Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 10:55 29 Mar 2024
* Attempted murder charge after man stabbed on train
- Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
09:30 Weymouth to Gloucester
10:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
11:05 Swindon to Westbury
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:17 Westbury to Swindon
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
13:15 Swindon to Westbury
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
16:23 Westbury to Swindon
17:36 Swindon to Westbury
18:37 Westbury to Swindon
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
21:16 Westbury to Swindon
22:30 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
Delayed
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
10:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 11:05:46 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[132] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[56] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[52] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[51] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
[46] Return of the BRUTE?
[32] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4
  Print  
Author Topic: FGW to "refresh" First Class  (Read 27281 times)
inspector_blakey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3574



View Profile
« Reply #15 on: February 11, 2012, 02:10:38 »

Settle down Btline, don't get yourself so overexcited old boy... Wink

1. FGW (First Great Western) does offer an at-seat service in First: there are the complimentaries from the trolley (which you can make a pretty decent breakfast out of if you put your mind to it) and the host will take orders for items from the buffet or Travelling Chef to serve at-seat. And, at least in my experience, Travelling Chef meals served in first class are offered on china with proper cutlery and a linen napkin.

2. Extortionate...? Depends what you mean really. I've used first class on FGW a fair bit, always on advance fares which have been excellent value for money. Undoubtedly it's pricey for a walk-up return at peak times, but so's standard class. The premium for a first class advance compared to a standard advance is often relatively modest, and on occasion I've struck gold and found ones that are actually cheaper.

Calling the service level shocking really doesn't hold up to scrutiny. My feeling was the FGW's catering offering compared very favourably to NXEC (National Express East Coast)'s and XC (Cross Country Trains (franchise))'s.
Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #16 on: February 11, 2012, 08:22:52 »

The paid for Pullman restauraunt on FGW (First Great Western) certainly compares very well with the offerings from other TOCs (Train Operating Company), none of which now offer a proper restaurant service.

The complimentary items offered in First class on FGW do not compare at all well with other long distance operators.
The at seat service is at best variable, sometimes not appearing at all, and seldom having a good stock of both complimentaries and goods for purchase.
They still make a point of the free newspaper on evening services, when this is now free everywhere !

First class is not improved by being invaded by steerage between London and Reading. Enforcement has improved a bit from non-existant to patchy.
« Last Edit: March 28, 2012, 14:28:26 by broadgage » Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
paul7575
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5316


View Profile
« Reply #17 on: February 11, 2012, 15:09:18 »

I have to say though, The First Class Lounge at KGX is a most depressing place. It has a few swivel padded chairs, 4 work benches, WiFi that constantly breaks down and is only accessible via a Lift.

It is also only temporary, during the building works, before it is moved to its final location adjacent to the west end of the new footbridge...

Paul
Logged
EBrown
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 540


View Profile
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2012, 13:14:34 »

Jo has taken to Twitter to get an idea of what passengers would like to be changed in the First Class Offering from FGW (First Great Western).

If you have Twitter it's @FGW. For those of you without Twitter, I am more than happy to email Jo your feedback collectively, hopefully it will lead to a better service in the future.

Quote
We're reviewing our First Class complimentary offer & need your help! Retweet this & let us have your feedback Smiley
Logged

I am no longer an active member of this website.
bobm
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 9810



View Profile
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2012, 13:26:34 »

I'm a great believer in "you get what you pay for" - therefore I would not like "free" hot food as elsewhere in the country.  I am more than happy to pay for a Travelling Chef breakfast if I want one and feel if there is something not right with it (rare) I have a better justification for raising the problem as I have paid "real" cash for it.

Complimentary tea, coffee, water, juice and nibbles suits me fine and the fact the trolley usually comes through and will get you anything else from the buffet if you want it and thus save lugging your laptop bag coach up to coach F is a very useful thing.

I am sure it is not part of the review but I would like better ticket checks in first - so what ever is on offer only goes to those with a first class ticket!
Logged
johoare
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2818


View Profile
« Reply #20 on: March 20, 2012, 21:49:43 »

Jo has also asked the same thing on Facebook if anyone would like to comment on there also..

Although judging by some of the comments (which I also added one to once I saw the others).. it is also more important to some people that tickets are checked and First class is policed on all trains so that it is just for First Class passengers..I guess freebies from the trolley are less important than that.. well that is definitely also my opinion currently after what I've seen being allowed in First Class during the last few weeks..
Logged
Umberleigh
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 456


View Profile
« Reply #21 on: March 25, 2012, 10:56:28 »

It would be interesting to read the job description of the trolley steward. My experience travelling (mostly) off peak during the day is that this service can be sporadic. In particular, on services that run non-stop between Exeter and Reading (both directions) too often the trolley is absent for well over an hour. Yet, if you take a 'stopping' service the trolley appears after most stations.

Furthermore, some trolleys carry chargeable items e.g. alcohol and some don't, seemingly at random. Similarly, some trolley stewards offer to fetch items from the buffet (I'm usually in H), some hope you won't ask and some point blank refuse (the latter only once).

Appreciate the leather seats, and almost always have a good journey, but:

1) Would table lamps break the budget? Other TOCs (Train Operating Company) have them and they are, after all, a traditional First Class fixture. They add a touch of style and also help communicate to 'strays' that they are in the wrong coach.

2) Why oh why does it take so long for the trolley to appear on (off-peak) trains departing PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains)? On occasions this has taken 30 minutes i.e. after Reading. Compare this with Midland Trains, whose stewards were offering refreshments at seat with minutes of leaving St. Pancras. Not to mention the china crockery.

3) Enforce First Class. Sorry, but too many train crew look the other way. It's not rocket science. My suspicion is that FGW (First Great Western) are too anxious to collect surcharges from Standard passengers with the wrong ticket, rather than focus on this issue. Quite frankly, on almost every EXD» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) departure I've travelled on, if you could get past the barriers on the platform* then you could enjoy a free FC(resolve) journey to Taunton - the tickets are almost never checked.

4) In line with the above, even Cross Country seem to now make more of an effort with their at-seat service. On the one hour trip from Exeter to Bristol I was offered refreshments twice. On the thirty minute hop from Exeter - Totnes (that I often make on a Friday afternoon) I am offered refreshments twice.

5) Coach F, when not been used for dining, seems to be a FGW social club. I realise that off-duty train crew need to sit somewhere, but I'm less impressed when on-duty crew slouch around there, including of course, the elusive trolley steward. Put it this way, would you walk into any half-decent catering establishment and find the employees lolling around, sat in the customer areas? If you did, what would it say to you about the venue? If this sounds harsh, so is well over ^200 for a four hour round trip.

6) Trolley stewards: I am 43 and didn't go to school with you, so I'm neither a "young man' nor your "mate'. If you have moral or social issues in providing service to customers who can afford to pay a premium for a service, then perhaps you should reconsider your employment.

7) Bring back the miniatures, a backwards step.

Cool "We no longer offer carbonated soft drinks e.g. Coca-Cola to our customers because they were taking them home with them". Customers which may have paid over ^200 to sit on your train. Bet you get free carbonated soft drink at the shareholder's meetings, eh, FGW?

9) WiFi. Again, it's not rocket science. Bet you've got WiFi at your Head Office, eh FGW?

10) Friday night Wine Club. Evidently the customers enjoyed it too much, perhaps relaxed, sparked up a conversation with a stranger, thought better of FGW or even just smiled? Good job they axed it then.

All in all, my experience of FC with FGW is that there is a culture of complacency, penny pinching and, too often, a lack of customer focus. Hopefully, the revamp will address these issues and not merely be a cosmetic PR (Public Relations) exercise.

* travel from St Thomas, for example.
Logged
SandTEngineer
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3485


View Profile
« Reply #22 on: March 25, 2012, 13:24:07 »

3) Enforce First Class. Sorry, but too many train crew look the other way. It's not rocket science. My suspicion is that FGW (First Great Western) are too anxious to collect surcharges from Standard passengers with the wrong ticket, rather than focus on this issue. Quite frankly, on almost every EXD» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) departure I've travelled on, if you could get past the barriers on the platform* then you could enjoy a free FC(resolve) journey to Taunton - the tickets are almost never checked.

In my 20 odd years of regular travelling (but not commuting) with BR (British Rail(ways))/FGW between Paddington and the far West I cannot recall a journey where my ticket has NOT been checked after departure from Paddington.  Yesterday (Saturday 24/03) I travelled up and back to Paddington and my ticket was checked three times on the way up and twice on the way down as well as at the barriers at Paddington.  Indeed on the Down journey (1706 from Paddington) the conductor checked the tickets of those that boarded in First Class after every station departure (as far as Plymouth where I alighted) Wink


Edited to fix quote. bignosemac.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2012, 14:54:55 by SandTEngineer » Logged
johoare
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2818


View Profile
« Reply #23 on: March 25, 2012, 13:45:26 »

I have the opposite experience.. My ticket has only been checked a handful of times in FC(resolve) this year.. I think they wait until after Maidenhead when leaving Paddington and don't bother after Maidenhead on the way into Paddington..

They also let as many people as possible board at the very back of the train at Paddington before departure so that non First Class Customers end up standing in First Class.. Sometimes meaning the trolley can't even reach all the First Class Customers..

Having said that, the other day, I did see the train Manager moving all the people standing in the FC Vestibules on up to Standard Class.. Which is good and positive.. Although that was then slightly spoilt by no ticket check being done...

As for FC in the turbos.. FGW (First Great Western) definitely need to do something about this...Or if not they need to stop pretending they offer FC to people in Maidenhead/Twyford/Slough etc...
Logged
vacman
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2530


View Profile
« Reply #24 on: March 25, 2012, 21:49:10 »

As for FC(resolve) in the turbos.. FGW (First Great Western) definitely need to do something about this...Or if not they need to stop pretending they offer FC to people in Maidenhead/Twyford/Slough etc...
I know that a hell of a lot of extra revenue staff (mostly just Ticket Examiners) have been taken on at Pad and Oxford and are still training at the moment, i think you will start to see an improvement in ticket checks on Turbos soon.
Logged
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10096


View Profile
« Reply #25 on: March 25, 2012, 23:18:08 »

To confirm vacman's post, many extra staff have indeed been taken on and I've noticed an increase in ticket checks, which seems to be a general feeling going on some other posts on here in the last few weeks.  Checks on every train certainly aren't in the offing any time soon, but from virtually zero checks on the Reading to Paddington suburban trains, you should at least see some now!
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #26 on: March 26, 2012, 08:49:06 »

First class USED to be effectively open to all between Paddington and Reading, enforcement is now patchy IME (in my experience) which is better than none !.

First class could be improved by discouraging standard class from boarding in G/H and then walking through the train, as seems to be the norm at present.

And as others post, bring back miniatures of spirits and a selection of mixers.
I doubt that much in the way of real improvements can be expected, the most that we can hope for would a reversal of the more recent downgrades.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
SandTEngineer
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3485


View Profile
« Reply #27 on: March 26, 2012, 17:22:19 »

I know its been discussed before but I'm all for turning First Class to the front at Paddington.  On the occasions this has happended to me its been a delight Grin (and I don't mind the stroll down the Platform, indeed now the Hot and Cold is the best way to exit east it would be great, oh and I'd be the first off the platform and out of the car park at my home station as well Grin Grin).
« Last Edit: March 26, 2012, 17:43:32 by SandTEngineer » Logged
Timmer
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6293


View Profile
« Reply #28 on: March 26, 2012, 17:39:05 »

I know its been discussed before but I'm all for turning First Class to the front at Paddington.
Me too. Stops the procession of late comers boarding the train at the last minute trapsing through. It also stops those trying it on. Amazing how many people get turfed out of first by the Train Manager by the time the train passes Ealing Broadway. They obviously don't notice the TM(resolve) is at the first class end of the train when it departs Paddington.

Many a time I've been sat in a busy coach G on the weekend only to be one of a couple of passengers left once the TM has been through because those sitting there don't want to pay the Weekend First supplement.
Logged
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 18895



View Profile
« Reply #29 on: March 26, 2012, 21:37:43 »

The chancers would soon get to realise there is space up the front in 1st Class if the sets were reversed. And with the TM(resolve) necessarily being at the rear for dispatch duties, there would be even less chance of them being turfed out, unless every set had an RPI (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context)) up front.

No easy answers.
Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page