Didcot turnback capacity

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From a contact of mine who turned up at Slough for a fast service to London ...

I now know that the Oxford services that provide most of the fast trains between Slough and Paddington are suspended due to work at Hinksey, which is of course beyond Didcot, let alone beyond Slough.

There's no reason for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) not to run the Oxford services at least as far as Didcot from where there is a replacement bus service anyway, other than for profiting by displacing and inconveniencing customers.

Is his suggestion that the fast Oxfords are completely withdraw for purely profit reasons, or is there another reason (such as the facilities at Didcot not being able to cope with turning around all the extra trains)?

[IndustryInsider]

They're not withdrawn are they?  I can see two fast Slough to Paddington trains per hour running from Didcot.

[ChrisB]

indeed, not sure what their problem is? what time was this?

[didcotdean]

Travelled on one yesterday. They are turning round on Platform 3 or 4 with the Cross Country to Bournemouth using 5. The stopping services are going from 4.

Does seem to be only one per hour outside of peak though.

[grahame]

They're not withdrawn are they?  I can see two fast Slough to Paddington trains per hour running from Didcot.

indeed, not sure what their problem is? what time was this?

Train expected at Slough at 10:11 on its way into London.

I should probably have further checked the story:

The 10.11 fast train to Paddington did not stop at the station. I am now on the 10.14 stopping train and will be late for my appointment. Evidently timetables are guides not commitments.

and

I now know that the Oxford services that provide most of the fast trains between Slough and Paddington are suspended due to work at Hinksey, which is of course beyond Didcot, let alone beyond Slough. The only reason I chose to drive to Slough rather than catch the train in Bracknell ...

There's no reason for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) not to run the Oxford services at least as far as Didcot from where there is a replacement bus service anyway, other than for profiting by displacing and inconveniencing customers.

[IndustryInsider]

Looks like that one has indeed been withdrawn this week.  The vast majority are ok though - slightly different timings on a few of them.  Probably due to a lack of capacity at Didcot I would imagine.

[didcotdean]

I suspect the loadings particularly off-peak may be lowish too - people avoiding travelling from Oxford, or when they get to Didcot going on a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for Reading / London rather than a 5 carriage 165.

There ought I suppose be some local advertising at Slough.

[Adelante_CCT]

The 10.11 fast train to Paddington did not stop at the station.

Not really a case of it 'not stopping', just that it was not due to run, slight difference*

Remember, "always check before travelling"



*(Not like the 17:32 from Morton in Marsh a week ago Wednesday where the driver did actually forget to stop at Slough, I was on the returning 19:22 from Paddington to Hereford where the train manager was very apologetic to those 'still on board'.)

[bobm]

For the duration of the works Swindon gains an extra service to Paddington at 05:55 - it runs in the times of the 05:59 ex-Oxford from Didcot Parkway.  Can't remember the last time Maidenhead was announced as a calling point at Swindon. 

[TonyK]

Back to normal on 15 August?

[ChrisB]

it should be....

[TonyK]

I'm glad I read this thread. I was able to give valuable information to the former Miss FT, N!, who was heading for London yesterday from Hanborough, and had no idea of the closure. She was going to bustitute to Didcot, but took my advice of a shorter bus ride to Oxford Parkway, then Chiltern to Marylebone. It saved her 45 minutes, and her husband a lot of money on his ticket apparently.

[bobm]

"The former Miss FT, N" - I thought for a moment you had disowned her.  Glad the last sentence made it clear!