First Great Western Communication Failure

[Domeyhead]

I travel from Southampton to SLough daily so I get to compare first hand three companies - SWT, Cross Country and FGW.
SWT may be much despised for their money grabbing exploitative attitude but their passenger communications are excellent. For example even when a cross country train is delayed its progress is conveyed clearly and precisely and the late train is reported many times with updates every few minutes. COntrast with FGW. Today at Burnham we stood, and stood, and stood. No trains came for over an hour in either direction. The screen displays were a joke - and I mean , a joke. Suffering passengers laughed as they squeezed out lie after broken promise. No staff at all and And just two innacurate station announcements. There were well over 100 people on the station. It was only when I struggled to Basingstoke that the SWT station announcement told me quite clearly that the problem was due to a signalling failure at Didcot. On Brunel's main line there was nothing at all apart from Reading. This is not an exception. I often change at Maidenhead, and to be blunt this is a main station and there is no accurate train information at all. It is misleading, innacurate or just turned off. The staff? They do nothing at all.
I like FGW and their 165 DMUs are perfect for the job but their customer communication is pitiful, Just how many times do they have to be told - tell people what is going on FFS!
Oh yes and Cross Country - I'd be interested to hear other commuter's views of the Voyager 221s!

 

[starrymarkb]

With regard to the PIS at the FGW Stations they are going to be upgraded soon. FGW currently have 3 separate systems (Ex GW, Ex Thames Trains, Ex Wales & West!) which are being merged into one.

 

[ess]

the screens at maidenhead either don't work at all or have hours old info at least once or twice a week. no clocks on the station either

 

[Aictos]

With regard to the PIS at the FGW Stations they are going to be upgraded soon. FGW currently have 3 separate systems (Ex GW, Ex Thames Trains, Ex Wales & West!) which are being merged into one.

Agreed, the new system that FCC has and what FGW are having done repeatly announces the train has been cancelled and what the next train is from that platform regardless of if there's a earlier train from a different platform!

 

[imagination]

Was on the Henley train from London yesterday evening and at both Maidenhead and Twyford the screens showed a different train to ours (despite our train running on time) as being the expected train. I'm surprised people didn't get on it by mistake...

 

[louis97]

At the present moment intime the First Great Western information systems are a complete fail when it comes to any disruption.
I have noticed that on the FGW website it will say "This service has been cancelled due to...", However on LDB it will either say that train is delayed for part or the entire length of its journey, or it will say its running.

Since FGW have started installing there new system the whole system has been falling apart. I get the feeling that now they have started installing the new system, and from what i can see the new systrem is now connected to all station equipment whether old or new, they have forgotten the old systems, 1 of which (HSS) is connected to LDB, and have stopped updating them.

A train was cancelled at Newton Abbot when i was there few weeks ago, LDB reflected nothing like this, just that it was "Delayed", that is what makes me think they have connected the new system to all the hardware which isnt connected to LDB yet, and if its anything like FCCs it wont be. I have recently noticed that FCC stations would have departure reports at every station, now its varys, specially on station where its single line or no signals near-by.