to clarify quoting - Graham

[Electric train]

Could they possibly have operated a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) on the local services using SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) at stations with short platforms or would this have caused additional delays?

Would work at Slough, Maidenhead, Twyford and station west of Reading as they have HST peak services.  HST are a bit slow of the mark so its better they don't keep stop starting and the slam door stock would be impossible manage getting to doors closed at Hayes and Ealing Broadway due to the number of passengers the doors would just be held open better to use the 165/6.

It comes down to "flighting" the services which I think was in part achieved Thursday and Friday;  run a couple of fasts (non stop to Reading, followed by a semi fast (Slough then all Stn to Oxford) and then a stopper.  More used could have been made of the Bay at Slough (plat 6) the stoppers could have been turned round there.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Thankfully my travels don't take on the paddington <>reading stretch but on the reading to newbury stretchin my opinion I think it was right to start,for example , some of the Bedwyn services from Reading rather than London paddington

My sympathies go out not only to those trying to travel this weekend but those trying to rectify the travel problems caused by the bad weather.

[ellendune]

.....if it's a Network Rail problem then its incumbent upon FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to sort that out with them - in the commercial world you never blame your suppliers/subcontractors/partners - as far as customers are concerned its a FGW issue and they are correct to blame them - it's FGW who soak up the ticket revenues and they should be all over Network Rail at all times to make sure the infrastructure is sound..

To be fair FGW have been trying not to blame their supplier... ...which is why most people still think its a FGW problem.  Of course FGW also have a monopoly supplier - they can't tel Network Rail that they will take their business elsewhere.  That is why we have a regulated railway and I am sure ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) will have been made aware of the signalling issues.

Of course the flooding that has been the cause of so many of the recent problems cannot be blamed on Network Rail.  Though we do need to think about making the railway more resilient.  

...as for staff at stations I used to use Slough all the time and it seems trapped in a timewarp, some of the platform staff seem barely capable of civilised speech never mind being helpful at all.....but that's a side issue......no doubt there will be an A2 poster up at Reading station saying "we realise our service isn't good enough"....but that in itself is not good enough!!!  With airlines you have a choice, they know that and that is why their passengers are treated properly.....FGW and the railways generally have a monopoly, they know it and its reflected in the way people are treated and what they are expected to put up with.....

I have posted before about the lack of true customer service attitudes an some (but by no means all) railway staff.  In some things it is still the culture of another age.

[broadgage]

I am sorry to say that I somewhat agree with the negative views of our new member.
Of course things go wrong and any reasonable passenger would expect this, but recently we seem to have had one disruption followed by another with limited periods of normal operation in between.


Both FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railways in general are rapidly becoming fair weather weekday only railways.
Heavy rain, signalling failures, equipment fires, and planned engineering works have caused immense disruption recently. And we have not yet had significant snow nor a strike.

And electrification is coming, which probably means no effective service at holiday periods for 20 years, and of course electric trains dont reliably work in windy weather as the wires come down.
More signalling modernisation is on the way, which whatever other advantages it may bring, also means that a single power failure, fire, cable theft or other breakdown can effectively close a large area to normal operation.

[Southern Stag]

That does make me wonder....I did ask today and was told that trains being displaced was the reason that they could only find 2 (out of very many carriages that I know are used in the rush hour) to operate the emergency half hour timetable between Reading and Paddington (mid morning today in my case)...

Could they possibly have operated a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) on the local services using SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) at stations with short platforms or would this have caused additional delays?

There were at least quite a few peak HSTs making extra stops at Maidenhead and Twyford to ease the crush on the local trains. They were limited to 3 carriages because of short platforms Didcot Parkway-Oxford but putting a 2-car unit out seems stupid.

[johoare]

That does make me wonder....I did ask today and was told that trains being displaced was the reason that they could only find 2 (out of very many carriages that I know are used in the rush hour) to operate the emergency half hour timetable between Reading and Paddington (mid morning today in my case)...

Could they possibly have operated a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) on the local services using SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) at stations with short platforms or would this have caused additional delays?

There were at least quite a few peak HSTs making extra stops at Maidenhead and Twyford to ease the crush on the local trains. They were limited to 3 carriages because of short platforms Didcot Parkway-Oxford but putting a 2-car unit out seems stupid.

Not during the middle of morning when I was travelling they weren't.. Just a half hourly 2 carriage service.. I think a Twyford, Maidenhead, Slough stopping HST or even just Slough (I'd have changed there onto it) would have meant that people closer in could actually have got on a train..

[TaplowGreen]

"Both FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railways in general are rapidly becoming fair weather weekday only railways".....a superb description! ....and don't forget that after 9pm-ish during the week you have to get off at Slough/Maidenhead to get a bus between the smaller stations....apparently to allow engineering work to take place...the benefits of which I am sure we all look forward to!!!

[paul7575]

....apparently to allow engineering work to take place...the benefits of which I am sure we all look forward to!!!

Are you somehow doubting that engineering work is necessary for electrification and Crossrail?  If you've got a surefire way of achieving that without closures I'm sure NR^» (Network Rail - home page) will be most interested...

Paul

[Southern Stag]

That does make me wonder....I did ask today and was told that trains being displaced was the reason that they could only find 2 (out of very many carriages that I know are used in the rush hour) to operate the emergency half hour timetable between Reading and Paddington (mid morning today in my case)...

Could they possibly have operated a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) on the local services using SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) at stations with short platforms or would this have caused additional delays?

There were at least quite a few peak HSTs making extra stops at Maidenhead and Twyford to ease the crush on the local trains. They were limited to 3 carriages because of short platforms Didcot Parkway-Oxford but putting a 2-car unit out seems stupid.

Not during the middle of morning when I was travelling they weren't.. Just a half hourly 2 carriage service.. I think a Twyford, Maidenhead, Slough stopping HST or even just Slough (I'd have changed there onto it) would have meant that people closer in could actually have got on a train..

I did say a peak time service. The more stops you put in though the more delays you cause. Oxford fast services should still have been calling at Slough once an hour. It wasn't a half hourly 2-carriage service either, most were 3, the maximum length they can be. They should all have been 3 really though.