Great Western Railway Reviews 

Firstly no star rating would be too high. Travellling to Truro from London Paddington on the 10.03 to Truro on the 17/09/2023. Arrived at Paddington around 9.50. No sign of the train on platform indicator board. Asked one of the station staff, clueless, and he pointed towards information desk and we asked another staff member, clueless, and he got on his walkie talkie and then mumbled platform two. Time was getting on and we had to run. Both of pension age and with luggage. We had booked seats in coach C. As we went to board we could barely get on as there were passengers and luggage everywhere. We found our seats and found a youngish family occupying our seats and they cheerfully told us that seat reservations had been cancelled which was confirmed by others. None of this family offered to at least let my wife sit down but as long as they were nice and comfortable that is all that matters.
Finally some passengers piled lots of luggage onto one seat so my wife could sit down with her legs in the aisle. Train pulled away and then announced there would be no food or drinks served as if anybody could move up and down the train anyway as it was beyond rammed. Then an announcement came apologizing for the mayhem stating that a ten coach train had been ordered but only five coaches turned up and the choice was either to run with five or cancel. To cancel would only have led to even greater mayhem I suppose. The reason the train was not advertised at Paddington and other station on route was that they did not want people to get on but surprisingly people are not stupid and they will find out which platform the train they are booked on is going from like us.
The main guard on the train was good and eventually sorted out a seat for my wife in another coach so we never saw each other for most of the journey. I do not know what the health and safety precautions are on a train but there was far too much luggage and this was piled everywhere blocking aisles and seats, there was no clear pathway down the aisles, people were standing everywhere including the toilets. Could go on. Total carnage

You need a no-star rating.
4th attempt to get to Cornwall due to strikes after 5 months. Last trip, 11 hours on train without arriving at destination. Had to return as it cancelled, with only half- compensation. This trip arrived an hour late, returning with part coach journey. Cars removed from trip, people standing everywhere all the way back , no service in first class for 2 hours, no catering for rest of train, lavatory broken.
They need to lose license. Award to Swiss company. They should be drummed out.

The trains were clean and on time. The host Abbi on the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington on Saturday 20th May was the most helpful, friendly and happy host I have ever come across. The customer service she provides is outstanding!

The GWR 16.30 from Oxford to Banbury.

It was full and standing. The train was well maintained and the seats are comfortable. The interior decor is a bit too gloomy for me. They need to add another carriage.

Perpetually late, wifi almost never works, train reservations often not working, trains are packed, compensation process clearly designed with enough friction in the experience to deter claimants.

Woeful.

Late Severn beach line waiting at the station for 13 minutes then had to stop for 8 minutes for another train to pass us
Worst train service

Useless.

Train to Paddington from Maidenhead is nearly ALWAYS delayed / has some sort of technical issue / red signalling issues. Literally about twice a week, wish I was exaggerating but I’m not. I’m constantly late to work. It’s embarrassing. Luckily my colleagues understand the unreliability of the commute but I can imagine some employers aren’t so understanding. People could lose their jobs because of this!

It’s nearly always full and you’re lucky to get a seat, at £4000 for a season ticket you’d expect better.

And they want to strike? It’s big juicy joke it seems.

So I bought a return ticket.
The outbound train was during industrial action.
I applied for a refund for the return ticket.
It took a month, but I was refunded for the outbound sector.
I questioned my refund and was told to put in another refund for the return part of my ticket.
I have been told I will not get a refund due to the fact that I applied for the refund over a month after the ticket expired.
Of course my original refund application was within the time limit, but GWR will not accept this.
Do not trust this company to refund you if your train is cancelled, this is an example that they will use any technicality to avoid giving money back.
In future, I will use Flybe, they have restarted the same route and are both faster and cheaper.
Badly done GWR.

It's -6 outside. And your waiting room doors are broken to be locked shut.

Waited an hour in this temperature for a train that was supposed to arrive at 08:23, constantly getting delayed, until they 'replaced' it with one that doesn't even go to the same stops and just spits you back out at Temple Meads to be funnelled into further delays yet again.

Pay your workers fairly. Treat them like human beings. My commute became a 3 and a half hour trip due to these strikes. This inconvenience is the company's fault, not the workers, and I've had to now spend a further £40 on an Uber in order to actually make it into Bath in time for an important meeting.

Always LATE OR DELAYED, what kind of a service is it!!!?? Shame on you!!! The people running this company should be publicly shame and named!!! Bunch of greedy dic.....ds!

My daughter has been using or attempting to use this line daily for college since September. A few times a week the crewkerne to exeter line has its timetable delayed, terminated a few stops in or just cancelled. Terrible service particularly for those who commute for education and work.

Appalling that your staff take pleasure in upsetting young children.
To be faced with a strike which we were not informed about on our outbound journey, for then the staff to laugh and enjoy the scene of my upset stranded 7 year old.
And they wonder why the public are not in support of strikes. Have some sympathy at the very least.

And when there are no strikes the trains are late, cancelled and filthy.
GWR are an embarrassment

Disgraceful service Filthy trains and toilets
LATE trains then you claim refund and they deny the claim
Appalling customer service Never want to use again
No better than a cattle train
GWR-CR-1608058

Rude staff, mostly late, overpriced

Can honestly say I will never travel with them again. Train was running late which I accept but then because it meant I just went out of off peak halfway along my journey the ticket inspector charged me a further £18.50
I'm in utter shock but had no choice but to pay.

First class has all the charm of travelling in an office washroom. Gloomy decor. Uncomfortable seats, supposed to be reclining but mine was jammed. Not enough sandwiches to go round. I was lucky though and had an egg roll (or more like a chemistry experiment with its 34 ingredients). Don't waste your money.

Horrific journey Paid an exorbitant price for first class booked seating ( they couldn’t get that right ) even for the other passengers. We were packed like sardines in seats that were really uncomfortable. food and beverage offering woeful coffee like dishwater, sandwiches offering poor very little available soggy crisps. Staff lovely but we would be have been better off in a wheel barrow
No consideration for disability or less mobile persons.altogether an awful experience.

First class here is a scam. Random noisy people sitting there and nobody comes to check tickets. If you paid extra to have a quiet trip you’re in bad luck.

Travelled back to Plymouth from London Paddington on 13th May, 2022. I was looked after by one of your staff, a lovely lady called Kayleigh Gentry/Scott.
She was so helpful and obliging, and made the journey very pleasant.

Truly awful trains are the IET, very uncomfortable and too hot. Travelled Exeter to Paddington today and couldn't wait to get off.