Great Western Coffee Shop

Headed on the Portsmouth to Cardiff ... 10 late at Filton Abbey Wood due to congestion

"We're waiting for a late running Swansea train to cross in front of us" annouces the train manager.

Oh no we're not - we're 10 minutes down and the Swansea train that we're supposed to connect with has been allowed to go in front - probably because we call at Severn Tunnel Junction.  As I'm heading for Swansea ...

Verified my suspicions on Real Time Trains ...

A quick chat with the train manager - either he thinks right and can't read the evidence of the devices he's provided with, or he's caught in this mis-informtion and defending it. The more I listen to him and the lady on the trolley, the more I think he knows darned well. I wouldn't worry - except it leads him to advise further that we'll be overtaken by the train I should connect into - so if I don't see it going past I may be able to dash over the bridge at Newport and catch it on the other platform.  Yeah, right.

Not going to make any difference to me in terms of being 30 down by Swansea anyway; I'm sure my contact there will understand "connection missed" and we will eat later ... but what a pointless porkie, and what a pig of a mess it lead him in to!

Hey, ho ... looks like first chance to try delay repay!

Edit - to make my post politically correct

Well ... we pulled into Cardiff Central at 19:55.25 (according to Real Time Trains) and the "Official Connection" that the booking engine had given me was still standing at the next platform.   Quick dash to the stairs, down, across, up .. to see it just pulling out at 19:55.75 according to Real Time Trains.

Yeah, I know, there will be another one along ...

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Edit to add for my record ... due into Swansea at 20:46 on 1B69.  Arrived on 1B76 at 21:17, 1 minute early as it was scheduled at 21:18.  All train times from Real Time Trains the following day.

Well ... that worked. 8 days including Easter, so 4 working days to approval. ... Good work GWR.

I have also been impressed with the speed of First Customer Contact Delay Repay. Submitted to SWR on Friday, approved on Tuesday. Much quicker than previously and far better than their stated up to 20 days processing time.

Well, I'd be interested to hear when you get paid grahame and Surrey455. My GWR delay repay payment was "sent" by BACS on Maundy Thursday and arrived today. Granted within the lower of the 5-10 working days quoted in their email, but over a week due to Easter.

If I recall, sending money "via BACS" used to be 3 working days, including the day it was sent.

I will follow up in due course to let you know - "in your account via BACS in 5 to 10 working days" on 24th April.   Yeah, I know when I do a payment online it seems to be much quicker these days ... but this seems a darned sight quicker from 'problem arose' to 'fully dealt with' that's historically been the case, for which relief much thanks.

Agreed, the overall process does seem quicker at the moment. I am being a pedant, it's just the use of the word "sent" when "processed" might be more appropriate. Maybe it's another porkie as this document suggests my payment should have arrived Wednesday if it was submitted the previous Thursday (page 2, Easter 2019):

https://www.bacs.co.uk/documentlibrary/bacs_processing_calendar_2019.pdf

I received the grand total of 60 pence in my account today. I claimed for 30-59 min delay. They have calculated it as 15-29 mins instead. Perhaps the next train arrived at my destination a minute or 2 early. Grrr...  :(

At least they acknowledged that your train existed.  They seemed to have lost mine. Matter now with the GM.

Arrived and doors open is probably later than the time recorded by the system IMO. I've been given 15-29 minutes on the 30 minute boundary when it has been over using my definition of arrived. It's not really a corner case either on a 2tph frequency.

Next time this happens, I'm going to start a video as we pull in, keep it rolling as I disembark (probably some good pictures of the floor being captured), then record a station clock. It should be easy then to prove what actually happened using the timestamp/offset on the video.

"pointless porkies" are not only told by TOCs.

Some years ago I was sitting in an aircraft at Bristol waiting to take off for Newark New Jersey (American Airlines briefly operated the route in the mid 00s). The pilot came on to apologise for the delay and said that they were just sorting out the final paperwork before they got off the stand.

At the time this announcement was being made, out of the window I could see a mechanic next to one of the engines with a spanner in his hand... ;)