Great Western Coffee Shop

Hi all,

Currently planning a holiday to Cornwall with my elderly mother. She's fine on her feet 99% of the time but sometimes gets tired and needs to sit.

We've booked a cottage in St ives for the week of the 20th May and planning the journey from Southampton Central to St Ives via Reading and St Erth.

Currently looking at booking onto the 1035 1C77 service from Reading to St Erth and was wondering if anyone has any experience of this service? For example how busy does it get? Many seats available? Is my luggage likely to be stolen from the racks?

It's going to be a difficult journey as it is with her plus 2 cases and a rucksack so any advice is appreciated.

Many thanks.

Welcome to the forum atomic81

Haven't personally caught this but have seen passengers waiting for it at Reading and it can be quite busy.

I'm assuming you haven't bought tickets yet? In which case you will be able to get seat reservations when purchasing your tickets so no need to worry about that.

I've never had, or heard of any problem with luggage being pinched although I'm sure some members have tales of such events. Depending on where you are sat you can quite often 'keep an eye' from your seat.

One thing to warn you.. there is a footbridge and no lifts between the main platforms at St Erth.  Trains from Reading come in on the far side.  I am not sure if there is a barrow crossing which staff can accompany you over.  If not you'd probably be best going on to Penzance and double back.  If there isn't a barrow crossing and you explain the circumstances I doubt you will be charged extra.   The bonus is you get to see St Michael's Mount on the run into Penzance!

It's very very rare, but it does happen.  I suspect it's more common if your luggage has disappeared to find that someone has picked it up in error because they have a very similar bag (even if that's not the one they have on this trip). In my many years of rail travel I have seen one instance and aftermath of what was probably a theft (not a GWR train) and have come across a handful of incidents where the wrong bag was picked up ... and the initial panic was followed by the bagging restored to its rightful owner within 24 hours.

Personally I ask "what would I do if I lost this" before leaving something on a distant rack, and only leave things which wouldn't be significantly horrendous if they were nicked.  I then have to remember to actually collect my bag!

There's not a barrow crossing at St.Erth, the only way off the platform that the trains from the east arrive at, is by the footbridge so doubling back via Penzance is permitted on all tickets.