GWR - Unacceptable for Xmas Eve.

[Mark J]

I've enclosed screen shots of the train times coming back from Oxford tonight.

Originally I was scheduled for the 22:01.

There was a very real risk of being stranded there for two days, with train, after train coming up cancelled. I had to scramble from the eastern side of Oxford (Headington), as I wasn't going to risk the 21:02, in case that also was cancelled last minute.

Sorry GWR, this really is unacceptable.

Yet you'll be demanding an extra 4.x% out of us next year for this increasingly regular shambles of short formations, late and cancelled trains.

 

[alastair]

I've enclosed screen shots of the train times coming back from Oxford tonight.

Originally I was scheduled for the 22:01.

There was a very real risk of being stranded there for two days, with train, after train coming up cancelled. I had to scramble from the eastern side of Oxford (Headington), as I wasn't going to risk the 21:02, in case that also was cancelled last minute.

Sorry GWR, this really is unacceptable.

Yet you'll be demanding an extra 4.x% out of us next year for this increasingly regular shambles of short formations, late and cancelled trains.

Agreed, not good. But I'm surprised trains were scheduled to run that late on Christmas Eve, planning to catch the 2201 with all GWR's very well publicised issues was maybe optimistic. I see that the 2101 did run and there was also a 2045 to Marylebone (assuming you were heading for London).

 

[crablab]

But I'm surprised trains were scheduled to run that late on Christmas Eve, planning to catch the 2201 with all GWR's very well publicised issues was maybe optimistic.

I don't see why that's "optimistic" in the slightest. The 24th is a normal working day and the train is in the 'published timetable of the day'.

 

[alastair]

I don't see why that's "optimistic" in the slightest. The 24th is a normal working day and the train is in the 'published timetable of the day'.

I don't see why that's "optimistic" in the slightest. The 24th is a normal working day and the train is in the 'published timetable of the day'.

Sorry, but are you living in some kind of parallel universe?

1/ The 2201 was cancelled!

2/ 24th is not a normal working day. In GWR's own words "train services will finish from approximately 2000 on most routes on Christmas Eve"

3/ If you think the "published timetable of the day" can be relied on with GWR then very best of luck with that. As a frequent user I would always recommend check, check and check again as the OP wisely did.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I mean passengers should absolutely be able to rely on the published timetable. The fact that they can't on GWR at the moment is damming on GWR, not on passengers who are aiming to travel on specific services. It shouldn't at all be "optimistic" to want to catch a train that is in the timetable!

In OPs case I'd have hoped GWR would have had to put people in taxis (at significant cost). At a larger station like Oxford that is a lot easier to get sorted than smaller stations too!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Definitely a potential problem for passengers whenever a train operator cancels the last scheduled train of the day on a particular route. And it's not just GWR at fault here.

 

[BlueLeanie]

There was a very real risk of being stranded there for two days, with train, after train coming up cancelled. I had to scramble from the eastern side of Oxford (Headington), as I wasn't going to risk the 21:02, in case that also was cancelled last minute.

Where were you travelling to?

If it was London, there's an Airline departure to Heathrow from Gloucester Green at 05:50, then approximately every hour until 17:00 on Christmas Day.

 

[12LDA28C]

I've enclosed screen shots of the train times coming back from Oxford tonight.

Originally I was scheduled for the 22:01.

There was a very real risk of being stranded there for two days, with train, after train coming up cancelled. I had to scramble from the eastern side of Oxford (Headington), as I wasn't going to risk the 21:02, in case that also was cancelled last minute.

Sorry GWR, this really is unacceptable.

Yet you'll be demanding an extra 4.x% out of us next year for this increasingly regular shambles of short formations, late and cancelled trains.

I assume you mean the Government will be demanding an extra 4.x% next year as they set the rate of increase in regulated fares, not GWR.

 

[Sly Old Fox]

Not enough drivers full stop. And the opposite problem this week - overtime rate was higher on Sunday and nobody wants to work Christmas Eve late turn as overtime.

 

[crablab]

I mean passengers should absolutely be able to rely on the published timetable. The fact that they can't on GWR at the moment is damming on GWR, not on passengers who are aiming to travel on specific services. It shouldn't at all be "optimistic" to want to catch a train that is in the timetable!

This.

If you think the "published timetable of the day" can be relied on with GWR

The timetable is the industry's self-appointed contract with the travelling public. What else should passengers rely on when planning their journey?
If the OP hadn't been able to check beforehand and had shown up at Oxford expecting their timetabled train to run, what would you have said the TOC's responsibility was?

Merry Christmas

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Sorry, but are you living in some kind of parallel universe?

1/ The 2201 was cancelled!

2/ 24th is not a normal working day. In GWR's own words "train services will finish from approximately 2000 on most routes on Christmas Eve"

3/ If you think the "published timetable of the day" can be relied on with GWR then very best of luck with that. As a frequent user I would always recommend check, check and check again as the OP wisely did.

Some people will do anything to avoid due responsibility being put on the railway…

I mean passengers should absolutely be able to rely on the published timetable. The fact that they can't on GWR at the moment is damming on GWR, not on passengers who are aiming to travel on specific services. It shouldn't at all be "optimistic" to want to catch a train that is in the timetable!

In OPs case I'd have hoped GWR would have had to put people in taxis (at significant cost). At a larger station like Oxford that is a lot easier to get sorted than smaller stations too!

This.

 

[WAB]

Sorry, but are you living in some kind of parallel universe?

1/ The 2201 was cancelled!

2/ 24th is not a normal working day. In GWR's own words "train services will finish from approximately 2000 on most routes on Christmas Eve"

3/ If you think the "published timetable of the day" can be relied on with GWR then very best of luck with that. As a frequent user I would always recommend check, check and check again as the OP wisely did.

They've already timetabled the earlier finish! The 2201 being cancelled is thoroughly unacceptable and only demonstrates the increasing inability of GWR to run their service. Taxis all the way for any affected passengers by right.

 

[alastair]

This.

The timetable is the industry's self-appointed contract with the travelling public. What else should passengers rely on when planning their journey?
If the OP hadn't been able to check beforehand and had shown up at Oxford expecting their timetabled train to run, what would you have said the TOC's responsibility was?

Merry Christmas

And to you. I'm not trying to defend GWR, far from it - just speaking from bitter experience, hence my rather flippant "optimistic" remark! Of course he would presumably been given a taxi had he turned up for the 2201. I think the current situation with GWR is appalling and what makes it worse is that it's hard to see when/if the situation will improve anytime soon.

 

[Mark J]

To answer some of the questions.

1) A day return from Reading to Oxford.

2) I got an alert around 7pm to say the 10pm service has been cancelled.

3) Had to:
a) curtail my visit to family in East Oxford
b) scramble back to Oxford Station because of this.

4) I does not matter if GWR advertise services stop from 8pm on Xmas Eve. They should not of scheduled later than 8pm trains, if they could not honour running them.

5) Due to the state of the timetable, I was not going to risk the 21:02. Had that not of run, would of been stranded in Oxford.

6) I find it a damn cheek that GWR fares will go up by another 4.x% next year, when:

A) Unregulated fares on many routes have already gone up another 10% in September.
B) Reliability, short formations and lateness seems to be an increasing issue.

To add. All well and good saying a Taxi if stranded by GWR.

Considering I didn't see any Station staff apart from the person on the platform, who would of authorised and paid for this?

 

[officewalla]

To answer some of the questions.

1) A day return from Reading to Oxford.

2) I got an alert around 7pm to say the 10pm service has been cancelled.

3) Had to:
a) curtail my visit to family in East Oxford
b) scramble back to Oxford Station because of this.

4) I does not matter if GWR advertise services stop from 8pm on Xmas Eve. They should not of scheduled later than 8pm trains, if they could not honour running them.

5) Due to the state of the timetable, I was not going to risk the 21:02. Had that not of run, would of been stranded in Oxford.

6) I find it a damn cheek that GWR fares will go up by another 4.x% next year, when:

A) Unregulated fares on many routes have already gone up another 10% in September.
B) Reliability, short formations and lateness seems to be an increasing issue.

To add. All well and good saying a Taxi if stranded by GWR.

Considering I didn't see any Station staff apart from the person on the platform, who would of authorised and paid for this?

Perhaps a bit less complaining and a bit more of see what is possible would not have gone amiss. 165 and 387 services were running from Ox-Did and Did-Rdg until approx 2300 last night. There was a huge knock on effect from the 1601 and the 1701 services being cancelled because there was no crew to position them in Oxford which also resulted in sets now being out of position for later services as well.

As stated by a previous poster, the DfT sets the rates for fare increases.

Hitachi determine how many sets of IET trains there are on any given day so short formations and lateness (usually the result of having a set in service without a full set of engines available) are likely to be the fault and responsibility of a 3rd party contractor.

 

[transportphoto]

Considering I didn't see any Station staff apart from the person on the platform, who would of authorised and paid for this?

The person on the platform, or their colleague you didn’t see? A phone call to a Control Room? Who would have paid for it? It would have been paid for on account.

 

[cactustwirly]

Sorry, but are you living in some kind of parallel universe?

2/ 24th is not a normal working day. In GWR's own words "train services will finish from approximately 2000 on most routes on Christmas Eve"

It is a normal working day for most other businesses.

Why did they schedule trains in the timetable after 8pm then?
If they were intending to finish early then they would have surely removed later trains from the timetable?

 

[43066]

It is a normal working day for most other businesses.

It just isn’t, though. The car dealership I phoned yesterday morning were doing a half day, for example - most businesses such as supermarkets, high street shops etc. will have Xmas opening hours, including an early finish on Xmas eve.

Most trains on my local network were finished by 10pm - admittedly later than GWR, but still hours earlier than normal.

 

[cactustwirly]

It just isn’t, though. The car dealership I phoned yesterday morning were doing a half day, for example - most businesses such as supermarkets, high street shops etc. will have Xmas opening hours, including an early finish on Xmas eve.

Most trains on my local network were finished by 10pm - admittedly later than GWR, but still hours earlier than normal.

All of my companies have treated it as a normal working day. They will sometimes allow you to finish early but that's just discretion

 

[WelshBluebird]

It being a normal work day or not is immaterial. GWR had services timetabled and so people should expect to be able to catch them.

 

[crablab]

and so people should expect to be able to catch them.

...without this odd caveat, which seems to be suggested by some, that you shouldn't rely on the last timetabled train of the day running and thus can't expect to use it.

 

[D Williams]

To answer some of the questions.

1) A day return from Reading to Oxford.

2) I got an alert around 7pm to say the 10pm service has been cancelled.

3) Had to:
a) curtail my visit to family in East Oxford
b) scramble back to Oxford Station because of this.

4) I does not matter if GWR advertise services stop from 8pm on Xmas Eve. They should not of scheduled later than 8pm trains, if they could not honour running them.

5) Due to the state of the timetable, I was not going to risk the 21:02. Had that not of run, would of been stranded in Oxford.

6) I find it a damn cheek that GWR fares will go up by another 4.x% next year, when:

A) Unregulated fares on many routes have already gone up another 10% in September.
B) Reliability, short formations and lateness seems to be an increasing issue.

To add. All well and good saying a Taxi if stranded by GWR.

Considering I didn't see any Station staff apart from the person on the platform, who would of authorised and paid for this?

Travel by car, simple as that. The rail "service" is a joke.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I sympathise with the OP. Whilst not quite in the same boat, I have found the reliability on the Hayes Line lately has been terrible. Tried to use it the other day to see family only to find the next two southbound trains were cancelled as was the fourth train. Didn't trust the the third, running, train so had to go an alternative route. Otherwise it would be a 2 hour wait at Catford!

 

[spp]

The person on the platform, or their colleague you didn’t see? A phone call to a Control Room? Who would have paid for it? It would have been paid for on account.

Not always the case, I’ve been stranded somewhere before and told they wouldn’t honour a taxi as I mentioned I had been visiting family…..they told me to go back to family sleep there and try in the morning

It being a normal work day or not is immaterial. GWR had services timetabled and so people should expect to be able to catch them.

Well said

 

[800001]

It is a normal working day for most other businesses.

Why did they schedule trains in the timetable after 8pm then?
If they were intending to finish early then they would have surely removed later trains from the timetable?

Because trains still run on Xmas ever after 8pm just that services start to run down from 8pm.

The train from Oxford at 2201 would have been needed back in London. That may of left London around 8pm

 

[Deepgreen]

Essentially, despite what the timetable says, these days trains after about 1900 on Christmas Eve must be treated as 'optional', sadly. The TOCs are driven by contractual penalties, not service pride, and thus the cheapest option for them will be taken - cancelling trains because of a longer-term staffing issue which itself has been driven by cost-cutting - even more so that they know that their tenure is going to end soon anyway.

 

[transportphoto]

Not always the case, I’ve been stranded somewhere before and told they wouldn’t honour a taxi as I mentioned I had been visiting family…..they told me to go back to family sleep there and try in the morning

My point was more along the lines of the OP would not have known who would have sorted a taxi because they didn’t ask. They were implying that the platform colleague was 1) alone, and 2) useless.

 

[johncrossley]

Should passengers boycott trains on Christmas Eve?

 

[Deepgreen]

Should passengers boycott trains on Christmas Eve?

That would almost certainly worsen things.

 

[LMS 4F]

They've already timetabled the earlier finish! The 2201 being cancelled is thoroughly unacceptable and only demonstrates the increasing inability of GWR to run their service. Taxis all the way for any affected passengers by right.

Am I the only person who thinks it a bit ironic that if the train doesn’t run, perhaps because of a shortage of staff, then it is assumed a taxi will be available? What if all the taxi drivers also wanted Christmas Eve off or perhaps because a lot are self employed they have to work when there is a need and money to be earned.
As someone who worked shifts which covered 24 hours and everyday of the year I find some people just don’t consider just how many are working on these holidays