Early Eastbound Finish For Saltash & St Germans (23/10/2008)

[whole diary]

[Lee]

From the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website :

20:11 Penzance to Plymouth due 22:17

This train has been cancelled.This is due to a train fault.

[richard bickford]

I went to the station to see if anyone was being abandoned.

There were 3 waiting but the Helpoint was reporting that the following CrossCountry service was stopping. I assume this was the same elsewhere, at St Germans  and Lostwithiel.

[Lee]

At least that's something.

I believe the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) that failed was due to form the following service this morning (24/10/2008) :

07:05 Plymouth to Penzance due 09:14

This train will run short formed with 2 carriages.This is due to a train fault.

[richard bickford]

I believe you are right, and earlier in the day I think it is the 1406 ex Paddington, the notoriously late 1725 ex Plymouth, which was an hour late last night. Suspect it was so broken it could not form the 2011 last night, and subsequently didn't get back to Plymouth to form the 0705 this morning.

Would have been a bit of a squeeze arrving at Truro as a 150!

Lets hope it is fixed for its next journey.

[Ollie]

The 14:06 had it's driver windscreen smashed in the Maidenhead area, which caused delay, it then had further delay as they turned the set at Reading Triangle.

[Lee]

I think that raises an interesting point :

The cancellation of the 2011 was flagged up as a "train fault" as was the short-forming of the 0705 that it caused. In the minds of passengers, this would have indicated that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) were responsible.

However, if the cancellation and subsequent short-forming had been flagged up as being due to vandalism, then the perception would have been entirely different.

It goes back to a point made by willc recently, that the more information that people receive, the more accepting of problems they are likely to be.

[Chris2]

I have to agree with Lee and willc completely. The more information people have allows a correct assessment to be made, and in yesterday's case the blame would not be with FGW^▸ (First Great Western).

[Ollie]

As far as I am aware it is not vandalism, but I do not know the full facts around it. From a delay report I saw it was reported that it may have been when another train passed and caused stones to throw into the air.

I probably haven't explained well, but I don't have the delay report to hand sorry.

[Lee]

No problem, Ollie.

That makes it a difficult one then, and short of creating a "due to one of those things" category, I'm not sure how you get round it.

[Chris from Nailsea]

"This is due to accidental damage to the train" would seem to cover it?

[chrisoates]

It goes back to a point made by willc recently, that the more information that people receive, the more accepting of problems they are likely to be.

Information....I was up in Totnes at the time, the down line information screen hadn't worked all day.

Today I boarded the 17:55 ex Plymouth XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) only for it to (as usual) get held at Truro & Penponds following the 17:25 FGW^▸ (First Great Western)....no announcements....very poor considering the half term holiday traffic...families with children & luggage were wandering around at St Erth looking for the branch which was well on it's way to St Ives.
As I have done many times I got them across the road onto a Bus.