first rubbish western

[AlistairW]

If Northern really do have some spare 142s hanging around then maybe EMT can lease them for the time being to improve stock levels...

I maybe completely wrong but the trouble with that is I don't think Pacers have ever worked around Lincoln / The East Midlands so I doubt any staff are trained to use them or depots ready to maintain them. Also leasing additional stock would be far too costly for EMT, not to mention the fact that the media would have a field day.

[allypally]

I'm unsure of why precisely the DfT have decided that Northern needs this sudden influx of 158 units whereas FGW have to take the Pacers.

But then, I also can't understand how Cross Country have ended up with so few 3 carriage trains!

[arabiandisco]

I'm unsure of why precisely the DfT have decided that Northern needs this sudden influx of 158 units whereas FGW have to take the Pacers.

But then, I also can't understand how Cross Country have ended up with so few 3 carriage trains!

There has been precious little evidence to suggest that the DfT have any idea what they're doing...

[XPTE]

A lot of drivers off sick this weekend, causing a lot of cancelled services and terminating early services.

Line incident
10:50 London Paddington to Swindon due 12:00
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

Service incidents
07:45 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 10:16
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

08:00 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids due 14:16
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

08:33 London Paddington to Swansea due 11:50
This train will be terminated at Cardiff Central.It will no longer call at: Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

08:59 Swansea to London Paddington due 12:08
This train will be started from Swindon.It will no longer call at: Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot Parkway, Bridgend, Cardiff Central, Newport South Wales and Bristol Parkway.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

09:30 London Paddington to Swansea due 12:43
This train will be terminated at Cardiff Central.It will no longer call at: Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable. Replacement road transport provided between Cardiff and Swansea.

09:50 Plymouth to London Paddington due 13:55
This train will be started from Bristol Temple Meads.It will no longer call at: Plymouth, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway and Taunton.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

10:07 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 12:32
This train will be started from Reading.It will no longer call at: London Paddington.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

10:37 London Paddington to Carmarthen due 14:38
This train will be terminated at Cardiff Central.It will no longer call at: Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath, Swansea, Llanelli, Pembrey & Burry Port and Carmarthen.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable. Replacement road transport provided between Cardiff and Swansea.

12:25 Swindon to London Paddington due 13:32
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

[hitch840]

[quote="XPTE"]A lot of drivers off sick this weekend, causing a lot of cancelled services and terminating early services.


08:00 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids due 14:16
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.[quote/]

6.25 hours to do 180 miles???

[enotayokel]

I think thats the time it would be due into Penzance. Pax for Plymouth and Beyond are being loaded onto Buses at Tiverton Parkway and the train turns back at Exeter

[gblandford]

Hi

I think you may be interesting in reading this article about FGW

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNod ... ebarsearch

Guy

[daveannjon]

I'm unsure of why precisely the DfT have decided that Northern needs this sudden influx of 158 units whereas FGW have to take the Pacers.

Yes, it's a strange swop, Heidi Mottram, Northern's MD has lobbied hard to get these units and even then it will only be 158 centre cars in some instances. I suppose you could argue there is lack of capacity in lots of areas but the Northern routes into the large northern cities are particularly bad - I regularly can't board the train I'd like to catch into Manchester in the morning (Calder Valley line) it's just too wedged. Passenger numbers have increased way beyond Northern's estimates in the last few years.

Incidentally I contacted Ms Mottram some time ago to complain about the way their drivers were slamming units over the crossovers at Miles Platting, in one instance my son bruised his ribs, in another one of their conductors nearly fell over - it got better almost immediately, but some drivers don't seem to care less about driving smoothly - is it part of their training?

Dave

[Tomnick]

If the drivers are driving units across those crossovers at the permitted speed, then they're not doing anything wrong! It'll be a Network Rail issue, and presumably it's been reported as a 'rough ride' by the traincrews involved already?

[daveannjon]

We'll have to disagree here Tomnick, in my opinion if a driver knows his train is stuffed he or she should realise that many of the passengers standing in the vestibules have nothing to hold on to, to steady themselves and should drive accordingly. This is particularly the case with 142s which are the worst over the crossovers and have a large area to stand but virtually no hand-holds, some ceiling straps like LT would be a good mod. Two other points, the trackwork around north Manchester is very poor in places, another crossing near Newton Heath has levels all over the place but nothing ever gets done about it, secondly when I contacted Heidi Mottram I pointed out that perhaps speed limits weren't being exceeded, but comfort limits certainly were - as I said it got results.

Dave

[Tomnick]

A fair argument - can't really disagree! From the driver's point of view though, he doesn't get 'punished' for exceeding 'comfort levels'. As soon as he starts losing time though...! The lack of handholds etc. is certainly a Northern issue, but the trackwork is down to Network Rail, with perhaps a bit of prodding from Northern .

[XPTE]

They ought to hurry up and do something about those Cardiff-Portsmouth services. Allways packed out when I used to use them before. Even off-peak times they're over crowded too it seems. When I have to use them nowadays. When I can't get cheap tickets(£14.50 or less) on Bristol-London services, I have to use the Cardiff-Portsmouth's. Absolutely packed. With people standing in the aisles and vestuble areas. I'm glad when I have to get out and change trains at Salisbury or Southampton to get some fresh air. Allways seems to be 2-car 158's now, in comparison to 3-car(or sometimes more than 3-car) formations that Wessex Trains were using on thees services in the twilight of their career.

FGW, invest in some extra trains and carriages to help ease passenger congestion. Attach the extra carriages to the busier services. Or even introduce additional services.

[trainz1994]

This may really shock the people at First Great Western and the DfT, but have they thought about possibly ordering some new trains to ease overcrowding?

Where does all the money from the fare rise go?

[bgstrowger]

Where does all the money from the fare rise go?

To the Treasury mostly.

[bringstybeast]

I was going to add my criticisms over fGW - given that nowadays it is very rare to see one of their trains in either Herefordshire or Worcestershire. More often than not, the London trains start/terminate at Oxford, whilst the Bristol trains just don't run at all.

That said, this morning appears to have been the first morning that the train I would catch to Bristol was not listed as cancelled!

The Worcester newspaper has just heard of how bad the trains have been under the new timetables, and apparently the Worcester MP has had to be taxied back from Oxford several times already, when on his way back from parliament. It makes me think of the Leominster MP, who had said over the summer that you couldn't consider FGW as providing a rail service, an understandable view when you hear of how few trains actually make the full journey to Hereford.

As I look online now, I can see London-Worcester trains starting/terminating at Oxford, and that the first London-Hereford train of the day is running 30 minutes late. What are the chances that this train will terminate at Worcester/Malvern/Ledbury?