Great Western Coffee Shop

There is nothing worse than arriving at Paddington with five minutes to spare for your train only to find that it's been put on platform 13 or 14, or in front of a train on one of the other platforms, resulting in an unladylike sprint in heels to the far end of Paddington rather than a leisurely walk!  The favourite time for this is late at night when most of the other platforms are empty (well for the local stopping trains that is!), but can happen at any time of day.

Jo, no matter which station and platform I have to run for a train at, my sprint is always unladylike  ;)

Those two platforms do really seem like the back of beyond at times, don't they?

nah - do what I do - wear jeans or track suit bottoms with trainers or combats.   ;D

The biggest problem I have is usually getting the ole bike into the disabled space on time!

Ha Ha (to Grahame's post).. But yes... No one ever looks good running for a train, or bus... I usually try not to!

However, last night I arrived at Paddington for the 18.33 to Maidenhead which usually goes from platform 4 (ish).. I had 4 minutes to spare (more than enough) so was not best pleased to find the train at the front of platform 10.. I'm currently injured so can't walk or run as fast as usual, so the three guards positioned at various points along the platform, blowing their whistles (to hurry passengers along) as I sprint/hobbled to get on the train were not my most favourite people!!  And my foot was very sore as I had to stand all the way home!

And thanks Mookiemoo for the advice.. When my foot is better I'll wear my running trainers.. That way I can sprint more elegantly!! (well I hope it will be more ladylike anyway!!).. :D

Maybe its journey time or something else.


But I panic if I'm not at the station at least 15 minutes before the train leaves. (and I do this min 3 times a week so its not like I'm a one off traveller).

I like to be by the train when either (a) it is activated if it has just come in from depot or (b) the clean up crew are on it and the man/woman with the paper signs is putting them in the window

By the time the sheeple who stand on the concourse moronically looking at the boards then doing the 200yrd dash to get to the train work out where the train is - I'm settled in for the duration (average 2.5 hours) with my stake claimed at the table.

If the 1822 has a platform against it as I cycle down into the station - I go into panic mode!

ok - I maybe lose 15 minutes but its so less stressful

Oh to have the luxury of 15 minutes at Paddington.. I am usually running late on the way home due to arriving at work late (courtesy of FGW!!)... I have been known to arrive before the train has a platform though, just occasionally.

However I only go as far as Maidenhead so there usually is another train (eventually) if I miss my one. And we're not important enough for paper signs in the windows  :(

At the moment I have another train ...

the 1922 which is a 180 but is normally a two car 165

or the 2022 which is only ever a 3 car 166 (and spend 2.5 hours on one of them!)

When the new timetable comes in both are alledgedly going to be HST - yeah, the last time the hereford line had even a 180 upgrade, the oxford passenger group complained loudly enough they took our 180 and we had a turbo!

Lets see how long it lasts

And don't we all just love FGW and network rail, and anyone else who is helping to make us spend more time travelling?

Personally, I have never got to Padd or Waterloo before when the train has had a platform, however places like Trowbridge I normally turn up with about 5 mins to spare

I Didn't think HST's were allowed past Great Malvern due to a narrow tunnel? This is because an HST has no sliding/inward opening doors for use in an emergency and that there's not enough room to open an HST door in this tunnel for emergencies? am I right? someone must know!

Yes - the colwall tunnnel

They are allowed through but the TM has to be in the rear guards van as the train goes through.

There is just enough space to evacuate a train through the guards vans seemingly and I guess the TM has to go back there in case access to the front one is blocked

I presume that you mean the power cars, as thinking about it there is a sliding door on the power car.

I guess that is what I mean