18:33 London Paddington to Oxford - HST or Turbo - and alternative trains

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

The 1833 is pathed I think, to use the fast line until clear of the Connect service....maybe leaving from a high numbered platform creates difficulties in pathing across to the fast line?

[BBM]

I'm sure that the layout at Paddington doesn't allow trains to depart simultaneously from platforms 11 and 12. (Presumably the 18:33 to Oxford was in 11 because of some sort of disruption.) The common sense method here would have been to allow the Oxford train to go first because of it having the much longer-distance journey. However as I've discovered from other discussion threads on this forum the Automatic Route Setting in the Paddington area doesn't do common sense! So presumably the Heathrow train left first because that what the ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) decided?

[IndustryInsider]

I'm sure that the layout at Paddington doesn't allow trains to depart simultaneously from platforms 11 and 12.  However as I've discovered from other discussion threads on this forum the Automatic Route Setting in the Paddington area doesn't do common sense! So presumably the Heathrow train left first because that what the ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) decided?

Correct with the fact trains can't leave 11 and 12 at the same time.  It would probably have been held behind the Heathrow Connect for one of two reasons;  1) As ChrisB eluded to, there was a conflict (i.e. HST^▸ (High Speed Train)(s) coming the other way) crossing it from Platform 11 to Line 3 then 2 so it could get to the down main - it normally leaves from Platform 5 (I think) so that conflict isn't usually an issue, or  2) The TRTS^▸ (Train Ready To Start. A plunger/switch pressed by platform dispatch staff that informs the signaller that a train is ready to depart.) (Train Ready To Start) plunger for platform 11 was operated by the dispatch staff after the one on platform 12 and ARS had already set up the route for the Heathrow Connect.

[johoare]

Thanks for all the information. Let's hope it departs from it's usual platform 5 as often as possible in the future then...And that whatever caused it to be in platform 11 is a one-off :-)

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

There won't be any problems with the 1833 Padd-Oxford after May as it's apparently being withdrawn.  Presumably Maidenhead passengers go on the accelerated 1836 to Bourne End (how full is that going to be!), Twyford passengers on the 1848 to Cheltenham, and London commuters for Tilehurst - Cholsey just lose the service all together.

[johoare]

It is going to horribly full..Just ready for the summer.. Fingers crossed they always give us a train with opening windows then if it ends up being a turbo or I think they might make people very ill.. or worse.. I do wonder why they are getting rid of such a busy train

By the way do you know what accelerated means.. I think that train currently goes down the relief line and stops at Slough... Maybe accelerated means it's allowed on the main line and won't be stopping at Slough?

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I guess the new 1836 Padd-Bourne End will use the vacated path of the withdrawn 1833 Padd-Oxford and run non-stop main line to Maidenhead.  What's the max length for trains to Bourne End?  Can 6 cars go there?

[paul7575]

I guess the new 1836 Padd-Bourne End will use the vacated path of the withdrawn 1833 Padd-Oxford and run non-stop main line to Maidenhead. 

The 1836 still calls at Slough and Maidenhead according to the journey planner.

Paul

[johoare]

hhmm.. that doesn't sound like a definition of accelerated..

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

hhmm.. that doesn't sound like a definition of accelerated..

Could still be mainline with a stop at Slough - there's enough margin in front of 1845 ex Padd.  So Padd-Slough in maybe 16 minutes instead of 23 as now, so there's the acceleration.  But it will be a popular train ....

(later) ...  Just noticed that Journeyplanner shows it arriving Slough on Platform 4 - ie down relief - at 1855, so 19 mins Padd to Slough.  So acceleration is just 4 minutes, which all helps I suppose.

[johoare]

..and it's going to arrive at Maidenhead at 19.06 instead of 18.52 (arrival time of 18.33)..so Maidenhead passengers will get to spend an extra 14 minutes on the train which will no doubt be full to bursting.. what are FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) playing at..

[Electric train]

I guess the new 1836 Padd-Bourne End will use the vacated path of the withdrawn 1833 Padd-Oxford and run non-stop main line to Maidenhead.  What's the max length for trains to Bourne End?  Can 6 cars go there?

5 cars is the longest, Furze Platt and Cookham can handle 6 but Bourne End I think would have half a coach if not a whole one without platform

[johoare]

Do you know how long the current 18.42(ish) to Bourne end is? The 18.33 to Oxford (which pretty much empties at Maidenhead) is an intercity... Can these two train's worth of people really fit into one?

[Mookiemoo]

Do you know how long the current 18.42(ish) to Bourne end is? The 18.33 to Oxford (which pretty much empties at Maidenhead) is an intercity... Can these two train's worth of people really fit into one?

Doubt it - I suspect one of two things.....

1. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) really don't care as long as there are bums on seats or in mid air if standing

2. The previous and later service are less loaded and management would like people from your train to move onto the earlier or later service

[Electric train]

If the Slough stop was taken out of the 18:42 it would possibly work as a 5 car 165, the train virtually empties at Slough, it could then run on the Down Main to Maidenhead East and cross over to platform 4 or 5 (just like it used to do years ago)