Half a train, broken air-con, rubbish service

Date: 2009-06-30
Journey Origin: Ascot
Scheduled Dep. Time: 09:10
Journey Destination: Waterloo
Estimated Delay: 10 mins
Details of complaint: Another example of useless customer service from South West Trains:

• The train was delayed by 5 mins at Ascot, with no reason given.
  
• The train was only 4 carriages long - half as long as normal. Standing room only from Ascot
  
• No working air conditioning on the train
  
• All the windows were closed
  

Due to all of the above, the train was almost 15 mins late when it finally pulled into Waterloo. At no point in any stage of the journey did the guard attempt to open the windows (you need a special tool to do it, because they are normally shut due to the train allegedly having air conditioning). The guard did not apologise for the hideously cramped conditions, nor the late running of the train - nor did anyone explain why a peak hour train only had half it's carriages.
At Ascot this morning it was 22 degrees already. To run such a totally broken train, in an hour long rush hour journey into London, is totally unacceptable.
People were feeling faint in the carriage, with passengers asking around for water for one lady.
As usual, no apologies, no explanation, no refunds, no water - nothing. Totally rubbish.

Where's the rest of the train?

Date: 2009-06-24
Journey Origin: Ascot
Scheduled Dep. Time: 09:40
Journey Destination: Waterloo
Estimated Delay: n/a
Details of complaint: Where's the rest of the train? 4 carriages instead of 8 just doesn't cut it - standing room only at Ascot, not even a third of the way in to Waterloo?
And what are those big expensive signs they've put up everywhere actually for? If you can list the time the train is expected, where it will stop - why can't the number of carriages be listed? Some warning that another of the crappy trains has broken down, and it's being replaced with half a train from another line, would be just a little helpful.

"Hey guys! Be patient!"

Date: 2009-05-06
Journey Origin: Ascot
Scheduled Dep. Time: 09:55
Journey Destination: Waterloo
Estimated Delay: 35 mins+
Details of complaint: Slow slow train, and then it just stops outside Feltham. The guard announces over the tannoy "Hey guys. We have a problem and are being delayed. Please be patient."
And that's it.
After 20 minutes he tells us that there are signal problems, which apparently no-one knows when they will be resolved. Nor does he know how long we'll be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
But we need to be patient. He doesn't know how long the delay will be, but we need to be patient.
Then we move into Feltham station, move 200 yards out of it, and then stop again for another 15 minutes.
"Hey guys, be patient" says the guard again, in the most bored and disinterested voice ever.
I've missed one meeting due to this delay, and as I'm typing this on the train - still stationary - it looks like I'll miss a second meeting in London at mid-day.
Thanks South West Trains! Your rubbish over-priced unreliable service has once again damaged my business and cost me money!

Heating, again

Date: 2009-04-30
Journey Origin: Waterloo
Scheduled Dep. Time: 19:50
Journey Destination: Ascot
Estimated Delay: n/a
Details of complaint: Heating jammed on full blast, again. My laptop is showing the ambient temperature as being 24 degrees. Are the heating/air conditioning controls broken? Are the guards and/or driver somehow unable to turn off the heaters when it gets warm? Or do they just not care?
I'm beginning to suspect the latter.

Delayed train with no explanation

Date: 2009-04-29
Journey Origin: Ascot
Scheduled Dep. Time: 10:25
Journey Destination: Waterloo
Estimated Delay: 14 minutes
Details of complaint: Big delay, and the train only stopped at Staines and then Waterloo. The only explanation from the platform staff was 'emergency engineering works'.
The guard didn't explain the revised stops until after the train had left Ascot, leaving a number of very angry people stuck on the train, who'd run from the platform to catch it.
Of course as the guard is locked away in the middle of these trains you can't actually ask him anything until the train stops somewhere and he gets out.
Oh, and even though it's 16 degrees outside the heaters were still on full blast in the carriage I was in.

More heating! Turn it off!

Date: 2009-04-23
Journey Origin: Ascot
Scheduled Dep. Time: 09:10
Journey Destination: Waterloo
Estimated Delay: N/A
Details of complaint: It's 13 degrees C outside, yet the heating is on inside the carriage. Thanks, SWT, I really needed to arrive dehydrated and sweaty for my meeting this morning.

This service is poo

Date: 2009-04-22
Journey Origin: Waterloo
Scheduled Dep. Time: 20:20
Journey Destination: Ascot
Estimated Delay: 20 minutes
Details of complaint: The toilets in one of the carriages had overflowed. Effluent everywhere. Rather than just seal off the carriage the decision was made to delay the service to try and mop things up.
Firstly, that is gross - there's no way they could have cleaned the carriage up enough to make it sanitary, let alone not smelling like an effluent pipe.
Secondly, why not just seal off the carriage? SWT regularly decided to only run 4 carriage trains instead of 8 - often at peak hours - so why would only 7 usable carriages on a late train be that big a deal?
Top marks to the announcement from the guard: "I'd like to assure passengers that the carriage will be thoroughly cleaned and the toilet repaired overnight." Helpful.
If you've never had the misfortune to use a toilet on the trains on the Reading line - don't. They are clearly never cleaned during the day, at all. The doors seldom open, and if they do, they either won't shut or else lock you in. The stench is appalling, and often the only free seats on the entire train can be found near the toilets.
Yes, people would rather stand for an hour than sit near the toilet door. It is that bad.