This is a test of GDPR / Cookie Acceptance [about our cookies]
Really irritating test - cookie expires in 24 hour!
Great Western Coffee Shop
As at 24th November 2024 21:44 GMT
Recent Public Posts
Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
Posted by a-driver at 21:19, 24th November 2024
 
Many A roads up here in Oxfordshire.....

I suspect Highway’s England have been run off their feet booking hotels for journeys motorists couldn’t complete because of flooding on their network!!!!

Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury
Posted by TaplowGreen at 21:15, 24th November 2024
 
You could pop down to the station to see the (presumably) IET forming a Swindon-Bristol special, via Westbury. Currentl "bang line" between Wootton Bassett Jn and Chippenham.

Not stopping at Melksham.

Probably get drenched by the bow wave!

Re: Storing petrol
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 20:50, 24th November 2024
 
Hmm. 

A random sink hole appearing (or, more accurately, disappearing) on your petrol station forecourt is not really what you want?  I'd be straight on to the surveyor's department, regarding the searches they did before I bought the site. 

Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury
Posted by Trowres at 20:43, 24th November 2024
 
You could pop down to the station to see the (presumably) IET forming a Swindon-Bristol special, via Westbury. Currentl "bang line" between Wootton Bassett Jn and Chippenham.

Not stopping at Melksham.

Re: Storing petrol
Posted by TonyK at 20:38, 24th November 2024
 

Two years later, it is reported that UK infrastructure is at risk of russian, or russian inspired hacking attacks, this being in retaliation for the UK supporting Ukraine.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqxezer7nqo report here.

The main concern appears to be cyber attacks affecting electricity supply, but oil products distribution would also seem to be a risk.

When I saw the "No Fuel" sign outside our nearby Tesco filling station, I thought this had started - not that I care. But it was just a hole that had appeared on the forecourt somewhere. Until fixed, tanker deliveries could not be made.

Re: Where was Red Squirrel 18/11/2024
Posted by TonyK at 20:28, 24th November 2024
 

 and don't ask me how the museum's name is pronounced.

Me neither. I spent part of a flight from Keflavik to Vancouver learning how to say "Eyjafjallajökull"* but didn't have time enough for any other Icelandic names.

(Much of the rest was spent watching Spongebob Squarepants, my first encounter with the yellow absorbent and porous chap.)

Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
Posted by ChrisB at 20:24, 24th November 2024
 
Many A roads up here in Oxfordshire.....

Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
Posted by a-driver at 20:14, 24th November 2024
 
They are also telling their customers that they won't be rearranging replacement transport but if you can arrange your own they will reimburse, and whilst not being quite so explicit, suggesting that hotel bills will be met for those stranded. Apparently Paddington is predictably appalling.

What arrangements will be made for any vulnerable customers, or those who don't have the means to make upfront payments, God knows.

To be fair to GWR, a lot of minor roads are impassable due to flooding…. and not many coach operators would be willing to risk damage to their vehicles by going through flood water

Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury
Posted by grahame at 19:57, 24th November 2024
 
It's been raining steadily here in Nailsea for the past 48 hours - and, no, I haven't ventured outside just to measure it. 



I'm seeing report of flooding outside The Bear here.   Wondering if I should go down there, stick my nose in when there's nothing I can do like a councillor, or let the those who can help do something.

Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:49, 24th November 2024
 
It's been raining steadily here in Nailsea for the past 48 hours - and, no, I haven't ventured outside just to measure it. 


Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury
Posted by bobm at 19:44, 24th November 2024
 
There has been 1.75 inches of rain since midnight in Swindon (2 inches in the last 24 hours) - and it is still raining.

The last 5 weeks
Posted by Clan Line at 19:37, 24th November 2024
 
I have just spent the past 20 consecutive (well, almost) weekdays travelling from Warminster to Southampton General Hospital for Radiotherapy treatment. It has been one of the most miserable, soul destroying experiences of my life.

I am not talking about the superb, professional service I got at the hospital, with ultra modern equipment – I am talking about the abysmal GWR excuse for a rail service on the Portsmouth to Cardiff route.

It is difficult to know where to start - or finish:

The rolling stock is well past its sell by date – but I don’t think anyone would take it as a gift, let alone part with good money for it.  The so-called internal “refresh” is best likened to “polishing a t**d” – from a distance it doesn’t look too bad, on slightly closer inspection it is a complete waste of money. These seats are a complete disaster, they seem to have taken the original “cushions”  and just recovered them with new fabric. Even the new covers look as though they were made by someone who didn’t know a sewing machine from a sausage filling machine. The old filling inside the new covers has long since collapsed and has no cushioning effect whatsoever.

Many of the windows have broken down and are full of condensation - did they ever replace them anyway ?

The trains themselves are just not long enough: They are grossly overcrowded for much of the time - especially when there is a cruise ship (or 2) in.  I only travelled once on a five car train, the vast majority of trains are 3 car with the odd 2 car thrown in to liven up the platform scrums ! How much money was wasted lengthening platforms to 5 cars !!! Time keeping was just about acceptable (usually within 10 mins) – if the train turned up at all. I was lucky in only having one cancellation – but there were plenty on the boards around me.

I often used the “Hampshire 6” as far Salisbury on the return trip, just to avoid GWR – bliss ! How old are SWRs’ 158s ? The seats are still fabulous – the cushions still live up to that description.

I just hope my treatment is a success – I’m not sure if I could take that experience again !

(It took me a long time to get photos of those empty seats)





Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
Posted by ChrisB at 19:30, 24th November 2024
 
Now reporting that all trains between Plymouth/Cornwall to London are cancelled

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/trains-plymouth-cornwall-london-cancelled-9740819?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0l7rev06oErhJt_UhQ0Kn-CZzMUfqwGwKvX58hM0aKKtAU4aHqUvFOtxc_aem_wH6PWkvCEX59WFuDKklasw#Echobox=1732458165

This is the post I was referring to - directly above mine, so reasonably obvious - and IS weather-related.

Re: What is the "Coffee Shop"
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:27, 24th November 2024
 
Exactly 5 years on, I'm simply going to 'bump' this topic, to offer that information again to our more recent readers - and to encourage them to register.

Chris from Nailsea. 


Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
Posted by TaplowGreen at 19:27, 24th November 2024
 
Weather-related, it must be clarified

Direct quote from GWR "We had a reduced timetable in place due to engineering work and crew shortages and severe weather has affected the remaining services I am afraid" - so a bit of everything.

They are also telling their customers that they won't be rearranging replacement transport but if you can arrange your own they will reimburse, and whilst not being quite so explicit, suggesting that hotel bills will be met for those stranded. Apparently Paddington is predictably appalling.

What arrangements will be made for any vulnerable customers, or those who don't have the means to make upfront payments, God knows.


Re: 28th November - Windsor Lion Auction
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:02, 24th November 2024
 
1.  Reading, transfer deck.

Blimey!  I'd forgotten I was there on that day. 


Re: North Cotswold Line delays and cancellations - 2024
Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 18:49, 24th November 2024
 
'Heavy rain flooding the railway' is perhaps understandable - Storm Bert and all that. 

But such a litany of 'cancellation due to a shortage of train crew' shows that GWR are now merely providing a 'Monday to Friday' train service. 

CfN. 

Re: Petition for mileage based fares
Posted by grahame at 18:47, 24th November 2024
 
All I need to do now is to define the factors and write a script to work out your fare.

And demonstrate to the DfT that they won't lose a shed load of income as a result.

And fend off the press when they find the fares that will go up significantly as a result.

And... 

Yes - lots of "and"s.   

I have put a calculator at https://www.greatwesternrailway.info/fairfare.html and you can experiment from there. Please forgive the poor formatting so far.

Re: Ticket machines - travel in the peak - grace periods
Posted by grahame at 18:43, 24th November 2024
 
I have mentioned FOI before Mark's URL because the abbreciations system has "got at it".  The original link probably worked initially for those of you with "expand off" selected.

Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
Posted by ChrisB at 18:42, 24th November 2024
 
Maybe for the DfT - GWR aren't able to do much about the problem currently

Re: Ticket machines - travel in the peak - grace periods
Posted by ChrisB at 18:33, 24th November 2024

Re: Ticket machines - travel in the peak - grace periods
Posted by JayMac at 18:18, 24th November 2024
 
Nope. Shortened link doesn't work either.

Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
Posted by JayMac at 18:14, 24th November 2024
 
Convenient weather for GWR.

Re: Ticket machines - travel in the peak - grace periods
Posted by Mark A at 17:59, 24th November 2024
 
Ah, sorry, let's try a shortened link.

Mark

https://tinyurl.com/4ypmuhf6

Re: Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing discussion
Posted by ChrisB at 17:58, 24th November 2024
 
Weather-related, it must be clarified

Re: Where was Red Squirrel 18/11/2024
Posted by Red Squirrel at 16:57, 24th November 2024
 
... I had three winter trips there between 2011 and 2013 and never saw it in situ.

Ah, OK, thanks. That explains the absence. I wasn't disappointed not to see Minør; foolishly I thought it would make for a more challenging 'Where was Red Squirrel'!

 
The Coffee Shop forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western). The views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit https://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 ( graham AT sn12.net ).

Although we are planning ahead, we don't know what the future will bring here in the Coffee Shop. We have domains "firstgreatwestern.info" for w-a-y back and also "greatwesternrailway.info"; we can also answer to "greatbritishrailways.info" too. For the future, information about Great Brisish Railways, by customers and for customers.
 
Current Running
GWR trains from JourneyCheck
 
 
Code Updated 13th September 2024
From https://greatwesternrailway.info/recent.html?topic=18719.msg354890 - go insecure