Had to make a day return trip from London to Llanelli, an interesting series of experiences.
Aware that the fares out on the 7.45 in the morning, and return in the evening, are very different, and beyond the capabilities of the automatic ticket machines to handle, I looked in at the Paddington ticket office to find a gargantuan queue and few windows open.
Back to the ticket machine to buy just a single at £124, noticing that indeed all it offered as a return was 2 x £124. I'll get the cheaper ticket on the way back - it will be revenue to Arriva instead of First.
At 7.35 still nothing on the indicator, the train was being "prepared". In fact its platform appeared only 7 minutes before departure, if you weren't glaring at the screens constantly, which flick between Page 1 and Page 2 almost faster than you can read them, you would miss it. Oh for the days when you could board at Paddington 20-30 minutes before departure. Anyway, in I get along with others.
Then here comes the reservations clerk with the seat reservations cards, which of course some people have sat in now - the cards are just pushed in behind their heads without a word being said. Also in hand were the large sticky labels for "The St David", which name this train bizarrely has added, presumably to justify the highest fares of the day. These were plonked across the front windows of the coach at a jaunty angle, where they half peeled off after a few minutes, and flapped in the breeze (what breeze? - see later).
The front rows were taken, so I sit behind, where I find the seat pitch is nowadays so tight that I can't open my laptop enough to see the screen. A recent HS2 document said that a justification was that "business travellers can work on the train". This must have been written by someone who remembers those old British Rail TV ads of the 1980s which showed how much space you had - matey, all that has gone now.
The laptop won't be much use anyway because none of the 13A power sockets, below the seat ahead or for the lucky few table occupants alongside the table, were working. Nor was the door at the front of the saloon which was jammed in the open position, allowing all the noise and draughts from the vestibule area to blow through. A bit more of the "preparing", this time aspects from overnight in the depot, not done.
Anyway, we're off, full speed to Reading East where we stop at a signal outside the station for a good 5 minutes. There is of course a PA announcement - that we're stopped at a signal outside Reading.
You may notice a lack of any mention of a refreshment trolley, and indeed this particular lack continued all the way to Swansea. Previously on this route there has been a service of this, but apparently a train even as grand as "The St David" doesn't run to this any more.
After the Swindon stop progress is a good deal colder and noisier until I go forward and close the door droplights left open - remember that jammed vestibule door.
After the Bristol Parkway stop there's a tight single line tunnel a mile or so beyond. The open (again) door droplights and the jammed vestibule door combine with an air draught (well, not all air, quite a bit of diesel fumes as well) to blast down the coach, nearly ripping the "St David" labels off the windows, and making all the antimacassars do a merry dance, until a passenger (guess who) once again goes forward again and shuts the windows.
We hop along through the Welsh stops, making distinctly slower progress than before. You can't beat the train by the M4 from London to Cardiff, but you certainly can from London all the way to Llanelli. I occupy the time with, inevitably, going down to the doors after each stop. I did notice the conductor no longer closes these when walking through. I wonder why the change of policy.
So, into Swansea station, where I get out and wait for the connection, which has actually followed us closely all the way from Newport. This is an Arriva Class 175, just two coaches but not that full. Amazingly, the seat pitch in this is better, to the extent that I can open my laptop adequately, despite just a 15 minute journey remaining. What's more, a fully-stocked refreshment trolley shortly crashes through from the next coach. What a shame I'm getting off in a few minutes. Plus the saloon is fully weatherproofed. Who would believe that a DMU would have a better ambience than an Inter City train, supposedly recently refurbished, with a grand name?
Aware that the fares out on the 7.45 in the morning, and return in the evening, are very different, and beyond the capabilities of the automatic ticket machines to handle, I looked in at the Paddington ticket office to find a gargantuan queue and few windows open.
Back to the ticket machine to buy just a single at £124, noticing that indeed all it offered as a return was 2 x £124. I'll get the cheaper ticket on the way back - it will be revenue to Arriva instead of First.
At 7.35 still nothing on the indicator, the train was being "prepared". In fact its platform appeared only 7 minutes before departure, if you weren't glaring at the screens constantly, which flick between Page 1 and Page 2 almost faster than you can read them, you would miss it. Oh for the days when you could board at Paddington 20-30 minutes before departure. Anyway, in I get along with others.
Then here comes the reservations clerk with the seat reservations cards, which of course some people have sat in now - the cards are just pushed in behind their heads without a word being said. Also in hand were the large sticky labels for "The St David", which name this train bizarrely has added, presumably to justify the highest fares of the day. These were plonked across the front windows of the coach at a jaunty angle, where they half peeled off after a few minutes, and flapped in the breeze (what breeze? - see later).
The front rows were taken, so I sit behind, where I find the seat pitch is nowadays so tight that I can't open my laptop enough to see the screen. A recent HS2 document said that a justification was that "business travellers can work on the train". This must have been written by someone who remembers those old British Rail TV ads of the 1980s which showed how much space you had - matey, all that has gone now.
The laptop won't be much use anyway because none of the 13A power sockets, below the seat ahead or for the lucky few table occupants alongside the table, were working. Nor was the door at the front of the saloon which was jammed in the open position, allowing all the noise and draughts from the vestibule area to blow through. A bit more of the "preparing", this time aspects from overnight in the depot, not done.
Anyway, we're off, full speed to Reading East where we stop at a signal outside the station for a good 5 minutes. There is of course a PA announcement - that we're stopped at a signal outside Reading.
You may notice a lack of any mention of a refreshment trolley, and indeed this particular lack continued all the way to Swansea. Previously on this route there has been a service of this, but apparently a train even as grand as "The St David" doesn't run to this any more.
After the Swindon stop progress is a good deal colder and noisier until I go forward and close the door droplights left open - remember that jammed vestibule door.
After the Bristol Parkway stop there's a tight single line tunnel a mile or so beyond. The open (again) door droplights and the jammed vestibule door combine with an air draught (well, not all air, quite a bit of diesel fumes as well) to blast down the coach, nearly ripping the "St David" labels off the windows, and making all the antimacassars do a merry dance, until a passenger (guess who) once again goes forward again and shuts the windows.
We hop along through the Welsh stops, making distinctly slower progress than before. You can't beat the train by the M4 from London to Cardiff, but you certainly can from London all the way to Llanelli. I occupy the time with, inevitably, going down to the doors after each stop. I did notice the conductor no longer closes these when walking through. I wonder why the change of policy.
So, into Swansea station, where I get out and wait for the connection, which has actually followed us closely all the way from Newport. This is an Arriva Class 175, just two coaches but not that full. Amazingly, the seat pitch in this is better, to the extent that I can open my laptop adequately, despite just a 15 minute journey remaining. What's more, a fully-stocked refreshment trolley shortly crashes through from the next coach. What a shame I'm getting off in a few minutes. Plus the saloon is fully weatherproofed. Who would believe that a DMU would have a better ambience than an Inter City train, supposedly recently refurbished, with a grand name?
