Great Western Coffee Shop

As the Cascade of 150s from LM is now complete, I have decided to post this item on this Board where I feel it may be more appropriate rather than on the "Across The West" Board.   150002 is at Reading for staff familiarisation and 150001 is at Barton Hill being refreshed into FGW Livery etc.

Its on WNXX  that 150001 is also having some structural work done to it as well, I wonder what the structural problem is.

It is hoped to be out doing a few trips in passenger service tomorrow starting with the 1007 to help speed up training.

Peak time rail capacity to go up between Basingstoke and Reading

Train capacity between Basingstoke and Reading will be beefed up by 12 per cent at peak times ^ thanks to investment from rail operator First Great Western.

The first of two Class 150 trains, which previously served London Midland, began operating on weekday commuter services along the route on January 30. The other is expected to be in operation by the end of February.

Pictures of the train chugging along its new route were captured by Marion and David Canning, well-known railway photographers based in Aldermaston.

Mr Canning praised First Great Western for bringing the carriages into use. He said: ^I feel they are a big improvement, although older, as the extra coach will help a lot. The newest is not always the best ^ it was quite a smooth ride and the seats are nice and comfortable.^

The new trains are an answer to increased demand for First Great Western services, according to bosses.

First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood explained: ^While that demand is gratifying in one respect, it has put real pressure on the capacity of some of our services, particularly at peak times.

^I am pleased we have been able to deliver these investments for our customers, even as we approach the final year of the current franchise.

^We have been working closely with the Department for Transport for some time to find a way to deliver that extra capacity for customers, and I am delighted we were able to reach a new deal and deliver extra seats for Basingstoke commuters.^

Full service with both units is due to start on 27 Feb.

No new trains, just old problems

Sir.^I was sorry to see that Basingstoke MP Maria Miller fell for the "spin" that First Great Western trains gave her.

The replacement trains on the stopping service between Basingstoke and Reading are not new. They are some of the oldest in service, built in 1984.

The newer "Turbos" have been transferred to FGW's more important routes. There are more seats but the space per seat is much less and there is no first class.

I would be less than pleased if I commuted to Paddington every day and paid extra for first class. In December, I wrote to Maria warning her of the planned changes and the likely effect on services. I was assured that it would be better.

The new trains are far from reliable. There are only two of them with no back-up. In the last three weeks, there have been several failures. One afternoon both units failed leaving a gap of 90 minutes between trains.

Only two weeks ago, when I tried to travel to Reading, one of the units failed at Basingstoke leaving a 60-minute gap between trains. On Friday, that unit was still awaiting repair. So much for improved reliability.

Even when working, the "new" trains struggle to keep time. My train was 10 minutes late leaving Reading, due probably to congestion whilst rebuilding takes place. It failed to make up any time. This caused me to miss my "new" hourly bus service to Old Basing.

Maria, please experience for yourself the public transport that your constituents endure. Come on the late running 09.30am bus from Old Basing with 15 passengers standing. Come to the station and miss the train. Wait for an hour because your "new" train has failed.

It seems to take an inordinate amount of time for the door light to illuminate when stopping at stations and then again to get moving again.

EXTRA CAPACITY ON READING TO BASINGSTOKE ROUTE

Two class 150 trains have gone into service on the weekday commuter route between Reading and Basingstoke, increasing overall seating capacity on the line by 22%.

Last November First Great Western announced they were successful in securing and investing in 48 additional carriages to come into service across our network between February and September 2012.

For Basingstoke commuters, we obtained two three-car Class 150 trains - six carriages -  which were previously in operation for London Midland.  The units were refreshed at our Reading depot with staff working as quickly as possible to bring them into use.

One of the units began working the 10:07 and 15:07 Reading-Basingstoke from Jan 30, and the other 150 officially went into service on March 2.

The extra capacity has been hailed by commuters and disabled travel campaigners.   

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller said:

^It is good news for passengers on this route that there is now more seating available, which will be particularly welcomed by commuters travelling at peak times

^I was also pleased to hear that the new trains are more accessible for disabled people too, with each train carrying its own ramp, and more space available on board for wheelchair users. It is really important for disabled people to be able to get around, and I applaud First Great Western on giving this the priority it deserves.^

First Great Western General Manager Claire Mann said:
 
"These trains are an important part of our commitment to reduce crowding on our services in the London and Thames Valley area, and will improve capacity for commuters between Basingstoke and Reading by some 22 per cent.

"Over the past six weeks our staff have given their all to get these trains into fantastic shape for our customers, and from the comments I've had today, I know they're already noticing a real difference."

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller said: ^I was also pleased to hear that the new trains are more accessible for disabled people too ... "

Slightly off topic, But I did spot a 3 car 150 at the junction for SPM on Tuesday :)

150001 and 150002 working Reading to Basingstoke