What a terrible day for trains in the SW! It all started for me when the 09.51 Taunton - Edinburgh was cancelled, making me an hour late into Bristol. There were delays on pretty much all trains coming up from the SW, and I later found out that a FGW HST power car had failed at Plymouth. This didn't cause my cancellation though: this was due to a severe lack of "train manager", and the train ran in its original path, but ECS to Bristol. What a joke. I nearly didn't get on the next train due to massive queues in the booking office (2 of 3 windows serving), and the FastTicket machine STILL not accepting cash for the 3rd day running.
The following London-bound HST was "reported full and standing", and let's not go into the chaos at Bristol, caused by over-running of engineering works around Cardiff...or the cancellation of the Avonmouth branch service due to a lack of drivers...or the fact that the lax attitude of the FGW platform staff once again led to a 3 minute late departure on my Weymouth train...
Coming home, the Keynsham - Temple Meads train was over 5 minutes late, but still managed to connect with the (also) late-running 19.47 HST to Taunton (delayed due to trespassers), which was then sent down the Weston avoider due to a major signal failure, missing the planned stops at WSM and Milton (announcements said "road transport from Taunton", but were later changed to rail...presumably the signals only failed in one direction?!)...
Oh yes, and yesterday the 09.51 was stuck for 30 mins south of Uphill Junc. due to a points failure!
Oh what fun it is to be a rail passenger!
Bad day at the office
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Rich_Eason
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