Love 'em or hate 'em, it doesn't matter. First Great Western, you continue to exist no matter what we, your passengers, think of you. Perhaps I don't ride your rails as often as Mathew O., who buys monthly tickets, and I haven't had a calamity nearly as bad as Leon C, who was delayed several hours. But in the last few months, I feel that I've gotten to know you just a bit. Riding from Reading into London/Paddington at least twice a month in the last six months, a few "short" journeys from Reading to West Drayton and a vacation trip out to Bath, I've been able to contrast and compare the long runs to the short runs, the Mark 3 coaches to the Class 165's. A shout out to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Great_Western! Consistently, the trains are as clean as you can expect for something in heavy use. The stations are well maintained and clean (though the lack of rubbish bins drives me nuts). The ticket barriers usually work, though not consistently enough that I can skip buying a ticket. The crews are polite and deferential when they pass through checking tickets. But the most important requirements of any train system are timeliness. scheduling and comfort: - On timeliness, I award you a B+, as my 60 or so trips have never been delayed more than a few minutes. Even in the rain, my longest run was never more than 15 minutes late (though on a 25 mile trip, that's saying something). - On comfort, I award a B. While the seats are clean, on the 165's, they are usually too close together for a 6 foot tall American to sit comfortably and I end up at an angle taking up two seats. On the class 3's, I usually do okay at least for the shorter journeys. - On schedule, I award an A-. The London to Reading routes are very popular and there are *always* trains. We are fortunate to never have a "last train of the night" as they run out to Swansea and Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare all day and all night. I have, however, been stuck on the "local" at midnight, a journey that usually takes 25 minutes that was extended to 52 minutes for stops at all and sundry between London and Reading. So for you, FGW, I award three stars. You are A-OK and we Readingers (Readingites? Readingees? Readers?) are fortunate to have you. read more

First Great Western - First Class on First Great Western - Public Transportation Near Me - Par, CON

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In my travels west of. London and Heathrow then back, FGW is the line of choice. Ive not attempted a sleeper car or first class but the normal/average rider spaces are ok. It's a bit on the worn, older side but it suffices. Some cars there's no space for luggage so you just have to hold it tight. Definitely beats paying way more for a taxi or cab if time isnt of the most critical importance. read more

First Great Western - Public Transportation Near Me - Par, CON

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First Great Western, you suck! Arriving at Paddington Station, I was met by hordes of people frustrated at the lock down on trains due to a fire near a gas station. Ooops! On dragging the response of "there'll be no trains for ages," from the super specific attendant, I took the tube to Ealing Broadway. After arriving at Ealing Broadway, the fun truly began. My train was still delayed. For 15mins, every time the clock hit the arrival time, the arrival time went back a minute. It was like cat and mouse. Getting tired of this, the arrival time decided to no longer change, meaning our trains would now be arriving in the past. Excellent! After numerous trains whizzed past without stopping, one eventually did. In the two minutes the train sat on the platform, the platform attendant disappeared and the information board changed its destination three times. "Where the funk are you going train?' I got on and off, on and off, eventually deciding to stay off as the train didn't seem to be going my way. The train left, the attendant appeared. I asked him if the train now departing the platform was going to my stop? He said yes. I should of unleashed a devastating Spinning Bird Kick there and then, but I fought the blistering desire to destroy and controlled myself. He politely told me there would be another train in 5mins. 12mins later my train arrived. After sitting on the platform, opening and closing its doors for a few more minutes like an epileptic Thomas the Tank engine, it set off. You displease me First Great Western, you displease me. read more

First Great Western - Public Transportation Near Me - Par, CON

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to dock First Great Western a star purely on the basis of their website and customer services. My friends and I have been trying to book the sleeper train for the next leg of the Cornish coastal walk that we plan to do in September. The tickets only go on sale 12 weeks before departure and they encourage you to book as early as possible to get the cheapest fares. 12 weeks to the day we were on the website trying to book but it was extremely complicated to book two twin cabins without first getting supplements and then getting sleeper add on's. On calling them we were told we couldn't purchase the return tickets as the return journey was still more than 12 weeks away. At this point, we went back on to the website to book the single journey there and the prices had more than doubled!! (this was only one day later that the 12 week window!). We then tried to book the return leg exactly 12 weeks to the day but couldn't manage it on line - for some reason, its only possible to book these tickets over the phone. I've just spent the last three days trying to contact customer services but seem to get stuck in an endless queue. Today, I finally managed to speak to someone. Unfortunately, that person didn't really speak much English and couldn't understand that I wanted sleeper tickets that included a bed!!! I finally got my message across, and surprise surprise the tickets had yet again doubled in price! Why advertise the cheap tickets when its actually impossible to purchase them?? My friend has also written them a letter of complaint after the first issues but this has yet to be acknowledged. So in conclusion, your sleeper train is fantastic but you customer services are appalling - rant over!! read more

This morning First Great Western charged me £325 for a monthly ticket to travel 25 minutes out of London. Just take that in for a second: £4k a year. For a 25-minute train journey. This evening that journey took me over 2-hours. For the second time in as many weeks. I missed Yelp football and am a sad bunny. First Great Western: Destroyer of dreams. read more

Heading out west in the UK from London usually requires a trip on the First Great Western. From taking my mom to Bath, visiting my cousin in Bristol, and spending weekends with the Welshman... First Great Western may have been my second most used train line. I myself have never experienced a delay or cancellation on this line, but when my mom and I were headed to Bath, one of their other trains had broken down and we took on those passengers. It was standing room only and I am so glad that it wasn't our train that broke down. The staff at the ticket counter at Paddington could use a course in customer service and that's why I didn't give a full five stars. I know working a ticket counter with tourists asking the same dumb questions day in and day out can get old, but if the people at East Coast can be jolly and helpful with delays and problems all over the place... then First Great Western can too! I also think they need to up their staffing during peak hours... one person for a line out the door is just inviting strongly worded letters. The trains themselves... well they're not the newest and cleanest trains, but they are also not the worst trains I have ever been on. They have decent sized luggage racks at the end of the cars so there aren't heaps of bags just hanging out in the vestibules. This is also another train company that doesn't accept American credit cards, which is also another issue in my book. If they had, I wouldn't have had to encounter the grouchy staff member at the ticket desk at Paddington... and yes I tried the automated kiosks, but there was an error message with my card. Other times I booked on thetrainline.com and paid the minimal fee to avoid the ticket counter. read more

I commuted on First Great Western (FGW) every workday for a period of six months from Paddington to Oxfordshire last year. It's not an experience I want to re-live. The things I liked: -the 8 seats in each carriage with extra leg room for elderly or disabled people. As a gentleman of some height, these seats were invaluable for me; -The excellent bike policy: In theory spaces for non-folding bikes have to be reserved at a small charge (£2). In practice it operates on a first-come, first-serve basis, meaning that I was almost always able to get my bike on the train at no cost. Further, the large number of people with folding bikes meant that there were always enough spaces for non-folding bikes to go around; -The regularity of the trains from the major stations on my route leaving Didcot Parkway for Paddington in the morning. This meant that if I wasn't able to get on one train, it'd only be another 10 or so minutes to wait for another one; -The excellent timetabling of connecting trains, with local stopping services scheduled to depart around 10 minutes after the scheduled arrival of faster services. When this worked, it made for really quick and convenient journeys from central London to rural Oxfordshire. For the first month everything seemed to work perfectly. Then I started noticing problems: -Delays started creeping in. At best this would only mean me missing my connecting local train, adding another 30 mins to my already 1.5 hr commute. At worst, it would leave me waiting with hundreds of other passengers at London Paddington for hours wondering what on earth was going on. Sometimes the reason was out of FGW's control, other times it was squarely their fault (staff absences, broken trains). No compensation was ever forthcoming, just "apologies for any convenience you may have suffered". Gee, thanks. -The Paddington-Oxford route was particularly bad for some reason, reliably incurring delays. Paddington-Didcot was slightly better; -Paddington-Oxford services between 7:30pm-10:45pm are really sparse and/or poorly connected, either forcing extended waits in Paddington or longer journeys than usual; -Sunday services suck. Local services tend to be replaced with 'rail replacement buses' and there are less fast services. Argh! -The normal seats have far too little leg-room for those long of leg. And noticeably less than the trains of some of the other train companies e.g. East Coast; Overall? I don't mind using them for the odd trip, but I'd never want to rely on them day-in, day-out. Plus, my recent discovery that the 24 hr Oxford tube takes non-folding bikes means that even my casual use of FGW's services will become less frequent. read more

Summary based on several trips as a tourist between London and Bath: --easy to buy discounted tickets online from the US --easy to pick up tickets at the station --ok comfort with AC power receptacles available --ok toilets on the trains --decent schedule read more

During a recent trip to the UK, I used First Great Western during an out-and-back trip from London. The good news is that both trains departed on time. On the way out of London, I needed to use the loo and asked an employee whether the train would have a toilet on board. She said it would. In fact, the train had two toilets. Unfortunately, they were both out of service. I guess I should have asked whether the train would have any *functioning* toilets? On the way back, signaling problems meant that our train limped back into London at a snail's pace. (Yep, just let that analogy of a limping snail sink in...) Overall, I was less than impressed. read more

Good down to earth no frills boozer . like a pint try it !

I have had several experiences with Great Western Railways that have been inconvenient, disappointing and frustrating. To keep from boring you to death, here is a summary: 1. Ticket prices It's no wonder the roads are traffic-logged and the ice caps are melting when it costs significantly less to fly across Europe in than it takes to travel from London to Truro by rail. Ticket prices keep rising while service appears to stay the same. The south west has the oldest rolling stock in europe, so why are we paying some of the highest prices? 2. Journey Service One Easter I payed £135 return to Truro from Paddington, it wasn't even peak hour and I was forced to sit on the floor for 4 hours as this price didn't even include a reserved seat. People with children were struggling to get off the train with their little ones in time as it was so crammed. It was absolute chaos. Aside from this, not just one but both journeys were delayed by 30 minutes each way! 3. Customer Service GWR has a service whereby if you would like to change your ticket, you frustratingly have to cancel your existing ticket online then order a new one. This used to be relatively straightforward but now they ask you to print off a form and physically post it in, even if your tickets were never collected. I have been waiting for a refund of £100 since September (four months ago, yep) as they mysteriously never received my first form, so I had to post it in for a second time. I've rang about three times since and they keep telling me that there is a 'backlog of about a month'. When we're paying such incredible amounts for basic tickets, how can they not afford to pay adequate numbers of staff to process this 'backlog'? I recently received a refund for a flight from Thomson in 3 days, why should it take GWR four months? My advice is, if you have access to a car, drive. read more

I'm sat on a FGW train from Taunton to Paddington. I paid for first class because if I went standard I couldn't guarantee a seat and I thought it would be nice to travel in style. Well, haha!! I have just been informed that as it's a weekend, no trolley service. Instead I'm told to trudge to the buffet car for a paper cup of insipid tea and a packet of shortbread biscuits. Save your cash, risk standing (if your legs can cope) because 'first class' is an epic scam. read more

Dirty and Dangerous.Day going swimmingly until ruined by FGW. Problem 1: Wild Cat announcement to use footbridge 300 yards away with very heavy luggage. Problem 2: Announcement train will only go 2 stops.After that who knows? Problem 3: Train goes 2 stops,.Get off- nothing.Eventually find 'bus'. Its 9.30pm on a Saturday Night.I have been up since 5am. The dark streets are noisy dangerous and dirty awash with alcoholics.Bus moves off on a 20 mile replacement service. Problem 4:Its coming up to midnite and close down and we are still no nearer the destination. Problem:5 Getting really pissed off now.Arrived at a station and 'dumped'into the dark night. Problem 6:Seems I have 2 minutes to catch the last train.Laid on as a favour. 70 year old back from holiday lugging 75 kilos of baggage up stairs (lift broken) No luggage boy. I could have dropped dead in the dark dingy clockwork orange tunnel.and probably no one would have cared when the cleaner found me. Problem 6:Train moves off.Fills up with alcoholics along route. People are visibly drunk.Swearing louldy.I feel extremly threatened. Problem 7:Carriage is totally filihy. Finally we get 'home'after midnight.Great just when all the public transport shuts down. Streets are awash with out of control alcoholics,clubs and stab vest security guards outside,I finally make it home from my'hoiiday' I feel traumatised,betrayed and filthy. The journey should have taken 1 hour. It took nigh on 5 hours. I wrote to Customer Complaints for a refund. After accusing me of lying they ignored me completley and I have not heard anything since.After 3 years too. PS Do you like breathing in asbestos off the vintage roof coverings on many stations? read more

- Frequent service - Much faster than driving and cheaper than parking in London - Seats usually available in the Quiet carriage (the stupid and lazy don't walk that far) - Good value £5 upgrade to 1st class at weekends with a free coffee and biscuits thrown in read more

bad service. I don't even bother to write my experience. Not to mention the fact that it's price goes up every year, its service never improves and is disproportionate to its value. Some staff are unfriendly, unhelpful and trains are old ! Schedule delays are often encountered. I have no choice but to choose this company. Sad stuff read more

I need to report that Great Western Railway personnel were absolutely wonderful in helping two elderly passengers with their luggage, first at Gloucester, then when changing trains at Swindon and Reading, and finally at Southampton Central. Train personnel were prompt, solicitous, and efficient, and the booking process for assistance was easy and helpful. Thanks for helping make what could have been a difficult transit seamless. read more

I reached out to your customer service team on Monday about an issue I had on April 1st and I still haven't heard anything back. I have never had a more unpleasant experience with a company such as Great Western Railway before. On April 1st I took the train from Paddington to Cardiff. Our flight was suppose to arrive at 10:50 but didn't arrive until 11:15 and then we were in customs for an hour and a half. My wife and I were trying to be pro-active and buy our train tickets early so we bought tickets from Paddington to Cardiff for 12:57, so we could meet up with family in Wales.Unfortunately we were unable to make it to our train because of our plane being late and the crazy wait in customs. We had to get on the train at 1:30pm. About an hour onto the train, a staff member comes by to check out tickets. The staff member informs us that we are on the wrong train and we have to pay 44.5 pounds each because we didn't make it to our correct train. I tried to explain to your staff member that we were 25 minutes late with our plane and that customs took forever. Your staff member was rude and said that it wasn't his issue. I didn't know what to do- so I paid him the 89 pounds and stayed on the train. The train was no way near full- there were plenty of seats on it and we had no idea that we would be punished and had to pay 89 pounds for circumstances out of our control. This trip to London was my first and first with GWR and I can say the next time I come to London I will avoid the GWR because of the rude service and lack of understanding for people who are new to using your company. read more

AWFUL FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE! The First Class was dirty, I have pictures of wires hanging under seats, we had no tray table (ripped out), it was a filthy carriage. There was no wifi, drinks, anything and your train manager agreed it wasn't good enough and in no way matches how your website describes first class and its pictures. Customer Service don't care. They just take your money and run! IF YOU HAVE THE CHOICE DO NOT TRAVEL WITH FGW!!!! read more

I requested assistance from their customer care team, instead of showing an ounce of compassion or understanding, I was given a generic sorry, nothing we can do answer. I felt more like the agent saw it as an easy way to blow me off, close her ticket and protect her turn around time. Shocking and weak excuse for customer service. All I was doing was asking for help to move a assigned seat for a journey that doesn't take place for weeks, that ticket has not been collected, and that I paid the extortionate first class rate just so I could have this seat. They told me that they can't move advanced seats, which is not true, it's their company, it's their platform, it is not impossible to move a seat. She just didn't want to help. read more

Terrible service between Bristol and London (Saturday) - original train didn't exist and no email to let me know, delayed, changed platform 4 times, train disgusting and dirty, then full of drunk idiots at Bath (from Swindon and Chippenham) delayed again with transport police, arrived in London just under an hour late (00:20) just as tubes close, night bus home. Have written for compensation - lets see if I get this - If i don't I would rate as 0 stars! read more

Horrible customer service. Warning - do not include tube transfers in the price of your FGW ticket - if that tube station is closed, you'll have to find other means of traveling and you lose out on what you paid for the tube! My boyfriend and I recently took FGW to London and towards the end of the trip, it was announced that taxis would be available outside the station. The person making the announcement started to say something else but the line was cut off - probably because they didn't want customers to know that the tube at the station was closed because some passengers had tube travel included on their FGW tickets. I've only taken FGW once, but I plan on it also being the last! read more

Useless company. Bought return ticket from Newbury to London - they took my money no problem, no mention of engineering work delays coming back to Newbury in the evening. No communication at all and grumpy, cocky staff. read more

The worst train company in London. If possible book trips with other operators. FGW is usually late, trains lack air conditioning, they lock windows so there's no air inside the trains, there's never information on what's causing delays and their customer service is a joke. read more

Absolutely DISGUSTED with service yesterday. My 81 year old mother boarded the train at Didcot headed for Paddington and onwards via Kings Cross to Ely. She bought her £40 ticket and no-one said a word.... At Reading, she was unceremeniously chucked off the train and told she should head for Waterloo due to over-runing Engineering works (with millions of others and not a clue now how her journey would proceed). She fell up the escalator at Reading station and was just told she should have used the lift. Thank God for National Express. She made her onward journey via Heathrow and Stanstead and all three of the drivers involved in this "adventure" were incredily helpful to her, helped her, carried her bag etc. Aboslutely shocked at this as a service every step of the way. Why no information at Didcot (when I would have taken her back home?) How many people do you think you can fit on a train to Waterloo and what are frail and vulnerable people - who after all tend to travel by train - to do. Horrid horrid horrid! read more

basic boozer, but little choice for beer drinkers, only Bombardier or John Smiths!!! Seven choices of fizzy lager bier rubbish though. not a pub for bitter or real ale drinkers. read more