143620 to Plymouth

[455driver]

143620 has just left Exeter St David's covering the 1333 to Plymouth, should then work the 1500 from Plymouth to Paddington as far as Exeter.

 

[bb21]

143620 has just left Exeter St David's covering the 1333 to Plymouth, should then work the 1500 from Plymouth to Paddington as far as Exeter.

Substitute for an HST?! hock:

I wonder how packed it gets on the way back.

 

[TEW]

HST was 40 late on the way down from London, so turned round at Exeter so that it would be on-time back to London.

 

[irish_rail]

Fair play to FGW for not just CAPING the train, although uncomfortable, far better than no train at all ....

 

[455driver]

The pacer set off back at 1500 (the Mayflower), some luggage went in a couple of taxis, I saw the train at Newton Abbott and it was a bit full.

Stock change onto the HST at Exeter St David's.

Topped Hemerdon bank only 2 minutes late.

How many other TOCs would have bothered?

 

[DarloRich]

Topped Hemerdon bank only 2 minutes late.

The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy!

or

Come on baby hold together! (not sure which)

 

[455driver]

The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy!

or

Come on baby hold together! (not sure which)

The train was crush loaded so I think it did okay, but of course some would much rather wait an hour for the 1600 HST than spend an hour on a Pacer to catch their scheduled HST at Exeter wouldnt they! :roll:

Maybe FGW should just say "tough you will have to wait an hour because the only train we have is a Pacer so you would obviously rather wait an hour than catch that wouldnt you".

I wonder what most normal passengers would prefer, a Pacer or an hours wait?

 

[bb21]

I think many people would be happy to put up with a Pacer, but a Pacer with a crushing load is pushing it a bit.

 

[455driver]

Still better than an hours wait at Plymouth!

 

[Woody]

HST was 40 late on the way down from London, so turned round at Exeter so that it would be on-time back to London.

Of course trains can run into problems anywhere but what makes this situation worse is that when the incoming ex 1106 from Paddington to Plymouth is terminated short like this at Exeter or more commonly Newton Abbot, this then results in a 3 hour gap in direct HSTs services from Plymouth to Paddington from 1255 to 1600. If this situation occurred at Exeter/Bristol/Cardiff etc we all know all hell would break loose in the media but because its west of Exeter lets face it no one at First really cares a sh-t. I am sure if they could get away it First would terminate all HSTs at Exeter and run units west thereof to Plymouth/Penzance.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Of course trains can run into problems anywhere but what makes this situation worse is that when the incoming ex 1106 from Paddington to Plymouth is terminated short like this at Exeter or more commonly Newton Abbot, this then results in a 3 hour gap in direct HSTs services from Plymouth to Paddington from 1255 to 1600. If this situation occurred at Exeter/Bristol/Cardiff etc we all know all hell would break loose in the media but because its west of Exeter lets face it no one at First really cares a sh-t. I am sure if they could get away it First would terminate all HSTs at Exeter and run units west thereof to Plymouth/Penzance.

If they didn't care they would have just left passengers short and not provided a unit.

 

[DarloRich]

The train was crush loaded so I think it did okay, but of course some would much rather wait an hour for the 1600 HST than spend an hour on a Pacer to catch their scheduled HST at Exeter wouldnt they! :roll:

Maybe FGW should just say "tough you will have to wait an hour because the only train we have is a Pacer so you would obviously rather wait an hour than catch that wouldnt you".

I wonder what most normal passengers would prefer, a Pacer or an hours wait?

i tihnk it is good that FGW arranged onward rail transport. Most would have had buses waiting.

 

[43074]

I had a 153 and 150216 on that service as a substitute for an HST in the Summer. I think what happened was the incoming HST from PAD was delayed, they stepped the Sprinters up to work the 15:00 to PAD as far Newton Abbot - where they would have gone anyway on the 15:10 - and the late HST followed non-stop 15 minutes behind and connected at Newton Abbot.

Seems it is not unusual for FGW to do this - didn't FGW substitute 142s for HSTs as well?

 

[1e10]

Of course trains can run into problems anywhere but what makes this situation worse is that when the incoming ex 1106 from Paddington to Plymouth is terminated short like this at Exeter or more commonly Newton Abbot, this then results in a 3 hour gap in direct HSTs services from Plymouth to Paddington from 1255 to 1600. If this situation occurred at Exeter/Bristol/Cardiff etc we all know all hell would break loose in the media but because its west of Exeter lets face it no one at First really cares a sh-t. I am sure if they could get away it First would terminate all HSTs at Exeter and run units west thereof to Plymouth/Penzance.

The train was running 40 minutes late. It's likely the train would have gone out around 40 minutes late after a proper turn around for both the train and the crew. First replaced the service with a 143 for a leg of the journey so that passengers weren't delayed. If passengers would rather have waited for a HST then they could have waited an extra 20 minutes for the 1600 service, assuming the 1500 would have been delayed 40 minutes anyway.

First done well here.

 

[455driver]

The train was late because it had issues before Reading, if the train had run through to Plymouth (due 1436, so expected 1516) it might have got away at 1520ish so not too bad.
It was terminated at Exeter so the travelling fitters could have a look at it, if it had gone to Newton Abbott (or further) then the fitters would not have had a chance to look at it risking it breaking down again.

As for getting buses, in Plymouth at 1500 on a school day, good luck with that!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Of course trains can run into problems anywhere but what makes this situation worse is that when the incoming ex 1106 from Paddington to Plymouth is terminated short like this at Exeter or more commonly Newton Abbot, this then results in a 3 hour gap in direct HSTs services from Plymouth to Paddington from 1255 to 1600. If this situation occurred at Exeter/Bristol/Cardiff etc we all know all hell would break loose in the media but because its west of Exeter lets face it no one at First really cares a sh-t. I am sure if they could get away it First would terminate all HSTs at Exeter and run units west thereof to Plymouth/Penzance.

Total waffle, if you want to go to London then you would catch a unit from Plymouth to Newton Abbott (or XC to Exeter/Taunton) and catch the HST from there which originates at Paignton.

 

[Woody]

The train was late because it had issues before Reading, if the train had run through to Plymouth (due 1436, so expected 1516) it might have got away at 1520ish so not too bad.
It was terminated at Exeter so the travelling fitters could have a look at it, if it had gone to Newton Abbott (or further) then the fitters would not have had a chance to look at it risking it breaking down again.

As for getting buses, in Plymouth at 1500 on a school day, good luck with that!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Total waffle, if you want to go to London then you would catch a unit from Plymouth to Newton Abbott (or XC to Exeter/Taunton) and catch the HST from there which originates at Paignton.

Waffle! I was on platform 5 at Exeter St Davids at the time when 143620 arrived from Plymouth fully expected the worse and I was not disappointed, its was DANGEROUSLY overloaded. When the 143 stopped at Exeter there were so many people and their luggage crammed inside the doors and along the length of the 2 carriages that because of the internal pressure against the trains centre door it wouldn’t open when activated and I saw one of the passengers force one half of the door open with his hand and the passengers behind him then literally fell out through the half opened door. This was a serious health and safety issue believe you me.
Its no wonder that the conservative MP for Devonport Oliver Colvile yesterday called for a full debate on transport links to the South West in the House of Commons yesterday.

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Ply...nsport-links/story-20237106-detail/story.html


Two days earlier

Patrick McLoughlin today told the same Plymouth newspaper that the loss of the cities airport may mean inter-city rail connections need to be improved.

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/x12/story-20223288-detail/story.html?afterReg=Y#ixzz2m0mM7jYm

I know First Great Western and their staff do the best they can with the limited resources they have but whether some posters on this thread like to admit it or not there are some very big ongoing issues with rail services west of Exeter to Plymouth and Cornwall now that need addressing which the government is now being made increasingly well aware off thanks to growing political pressure. Sweeping these problems under the carpet is no longer an option in the 21st century.

 

[CC 72100]

Of course trains can run into problems anywhere but what makes this situation worse is that when the incoming ex 1106 from Paddington to Plymouth is terminated short like this at Exeter or more commonly Newton Abbot, this then results in a 3 hour gap in direct HSTs services from Plymouth to Paddington from 1255 to 1600. If this situation occurred at Exeter/Bristol/Cardiff etc we all know all hell would break loose in the media but because its west of Exeter lets face it no one at First really cares a sh-t. I am sure if they could get away it First would terminate all HSTs at Exeter and run units west thereof to Plymouth/Penzance.

I'm sorry but I don't buy this one bit. What evidence do you have which suggests that this is the case? Because I would state the following to go against your point :

- they could have cancelled it PLY - EXD and say 'sod the passengers, wait for the XC or 16:00 PAD.

- More generally very few trains terminate at Exeter and don't go on to serve Plymouth

- FGW runs more than the franchise commitment states for through trains to Penzance

- The success of the Cornish branches illustrates the commitment that FGW have placed in these rural lines. (Whilst keeping fares extremely reasonable)

- Exeter is closer to London anyway so wouldn't it be natural that it gets a better service if that's what you're claiming?

 

[Whistler40145]

Would have caused a laugh if someone had asked where the Buffet was on the Pacer!

 

[Lockwood]

143620 has just left Exeter St David's covering the 1333 to Plymouth, should then work the 1500 from Plymouth to Paddington as far as Exeter.

I'd pay to see that version of events

 

[W230]

Waffle! I was on platform 5 at Exeter St Davids at the time when 143620 arrived from Plymouth fully expected the worse and I was not disappointed, its was DANGEROUSLY overloaded.

A specialist in these areas are we? I doubt staff would have allowed more people to get on if it was so full it was dangerous. When I have been on an overloaded train we were told it wasn't going anywhere until some passengers got off and waited for the next one - and that train wasn't dangerously overloaded just very full.

When the 143 stopped at Exeter there were so many people and their luggage crammed inside the doors and along the length of the 2 carriages that because of the internal pressure against the trains centre door it wouldn’t open when activated and I saw one of the passengers force one half of the door open with his hand and the passengers behind him then literally fell out through the half opened door. This was a serious health and safety issue believe you me.

This post reads like an excerpt from the Hate Mail. Sorry, don't buy it. Makes me think of a scene from the Channel 5 programme following FGW when a woman came to complain to staff that the train was dangerously overloaded (it wasn't, it was just very full) but then she got on it anyway. If she had been that worried for her safety then she wouldn't have got on!

I have nothing but credit for FGW for supplying a unit when many other TOCs would have just cancelled it (either due to stock shortage or ease). It just shows though, they're damned whatever they do. They cancel a train, people complain; supply a last minute unit, people complain.

If it had been me there waiting in Plymouth then I would have definitely been pleased they had supplied a service, instead of cancelling it. At the end of the day the passengers had a choice - take the 143 or wait for the HST.

 

[samuelmorris]

If she had been that worried for her safety then she wouldn't have got on!

Oh, I don't know about that. The way things are going these days, they'd get on anyway, so they can sue if they get injured, for 'being allowed to board a vehicle carrying an unsafe number of passengers' :roll:

 

[Aldaniti]

You have to laugh, this is how passengers on the privatised railway are now treated. British Rail would probably have taken their passengers all the way through to Plymouth and if the delay looked to become more significant, summoned a rake of stock to provide the return service. This isn't about minimising delays to passengers, its about maximising shareholder value. Unfortunately some people have become so used to the farcical railway we now have that they see FGW's actions here as positive! Its the system that's wrong.

 

[455driver]

I'd pay to see that version of events

A 142 did manage to get as far as Swindon a few years ago!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

A specialist in these areas are we?

Of course he is, he is posting on the internet!

 

[anthony263]

A 142 did manage to get as far as Swindon a few years ago!

Still waiting for one to reach Reading or Paddington

 

[YorkshireBear]

They keep trying!!! I believe they have a competition amongst staff (unofficial of course) and it has been tried to get a pacer into Paddington many a time!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You have to laugh, this is how passengers on the privatised railway are now treated. British Rail would probably have taken their passengers all the way through to Plymouth and if the delay looked to become more significant, summoned a rake of stock to provide the return service. This isn't about minimising delays to passengers, its about maximising shareholder value. Unfortunately some people have become so used to the farcical railway we now have that they see FGW's actions here as positive! Its the system that's wrong.

Is that you Bob Crow? Nice of you to join the forum.

 

[anthony263]

Its got happen sometime before 2017. I would love to see the looks on passengers faces when they arrive at Paddington expecting a hst or a class 180 and what they get is two class 143 pacers. (The looks of horror).

So far we have got to Swindon now we need to go to the next step

 

[bb21]

I'd pay to see that version of events

I would be more than happy to pay to be on that train.

Yes, I think in the circumstances, FGW have done well. That said, I have to agree with this statement,

Unfortunately some people have become so used to the farcical railway we now have that they see FGW's actions here as positive!

and that includes me. Sometimes I can't really tell whether I am genuinely happy with the way things went, or because my expectations have sunk so low after travelling on the rails all my life.

All that is not to say that staff are not trying their best. They can only make do with what they have.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Perhaps once the future of the pacers is decided there'll be a rash of 'farewell' railtours to weird and wonderful destinations...

142 Brighton to Mallaig*, anyone?

*Yes, I know they're not RETB-fitted! But are there not 'mobile' sets of RETB equipment for use in the event of unfitted traction being used on freight/railtours etc.? I vaguely recall something along those lines being mentioned, albeit in relation to the Cambrian (pre-ETCS).

 

[Aldaniti]

Is that you Bob Crow? Nice of you to join the forum.

Alas, no. Just a mug punter who pays for this farce to continue...

 

[richw]

Alas, no. Just a mug punter who pays for this farce to continue...

Next time they can cancel then and leave you no service?