21 October 2016 - 19:03 Paddington to Penzance terminated at Reading

[whole diary]

[LiskeardRich]

Tonights 1903 has been terminated at Reading due to overcrowding.

19:03 London Paddington to Penzance due 00:40


This train will be terminated at Reading.
This train will no longer call at Newbury, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Plymouth, Saltash, St Germans, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Camborne, Hayle, St Erth and Penzance.
This is due to overcrowding.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm.   Isn't that 19:03 from Paddington usually a 'pick up only' service at Reading? 

[LiskeardRich]

It's marked as such in the timetable. An additional service is scheduled to run Exeter st David's to Penzance in its exact timings. I do wonder if it's been run non stop to Exeter as there is no other service to get London passengers for Penzance to connect with that time at Exeter.

It is of course the start of half term.

Real times trains (RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website)) says

This service was cancelled between Reading and Penzance due to an issue with the train crew (TH).

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C41514/2016/10/21/advanced


There is an ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) movement Reading to Penzance running in almost it's path albeit late.

No additional service in RTT for Exeter to Penzance which is showing on journey planner at roughly the times of the ECS on RTT

[TaplowGreen]

Sounds like the usual SNAFU^▸ (Situation Normal: All Fouled Up (I have toned down the F word)). Chaos at the ticket gates at Paddington due to the numbers travelling and insufficient staff, train clearly massively overcrowded with stand offs developing due to people being unable to board, everyone chucked off at Reading & told to board later trains which were just as overcrowded, no information on alternative plans,some people heading towards Bristol in the hope of getting back to the West Country that way although apparently no acceptance in place with Cross Country.  Customers at intermediate stations not being told what was happening and many still stuck now wondering how they're going to get through to Cornwall. It's always the same with this service during normal weeks on a Friday when it's packed to the gunwales, at bank holidays, Christmas, Easter & the start of school holidays it's simply hopeless.GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) know what to expect and do nothing about it....apparently there is to be an "enquiry" about tonight's events, the outcome will be interesting.

[LiskeardRich]

Tallow Green, it's all well and good chucking everyone off to board later trains, but there isn't a later train to reach Cornwall tonight. What do those passengers do?

[TaplowGreen]

Tallow Green, it's all well and good chucking everyone off to board later trains, but there isn't a later train to reach Cornwall tonight. What do those passengers do?

I couldn't agree more, excuse my language but it's a bloody disgrace. My information comes from one of those chucked off at Reading who is heading to Truro for a wedding tomorrow. Complete headless chickens from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) at Paddington & Reading according to him.

[grahame]

And added to the mix:

21:25 Exeter St Davids to Penzance due 00:40
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to overcrowding earlier on this train's journey.
Last Updated:21/10/2016 21:39

Very interesting detective work to sort out what's gone on here ...

[LiskeardRich]

And added to the mix:

21:25 Exeter St Davids to Penzance due 00:40
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to overcrowding earlier on this train's journey.
Last Updated:21/10/2016 21:39

Very interesting detective work to sort out what's gone on here ...

The Reading to Exeter ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) has just passed Taunton 92 minutes later than planned, expected to pass Exeter at 2300 and is now running ECS straight to penzance

[TaplowGreen]

And added to the mix:

21:25 Exeter St Davids to Penzance due 00:40
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to overcrowding earlier on this train's journey.
Last Updated:21/10/2016 21:39

Very interesting detective work to sort out what's gone on here ...

The Reading to Exeter ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) has just passed Taunton 92 minutes later than planned, expected to pass Exeter at 2300 and is now running ECS straight to penzance

                                                                2355 Plymouth to Penzance due 02:06
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 21/10/16 23:55 Plymouth to Penzance due 02:06.
This is due to overcrowding because of an earlier cancellation.
Last Updated:21/10/2016 22:26
Due   Station   Status
23:55   Plymouth   23:55
00:40   Bodmin Parkway   00:40
01:02   St Austell   01:02
01:21   Truro   01:21
02:06   Penzance   02:06                                           -which I guess is helpful for those who have managed to get as far as Plymouth.

[ellendune]

Very interesting detective work to sort out what's gone on here ...

There is clearly a side to this story we have not heard.  What happened on the 19:03 between Paddington and Reading?

[IndustryInsider]

Train Manager assaulted at Reading apparently.

[ellendune]

Train Manager assaulted at Reading apparently.

Ah that starts to make sense now.

Train could not proceed with passengers without a Train Manager. 

[TaplowGreen]

Train Manager assaulted at Reading apparently.

Ah that starts to make sense now.

Train could not proceed with passengers without a Train Manager. 

I hope the TM^‡(resolve) is OK and that whoever is responsible feels the full weight of the law, however this particular service has been an accident waiting to happen for some time now. Something needs to be done to prevent the likelihood of it happening again - measures need to be taken to address the ridiculous overcrowding on this service every week, the events leading up to it, and the consequences affecting hundreds of other people reoccurring.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are well aware of the issues with this service (especially) on a Friday and have chosen to do nothing about it-no doubt the revenue it generates keeps them happy - perhaps this unfortunate incident will prick a few consciences and catalyse some action.

[Umberleigh]

Just wow. Hope the TM^‡(resolve) okay but that's appalling.

Surely with today's technology the ticket barriers can be programmed to only accept tickets with a reservation? Make the service reservation-only, somehow the French manage it with the TGV^▸ (Train a Grande Vitesse).

[grahame]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are well aware of the issues with this service (especially) on a Friday and have chosen to do nothing about it-no doubt the revenue it generates keeps them happy - perhaps this unfortunate incident will prick a few consciences and catalyse some action.

Moving away from the specifics of last night, when reports suggested things boiled over, what action(s) would you recommend?   There's a need for any such actions to with franchise requirements, and for them not to solve one issue at the risk of creating another.  Manjana ... new trains, electrification, cascades (and let's not get into an argument here as to how much extra capacity that really provides ... but for this winter?  For the rest of this school year??

I can recall seat regulation tickets on summer Saturday trains out of Paddington, and I think there's a degree of controls for Glastonbury to this day.   Is there a possible something that could be done there, or would regular users of this train (bearing in mind the Newbury stop) who can't be sure when they're headed home be put out?   Would it also be found to be counterproductive in that many people would speculatively reserve seats and the train would end up running with empty places?

Perhaps the 19:12 (FO) from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads could extend to Paignton.   But then how would you encourage Jo Public off the 19:03 onto the slower and later 19:12?   Taunton on the 19:03 as "pick up only" which would sure as heck upset anyone wanting to travel from Newbury to Taunton .... or a fare break on the 19:12 - but would that make financial sense to GWR, and would XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) object because of their share of revenue on Bristol - Exeter?

Edit to add ... silly me ... group save on 19:12 but not on 19:03 just might encourage a few groups of people to drop back, and I suspect the 19:03 is already noted as a "not group save" train