First Great Western Trains - a good reliable service (First Great Western)

Member Name: chrisc92

Product:	First Great Western
Date:	12/08/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A reliable service

Disadvantages: Most hourneys to/from Paddington require reservations

First Great Western Trains are operated by the First Group an Aberdeen trasport giant which not only operates a significant part of the rail network, but much of the bus one as well. As a company it has been in existence for 20 years.

My experience of First Western Trains however is along what used to be one of Great Western's main routes between the South West/West and London Paddington.

I've travelled many times from Taunton to Bristol and from Taunton to the capital over 8 years, and last week I had the opportunity to compare experiences.

My partner (Sue) and I travelled from Plymouth to Paddington on 3rd August and returned on the 6th. Our tickets had been booked using the trainline and cost us £13 each for both journeys which was pretty good value, and had been booked with the expectation of having 2 table seats both facing the direction of travel. We were a little apprehensive as our outward leg was split in 2 with a 5 minute change at Newton Abbot which we were panicing excessively over. We shouldn't have worried as the guard from our train was to be the one on the connection. (A few days after booking online prices continually rose to more than £70 single each by the day of travel).

As for the forward facing tickets, well the first train was a sprinter service and not only did we not get a facing seat, but no table either and we felt a little uncomfortable with only a small piece of the outside world visible to us from our seats.

Our main journey however was fine, despite yet again not having 2 forward facing table seats we did spend about a third of it sitting together until we reached Taunton where Sue had to swap seats and sit opposite.

It was quite clear with this and our return journey that there appeared to be no non-reserved seats. Our train from Newton Abbot was about 5-10 minutes late and made only 6 stops at Dawlish, Teignmouth, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parway, Taunton and Reading before arriving at Paddington around 5.45pm (early). The way back was similar with only 5 stops at Reading, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Totnes and Exeter St Davids before our arrival at Plymouth, which again was ahead of schedule.

Our departure from London was exactly on time and we boarded about 15 minutes before departure so that we could get comfortable and see what we had been given, again they weren't both table facing seats, but we did manage to both continue facing as the reserved seats from Taunton were not taken.

I had chosen the table seats after previous experience of the airline ones which I used to find a little uncomfortable so I was not that pleased to find we'd actually been allocated one facing and one back around our table. Luckily, it wasn't as big an issue as we'd imagined as the reservations were not all taken, but I expect to get what I have asked for.

At Plymouth and Paddington security is quite tight and both stations operate automatic ticket barriers, which for family and friends are a hinderance especially if you are trying to help them on the trains! Apart from the sprinter service the journey was extremely smooth and quiet.

What does concern me with First Great Western is that they rely on what are not 30 year old trains - mainly what were Intercity 125 trains on the majority of their mainline services. It also concerns me that 8 years ago their service was probably less than half of what it is today as they have bought up a number of other regional services including Wales and West, and on a visit to Exeter we paid a visit to one of their smaller stations - Exeter Central (that I visited about 10 years ago) which now have a high number of Great Western Services. Not only that, but it is now manned by Great Western staff.

In terms of journey time it took approximately 4 hours travelling to London (including waiting at Newton Abbot) and about 3.75 on the return.

I do feel that First Great Western is becoming the Tesco of the rail network. Great Western Trains was one of the first of the rail networks to win its licence after the denationalisation of the rail network, and its services were from Paddington to the South West as far as Paignton/Penzance and to Swansea in South Wales. Now services extend as far as Cheltenham Spa, and many regional services which have extended its empire.

I'm not convinced what Isimbard Kingdom Brunel would have thought if he were alive to day after designing many of the monuments to what was then "Gods Wonderful Railway" including Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads Stations and many of the bridges and viaducts which look so splendid on this section of the rail network.

To me, if First Great Western Trains expands much more, then in my view we should seriously consider re-nationalising the railway network. In addition, many of their trains have travelled over a million miles each, and it may be time for new investment to be made in its rolling stock.

On both days, there were only 3 trains that were late operated by First Great Western, but it did appear that they had extra time added to the journey whether as a back up or for other reasons I'm not sure, but I do know from experience of what was then Virgin Cross Country that they didn't have this luxury.

As a journey their trains were very confortable (seat wise), but our train was also very poorly ventilated and felt a little in need of air as the temperature rose. In terms of using their services again, well unless we drive, we have no real alternative so the answer would have to be yes. The only time I wouldn't is around Christmas when every train is packed and it is extremely clostrothobic.

In terms of rating, well I don't have any real complaints in terms of the service, more their manipulation of the rail network, so I have to give them 5* (probably 4.5)

Summary: As a train operating company they are power mad, as a service they are efficient