I thought I would share my disappointment and frustration at both my outward and return journey on Saturday 13th October, travelling from Salisbury to Bristol.

Out.  Took the 10.40 to Bristol Temple Meads. Surely a 'peak' service considering many travelling rugby fans on route to Bath Spa, many shoppers and long-distance weekend travellers with luggage.  We had a two-coach 158.  The train did not empty at Salisbury greatly and although we were lucky to find seats many at this stage were filling the corridors and even the guard's cab! I will say nothing of the suitcases.  By Warminster there was no improvement and while the guard tried his best to shepherd people all the way down the corridor, people were left at the station.  This was worse at both Westbury and Trowbridge, hardly anyone was able to get on let alone claim reserved seats.  There was a large amount of emptying at Bath Spa (predictable?)  Now, I do not know if the abandoned passengers were a) given appropriate excuse and apology or b) if alternative transport was organised.  All throughout, there was no announcement but I do not blame the guard for this and indeed many were complementary at the way he tried hard to make the best of a very bad situation.  I would like to add that there were two 158 units sitting pretty at a siding at Westbury which many noticed and were not impressed by, regardless of the 'technical' reasons as to why these were not pressed into service.

Return.  Arrived in time for the 20.22 back to Salisbury. There was no indication of the service on the departure board let alone which platform: odd.  We thought it could be the mysterious service to Barnham advertised at 20.25 so went to the platform (11) and saw a two-coach 158 and assumed it must be this train.  However the train sat at the platform, no lights, doors shut.  Mysterious Barnham service disappeared and no announcement or advertisement for the 20.22 to Portsmouth.  On finding a station guard he informed us that the train was cancelled but they chose not to advertise the fact - or indeed the service!  There was no driver. Reason? None given.  We were to wait for the 21.22.  This meant that one of my travelling companions whose onward journey was to Winchester would not reach until 00.10 with a 45-minute wait at Southampton, a woman on her own at not the most pleasant station!!!  This made her total 'journey' almost 4 hours as this service missed the appropriate connection at Southampton Central.

In the final analysis the 21.22 which was advertised for the same platform as the cancelled 20.22 service left from platform 1 - an alteration made at the last minute making us all run while the two empty driverless units were still sitting at platform 11.

These are two problems FGW CANNOT blame Network Rail for.  They are 'old' problems that on a number of occasions they have claimed to improve: capacity and cancellations due to inappropriate resources.

I look forward to the excuses.

May I add I also heard many echoes of: "might as well drive next time."

Not good at all, I agree. I sometimes think that Saturdays and Sundays are an awkward inconvienience for First and get much less planning attention than weekdays.

Until the management of FGW try to tackle the basics they should not bother with station poets, high speed dating, and all the other publicity making crap they insist on involving themselves in.

And related... read Tonya's post on alleged FGW recruitment freeze:

http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4450.0;topicseen