Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere - ongoing, since Oct 2014

[whole diary]

[johoare]

My journey yesterday was Working from home (planned in advance so not a problem)..

Today however it went as follows:

1 Get up on time but check NR^» (Network Rail - home page) site first.. trains running ok so carry on getting ready for work
2. Check Journey check (several times) -  no issue with 7.59 Maidenhead to Paddington
3. Get to station..as soon as previous service leaves it becomes apparent that the 7.59 is a class-180 not the usual HST^▸ (High Speed Train) - would have been good to know in advance as I've had got the preceding stopping service
4. Attempt to get on 7.59 departure - give up
5. Attempt to get on 8.02 departure - give up
6. Get on 8.11 departure but abandon it at Slough as it was sooo overcrowded
7. Get on 8.29 Slough to Paddington
8. Tweet FGW^▸ (First Great Western) re why journey check was not showing the change to the 7.59 (it never does show it when this happens)
9. FGW on twitter tweet to say (pretend) it was on there 
10. Get to work 40 minutes late so not bad all things considering but information is what we need.. 40 minutes late at work is ok when I have no early meetings but if that is going to happen I'd rather spend the time at home.. not platform swapping at Maidenhead 

[Jason]

My journey yesterday consisted of:

Woken by alarm on phone
Roll over to turn off alarm
Stare in disbelief at 06:30 text notifying of 20+ cancellations
Double check twitter and journeycheck
Roll over and go back to sleep

Sometime later I started working from home

[BerkshireBugsy]

Out of interested following the problems yesterday are weekly ticket holders allowed to recover any of the cost of their ticket?

I thought I saw mention of this somewhere.

[ChrisB]

I would think so! Complete a claim with your details/delay. If you didn't travel, they may well also pay out, but I'd email or tweet them & find out before claiming.

[BerkshireBugsy]

I would think so! Complete a claim with your details/delay. If you didn't travel, they may well also pay out, but I'd email or tweet them & find out before claiming.

Many thanks

[Oxonhutch]

8. Tweet FGW^▸ (First Great Western) re why journey check was not showing the change to the 7.59 (it never does show it when this happens)
9. FGW on twitter tweet to say (pretend) it was on there  Shocked

I saw it there this morning. The 07:34 (180) ex DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) was shown as cancelled due to train fault. The 07:06 High Speed Train (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)) ex DID was shown as a 5 car rather than 8.

My interpretation was that the High Speed Train (HST) failed at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)) - or rather was not available after yesterday's chaos - and the 180 was run in place of the High Speed Train (HST).  The up Bristol called additionally at DID (07:31) to make up for the cancelled 07:34

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[johoare]

8. Tweet FGW^▸ (First Great Western) re why journey check was not showing the change to the 7.59 (it never does show it when this happens)
9. FGW on twitter tweet to say (pretend) it was on there  Shocked

I saw it there this morning. The 07:34 (180) ex DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) was shown as cancelled due to train fault. The 07:06 (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)) ex DID was shown as a 5 car rather than 8.

My interpretation was that the HST failed at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)) - or rather was not available after yesterday's chaos - and the 180 was run in place of the HST.  The up Bristol called additionally at DID (07:31) to make up for the cancelled 07:34

What time did you see that? When I left home about 7.20 the 7.34 didcot departure was showing as cancelled but the 7.06 wasn't showing as any change from normal..

Still no excuse for not telling us at the station.. unless they didn't know either?

[thetrout]

Apparently FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Tweeted that the delays of the 6th October are NOT disruptive enough for it to be classed a void day... :-x

[NickB]

That really really gets my goat. It displays a level of arrogance that I find both absurd and upsetting.

[John R]

Hmmm. If they advise people not to travel (did they?) then I think it is very suspect not to declare a void day.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Hmmm. If they advise people not to travel (did they?) then I think it is very suspect not to declare a void day.

Very valid point John R

[Timmer]

Apparently FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Tweeted that the delays of the 6th October are NOT disruptive enough for it to be classed a void day... :-x

That really beggars belief with the amount of delays and cancelations that took place. Anyone know what the threshold is set at to declare a void day?

[ellendune]

Who sets the criteria for a void day?  I would have thought it would have been in FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s interests to declare it void. So presumably something must have stopped them.

[thetrout]

Apparently FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Tweeted that the delays of the 6th October are NOT disruptive enough for it to be classed a void day... :-x

That really beggars belief with the amount of delays and cancelations that took place. Anyone know what the threshold is set at to declare a void day?

Well someone asked that very question. More recent twitter talk suggests that it is being reviewed again however.

FGWs tweet 7th October AM

[Oxonhutch]

What time did you see that? When I left home about 7.20 the 7.34 didcot departure was showing as cancelled but the 7.06 wasn't showing as any change from normal..

Still no excuse for not telling us at the station.. unless they didn't know either?

It was after I got to work at 07:45. I was looking at various information regarding late running on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) and wanted to clarified a cancellation on FGW^▸ (First Great Western).  That is when I picked up the details.