Great Western Railway Reviews 

Gone downhill - booked an advanced first and was allocated a seat with a broken (ie no) table
And since they did the catering reorganisation a few years ago the service has definitely declined (less tea trips - on some trains from London it’s been past Reading before we’ve got service )
The little things count (like making sure you have the seat you paid for with a table - balancing everything on your lap all the way to Cornwall from London in any fun!

Had a train cancelled due to line safety delay over an hour tried delay repay but declined due other claim for a separate journey to another trainline so nothing to do with GWR arguing over £37.75

If you want something to completely ruin you after a long day, catch a GWR train. Truly the most abysmal service. I travel regularly between London and south wales and can’t remember the last time a train of mine wasn’t delayed or cancelled. Regularly paying insane high prices to either arrive late or not at all. Today I had the pleasure of paying 80quid for a SINGLE and my train got cancelled and am currently squashed into a ram packed carriage like a sardine. Would’ve wanted a g&t to wash the pain away, but god forbid… because THE TRAIN IS TOO FULL! Travelling should not be stressful or extortionately priced and getting from A to B (WHEN YOU’RE PAYING 80QUID) should not a happy surprise. I have been and continue to be utterly disgusted by this service and the filth who control it.

My friend Wendy, who is almost blind and I travelled from Cardiff to Reading and onto Ash, near Guildford on 3rd October and returned on the 5th. We cannot thank the "Assistance" staff enough in how they went out of their way to, not only ensure smooth transitions on time but they took care of our cases and went out of their way to ensure all our other needs were met regarding finding disabled toilets and appropriate seating. They were all so friendly and kind. Thank you. Every blessing. Irene

Turn down the heat in your trains. Disgustingly hot. This isn’t difficult to work out.

Peter Tallon was incredibly welcoming and hospitable on the 22:53 from Worcester s Shrub Hill to London Paddington. Even though it was very late and the food/drink services were closed he went out of his to provide us with food, drinks and a lovely conversation. Thanks Peter!

Peter Tallon was so hospitable with us even in a late service. It was a 22:53 service from Worcester Shoub Hill! You should definitely book this service if you ever go to Worcester!

Peter on the 2253 Worcester Shrub Hill provided great service and was very friendly

GWR really are the worst. They must be. Surely no other UK rail operator can be any worse. Another day, another series of pointless delays trying to get through Oxford from Paddington. First it's "the train has to stop because, heaven forbid, there's another train going past in the opposite direction." Does this happen in other countries? In Yemen, are trains capable of passing one another without one (inevitably the one I am on) having to grind to a halt and sit there for several minutes to let the other past? Then it's, "We have ground to a halt, again, this time because a cross-country train needs to go past. How a train from Paddington to Hereford isn't "cross country" is beyond me, but hey-ho, it's Great Western, where "we don't even care how ludicrous our pathetic excuses sound, we gave up years ago." Next it's "we have stopped outside of Oxford because there's no platforms available." That excuse they roll out most weeks. I would love to meet the genius who decided that a total of three platforms would be sufficient for GWR at a pretty popular destination like Oxford. Let me assure GWR, it's not enough platforms. Not. Even. Close. If the future of the human race depended on GWR running a train on time, every other train, on every other network in the UK was cancelled, they had every GWR employee, Railtrack, all the people who work on the railroads in the country on the job, and they just had to go from Paddington to Oxford and be on time, I am 100% convinced GWR couldn't do it. All the available evidence indicates they couldn't.

I caught the 10.32 GWR service to Exeter SD from London Paddington on October 1st 2026 which arrived nearly 25 minutes late. The kind staff encouraged me to apply for Delay-Repay though their system. I have been rejected ten times so far when reaching the bank details for compensation page. Error 505. Whether it’s because I started & paid for my journey on SE Rail I’m not sure but the AI bot chat has been pretty useless so I’m left in the dark as to how I can claim.

And again a standing journey because they don't have 9 carriage train. What kind of an excuse is this? It's their job to ensure they have the right train, it doesn't just happens.

They claim WiFi ~ it doesn't work
They claim phone charging ~ as above
Slow
Extortionate

A third word service from a supposedly first world country

There are so many delays on the trains, all the time ... Aging fleet of trains, which are so often held at a red signal, for no reason communicated to us, of course apologies for the delay and inconvenience... But let's not fix what is broken and super expensive because... They don't have to since there is no alternative?

Absolutely disgraceful. I bought my journey the wrong way around by mistake so had to buy new tickets. Battled to try and get a refund for my unused mistake tickets and they refused. Robbing a hard working innocent man of his hard earned money for an honest easily done mistake is utterly disgraceful and borderline theft. Lost £84 and never travelling with GWR again the company are an absolute scamming joke. They should of understood and honoured the refund simple as.

Once again fascists 'R' us, AKA Great Western Railway can't operate the trains system. Round of applause for the useless idiots that run GWR for managing to stay in their jobs when the whole company is such a rip off bag of s.h.i.t! It's an embarrassment how awful GWR are. You have to pay extortionate amounts for a train ticket and then you can't even get the train because it's cancelled. I'm so sick of getting ripped off and stranded all over the place because GWR is too incompetent to keep the trains running and having to spend hundreds on taxi's every time I try and go anywhere. GWR are thieving fascist scum!

Passengers in Plymouth being ripped off on 08:49 service. When using their Devon & Cornwall Railcards. All the literature including online information from their own site and the application form to buy one states that it can be used after 08:45 . Off peak fares using this card starts at 08:45 everywhere except Plymouth. No mention of this in the aforementioned literature which is clearly a breach of the Consumer Rights Act . If the conditions for Plymoth. Are different it should clearly say so. Last time I checked Plymouth was in Devon so why the substandard treatment for a major transport hub?

The longer route trains seats are absolutely horrendous, no padding, like sitting on a breeze block, worst seats on the entire rail network

If I could give GWR zero stars I would. Because my train was delayed GWR emailed me and told me that I qualified for a refund. I subsequently explained my predicament, telling them that my train on the first leg of my journey was delayed and that I missed my connection. I then had to get a train destined for another part of the country and get an additional connection, which I did, incidentally, all three trains were absolutely jam packed and for over five hours it was standing room only in the corridors of the train, there were bikes and many people sitting on the floor, this was a Friday and so GWR should have added an additional carriage, I guess that would've cost money. I am a 74 year old pensioner who had to stand the entire journey. The total cost of my journey was around 50 pounds, to be honest with you GWR have spent more than that on personnel corresponding with me denying my small claim, it really gives me more satisfaction giving GWR a terrible review rather than receiving a measly 50 quid. To conclude, the service, the subsequent correspondence, GWR's honesty are all in disrepute. The next time I visit the UK I will not be taking the absolutely terrible train service, I will rent a car, it will definitely be cheaper, a lot quicker and absolutely more comfortable. Without a shadow of a doubt this was the worst train journey I have ever taken in my 74 years on planet Earth.

I got the train from Castle Cary,cycled from Taunton having lost my wallet and return ticket. Not wanting my partner to pay £120 for me to get home,cycled to get the fare down she would pay. Almost 50 miles and knackered. Refreshments guy was superb. Had a chat and explained about my day. Went above and beyond,gave me some food and drink. Thankyou for what you did for me.
Much aporeciated on the 18.41 p.m train from Castle to London Paddington.
Thankyou to the gentleman concerned

Paddington to Exeter £105 for a dirty smelly train and to sit on seats that have absolutely no cushion left in them, it's like sitting on a bowling ball, NEVER AGAIN.