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35 minutes is only a slight delay on our railway service

Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2012-11-15 08:31:43 - Graham Ellis

I'm going 2 days of PHP in London, and I've elected to travel by train. As I'm actually writing this, I'm somewhere between Twyford and Maidenhead, when I should now be on the underground somewhere near Euston Square. We were 35 minutes late leaving Reading, and our express train on the slow lines, and our train manager apologies for the "Slight" delay. Hmmm - if this is "slight" then I wonder what First Great Western consider to be a serious delay.

I got to Westbury at about 6 O'Clock ... not allowed on the 06:06 (which left at 06:15) as my ticket's only valid on the 06:18, which comes up from Frome. And, sure enough, a train appeared from Frome at 06:18 .. except it was a local train with just 4 or 5 people on. They all got off, and the onward London train was announced from another platform. It came in a few minutes later, totally in the dark, and waited what seemed like an age before anyone switched the lights on and let us on board. The conductor gave the game away rather when he admitted that he'd had to get a taxi down (and the catering crew had missed completely) and the train had been waiting for him. Ah - one set of rules for the staff, and another set for the customers - I bet they wouldn't have waited for me, nor should they do so.

We're up to speed and back on the main line ... passing Langley. I'm going to post, face the rush hour scrum, and face my "sorry I'm a bit late". It's a very lastminute booking and they know I'm - expectionally - coming up this morning. Funny how I kinda expect and plan for the trains to be slightly delayed by 35 minutes, isn't it?



Update ... got to my destination, an hour late ... FGW dragged into Paddington 39 minutes late after stopping to admire their depot at Old Oak. And the there was major disruption on the Hammersmith and City due to a points failure ... I'm so glad I'm not a daily commuter!