09:13 Bath Spa - Padd Yesterday

[Parham Wood]

Caught the 09:13 Bath -Paddington yesterday. On time Bath but got delayed at Royal Wootton Bassett. Crawled along then off onto an up relief (?,) which I did not know existed. Painfully slow up the relief and finally into platform 1 with a slow cross on leaving to main line. Would have thought it quicker to run up the main and divert to plat 1 or wait until the southern face (2 or 3?) was clear. It was emply when we arrived. It all seemed to add to the delay. Is this a usual move?

Next was Reading. Very slow at Tilehurst for several miles then across onto the up relief. Poodled along all the way into platform 15 and then of course a slow cross onto the main line on leaving. Was this due to engineering work on the up main or just train regulation?

Full marks to the driver who tried to make up time between the delays. I think only a few minutes down on arrival. Train nice and clean as well.

 

[D1009]

Caught the 09:13 Bath -Paddington yesterday. On time Bath but got delayed at Royal Wootton Bassett. Crawled along then off onto an up relief (?,) which I did not know existed. Painfully slow up the relief and finally into platform 1 with a slow cross on leaving to main line. Would have thought it quicker to run up the main and divert to plat 1 or wait until the southern face (2 or 3?) was clear. It was emply when we arrived. It all seemed to add to the delay. Is this a usual move?

Next was Reading. Very slow at Tilehurst for several miles then across onto the up relief. Poodled along all the way into platform 15 and then of course a slow cross onto the main line on leaving. Was this due to engineering work on the up main or just train regulation?

Full marks to the driver who tried to make up time between the delays. I think only a few minutes down on arrival. Train nice and clean as well.

I presume your first paragraph refers to Swindon. The usual routing for up trains calling at Swindon is to use the relief line from Rushey Platt, where the junction speed is 75 mph. This avoids the slow approach controlled approach from the up main to the platforms. This relief line was upgraded from a goods line 2 or 3 years ago. Your train was delayed at Wootton Bassett by the late running 0728 Swansea to Paddington, and you would have used platform 1 at Swindon to avoid the possibility of being further checked by its departure from platform 3. As the late running caused trains to run closer together than scheduled, it is likely this was also the reason for you being routed up the relief line into Reading, though I haven't checked the detail of this. Hope this helps.

 

[Parham Wood]

Thanks D1009 for the explanation. Much appreciated. We were pretty slow up the relief, no where near 75mph but I guess the Swansea was also using this to get to platform 3.

 

[chuckles1066]

Full marks to the driver who tried to make up time between the delays. I think only a few minutes down on arrival. Train nice and clean as well.

A genuine question: do drivers "try to make up the time"?

Surely they're governed by a War And Peace sized book of regulations?

 

[D1009]

Drivers will usually drive to the maximum permitted speeds provided they have the road. Sometimes this results in recovery of time, and sometimes not.

 

[455driver]

A genuine question: do drivers "try to make up the time"?

No of course we dont, we much prefer crawling along for no good reason so we can be abused by the all knowing passengers and then have to fill out delay forms to keep the desk jockies happy!

 

[ainsworth74]

No of course we dont, we much prefer crawling along for no good reason so we can be abused by the all knowing passengers and then have to fill out delay forms to keep the desk jockies happy!

Ha! I knew it! Ruddy drivers always deliberately trying to make me late

 

[Mintona]

A genuine question: do drivers "try to make up the time"?

Surely they're governed by a War And Peace sized book of regulations?

I don't. If I'm late, I'm late. I'm not going driving right on the speed limit, braking at the last minute and risking an incident for the sake of arriving 2 minutes earlier at my destination

 

[455driver]

Who said anything about "pushing it", all you have to do is tighten things up a bit but still keep well within the maximum limits, of course light rain or leaf fall then forget it, I pussy foot around like everyone else but good conditions mean you can make a bit of time up surely!

 

[Mintona]

Who said anything about "pushing it", all you have to do is tighten things up a bit but still keep well within the maximum limits, of course light rain or leaf fall then forget it, I pussy foot around like everyone else but good conditions mean you can make a bit of time up surely!

Ok, I know there are some places in the timetable where you can make up the odd minute anyway. But if I'm 8 minutes late then I just drive my normal way, shut off and brake at the same points. It doesn't really matter to most people whether they are 7 or 8 minutes late, but I'd much prefer to stick to doing things 'my way' than risk having an incident.

 

[455driver]

I was recently delayed by 10 minutes because a signal went back on me, I "made progress" and was only 4 minutes late at the terminus, no drama no crisis but felt that I had "done my bit" as far as possible.

I dont like being late if I can help it.

 

[Mintona]

I was recently delayed by 10 minutes because a signal went back on me, I "made progress" and was only 4 minutes late at the terminus, no drama no crisis but felt that I had "done my bit" as far as possible.

I dont like being late if I can help it.

Fair enough. I drive in a pretty relaxed style anyway, step one brake everywhere and as much coasting as possible. It's ok to keep to time as long as I don't get delayed, but it's not so good for making up time!

I also don't like being late, but sometimes it happens.