The Railway: First Great Western on Channel 5

[AeroSpace]

It seemed the right mentality had been drilled in to her nonetheless, those odd minutes are important and getting group bookings on the trains earlier seemed like a good pro-active approach to preventing delays.

I thought this was ridiculous. Why should the group be given priority access to the train before other travellers? They hadn't paid for it. They hadn't even arranged the situation in advance with the train company. I'd have been pretty cross if I didn't get a seat because of this.

 

[Flamingo]

I thought this was ridiculous. Why should the group be given priority access to the train before other travellers? They hadn't paid for it. They hadn't even arranged the situation in advance with the train company. I'd have been pretty cross if I didn't get a seat because of this.

As I understand it, they had reserved seats.

 

[TEW]

Normally large group bookings have reservations, particularly school groups.

 

[Murph]

I thought this was ridiculous. Why should the group be given priority access to the train before other travellers? They hadn't paid for it. They hadn't even arranged the situation in advance with the train company. I'd have been pretty cross if I didn't get a seat because of this.

It made perfect sense to me, and they appeared to have a block of reserved seats anyway, so you would not have been entitled to sit in the seats. The points made in the programme about avoiding causing a delay to the service seemed entirely valid (even if 1 min down leading to 20 min later down seems a little unlikely).

Where does it say that they must arrange anything in advance (although it does look like they had reserved seats, so arguably had indeed made some advance arrangements)?

I'll admit that long distance train travel in the same carriage as a large number of kids is not something I'd likely enjoy myself, but I also recognise that they are just as entitled to travel as anyone else. Hopefully their teachers provided proper supervision and maintained discipline to keep things bearable for everyone.

 

[jon0844]

They seemed perfectly well behaved. Maybe they'd be a bit loud on the journey but it's public transport.

 

[Murph]

They seemed perfectly well behaved. Maybe they'd be a bit loud on the journey but it's public transport.

Indeed, from what we saw, they seemed to be generally well behaved, with the teachers appearing to maintain good order.

 

[Pumbaa]

I thought this was ridiculous. Why should the group be given priority access to the train before other travellers? They hadn't paid for it. They hadn't even arranged the situation in advance with the train company. I'd have been pretty cross if I didn't get a seat because of this.

I agree - why should a large group with plenty of luggage and (assumption - inexperienced travellers) a reasonable probability of delaying my train, my departure and perhaps my arrival at my destination, be given priority to get them out the way to minimise any potential delay? Completely beyond rage here at this frankly, appalling, treatment of us more important passengers.

:roll:

 

[Geezertronic]

I agree - why should a large group with plenty of luggage and (assumption - inexperienced travellers) a reasonable probability of delaying my train, my departure and perhaps my arrival at my destination, be given priority to get them out the way to minimise any potential delay? Completely beyond rage here at this frankly, appalling, treatment of us more important passengers.

:roll:

Yeah, how dare an employee be customer focused

 

[Rich McLean]

Point to note about the delay turning into 20 minutes. The Herefords catch up with the Oxford stopper at Didcot Parkway. The Turbo waits at Didcot for the HST to use the avoiding line towards Oxford, then the stopper follows it, calling at either Appleford or Culham and Radley. If the HST is running late, the train can get held before Didcot for an UP HST passing didcot, the stopper gets dispatched RT, and the HST then has to follow the stopper all the way to Oxford. By this time, the HST is running around 15-20 minutes late. Also bear in mind, some of the Costwold route is single track, so this can add even more time around Evesham

 

[Essexman]

Point to note about the delay turning into 20 minutes. The Herefords catch up with the Oxford stopper at Didcot Parkway. The Turbo waits at Didcot for the HST to use the avoiding line towards Oxford, then the stopper follows it, calling at either Appleford or Culham and Radley. If the HST is running late, the train can get held before Didcot for an UP HST passing didcot, the stopper gets dispatched RT, and the HST then has to follow the stopper all the way to Oxford. By this time, the HST is running around 15-20 minutes late. Also bear in mind, some of the Costwold route is single track, so this can add even more time around Evesham

Agree that a few minutes late could have this knock on effect but one minute could be made up on the way to Reading - perhapos by just not stopping outside the station for the obligatory minute.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Is the entire series on FGW? The reason I ask is that East Coast have in the last couple of months had posters up on trains advising people that their staff are being filmed for a TV documentary series too?

I thought this was ridiculous. Why should the group be given priority access to the train before other travellers? They hadn't paid for it. They hadn't even arranged the situation in advance with the train company. I'd have been pretty cross if I didn't get a seat because of this.

I profusely apologise for this unforgivable act of positive customer service. Obviously my colleague forgot about our requirement to be as unhelpful as possible. I shall make sure she is brought to task for trying her best... :roll:

 

[Flamingo]

Aerospace, there are 395 seats in STD class on a HST, on a service out of London at that hour of the morning it will be relatively quiet, I can't help but think you re trying to find something to complain about (and being very self-righious into the bargain).

 

[jimm]

Point to note about the delay turning into 20 minutes. The Herefords catch up with the Oxford stopper at Didcot Parkway. The Turbo waits at Didcot for the HST to use the avoiding line towards Oxford, then the stopper follows it, calling at either Appleford or Culham and Radley. If the HST is running late, the train can get held before Didcot for an UP HST passing didcot, the stopper gets dispatched RT, and the HST then has to follow the stopper all the way to Oxford. By this time, the HST is running around 15-20 minutes late. Also bear in mind, some of the Costwold route is single track, so this can add even more time around Evesham

The sequence you describe hasn't happened for several years. The Cotswold trains have for some time now been pathed to run into Oxford behind the stoppers, which should, in theory, be fine and gives good connections to the Cotswold Line from Thames Valley stations.

But if the stopper is late, or the despatching of the empty stock to the sidings at Oxford (or a stopper going on to Banbury) is less than sparkling (which is what happens all too often) then it is a problem, with the Cotswold Line services losing time held outside the station waiting for platform 2 to become available.

In the specific case of the 08.22, it can get held up at Oxford by the preceding 07.27 from Paddington and it is then due to meet the 08.26 from Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington at Charlbury, at the end of the single line section from Wolvercot junction, in what is a very tightly-timed meet, where every minute of delay on the 08.22 pretty much immediately puts a minute of delay on to the 08.26. And unless the 08.22 is more than 15 minutes late, it usually gets priority on the single line, thus badly delaying the 08.26 as well.

So if loading the group of schoolchildren and their luggage a few minutes before other passengers helped get that 08.22 out of Paddington on time and into Charlbury on time (and with all the cases they were carrying, it looked like something needed to be done about them), then the member of staff concerned did absolutely the right thing. She wasn't, as suggested above, over-dramatising anything, she was seeing the bigger picture, which some posters above might try to do.

 

[harry42]

Just watched it and liked these bits :-

- A 166 at the gala station suddenly turned to a HST (swing doors)!!!
- Leaving 1 min late wouldn't make it 20 mins late

But oh well enjoyed it!

 

[Rich McLean]

The sequence you describe hasn't happened for several years. The Cotswold trains have for some time now been pathed to run into Oxford behind the stoppers, which should, in theory, be fine and gives good connections to the Cotswold Line from Thames Valley stations.

But if the stopper is late, or the despatching of the empty stock to the sidings at Oxford (or a stopper going on to Banbury) is less than sparkling (which is what happens all too often) then it is a problem, with the Cotswold Line services losing time held outside the station waiting for platform 2 to become available.

In the specific case of the 08.22, it can get held up at Oxford by the preceding 07.27 from Paddington and it is then due to meet the 08.26 from Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington at Charlbury, at the end of the single line section from Wolvercot junction, in what is a very tightly-timed meet, where every minute of delay on the 08.22 pretty much immediately puts a minute of delay on to the 08.26. And unless the 08.22 is more than 15 minutes late, it usually gets priority on the single line, thus badly delaying the 08.26 as well.

So if loading the group of schoolchildren and their luggage a few minutes before other passengers helped get that 08.22 out of Paddington on time and into Charlbury on time (and with all the cases they were carrying, it looked like something needed to be done about them), then the member of staff concerned did absolutely the right thing. She wasn't, as suggested above, over-dramatising anything, she was seeing the bigger picture, which some posters above might try to do.

Ahh, thanks for that. Knew it was something to do with conflicting moves on why it had to depart RT

 

[Wyvern]

Besides if you had them in the middle of the general scrum of people trying to board you'd be sure to lose one or two.

 

[AlexS]

Proactive platform management is something that should be practiced by any team of half competent station staff. Getting large groups in the right place in good time, stowing luggage in vans rather than coaches etc etc - they're all a fine art and essential to getting trains away on time. Good show from her.

 

[Starmill]

Shot of HST arriving in station
Shot of someone pressing a door open button in a Turbo
Shot of HST swing door open from outside!

Couldn't make it up!

Also trying to convince us that a HST and a 180 are the same service leaving PAD.

Also love looking at the times in the background on the station clocks go backwards, forwards, backwards...

EDIT: Okay, I'm like the third person to mention the top bit, but that's par for the course for me today!

Love the fact that they disguised XC Voyagers as HSTs with intercut shots of cleaning HST interiors to the tanking procedure. Right after they told us last time that the HSTs drop toilet waste on the tracks! Channel 5 don't credit their viewers with much intelligence do they? Or any memory for that matter.

I remember the voice over saying something very choice about 'Paddington's Purple girls' that made me think - can't anyone male be a customer ambassador or whatever they're called? God.

 

[michael769]

My favorite was when they described an HST as brand new and state of the art.....

 

[jon0844]

Do many documentaries get everything spot on? You probably don't notice as you're not so into that industry/profession.

The production team can only have so many staff members and cameras, and can't capture absolutely everything or spend thousands getting loads of footage to ensure they're always correct.

What's more, unless the whole thing was scripted and staged, you wouldn't know what footage you were going to get in any given day. Then, when it comes to editing it together to make it interesting, you need to find the 'filler' footage to join it up - and that's where you might have to be a bit creative.

If it all had to be perfect, you'd probably end up cutting some material out completely and then it would be a rather boring programme.

No harm having a laugh at spotting the inaccuracies, but hopefully nobody is going to actually start attacking Channel 5 or the producers for doing what everyone does. The BBC has been caught faking stuff for its own shows, so always remember never to believe everything you see on TV!

I have to commend Channel 5 for doing a great job on this (them and the production company of course!) even though I dislike just about everything else on the channel. I do believe this is the ONLY thing I watch on CH5!

 

[Flamingo]

Well, as regards showing a train entering the station and pretending it's leaving the station, the BBC have done similar - remember the film of the Queen "leaving" a photoshoot in a grumpy mood, which were actually Her Majesty arriving at a photoshoot in a grumpy mood!

 

[Starmill]

Oh, come. Where's your sense of hummus!?

There is nothing wrong with laughing at anybody making a TV programme who's editing is crap! Don't turn this into some BBC vs C5 thing, I'd happily criticise such glaring errors committed by either.

And no, I don't think its just me, most normals would have noticed one or two of those. I know how they make this stuff in bits then edit into something watchable. But if you watch, say, a Top Gear drag race, that has inconsistencies in it, but the editing is fairly smooth.

 

[anthony263]

You have to admit the channel 5 series is a lot better than episode 1 of the BBC railways documentary.

 

[bunnahabhain]

You have to admit the channel 5 series is a lot better than episode 1 of the BBC railways documentary.

Yes, I love the overly dramatic tone!

Narrator "Oh no, Brian has caught somebody without a ticket...things could turn nasty after the break..."

*adverts*

Brian "You've not got a ticket sonny..."
Passenger "Okay, I'll buy one"

Narrator "Crisis averted thanks to some swift action from Brian. Up next, somebody has left a turd in a toilet, will this cause confusion and delay across the entire network? Find out after the break"

*adverts*

Rinse, and repeat. Its not better, its Channel 5. 'Nuff said.

 

[Starmill]

Yes, I love the overly dramatic tone!

Narrator "Oh no, Brian has caught somebody without a ticket...things could turn nasty after the break..."

*adverts*

Brian "You've not got a ticket sonny..."
Passenger "Okay, I'll buy one"

Narrator "Crisis averted thanks to some swift action from Brian. Up next, somebody has left a turd in a toilet, will this cause confusion and delay across the entire network? Find out after the break"

*adverts*

Rinse, and repeat. Its not better, its Channel 5. 'Nuff said.

Yes, and you forgot to tell us all about the competition too!

 

[Captain Chaos]

May I point out that anyone expecting to see knock-offs, MG11's and such are unlikely to see them? I spoke to a member of prosecutions the other day who stated that because it would have gone out on TV before any case had been before a court it could be considered to be an unfair trial so unless the case was dealt with ultra quick. It's not like those cop shows because they don't show the interviews as they are done in private. Not so for the railway. The most we are likely to see is a PF if we are lucky! (Given Reading is up next for student night then that is a distinct possibility given my experience of them).

 

[D365]

You have to admit the channel 5 series is a lot better than episode 1 of the BBC railways documentary.

Fair point, but the rest of the series stacked up pretty well. We'll see how FGW plays out, oh the drama

 

[221129]

May I point out that anyone expecting to see knock-offs, MG11's and such are unlikely to see them? I spoke to a member of prosecutions the other day who stated that because it would have gone out on TV before any case had been before a court it could be considered to be an unfair trial so unless the case was dealt with ultra quick. It's not like those cop shows because they don't show the interviews as they are done in private. Not so for the railway. The most we are likely to see is a PF if we are lucky! (Given Reading is up next for student night then that is a distinct possibility given my experience of them).

Although I am aware of a member of staff being filmed whilst giving someone a PF.......

 

[1e10]

Although I am aware of a member of staff being filmed whilst giving someone a PF.......

Doesn't mean it will be go out on TV though.

 

[cslusarc]

Point to note about the delay turning into 20 minutes. The Herefords catch up with the Oxford stopper at Didcot Parkway. The Turbo waits at Didcot for the HST to use the avoiding line towards Oxford, then the stopper follows it, calling at either Appleford or Culham and Radley. If the HST is running late, the train can get held before Didcot for an UP HST passing didcot, the stopper gets dispatched RT, and the HST then has to follow the stopper all the way to Oxford. By this time, the HST is running around 15-20 minutes late. Also bear in mind, some of the Costwold route is single track, so this can add even more time around Evesham

Why do the Oxford stoppers need stop at so many intermediate stations between Paddington and Reading? Although they stop at Ealing Broadway, Hayes & Harlington, Slough, Maidenhead and Twyford should this local stoppers terminate and reverse at Reading? In reality, should all Oxford services run nonstop to Reading, or at the very least only stop at Maidenhead and Twyford.