Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 15:15 01 May 2025
 
- Snake halts Japanese bullet trains after wrapping around power line
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 05/05/25 - Walk to Pilning
10/05/25 - BRTA Westbury
10/05/25 - Model Railway Show, Calne
13/05/25 - Melksham TUG / AGM

On this day
1st May (1851)
Great Exhibition opens (*)

Train RunningCancelled
13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
13:57 Exmouth to Paignton
13:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
14:57 Heathrow Terminal 5 to London Paddington
15:03 Oxford to London Paddington
15:12 Westbury to Warminster
15:21 Reading to Gatwick Airport
15:25 London Paddington to Heathrow Terminal 5
15:27 Heathrow Terminal 5 to London Paddington
15:30 Warminster to Bristol Temple Meads
15:51 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
15:54 Reading to Gatwick Airport
15:55 London Paddington to Heathrow Terminal 5
15:57 Heathrow Terminal 5 to London Paddington
16:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton
16:00 Oxford to London Paddington
16:27 Heathrow Terminal 5 to London Paddington
16:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
17:00 Oxford to London Paddington
17:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury
18:54 Reading to Gatwick Airport
20:11 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
20:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
Short Run
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
13:11 Taunton to Cardiff Central
14:08 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
14:32 Exeter Central to Okehampton
14:38 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
16:50 Plymouth to London Paddington
17:30 London Paddington to Taunton
Delayed
13:48 London Paddington to Carmarthen
14:15 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington
14:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
14:32 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
14:34 Didcot Parkway to Banbury
14:48 London Paddington to Swansea
14:59 Marlow to Maidenhead
15:30 Banbury to Didcot Parkway
15:34 Oxford to Didcot Parkway
16:07 Didcot Parkway to Oxford
16:18 London Paddington to Carmarthen
16:35 Didcot Parkway to Banbury
16:35 Oxford to Didcot Parkway
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
May 01, 2025, 15:28:43 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[102] Steam excursion - except there's much more diesel than steam!
[101] Brighton Belle - merged topics
[87] Cash payments for transport services
[84] "Save the Last Remaining British Rail Hovercraft from Destruct...
[41] May Timetable Change
[40] Longer distance canal walks - public transport for one way sec...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
Author Topic: (Not Very) First Class Service  (Read 6284 times)
John R
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4416


View Profile
« on: November 20, 2009, 22:17:56 »

1630 Padd to Taunton very busy this evening. First class still pretty crowded beyond Taunton with the majority of seats taken.

Yet the Customer Host chose to hide away at the rear end of Coach H with her trolley, doing, well not particularly much actually.

So, already displeased at why she's not doing her job, I approach her and ask for a cup of tea. "Sorry, I can't sell you anything".  I explain I don't want to buy anything, I just want a cup of tea. "I'm afraid I can't give you one - these are complimentary items for 1st class passengers".

I explained that I was indeed a first class passenger, and I wasn't sure why she thought I wouldn't be. Oh well, I've just sent a couple away who were standard passengers. (No buffet on this set - just a trolley at the far end of standard.)

I didn't bother to point out that if she actually took the trolley through the train like she's supposed to then she would soon identify which were first class pax (passengers) as they would be the ones sitting in the seats, as opposed to the occasional passenger from standard looking for a cup of tea..

 
Logged
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 19585



View Profile Email
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2009, 22:31:15 »

Hmm.  I'd be inclined to send in a formal complaint to FGW (First Great Western), John.

I had a chat with a very knowledgable member of FGW staff at lunchtime today: the impression I got was that there are problems with catering on FGW.  If passengers do complain, where appropriate, hopefully those problems will be addressed?
Logged

William Huskisson MP (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Mookiemoo
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3117


View Profile Email
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2009, 22:33:30 »

Hmm.  I'd be inclined to send in a formal complaint to FGW (First Great Western), John.

I had a chat with a very knowledgable member of FGW staff at lunchtime today: the impression I got was that there are problems with catering on FGW.  If passengers do complain, where appropriate, hopefully those problems will be addressed?

I can attest to that

I remember (not knowing at the time) one of FGW management was on a return train and helping out - I complained that there were no sellables on the first trolley anymore and we had to queue with everyone else if we didnt ant anything free.

Very quickly after, the sellables returned.

it may have been a coincidence but I'd like to think someone acted....
Logged

Ditched former sig - now I need to think of something amusing - brain hurts -I'll steal from the master himself - Einstein:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love"
devon_metro
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5175



View Profile
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2009, 22:35:56 »

Think some FC (First Class, or Fat Controller, or Football Club, depending on context) hosts are agency staff?
Logged
Ollie
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 2312


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2009, 22:37:04 »

Sorry to hear your experience John. I note you say it was pretty crowded, would the Customer Host still  have been able to get the trolley through?

I would hope that once the refurbs for the mini buffet then catering should be back to it's more efficient self.

An example is recently I was on a 2+7 (no buffet) and the set was being used as the 20:35 from Paddington - Plymouth. Granted it was a last minute swap due to a failure of another train, but it's an example of some of the issues created by the buffet refurbishment.

Hopefully some of this post makes sense, if not I'm sure Chris can tell me off.
Logged
roganguk
Newbie
*
Posts: 9


View Profile Email
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2009, 22:37:17 »

John - one of my colleagues will be very interested in this when I tell them tomorrow. This is not what FGW (First Great Western) is about! If I get any feedback later, I will let you know
Logged
inspector_blakey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3574



View Profile
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2009, 23:00:09 »

Definitely worth a complaint I think. I had a vaguely similar experience some while ago where a customer host on a weekend refused me complimentaries on the basis that "you've already had three" - at the time this was a restriction applied to weekend first upgrades, but not first advance tickets which is what I had.

To their great credit, FGW (First Great Western) were extremely gracious when I complained and sent me a voucher for a free first-class return journey.
Logged
John R
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4416


View Profile
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2009, 23:07:09 »

John - one of my colleagues will be very interested in this when I tell them tomorrow. This is not what FGW (First Great Western) is about! If I get any feedback later, I will let you know

Thanks. In fairness she did pass through again between Bath and Bristol by which stage the train was much quieter (and curiously was still on board after Bristol - very rare), but it was the attitude I didn't like.

In answer to Ollie's question, there wasn't anyone standing in first or the vestibules so she could easily have passed through.

I was expecting someone to ask whether I looked like I might have been a stray from the other side, but I was booted and suited as normal.

Oh, and when she did finally serve me a hot drink it was coffee instead of tea.  I couldn't be bothered by that stage so just took it.   
Logged
Ollie
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 2312


View Profile
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2009, 23:14:34 »

Maybe an off day, but still as others have said, write or e-mail Customer Relations.
Logged
super tm
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 599


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: November 21, 2009, 11:10:29 »

1630 Padd to Taunton very busy this evening. First class still pretty crowded beyond Taunton with the majority of seats taken.


You say still busy after Taunton when the train terminates there.  Did you mean Reading perhaps  Grin
Logged
John R
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4416


View Profile
« Reply #10 on: November 21, 2009, 11:43:55 »

Sorry, I meant Swindon, which is my usual joining point. Hope this hasn't invalidated any of the earlier discussions.
Logged
Ollie
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 2312


View Profile
« Reply #11 on: November 21, 2009, 13:53:17 »

Sorry, I meant Swindon, which is my usual joining point. Hope this hasn't invalidated any of the earlier discussions.
I spotted that, but decided to let it go seeing as I know where you join the train.
Logged
12hoursunday
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 267


View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #12 on: November 24, 2009, 11:56:49 »

John,

If this was a Paddington to Taunton service, why was First Class still crowded BEYOND Taunton?
Logged
John R
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4416


View Profile
« Reply #13 on: November 24, 2009, 12:04:07 »

See the previous couple of posts!
Logged
devon_metro
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5175



View Profile
« Reply #14 on: November 24, 2009, 16:13:00 »

John,

If this was a Paddington to Taunton service, why was First Class still crowded BEYOND Taunton?

Full of staff returning to home depot...?  Cheesy Cheesy

Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules via admin@railcustomer.info. Full legal statement (here).

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page