Exeter St. Davids Operations This Evening

[Bob_Blakey]

A couple of questions for the numerous rail operations experts who contribute to the coffeeshop:

1) This evening the incoming stock to form the 2030 EXD-EXM (1932 ex-PGN I believe) was a 4-car 142/143 combination. Is there a reason why FGW would run the same 4-car consist all the way to Exmouth? There would I think have been enough time to uncouple the two sets and the next service into P1 was not due for 45 minutes. Seems like an awful waste of diesel if it is a regular occurrence.

2) Because of the signalling problems near Newbury the 1736 ex-PAD (2010/2019 at EXD as it normally waits for the Penzance service to pass) did not arrive until 2033. FGW decided not to hold the aforementioned 2030 EXM service. On the face of it this appears to be cr*p customer service (given the minimal potential delay I don't think FGW would have been financially penalised). I fail to understand why they would pull a stunt like this, unless of course the TM of the Paignton train had confirmed that there were no Exmouth branch passengers on board (unlikely). 

[Donkey Guard]

If the TM of the delayed PAD-PGN did not bother alerting Exeter that there were connecting passengers, then Exeter won't hold onto the train.  In all probability there probably were passengers, but if Exeter ring up and request a hold from Control, they will ask, "are there any connecting passengers?"  If the answer is anything other than "yes", then generally the answer from control is "no".

I have banged on before about TM's/Guards/Whatever we're called alerting stations to connecting passengers, but some are too lazy, and as you rightly points out it is cr*p customer service! 

[inspector_blakey]

Had a similar bad experience once heading back to see the folks in west Wales - train to Cardiff from Bristol delayed, I ask the conductor about the west Wales connection in Swansea, he tells me to speak to the station staff in Cardiff. Staff in Cardiff tell me to speak to the train manager on the FGW Swansea HST. TM on HST is having a jolly time in coach F drinking tea and shooting the breeze with a phalanx of other uniformed FGW staff and therefore much too busy to call control or make any attempt to help me out, but tells me to speak to the staff in Swansea. Guess what...? Duty manager in Swansea tells me to get the next train to Carmarthen and speak to the chargeman there. I end up in Carmarthen at about 2300 at night and have the pleasure of speaking to the grumpiest member of staff I've ever encountered who flatly refuses to help and tells me to wait for the Fishguard boat train (due through at about 0030). When I dare to ask him whether he can provide a taxi to Whitland he tells me that if I challenge anything else he's said he'll shut the door in my face and forget about me.

I ended up forking out for a taxi in despair but there was a happy ending, as when I told customer services the whole sorry tale I was eventually reimbursed the taxi fare

So yes, it certainly does happen sometimes and is very annoying when it does. It's a real shame because there are so many staff who will routinely go out of their way to help!

[grahame]

1) This evening the incoming stock to form the 2030 EXD-EXM (1932 ex-PGN I believe) was a 4-car 142/143 combination. Is there a reason why FGW would run the same 4-car consist all the way to Exmouth? There would I think have been enough time to uncouple the two sets and the next service into P1 was not due for 45 minutes. Seems like an awful waste of diesel if it is a regular occurrence.

No driver available to take the unit left behind at EXD to the depot?  Problem with the coupling?  Large crowds at Exmouth at the end of a pop concert who would be catching the return train?  No-one thought about it?

[thetrout]

I've had a similar experience at Exeter with connecting trains. My parents where on holiday near Axminster and I was due to join them after work, so I caught a service from Castle Cary > Exeter after work, which ended up being 25 late, which doesn't sound like alot, but I had only 15 minutes to make my connection at EXD.

So I made myself known to the TM onboard who was helpful but thetrout did not like the answer he was given, which was this "That is a SWT service and they won't wait for us" Which I thought was bluddy outragous considering that the next service wasn't for another 2 hours!

No brownie points for guessing what happened when I arrived at EXD...! Thank goodness for free WiFi at Wetherspoons!

But just to open a tin of worms, despite the fact that they are 2 different operators, I think they should have held the train! But to be fair I did get 100% compensation in rail vouchers

[Nibat]

That's SWT for you!!

We used to have problems down at DWL and TGM with them when they were still coming this way.  Usually if the one to PLY was over 20 min late into Exeter, 9 out of 10 times would terminate at EXD with the back-working starting also there.  They wouldn't hold the train for the stopper to arrive with connecting passengers or provide alternative transport unless it was their own fault, I was told by the duty manager that they didn't consider fatalities as their fault so passenger were told to wait 2 hours for the following train...

Glad I don't deal with them anymore!!!!

[paul7755]

I've had a similar experience at Exeter with connecting trains. My parents where on holiday near Axminster and I was due to join them after work, so I caught a service from Castle Cary > Exeter after work, which ended up being 25 late, which doesn't sound like alot, but I had only 15 minutes to make my connection at EXD.

Problem is, and this is still the case even since the Axminster redoubling, you cannot really delay an up service without wrecking the whole service because of all the single track sections.  No easy answer I'm afraid, and although it's easy to criticise SWT, I doubt FGW would hold for 10 mins either on their similarly restricted Cotswold line with its long singled sections...

Paul

[Donkey Guard]

Sticking up for SWT, their control will generally allow a hold up to about 5 minutes - yesterday the 1826 to Waterloo left about 5 late to allow a connection with the delayed XC Paignton that was running 15 late.

thetrout - Surely if the next service is 2hours then they are required to provide alternative transport ?  Even XC open their wallet and provide a taxi if the next service is 2+ hours (eventually) 

Most of this comes down to preparation and monitoring delays, connections and putting the ball in Controls decision, rather than "oh bugger, we've just let the Exmouth go, and a late Pad-Pnz is just rolling in".  Unfortunately Duty Station Managers are very inconsistent at monitoring these situations IMO