On Aug 24, 5:54*pm, CJB wrote:
You couldn't make this up. The new c.i.s. has been up and misinforming
passengers for over two weeks - and nothing is being done to correct
the system.

This is a classic case worthy of Private Eye - who have been sent
copies of the photos. It is of two adjacent and supposedly identical
c.i.s. displays in the foyer by the ticket office. Spot the deliberate
mistakes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisjb...7627384806727/


Am I missing something? Looking at these photos, the b&w one is of
arrivals and the colour one departures, and they correspond; the top
entry on each shows an arrival from Paddington at 1123 going on to
Heathrow, both shown as from platform 3.


(snipped)

This situation has been going on for years. FGW say they know nothing
about it, but that its Network Rail's fault.

Sounds like the standard TOC excuse to me. Still not acceptable,
though.

Just recently we had this typical - i.e. every night - situation:

On platform 1 these trains were displayed:

* 23.45 Oxford - five passengers were waiting on platform 1. At the
*last* minute this train was suddenly switched to platform 3. I was
there and held the train doors open for customers to run from platform
1 to 3 over the road bridge - not easy for them. One Japanese tourist
with luggage didn't make it. He missed his train - the LAST train to
Oxford. The driver couldn't give a damn and was going to depart on
time regardless.

* 00.10 Reading - there were 7 passengers waiting on platform 1. At my
advice the Japanese tourist with luggage waited at the top of the
stairs in Station Road. The train arrived at platform 1. He ran down
the stairs with his luggage and caught it. I said to him that if the
train arrived on platform 3 I would hold the doors open for him. If I
see this appalling situation again - I WILL *ALWAYS* HOLD THE DOORS
OPEN - THAT IS A PROMISE.

* 00.51 Reading - this train apparently arrived at platform 1 as
announced

====

On platform 2 (& 3) these trains were displayed:

* 23.43 - Paddington (FGW) - about 4 passengers were waiting on
platform 2 /3. Again at the *last* minute this train was suddenly
switched to platform 4. They had to run over the footbridge to catch
this.

* 23.57 - Paddington (FGW) - arrived at platform 2

* 00.13 - Paddington (HC) - this train suddenly was displayed on the
new c.i.s. system on platform 2 but only a few minutes before it was
due. It normally calls at platform 4. Again passengers had to run over
the footbridge from 4 to 2 to catch it.

====

And next week when they close the station foyer at H&H the chaos is
going to get far worse because the only way of getting from the new
entrance on platform 4 is to go outside, along Station Parade, past
Tescos, past innumerable taxi cab offices, up Station Road, then down
the stairs onto platform 1. This will be impossible to achieve if they
suddenly switch platforms - which they will do. It take 10 minutes to
negotiate that street route as a normal pedestrian; with luggage or if
infirm, passengers can forget it - even if I hold the doors open for
them.

CJB.

Diabolical. The serious question, though, is "what can you do?" It
seems that complaining to Worst Late Western will only get the "it's
Network Rail's fault" response. Maybe a letter to your MP - letters
from MPs to TOCs tend to get more attention than from the general
public.