I took the 18:04 service from Yeovil Pen Mill from to Westbury so I could go to the car auctions next door.
The train arrived at Yeovil from Weymouth at 18:22. Actually not too bad compared to the norm for this line. Anyway the guard announced that the West of England connection for those heading towards Exeter was also running 20 minutes late and they would still get their connection. When we arrived at Castle Cary, we waited just outside the station until the Western bound HST had come in and left, so all the people actually missed their connections. Anyway we finally arrived at Westbury 28 minutes late.
The train was a very tatty ex First TP 158 (which I still prefer to a 150/ 153) with graffiti all over it, but the train was so filthy you could hardly see it. The centre bogie on the rear car was rattling loudly on the whole trip, the interior doors didn't work and had all the buttons ripped of the walls, the toilet door randomly opened whenever you hit a bumpy bit of track etc etc.
On my return I was due to catch the 21:38 from Westbury back to Yeovil.
I arrived at the station at 21:00 and looked at the departure board.
-The train from Penzance to Paddington was running 75 minutes late.
-The train to Plymouth was running 40 minutes late
-The train to Cardiff Central was 37 minutes late
-The train to Fareham was 19 minutes late.
-The earlier Fareham train was cancelled
-The Adelante from Plymouth was 15 minutes late.
-The South West Trains service to Bristol was on time to the second. Why was I not surprised.
In fact the only FGW train listed as on time was my train. I was mildly shocked
Anyway time passed and all the trains finally came in.
21:38 arrived and at that moment a tannoy announcemount from the station manager said please ignore the displays saying it was on time, and that it was running 25 minutes late. They then changed the platform twice and in the end it arrived 50 minutes late attached to a Fareham train and the station manager didn't know which bit we should get on and ended up asking the drivers.
My real point here is that the station displays on most FGW stations are next to useless, the station staff are not given anywhere near enough information, and they seem to think that cleaning their local 150/ 153 and 158 sets is an annual thing.
As far as the delays go I have an example of how it should be done.
If an FGW train arrives at its final destination late, then that means its next service will be delayed too which obviously could continue through the whole day.
When South West Trains do it they allow a big enough margin in the timetable to take up the slack, or with stations like Exeter St Davids they have two trains. As one train terminates at Exeter, there is another train waiting to go on the return trip, which obviously then leaves on time. The first train then goes into the sidings until the next service is due to leave ensuring no delays and on time departures even if the arriving train is very late.
Why can't FGW see that they need to look at things like this. If a SWT 159 was vandalised or had faulty doors at the end of the day it would go back to Salisbury and be repaired. FGW seem to think it doesn't matter if you're sitting on the toilet and the door opens etc etc.
Anyway rant over. sorry if this was boring.
