FGW's new coach-lettering system...

[Thrashin]

http://www.therailwaycentre.com/UK%20Ne ... 7_FGW.html

If anything symbolises the absolute festival of farce that is First Great Western, this is surely it....

Jack

[phat2003uk]

They are just an absolute disgrace, I wish they'd get stripped of their franchise before they ruin all of the HSTs with their horrible high density seating.

A despicable organisation

Richard

[arabiandisco]

They're working overtime to protect their reputation as the worst train operator in the UK by a country mile, after London TravelWatch suggested that they were merely awful.

[6rdfar90]

At the end of the day though, you have to feel sorry for FGW. I mean, sure, they are stupid, they do miss out station stops without being considerate to their passengers, but, at the end of the day - their companies being run into the ground, they need to do something - and obviously they have these ideas from somewhere - I have been on a few trains where station stops were missed out because of a late running train, and the train only called at every other stop.

[AlistairW]

6rdfar90 – I think the term you’re looking for is “Milking the Cash Cow for all its worth”. I don't feel sorry for FGW at all, I feel sorry for those who "rely" (and I use the word rely loosely with FGW) on FGW to get them to work etc and have to endure this "service" day in day out.

But, in a sense, FGW is being forced into doing this, their Operations department has to meet targets, I'm unsure what it is for FGW, I'll assume around 88%, currently they're achieving 78%, this gets them terrible press on a national level and they have to pay some of their profits as fines. It's better for their bank balance and their performance measures to upset a station of people than to run a train late.

There is clearly something wrong with the system if, on paper, skipping out stops improves operator performance and reduces penalty payments.

As for the picture on the above link, I think it shows Worst Groups true colours.

[6rdfar90]

Well, at the end of the day - if people rely on services as bad as people are saying they are - why do they continue to use it? Surely there are other transport options available, they can ask for lifts off people as well - or even better - instigate a lockout on FGW, where no one uses the worst hit areas of the network. No passengers - no money - no money - no profit, then FGW will maybe actually realise somethings up

[jennings]

And not forgetting FGW and their summer service which lasted a month before getting cancelled. Laying on bus replacements to get people to Weymouth ... Only problem is though i suspect a lot of people take the train to avoid the queue thus sticking them on a bus would be pointless.

As for link above that just isn't good for the company - Makes them look like they have no money to pay for something half decent!

[BR7MT]

I can't help but think that FGW will be defaulting on their premium payments and handing back the franchise at some point. If they are resorting to crude ways like this to mark coaches out they must be cutting budgets back quite drastically!

Regards,

Dan

[andylloyd]

Soon they wont have enough money to fuel the trains if they keep going this way.

Marking up the coaches like that is shocking, i'm sure that if a stunt was pulled on another TOC they would not get away with it.

Regards

Andy

[Hymek]

i think what showed the worst of FGW to me was a fairly late train back from Cardiff back to swansea.

Now the train was terminated to passengers at Neath station saying that "signal repairs" were being done between swansea in neath (which was fair enough), and that there would be a coach waiting outside the station to take us on to swansea

About three hours later, after a complete train full of people stranded on the station forecourt had phoned them to complain, and the local police aswell due to the fact there were a train full of people standing outside the station at gone 1am in the morning.

we eventually travelled the 10 miles or less? via the coach that was three hours late and i managed to get home for about 3:30am.

I know this isnt entirely FGWs fault, its also First Bus, But the way the staff at FGW treated people calling up was despicable and the whole First Group service in total.

[AlistairW]

I was on a service once at Bristol where the BTP had to be called to remove passengers from blocking the doors. This is after FGW had decided to reduce the half hourly service to hourly and then put on a 5 coach HST.

[miketrak]

Wouldn't it be much simpler to have an LED display with the coach letter on it? any coach can be quicky changed to any letter then!

[ajax103]

Wouldn't it be much simpler to have an LED display with the coach letter on it? any coach can be quicky changed to any letter then!

The one thing that will stop it is the money cost of doing it, which is daft.

[richard222]

“We have the experience, drive and proven track record to transform travel and we look forward to setting new standards for customer service, creating the benchmark by which all rail travel is judged”.

Taken from here - http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 4h0001.htm

That was FGWs thanks for being awarded the franchise. I believe they have succeeded to setting new (lowest of the low) standards of customer services and the rock bottom benchmark by which all (decent) rail travel is judged

[arabiandisco]

“We have the experience, drive and proven track record to transform travel and we look forward to setting new standards for customer service, creating the benchmark by which all rail travel is judged”.

Taken from here - http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 4h0001.htm

That was FGWs thanks for being awarded the franchise. I believe they have succeeded to setting new (lowest of the low) standards of customer services and the rock bottom benchmark by which all (decent) rail travel is judged

Absolutely - every operator can say "we're not as bad as FGW" and be correct. They've set a benchmark alright...