GWR/Elizabeth Line from Reading

[Scaley]

Hello, feel free to point me in the right direction if covered already..

On the National rail app if you input RDG to say, Maidenhead or West Drayton or somewhere, it only shows you the options for the Elizabeth Line and doesn’t show you the options for GWR.
To find the GWR options you have to put in Tilehurst as your origin or similar and then pick up from Reading..very underhand and out of order in my view.
Are they doing this to maximise passenger numbers on Elizabeth Line rather than GWR?
Thanks

 

[Starmill]

I think it's just GWR have barely any stops at stations east of Slough and west of London now?

 

[Purple Train]

Hello, feel free to point me in the right direction if covered already..

On the National rail app if you input RDG to say, Maidenhead or West Drayton or somewhere, it only shows you the options for the Elizabeth Line and doesn’t show you the options for GWR.
To find the GWR options you have to put in Tilehurst as your origin or similar and then pick up from Reading..very underhand and out of order in my view.
Are they doing this to maximise passenger numbers on Elizabeth Line rather than GWR?
Thanks

GWR don't usually call at West Drayton any more. I'd be surprised if they withheld GWR services to Maidenhead, however.

 

[Scaley]

This is for Friday, showing only Elizabeth Line options..

However, there is also a
17:11 GWR from RDG to Maidenhead, a 17:41, an 18:08, an 18:33, an 18:58….

 

[swt_passenger]

Hello, feel free to point me in the right direction if covered already..

On the National rail app if you input RDG to say, Maidenhead or West Drayton or somewhere, it only shows you the options for the Elizabeth Line and doesn’t show you the options for GWR.
To find the GWR options you have to put in Tilehurst as your origin or similar and then pick up from Reading..very underhand and out of order in my view.
Are they doing this to maximise passenger numbers on Elizabeth Line rather than GWR?
Thanks

Since the Elizabeth line first started further changes to calling patterns mean that GWR now make very few calls at West Drayton, only a handful overnight while the EL isn’t running. I note from RTT that for most of the day GWR only serve Maidenhead half hourly from Reading.

Basically, GWR are no longer the main provider of services on the reliefs towards Paddington, so the EL is by default taking the majority of intermediate passengers.

There was a GWR news announcement for the May 2023 timetable that explained the last major changes:

Biggest timetable shake-up in almost five years as GWR responds to changes in passenger travel patterns | GWR News

GWR has responded to changes in passenger travel patterns in the Thames Valley, with the biggest shake-up to railway timetables since the introduction of Intercity Express Trains, bringing greater connectivity to Elizabeth line destinations.

news.gwr.com

 

[800301]

Hello, feel free to point me in the right direction if covered already..

On the National rail app if you input RDG to say, Maidenhead or West Drayton or somewhere, it only shows you the options for the Elizabeth Line and doesn’t show you the options for GWR.
To find the GWR options you have to put in Tilehurst as your origin or similar and then pick up from Reading..very underhand and out of order in my view.
Are they doing this to maximise passenger numbers on Elizabeth Line rather than GWR?
Thanks

Where are you actually going? Because sometimes the connection works out better getting an EL train than a GWR train, plus the majority of GWR stopping trains only stop at Twyford, Maidenhead and Slough

 

[Scaley]

Thanks.
West Drayton it appears you might be correct..it was a few months ago that I noticed an issue with that.
Not sure about Maidenhead though to change at..

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2024 ==

Since the Elizabeth line first started further changes to calling patterns mean that GWR now make very few calls at West Drayton, only a handful overnight while the EL isn’t running. I note from RTT that for most of the day GWR only serve Maidenhead hourly from Reading.

Basically, GWR are no longer the main provider of services on the reliefs towards Paddington, so the EL is by default taking the majority of intermediate passengers.

There was a GWR news announcement for the May 2023 timetable that explained the last major changes:

Biggest timetable shake-up in almost five years as GWR responds to changes in passenger travel patterns | GWR News

GWR has responded to changes in passenger travel patterns in the Thames Valley, with the biggest shake-up to railway timetables since the introduction of Intercity Express Trains, bringing greater connectivity to Elizabeth line destinations.

news.gwr.com

Thanks.
West Drayton it appears you might be correct..it was a few months ago that I noticed an issue with that.
Not sure about Maidenhead though to change at.

 

[800301]

This is for Friday, showing only Elizabeth Line options..

However, there is also a
17:11 GWR from RDG to Maidenhead, a 17:41, an 18:08, an 18:33, an 18:58….

While there are trains at those times the connection for a Bourne end service is much better if you get the EL service or you’d be waiting longer at Maidnehead which would make your overall journey longer

 

[Scaley]

Ok, that probably explains it, although I’m of the view that the National rail app should just give you all the options and allow you to make up your own mind…it does show the connection times etc…
Thanks for all the replies people!

 

[Horizon22]

The only stations with a regular (2tph off-peak) GWR service now are Twyford, Maidenhead and Slough.

If you changed you'd probably be getting the same train anyway!

 

[MrJeeves]

This is for Friday, showing only Elizabeth Line options..

However, there is also a
17:11 GWR from RDG to Maidenhead, a 17:41, an 18:08, an 18:33, an 18:58….

The app won't show you a journey where you have to depart earlier and arrive at the same time or later. It's simply not in scope for the journey planning algorithm. Most people wouldn't want to spend longer travelling for no cost saving.

 

[fandroid]

I've just put Reading to Maidenhead in the NRE journey planner for "now" and it's happily showing GWR trains as well as Elizabeth Line. GWR trains do have toilets. That might be a preference for some who have turned up on platform section A at Reading when the toilets are at B (or vice versa) !

 

[Horizon22]

I've just put Reading to Maidenhead in the NRE journey planner for "now" and it's happily showing GWR trains as well as Elizabeth Line. GWR trains do have toilets. That might be a preference for some who have turned up on platform section A at Reading when the toilets are at B (or vice versa) !

That’s because there is an even service from Reading to Maidenhead for both operators - GWR and Elizabeth line both have 2tph.

 

[Parallel]

GWR have timed the branch lines to connect with their services to/from London - e.g. entering London Paddington to Henley-on-Thames via journey planners returns a high proportion of journeys using GWR services only.

 

[Starmill]

GWR have timed the branch lines to connect with their services to/from London - e.g. entering London Paddington to Henley-on-Thames via journey planners returns a high proportion of journeys using GWR services only.

Indeed, which is of course mainly about offering the more competitive journey times for, say, Henley-on-Thames to London Paddington.

If you put your search to Tottenham Court Road instead you usually get the one change option and also the two change option, with a second change at London Paddington, if that saves a few minutes.