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1st Class on FGW

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dk1

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My last 1st class FGW Newton Abbot to Paddington service was so busy that it was difficult to get to the bar due to standees & then many never bothered as the queue was quite large throughout. I was told crisps where no longer given out only biscuits (for which she generously filled my buffet bag) & tea/coffee is the smaller variety if free, as is the still/sparkling water & not the 500ml bottles in the chiller display. These are the same Harrogate Spa usually handed out to customers when air/con failure occurs during hot weather.
 
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mrcheek

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I always try to go for the single seat in the buffet car as I find it akward facing strangers.

Then I hope we never both get on the same train, or we will be fighting over that seat!

That seat is especially good when theres no trolley service, as you can get to the buffet first!
 

devon_metro

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My last 1st class FGW Newton Abbot to Paddington service was so busy that it was difficult to get to the bar due to standees & then many never bothered as the queue was quite large throughout. I was told crisps where no longer given out only biscuits (for which she generously filled my buffet bag) & tea/coffee is the smaller variety if free, as is the still/sparkling water & not the 500ml bottles in the chiller display. These are the same Harrogate Spa usually handed out to customers when air/con failure occurs during hot weather.

Weekend offerings are different to weekday.

Oh and flamingo, FC coaches have 48 seats as oppose to 36
 
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43021HST

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an excellent idea, if you want your standard class fares to be doubled, while the number of seats is cut by a quarter.

Better yet, why not stop posting complete nonsense?

ah shudup, FGW use any excuse to jack up the fares any way, So are you saying the seats are good enough already, you know lack of leg room, claustraphobia from the seat in front of you being too tall, the seats arn't lined up with the windows. etc etc:roll:
FGW should at least improve the seating plan with more than four tables per carriage. Most of the time excepting peak times, there are plenty of seats spare, maybe FGW should do what SWT does and have High Capacity carriages for peak time and high capacity services, and normal Capacity ie BR seating plan for off peak times.
 

Bighat

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ah shudup, FGW use any excuse to jack up the fares any way, So are you saying the seats are good enough already, you know lack of leg room, claustraphobia from the seat in front of you being too tall, the seats arn't lined up with the windows. etc etc:roll:
FGW should at least improve the seating plan with more than four tables per carriage. Most of the time excepting peak times, there are plenty of seats spare, maybe FGW should do what SWT does and have High Capacity carriages for peak time and high capacity services, and normal Capacity ie BR seating plan for off peak times.

Now now, others ARE entitle to their opinion, even if the majority of other members consider it to be inaccurate twaddle!

The best way to deal with such is to make a REASONED arguement destroying the 'twaddle' to which you may object!

Now lets turn to YOUR post!

I am total agreement with what you say about the lack of tables in trains (including HST carriages), to provide 'crush capacity.

However, you suggestion about 'duel stock', for peak and off peak travel borders on the insane!

That really WOULD double costs, overnight. It would require two ocmpletely different types of stock, and is a total non starter!

I do not know (in centimetres) how much space is lost by the provision of facing seats with a table as opposed to the claustrofobic 'same facing rows', but I doubt if it would remove more than 1, possible two, rows, per carriage.

This could easily be made up by the reduction of under-utilised first class accomodation, so everyone wins!
 

43021HST

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Now now, others ARE entitle to their opinion, even if the majority of other members consider it to be inaccurate twaddle!

The best way to deal with such is to make a REASONED arguement destroying the 'twaddle' to which you may object!

Now lets turn to YOUR post!

I am total agreement with what you say about the lack of tables in trains (including HST carriages), to provide 'crush capacity.

However, you suggestion about 'duel stock', for peak and off peak travel borders on the insane!

That really WOULD double costs, overnight. It would require two ocmpletely different types of stock, and is a total non starter!

I do not know (in centimetres) how much space is lost by the provision of facing seats with a table as opposed to the claustrofobic 'same facing rows', but I doubt if it would remove more than 1, possible two, rows, per carriage.

This could easily be made up by the reduction of under-utilised first class accomodation, so everyone wins!

SWT manage it with there High Capacity class 450s and normal capacity 450s, @mr cheek, people managed for 30 years with the old BR seating plan, I hardly think the amount of standard class seats will be cut by a quarter.
 

MCR247

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SWT manage it with there High Capacity class 450s and normal capacity 450s, @mr cheek, people managed for 30 years with the old BR seating plan, I hardly think the amount of standard class seats will be cut by a quarter.

No they don't. You are suggesting taking normal trains OOS during the peak and replacing them with HC trains. All SWT is have HC sets for HC routes, which FGW already have ;)
 

43021HST

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No they don't. You are suggesting taking normal trains OOS during the peak and replacing them with HC trains. All SWT is have HC sets for HC routes, which FGW already have ;)

ah my mistake, Basicly I'm saying dont order new trains, just sort out the seating arrangement inside them.
 

route101

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i like them single seats you get along the window in first class on ec and vt . not good on a bay of 4 , esp a lone traveller facing a couple .
 

Aictos

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No they don't. You are suggesting taking normal trains OOS during the peak and replacing them with HC trains. All SWT is have HC sets for HC routes, which FGW already have ;)

South West Trains 450/5s

Also bear in mind that the SWT 450/5s are used not only during peak times but also at off peak times as well as part of South West Trains' strategy to meet their new franchise's requirement for additional passenger capacity on the “Windsor Lines” from Waterloo to Windsor, Weybridge via Chertsey and on the Hounslow Loop.

Now while the SWT modifications do give a net loss of 16 seats, it does however present a increase in standing capacity and should result in much better conditions for standing passengers in the peaks on the Windsor services.

In January 2008, 26 450/0 sets were modified and re-numbered in the 450/5 series, for use on services between Waterloo and Windsor, the Hounslow Loop Line, as well as between Waterloo and Weybridge. They have had their first class seating removed and replaced with 2+3 formation standard class seating and some other seats have been removed to provide more standing capacity; extra handrails have also been provided. The numbers modified are 450043 to 450070, which have become 450543 to 450570 respectively and display the letters 'HC' above the unit number on the front of the sets. The modifications have been carried out at Bournemouth.

First Great Western HSTs


As to the FGW HSTs, I've use them a number of times and find them to be comfortable and they have delivered improvements to the sets such as:

new standard seats designed to encourage comfortable posture and provide extra legroom.

power points for laptop and mobiles are located between seats and improved lighting and new toilets have been fitted throughout.

first class passengers now benefit from full leather reclining seats (which was a first for a UK train operator) with two power points at table level and travel in style with at seat service provided by the onboard First Class Host..

hooks for jackets are available in Standard and First, emergency lighting and new carpets have been installed throughout with improved disabled facilities including two wheelchair spaces in coach E and priority seats with extra legroom in each standard carriage.

The interiors of the sets were overhauled as part of a £63 million Refresh programme of the 53 HSTs, and the result of more than two years design work by ex-Porsche and Eurostar designer, Michael Rodber.

Note the power cars had also undergone a major £80 million modernisation programme with new MTU engines which will not only increase reliability, but will reduce Co2 emissions by 64%.

So in short, all Klambert is suggesting will make it uneconomical to carry out as no company in their right mind will want their stock to be sitting around idle when it can be used to run services, FGW don't have the luxury of basically having two types of HSTs as the HSTs are and need to be diagrammed to work any of the HSS workings.
 

Greenback

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I'm on record as saying I hate the FGW seats in standard class. I quite lkike them in FC though!

The suggestion about high capacity peak trains and lower capacity off peak traisn is ludicrous. Many trains can be off peak for part of a journey and peak for another. What train should form the 0458 from Swansea? It's definitely going to be very quiet at that time of the morning, but when it gets to Reading it;s 0730 and already pretty full of commuters from Bristol, and Swindon!
 

moonrakerz

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It makes good commercial sense to offer a superior product where a market exists that is willing to pay a bit more for it!

You are missing the point there old chap ! Some (smug ?) people just should not be allowed to have more money which they can spend as they wish, all should be made to travel in the same 3rd class manner. :lol::lol:
 

Flamingo

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Oh and flamingo, FC coaches have 48 seats as oppose to 36

oops! :oops: I was counting them in my head in multiples of 6, it's not like I don't look at them every day, no excuse!

Never mind, another sign of galloping Altzhimers! :D
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The suggestion about high capacity peak trains and lower capacity off peak traisn is ludicrous. Many trains can be off peak for part of a journey and peak for another. What train should form the 0458 from Swansea? It's definitely going to be very quiet at that time of the morning, but when it gets to Reading it;s 0730 and already pretty full of commuters from Bristol, and Swindon!

Not on a Friday and Saturday morning. It's full of clubbers going home, and is one of the few trains that won't be taken out without BTP on board, there's been so much trouble on it! During the ash cloud (exceptional circumstances, I admit) it was full leaving Swansea, so many were coming up on the Fishguard off the ferry.
 
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Greenback

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oops! :oops: I was counting them in my head in multiples of 6, it's not like I don't look at them every day, no excuse!

Never mind, another sign of galloping Altzhimers! :D
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Not on a Friday and Saturday morning. It's full of clubbers going home, and is one of the few trains that won't be taken out without BTP on board, there's been so much trouble on it! During the ash cloud (exceptional circumstances, I admit) it was full leaving Swansea, so many were coming up on the Fishguard off the ferry.

Yes, I hadn't thought of Friday and Saturday night clubbers! I did see a jam packed six car train arriving from Fishguard on a Sunday during the ash cloud!
 

Greenback

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Yes, but to be honest I just assumed they were being put up at all the major stations!
 

Greenback

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That really shouldn;t have come as a surprise to me! On Friday and Saturday I like to be well clear of the city centre by 2100! However, on a couple of occasions I have been on the 2345 ex Swansea to get home on a Friday, and that's been OK - probably a bit early for the real idiots though!
 

Flamingo

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It varies, but although I hate to say it, ask any FGW guard and they will tell you that the "passenger profile" (to put it politely, I'm not being more specific than that in an open forum as somebody will take offence and I can live without accusations of xenophobia) does change on evening and weekend trains when you come through the Severn Tunnel.
 

Greenback

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I used to travel back from Reading occasionally on evening trains, a few times I caught the old 2000 from Padd which left Reading at 2025. I must say that as we got close to Swansea more and more people got on who were clearly going clubbing. They were usually already pretty drunk before even getting to Swansea, I dread to think what sort of state they would be in by 0400! But then I suppose that's just the sort of people the posters are aimed at...
 

Flamingo

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I used to travel back from Reading occasionally on evening trains, a few times I caught the old 2000 from Padd which left Reading at 2025. I must say that as we got close to Swansea more and more people got on who were clearly going clubbing. They were usually already pretty drunk before even getting to Swansea, I dread to think what sort of state they would be in by 0400! But then I suppose that's just the sort of people the posters are aimed at...

Try the crowd getting on at Cardiff at 1am on the 22.45 from Pad. Especially if getting diverted the VoG. :roll: (The worst ones are always going to Neath for some reason)
 
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