Delays at Paddington (21-22 June)

[tigerroar]

Absolute chaos coming home from Paddington tonight. Signalling problems at Burnham apparently.

Did well to get home but how is it fair that they cancelled both Cheltenham trains?

 

[yorkie]

Did well to get home but how is it fair that they cancelled both Cheltenham trains?

Life isn't always fair, and decisions are not - and cannot - be made in the interests of fairness but in the interests of moving as many passengers as possible, given the constraints of displaced staff, staff hours issues, displaced stock, and various other factors.

 

[Rich McLean]

Absolute chaos coming home from Paddington tonight. Signalling problems at Burnham apparently.

Did well to get home but how is it fair that they cancelled both Cheltenham trains?

They are normally the first ones to be cancelled, as passengers can either change at Swindon when they can run a STP shuttle, Parkway (or Worcester if connection is available). That's followed by the Cardiff Terminators and then one of the Bristols

 

[tigerroar]

I understand that and was happy to change at Swindon but as it happened the connecting train had already left by the time we got there. So facing with a long wait for the later Cheltenham HST to see that cancelled too was not on.

It just so happened that a previously cancelled HST to Paddington had been sat in platform 1 at Swindon since before we arrived and they managed to bring in a driver from Bristol to take all of us stranded passengers home albeit almost three hours late.

 

[LewFinnis]

I was on my way back from Plymouth. We sat at Maidenhead for 20 minutes then proceeded by fits and starts to Burnham, arriving 35 late in Paddington. I missed my train at St Pancras and ended up getting home over an hour late so a claim form will be on its way to FGW tomorrow.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Luckily missed most of this despite nervously checking my phone throughout the day, and then turning up at Paddington to see the 17:00 to Bristol being shown on the boards as "delayed". Seems they must have done a very quick turnaround on the incoming set because we managed to leave Paddington at 17:07 (and had an announcement about seat reservations not being honoured).

 

[Rich McLean]

Remember also during disruption FGW will use the first available set for the next service. Allocations often go out the window. When 800 and 801's come in this will become more difficult

 

[MyFriendMary]

Whole day has been pretty chaotic.

Cable theft in the Slough area

 

[Parallel]

Also a HST failed at Bath Spa today (the 17:13) which caused significant disruption to services heading towards London Paddington, The South Coast and Bristol and further which hasn't helped things today.

 

[WelshBluebird]

That would explain the comments I have seen from friends in Bath today too then!

 

[hassaanhc]

In fact the Slough-Maidenhead issues have been ongoing intermittently since yesterday morning, but since last night they've not cleared. In fact there were replacement buses running Slough-Maidenhead for much of today. They've had a lot of signalling problems between Paddington and Reading recently.

 

[Parallel]

That would explain the comments I have seen from friends in Bath today too then!

All trains had to use platform 1 for the time the HST was stuck on platform 2. It got very crowded and chaotic after all passengers for the Portsmouth, Brighton and Weymouth services joined platform 1 as well as the travellers on the failed HST and those waiting for the next London Paddington service (and the passengers travelling to Bristol and beyond). The Portsmouth Harbour service got stuck behind the HST and could only use platform 2 after the "train fault" had been rectified. On platform 1 a Bristol service was first to arrive followed by the next London service , and then the Brighton train was next to arrive. I felt a bit bad for the passengers who had no clue to what was going on but staff did a top job keeping everyone updated with information.

FGW seem to have had a tough time in the last week or so, with a large amount of train faults, and signalling issues causing problems over their network.

 

[Flamingo]

Absolute chaos coming home from Paddington tonight. Signalling problems at Burnham apparently.

Did well to get home but how is it fair that they cancelled both Cheltenham trains?

The 18.27 Pad-Cnm ran to plan (and to time)...
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Life isn't always fair, and decisions are not - and cannot - be made in the interests of fairness but in the interests of moving as many passengers as possible, given the constraints of displaced staff, staff hours issues, displaced stock, and various other factors.

Well said

 

[MyFriendMary]

That would explain the comments I have seen from friends in Bath today too then!

Yeah that was also exhausting. From what I could understand, a seal on a pipe had failed and so the train couldn't move. Not that I could understand much more than that or what the importance of the pipe was. Although that train was struggling to leave Bristol TM.

3 HSTs had to go off Platform 1 before the train was able to be restarted at BTH which caused some chaos for about an hour. Although nothing too major so long as passengers caught the right service off the same platform.

 

[starrymarkb]

Yeah that was also exhausting. From what I could understand, a seal on a pipe had failed and so the train couldn't move. Not that I could understand much more than that or what the importance of the pipe was. Although that train was struggling to leave Bristol TM.

3 HSTs had to go off Platform 1 before the train was able to be restarted at BTH which caused some chaos for about an hour. Although nothing too major so long as passengers caught the right service off the same platform.

Will probably be brakes then. The train's brakes are held off by air pressure, if there is a leak and pressure is lost then powerful springs will clamp the brake shoes to the discs and the train isn't going anywhere. This is a failsafe (ie it's better for the train to be unable to move than it would be if it couldn't stop!)

(Very simplified version - it's probably a little more complicated)

 

[Flamingo]

It was a fuel pipe.

 

[starrymarkb]

It was a fuel pipe.

I stand corrected then Thanks

 

[Flamingo]

I stand corrected then Thanks

Don't worry, it was a reasonable guess to make!

 

[MyFriendMary]

And now a bridge near Sydney Gardens, just outside Bath Spa station, has reported damage.

When it rains. It pours

 

[tigerroar]

The 18.27 Pad-Cnm ran to plan (and to time)...D

It was due out at 18:15 and was cancelled actually. So boo you

 

[Flamingo]

It was due out at 18:15 and was cancelled actually. So boo you

Sunday? It left on time at 18.27 and arrived at 20.45.

Saturday - the 17.45 Pad - Swansea left at 18.18 (with every seat full, but hardly any standing, the loading was very even throughout and First Class was declassified) and made it into Swindon in time for the 20.00 Swi-Cnm, and made it into Bristol Parkway in time for the 20.09 XC. Passengers for the Kemble line and Cnm were being advised by the PA and station staff to join that train. The Pad-Bri behind it was also in Swindon in time for the 20.00.

 

[bnm]

And now a bridge near Sydney Gardens, just outside Bath Spa station, has reported damage.

Clever bridge!

 

[tigerroar]

Have a look and see when I made the original post. Yours is irrelevant to mine
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Saturday - the 17.45 Pad - Swansea left at 18.18 (with every seat full, but hardly any standing, the loading was very even throughout and First Class was declassified) and made it into Swindon in time for the 20.00 Swi-Cnm, and made it into Bristol Parkway in time for the 20.09 XC. Passengers for the Kemble line and Cnm were being advised by the PA and station staff to join that train. The Pad-Bri behind it was also in Swindon in time for the 20.00.

That too is irrelevant. All trains were listed as delayed at that time on Saturday and and while the Swansea train may have left at that time after it had done they flashed up the Cheltenham train as cancelled and it was removed from the screens.

I was on the following train to Bristol and got off at Swindon and can assure you there was no connecting train at Swindon at that time. We didn't leave Padd until at least 7.15.

 

[Flamingo]

Have a look and see when I made the original post. Yours is irrelevant to mine
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


That too is irrelevant. All trains were listed as delayed at that time on Saturday and and while the Swansea train may have left at that time after it had done they flashed up the Cheltenham train as cancelled and it was removed from the screens.

I was on the following train to Bristol and got off at Swindon and can assure you there was no connecting train at Swindon at that time. We didn't leave Padd until at least 7.15.

What time train did you catch off Swindon, then? And why did you not get on the train to Swindon that was being announced, as all trains had been on stop for 45 minutes? The Bristol train was just one signal behind the Swansea train at Swindon.

 

[tigerroar]

I was on the Bristol train. I got off at Swindon where their displays showed that the following Chelt train had been cancelled and was now a bus.

However after a short while they announced that the abandoned HST sat on platform 1 would be going to Cheltenham as they had a driver coming from Bristol in a taxi. He must've been comfortably rewarded for his efforts, although it would've been cheaper than hiring five buses or so en spec.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

And why did you not get on the train to Swindon that was being announced, as all trains had been on stop for 45 minutes?

Because my train to Cheltenham was still listed on the board and they didn't show it as cancelled until the previous Swansea train had left.

 

[Flamingo]

The moral of the story is, always get the first train going in the right direction when there is disruption. There were lots of people on the Swansea train for the Kemble line. Those going to Cheltenham were advised on-board to change at Bristol Parkway...

 

[tigerroar]

There may well have been but I had advanced tickets for a train that was listed on the information boards. The only information that they were giving out about tickets being valid on other trains were for passengers for Reading to use Waterloo instead.

There is no moral to this story. It was just an unfortunate series of events that could've only been eased or avoided using hindsight.

 

[Class377]

There were issues on the SWT route to that area as well!

Saw issues on FGW from Paddington so, with an open ticket, headed to Waterloo to get a WAT-BRI service, with the aim of catching the 18:15 direct (17:15 only would have got me there 15 minutes or so earlier according to the timetable).

17:15 Exeter service still in the platform at 17:30, whereupon everyone in the unit got out and was sent back to the concourse due to a train failure. Unit reserved for the 18:15 was then used for 17:15 and set off about 35 late. At 18:00 the incoming EXE arrived, and I assume for various operational reasons this couldn't be used for the 18:15 as they got new stock in to form the 18:15 which set off 25 late.

That was terminated at Salisbury due to a faulty cab radio with new stock provided to continue 2 separate units onwards for EXE and BRI, the latter definitely arriving 50 late (argh, just too quick to get delay repay!). Top marks to the guard however for keeping us all informed and seeming genuinely as frustrated as the passengers.

Not SWT's fault, but not a good day for anyone wanting to go West!

 

[Europa]

First time on a train in Great Britain and then a major "signaling "Problem between Reading and Paddington. My 16:13 HST Bath to Paddington Service needed around 70 Minutes for Reading to Maidenhead alone....

Unusual stopp at Maidenhead some feed up passengers left the Train, but were "replaced" by People from Maidenhead waiting for a Service towards London. (All other Trains delayed or cancelled)

Train staff said we can get refund for the delay (90-120min overall).

Is it worth for a foreigner? I will barely use FGW in the next months/years.

BTW: My "HST" ranking Standard class:

1. Grand Central
2. FGW
3.Virgin

 

[WelshBluebird]

Train staff said we can get refund for the delay (90-120min overall).

Is it worth for a foreigner? I will barely use FGW in the next months/years.

Well the refund you will get will be in the form of Rail Travel Vouchers that can be used on any National Rail ToC and are valid for 12 months. So it depends if you are likely to be travelling by rail again in the UK in that time.