Great Western Coffee Shop

I'm planning to go up to London from Temple Meads on Saturday 13 th Feb and to get a cheaper ticket but still have some flexibility I was planning to split my ticket at Didcot and catch the 1030 from Bristol. However, train running information on the FGW and NR websites doesn't show it as running, yet the 0930, 1130 and 1230 are all shown running as normal. A glance at the engineering works schedule doesn't shed any light. I also checked whether it's skipping Didcot and it doesn't seem to be running at all.

Is this likely to be a glitch or is there a reason why this isn't running? ???

Agreed, there's no sign of it in the timetables. A complete guess, but Bristol City are playing Sheffield United in the Coca Cola Cup that day - maybe the supporters club have hired it?

Hmm. That's odd. No sign of any 1030 BRI - PAD on 13 Feb. I'd be surprised if it's anything to do with engineering work, as 1000 and 1100 services are running normal route. Looks like there's Six Nations rugby on at the Milllennium stadium but that shouldn't bother you because you'll be going against the big flow in both directions.

Option 1. Phone FGW customer relations, 08457 000 125 and speak to an adviser (don't select the option for train times and fares, as that will direct you to NRES who will probably be as much use as the proverbial handbrake on the equally proverbial canoe for this query). My past experience has been that the customer relations staff are incredibly helpful with this kind of question about timetable oddities, to the extent of calling FGW control to find out what the game plan is if necessary.

Option 2. If the 1030 BRI-PAD really has temporarily vanished into the ether for the weekend, you could take the 1000 or 1100, which arrive Swindon at 1039 or 1139, then change into the 1129 SWI-PAD (ex-SWA) or the 1204 SWI-PAD (ex-CNM), both of which call Didcot on the way. Or of course get up a bit earlier and catch the 0930!

Bear in mind that if you do opt for the change at Swindon, you'll be introducing a lot of extra hassle and waiting around for what it a relatively modest saving: ^48.80 SVR, vs ^18.80 CDR BRI-DID + ^20.00 CDR DID-PAD for a total of ^38.80 with the split.

It's still showing if you look for it as the 0902 from WSM to PAD, calling at all the usual suspects.

I think there is a bug in there somewhere. The 1030 wasn't showing on the departure screens today (Weds 10th Feb). It were deffo running, because I caught it to Swindon. I pointed out to the staff in the Info office on Platform 3 that it weren't showing; a quick call to whoever and it reappeared briefly. By the time I'd walked to Platform 15, it had disappeared from the screens again, and was not showing on the on the platform rolling display* either. It appeared and disappeared a second time before departure as well.

*What are these displays called? I've heard them referred to as 'Roly Poly's', 'Dot Matrix' and plain old 'Customer Information Displays'

That's the 0930 from BRI - he's looking for the 1030...

...which apparently doesn't run on the 13th:

(http://ndrailusers.wikispaces.com/file/view/jrnyplan.png/119692205/jrnyplan.png)

With Wales playing rugby in Cardiff and Cardiff playing in the FA cup at Chelsea the most likely reason is to release an HST to provide an extra service to on eof these event.  I suspect it will be a special Newport to Cardiff EHST to Swansea and a special back to Cardiff.

Much as I surmised at the top of this thread, then. Wrong sport but right principle.

Just out of interest, how are these specials arranged? Does FGW have someone looking out for big events they might have to react to, or do organisations have to contact them in advance to arrange a special to be laid on?

I have to confess to being rather uncomfortable with service trains being "cancelled" or at least removed from the timetable to run specials.  I would have thought that there is enough charter stock to provide the additional services required in connection with the rugby, particularly on a Saturday in February when there is unlikely to be other demands. 

Is it an indicator of how little redundancy there is in FGW's stock that there are no spare HSTs on this date to provide the service?  Not even enough to provide the scheduled service on the Cotswold Line according to other threads.  Presumably the fact that they have flagged up that the train won't be running on that date avoids any performance penalties.

What about the return working?  Are there other non-runners on that day?

Is fairly routine.  Cheltenham festival coming up shortly and a couple of cardiff to london services will be cancelled each day to enhance the service to Cheltenham.

Thanks for the confirmation - I'm glad I looked it up first rather than just assuming it'd run. 0930 it is then...

When I've been going to London on that train before (then, as now, to watch Exeter City) it hasn't been particularly busy west of Swindon and since there's plenty of other trains from there on, it probably isn't a problem to drop that train to release an HST. I suspect it'd be a different story were Bristol City or Rovers playing in London that day or England at home in the Six Nations. But they aren't.

A number of the xx00 Pad - Bristols are being extended to Cardiff, which would explain why the 1030 is cancelled, as the stock has been displaced.

I ended up in the end getting the 10.41 Temple Meads to Parkway service, then getting the 11.02 to Paddington from Parkway, which stopped at Didcot. It only took about 5 minutes longer than getting the direct service anyway.

Thanks for posting that follow-up information, The Grecian. ;)

I'm glad we were able to help, with expert input from various members of this forum!  ;D