Train journey getting longer... and longer...

gallygirl

Mankysteve wrote: »

They do it so that rather than actually make the trains run on time by sorting out the things that make them delayed they just make them go slower when they do get delayed they can just go a bit quicker and catch up, thus avoiding the fines.

Sorry, that is absolute !!!!!!!!, otherwise why is it not scheduled to take that long every day? You obviously have no idea of how the network operates if you think they can just catch up on delays willy-nilly. It is far too crowded and trains have to meet their slot - hence the bedlam when there are delays and they are trying to catch up.

Sundays is when they do a lot of engineering work - it's probably not showing on the websites etc as rather than one large job it is a lot of smaller rail replacements etc. Even if they are working on the adjacent line they have to put temporary speed restrictions on - you'd be amazed how quiet trains are out in the open.

It is annoying I know - I've got an extra 30 mins on a 1 hr journey tomorrow - but far better to do on a Sunday when the timetable is less frequent and there are fewer passengers than during the week when people have paid 8k for a season ticket.

Enjoy the coach - hope the M4 behaves itself!

Humphrey10

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Through whatever technicality, FGW have decided they don't *have* to publish any excuses for the change to my service...

Like I said, that's probably because there is no change - the train was always scheduled to take 2hr55min from now (or whenever it starts taking 2hr55min) onwards. Timetables change over time, for various reasons.

Badger_Lady

Humphrey10 wrote: »

the train was always scheduled to take 2hr55min from now (or whenever it starts taking 2hr55min) onwards.

The fact that "it's scheduled to take X long from X date" is a change. Whether the train operator classifies it as such or not, it is a change to my regular journey. It's a change to the timetable. It's not the same as it was last week - it's different - i.e. changed.

Well I've had one reply to my email (which surprised me!). Unfortunately it doesn't impart any wisdom, it just asks what time my train is so I've responded with three different options.

gallygirl wrote:

far better to do on a Sunday when the timetable is less frequent and there are fewer passengers than during the week when people have paid 8k for a season ticket.

Interestingly, my route actually doesn't have less frequent services on a Sunday (at least not in the afternoon/evening) - it's usually packed with commuters like me who travel to London for the week, or who have to be there on Monday for business reasons. Last Sunday's train was so packed I had to fight my way through to my reserved seat because there were people stood all the way along every carriage tube-style.

It's the only train from my home station that always goes every half hour (during the day), seven days a week. From this Saturday onwards it looks like the direct service is every hour, with the intermediary train requiring a change at Swindon. But still just as frequent.

robbies_gal

well good luck on a sunday on a coach thats probably an advised travelling time the m4 is usualy murder prob will end up taking four hours in the end

Badger_Lady

gabbyevs wrote: »

well good luck on a sunday on a coach thats probably an advised travelling time the m4 is usualy murder prob will end up taking four hours in the end

The coach is from 04:40-07:40 on Monday morning so hopefully a bit quieter

moonrakerz

Badger_Lady wrote: »

The coach is from 04:40-07:40 on Monday morning so hopefully a bit quieter

You obviously haven't tried the M4 at those hours - esp on a Monday !

Badger_Lady

moonrakerz wrote: »

You obviously haven't tried the M4 at those hours - esp on a Monday !

I used to commute from South Wales to Swindon along the M4 by car... it took me about an hour from 07:30-08:30. Obviously London area's busiest, but I'd be surprised if the coach operating company hadn't considered normal traffic volumes in their timetabling

Badger_Lady

Just to update, I've been catching this coach every Monday morning for 5 weeks now and it was delayed once... so 4/5 are bang on schedule

I've actually gotten so used to it, I've booked my return journeys by coach for the rest of the year too. So instead of spending £53 a week on off-peak train fares, I'm spending £7.50 on coach fares. The sacrifice is 90 extra minutes a week spent travelling.

Lum

That's a somewhat epic saving.

And people wonder why the roads are so congested but nobody wants to use the train!

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Lum wrote: »

That's a somewhat epic saving.

And people wonder why the roads are so congested but nobody wants to use the train!

You would think so but with 1.5 Billion (I think) train journeys made last year it seems a lot of people use the train too.