Great Western Coffee Shop

OK so I used to travel from Swindon to Gunnersbury via Paddington and Hammersmith several times a year for meetings, but since lockdown they have been on-line.  Now for the first time in 3 years I will be making the journey again.  This is also my first post COVID train journey!

What has changed is there anything I should know?

As someone who used to travel in and out of Paddington quite a bit but only does so occasionally these days I am not the best to advise.  So others please butt in.

I would say that things changed so much during Covid restrictions ... but then have bounced back so that things feel almost as they were.  The change I note is the ability so swipe in / out on something other than an Oyster on the tube.

My recent experience (not in London!) has been that things are as busy, if not busier, than pre-COVID. I went on a trip just for the fun of it the other day, from Montpelier to Filton Abbey Wood. Severn Beach line trains were well-loaded. I saw one person wearing a face mask. It looked a bit incongruous, though of course it's important to support people wearing these, whether out of necessity or for reassurance. The FIT-BRI train was a CDF-PNZ Castle set, which was pretty full.

Essentially things seem pretty much back to normal around here - at least on non-strike days.

I agree.  When I revisited Paddington earlier this month following a three-year gap since just before the first Covid lockdown, the only differences I noticed in my standard route between main line and Bakerloo line were small ones.  The separate Bakerloo line entrances from the concourse and from Praed Street are now are closed off, the pillar box at the bottom of the ramp down from Praed Street has gone, and McDonalds and other outlets on Platform 1 have gone.

Possibly the biggest change at Paddington and London is the Elizabeth Line  :o

And the consequential flow of people crossing in front of all the platforms to get the Elizabeth Line platforms. This is particularly noticeable in the peak and very different to the historic rush down the steps for the underground.

Thank you for all your answers.  My journey is not until 23rd so time for any other pearls of wisdom. 

First thing I have noticed is the need for my Passport number and photo to renew my senior railcard. 

Ok so I am back now.  I can confirm it is not back to normal.  In normal times I never had to stand all the way from Swindon to Paddington and half way back (Paddington to Reading).  This was because traffic seems to be back to normal but the trains aren't - well they might be if they ran as advertised, but cancellations and short forms seem to have been the order of the day. 

So I paid around £150 (including renewal of senior railcard) for the privilege of standing in a crowded carriage (the vestibules were also packed) for 1 1/2 hours today. 

Which trains did you travel on?  That’s unusual in my experience. 

But ... it would seem ... not THAT unusual. Today


Perhaps with double loading from Reading as it left there 10 minutes after this:


Two trains in succession with "fault on this train: ...

Seems to be a few over the past weeks leaving Penzance (or not in some cases) with a 'fault on this train'.