GWR DMUs calling at Hanwell all day, Saturday 25 November 2017

[whole diary]

[ellendune]

It's a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) managed station isn't it?, with only one daily GWR train and approx 75 Heathrow Connects. I doubt GWR will be in any hurry to get their paintbrushes out.

I thought Heathrow Connect was a joint service with GWR

[hassaanhc]

I do seem to get the impression that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) gave up with station TLC^▸ (three letter code, or tender loving care, depending on context ) as soon as Crossrail was announced, because why repaint things and install new signs when a few years later TfL^» (Transport for London - about) will do it again?! The new buildings and footbridges can't come quickly enough either at places like Southall, as the old ones really don't work well with the amount of passengers travelling.

Having said the above, they somehow actually repainted lampposts and fences at Acton Main Line over the last 2 weeks!

[stuving]

It's a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) managed station isn't it?, with only one daily GWR train and approx 75 Heathrow Connects. I doubt GWR will be in any hurry to get their paintbrushes out.

I thought Heathrow Connect was a joint service with GWR

Heathrow Connect is listed as a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) in its own right. I don't think it's a real TOC, more of a man and a phone in an office (dog optional). And it will of course disappear in a puff of spare rolling stock next year.

Whatever is done to the station is down to Crossrail/TfL^» (Transport for London - about). They are promising stuff like

Hanwell station will benefit from a number of improvements in preparation for the new Elizabeth line services, including a new station information system, security systems and CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision).

Transport for London will install lifts at the station before the first Elizabeth services begin in 2019.

Crossrail has also been working with Ealing Council on plans to improve the area around the station. Early proposals were published in 2014.

and some of it has happened (at least, opening the subway to the now-less-misnamed Station Approach).

[CJB666]

There'll be plenty of chances to see DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) at Hanwell etc. for years and years.

Yesterday ALL Connects were cancelled - due to 'lineside equipment failure.' Par for the course - seems like a daily occurrence. But its a nice little earner for the foreign owners of Heathrow Airport in that hapless airline pax^▸ (passengers). then have to pay (again?) for the exorbitantly expensive Express. Of course there are never any visible Heathrow management staff at Paddington during such times of disruption.

In the evening a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Paddington to Reading made an UNANNOUNCED stop at Hanwell. The driver failed to announce the extra stop when we departed Paddington, and failed to make any announcements when we got to Hanwell. Again par for the course from a disinterested driver.

All signs of the brave new world called Great Western Railway, and with CrossRail that we will be inflicted with whenever that project finally reaches west of Paddington.

[IndustryInsider]

There'll be plenty of chances to see DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) at Hanwell etc. for years and years.

All signs of the brave new world called Great Western Railway, and with CrossRail that we will be inflicted with whenever that project finally reaches west of Paddington.

I can’t see many DMU services operating from Paddington after January.  A few Turbos working peak services perhaps, but they should become 387s or IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan))’s within a few months - 12-car Class 387 workings are planned to start in January between Paddington and Reading on limited stop peak trains, though how that’ll work with the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) remains to be seen.

Crossrail is currently on time to commence through working west of Paddington from Dec ‘19, and from next May the existing Heathrow Connect and Hayes shuttles will combine to be operated by 9-car Crossrail trains under the TfL^» (Transport for London - about) Rail banner as a 4tph Paddington to Heathrow Service.  Platform extensions will be completed by then, even if the stations themselves won’t have been rebuilt.