Some of the comments left by those registering on this website
When signing up to this website we invited you to answer two questions. Below you find some of the answers we have received. We obviously have only used those comments which you have allowed us to publish. There are many more...
Has the new 10 Dec 2006 timetable affected you in any way?
| JH - Newbury |
Yes - last train from Paddington is ridiculous. Yes - we are supposed to be encouraging people out of their cars and onto the trains. The reverse is happening. |
| JT - Newbury |
Ive found the morning services to be much less reliable. Also the removal of the late train from Paddington to Newbury has made trips to the capital rather difficult, as I do not have a car. |
| PM - Newbury |
Yes, barely able to get a seat on early morning services from Newbury got to be there 15 minutes early to get a seat on the return services in the evening. If I am out late in London, now got to fork out £35 on a cab home from Reading |
| WH - Newbury |
I am no longer able to attend Football matches and other leisure events in London, as the last train to Newbury is now 2215hrs. I have been in contacted with FGW and have been advised that they do not intend to chnage the current timetable until December 2007 at the earliest!! |
| PB - Reading |
Made my job a living hell! |
| AZ - Slough |
Trains are more crowded, often to the extent that passengers are unable to board them. Journey times have increased. Trains are almost always late. Information provision is virtually non-existent. Cancellations are far more frequent than they used to be. |
| ID - Newbury |
Yes. I used to catch the 7.03am train, now the 6.55am train.There appears to be no guarantee that the train will arrive on time nor, indeed, whether it is actually running. At the same time, with less seats than before, it is overcrowded with standing room only by the time we reach Reading. The service is a lot worse but, at the same time, costs more. There is also a lack of information with station staff not appearing to know much more than the passengers and ,at times, less. |
| AM - Newbury |
Totally. I have been forced to abandon the train altogether. I work in the Theatre and it is now impossible to get the train back after 22:30! I now just drive. Cheaper and much more convenient, but not greener. |
If you were in charge of First Great Western - what would you change?
| SS - Reading |
If I was in charge at the moment Id resign. However, in the real world, Id question why Id signed up to such a ludicrous bid in the first place, and start making plans for when things will go belly up in about 18 months. FGW has to pay one billion pounds to the government over this franchise. Theyve only just begun to cut costs. We havent seen anything yet. Having said this, if I was in charge Id know that things would go wrong so Id spend Firsts money on hiring some more carriages, stop pulling carriages out of Highspeed services and generally make sure that the remaining 18 months I had left went well. |
| DT - Aldermarston |
Get the planners to draw up a service which meets the needs of users rather than one which meets the criteria of the DFTs minimum service agreement and thereby attracts a subsidy. Also reinstate the late Reading - Newbury service. The bus which is being laid on at present is being used as an indicator as to the need for a train service, but most people would avoid a lengthy (1hr?) bus journey after a night out at all costs. For a true indication of usage, this service should be covered by a train. |
| DA - Newbury |
Frequency of services and ensuring the trains have sufficient capacity to allow people to board. Also, less spin and more honesty when announcing timetable changes. |
| DN - Thatcham |
I would increase the capacity of the trains during the peak periods. All commuters deserve a seat!! |
| DB - Thatcham |
Stop cutting back just to increase the profit margin. Customer service is nothing compared to what it used to be in any sector, and FGW seem to welcome this trend with open arms! |
|
