Great Western Railway Avis 

First time I've taken a train in about 8 years and the connecting train got cancelled. Staff gave me instructions with no idea of the wait waste of my time

Only because there wasn’t an option for 0

Purchased 1st Class tickets, but error in booking meant return was booked for tomorrow. I showed my tickets and my railcard explaining that I had CPTSD and AuDHD and asked the conductor to apply a ‘reasonable adjustment’ using discretion. He refused stating that it was policy to charge me full applicable fare for another ticket. Complained to GWR and they said that the conductor was right. So, they can run trains without catering when they want, run late consistently, apply their rules rigidly, then rely on technical details when it favours them. What an absolute shambles of an application of their own rules.

4:03 Trip from Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington. Peter the Catering worker, probably the best experience i have ever had on a train! Would highly recommend, he deserved all the raises in the world!

4:03 train from cheltenham to paddington had excellent service from a catering worker called Peter in first class and was a very pleasant experience.

Maidenhead Station is not fit for purpose. There are not enough gates and there is significant overcrowding, especially when exiting the station. It needs significant investment.

In Reading they made us wait in the train for 20 minutes before cancelling the train all together. As I was getting off the train to run to catch the next one, the guard even had the cheek to telling me off because I was shaking my head in disbelief! Unbelievably rude customer service!

Have never managed to get a seat on on of their trains into London, even off peak. Reservation system is flawed at best. Passengers completely ignore the reservation system and train managers rarely enforce it. Half a carriage today taken up with reserved seats but most of them single occupancy where one person appeared to have reserved two seats.

Loading system at Paddington is horrendous. So far everytime I've travelled from there the platform of departure has been announced five mins before. This has resulted in a large scale chaotic rush to board. Often no regard for children from other passengers who will happily barge them out the way in the crush.

I'm no huge fan of Southern but, if like us, both networks serve your area then Waterloo is much better managed (although the trains are like cattle carts).

Awful customer service. Massive issues with claiming a refund. A few more months and I will hopefully leave this stupid country and no more shit train service anymore - dirty, unreliable, unsafe, expensive

Terrible customer service - Avoid

Got the 1102 today from Torquay to Westbury. Apparently the earlier train was cancelled. Got train to newton abbot then boarded the Piccadilly train at 1145. BIG MISTAKE!!!. Absolutely packed out 10 carriages. Had to stand all the way to Westbury. Over the tannoy the guard said there was seating for 800 and that 1200 were on the train. Surely GWR can do better than this. Absolutely disgusting and unfair. I've health problems and standing for 2 hours plus isn't done me no favours. I know this review will fall on deaf ears even so had to write it. Any of you out there considering going with GWR. Should think first. Once they got your money that's it.
Disgusting this age!!!2026. Very poor
service!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Double the people because one train cancelled. They don't care less

Refuse to refund by changing all terms of refund unilaterally without reasons!!!
I asked for a refund according to the rule of the ticket “within 28 days of validity”. Then they refused to refund claiming I didn’t request the refund within that frame (when I did…). I disagreed with their decision and then the refused again saying the request was to be made “at least the day before traveling”!!! All of a sudden, convenient change of rules! When they are not lying to their customers on their own refund rules, it’s a strike. When not a strike, the state of the toilets on board. Gosh GWR if you hate both your customers and your job and basic level of consistency with your own rules, maybe you should sell your company to more serious than you.
Update 26/08: it gets better. I clicked on the link they provide for “if you believe we made a mistake … you can appeal the claim here”: I filed all as requested and they replied they can’t proceed since they already had a file on this claim (yeah GWR you do: that is why you created an appeal link…!!!!). What a joke…

We are travelling to Carmarthen on
17.18 train from paddington.
We feel compelled to highlight the wonderful service and care that we observed from your professional caring colleagues.
A young lady from Columbia became separated
from her friends, she was unaware she had missed her stop and was upset and confused due to a language barrier,however your colleague Richard was kind caring patient and spent quality time writing clear instructions so that she was able to safely and quickly travel back in the correct direction.
He also made sure she was safe by escorting her over to his colleagues on the next train to ensure her safety on her ongoing journey.
How kind and thoughtful GWR
The team on our journey were exceptional.
Many Thanks Julie and Jo 👏👏👏

AWFUL service. Waited 5 hours in London Padddington for a train to Bath. Boarded 2 trains and last minute they were cancelled. Boarded 3rd train and waited 50 minutes for a driver to show up. After 5 minutes they told us it was cancelled and we had 5 minutes to run to another platform to catch the next train.

RUINED MY DAY

On 18/08/2026 (11:35–11:45 AM), my valid GWR Advance ticket failed at Plymouth Station’s barriers. When I asked staff for help, I was completely ignored, leaving me in extreme distress and ultimately forcing me to buy a duplicate £14 ticket just to catch the next train and make it to my appointment. CCTV can confirm exactly what happened.

As an autistic passenger, this was deeply distressing, especially after being so happy to finally have my Disabled Persons Railcard. GWR’s de facto monopoly on mainline rail in Cornwall makes this treatment even more unacceptable.

Three days later, I still have received no response from Customer Service.

This matter will now be escalated to the Rail Ombudsman.

Utter scoundrels (to avoid stronger language), having no concern about the welfare of their customers, ridiculously high fees for the ridiculously low service, ridiculously low compensations for severe delays and cancellations, trains regularly offering insufficient space, selling tickets while knowing there’s no room in the carriages, should be outlawed and imprisoned but no - they carry on as a legitimate company. Worse than highwaymen. And don’t lose a ticket - for they will charge you thrice without considering any evidence of purchase. The related disreputable pirates, Independent Transport Associates Ltd trading as ‘independent’ ‘Appeal Service’ would only accept the original ticket and nothing else to satisfy the appeal and cancel a penalty. Legalised robbery, both of these. It’s a pity we have to use GWR! It’s a pity they are even using that name giving it utter discredit. Scandalous! Can’t wait to see it collapse. Won’t hold my breath to see it punished.

Always late always cancelled never ever reliable better of driving than dealing with this shit

The Hereford to London Paddington line is absolutely atrocious. I've had to cancel so many essential journeys because of cancellations

Direct services to London have been cut and cut and now the public have to rely on a split service with the equally dire West Midlands Railway service meaning that an excessive wait of 100 minutes has been in effect for a number of years. The journey for me should take 2.5 hours not 3.5 hours!

When you are left waiting on a platform on this line due to cancellations or problems, expect the minimum of support and assistance from Great Western staff Not only are they incapable of providing accurate information, many seem to be annoyed you are even asking them.

Alas compare the cartoon advert to the actual reality. Hardly surprising GWR chose to advertise by cartoon rather than actual people.

The trains are always cramped, uncomfortable and full way before rush hour. UK train prices are the highest in Europe for the worst level of service.

This company I don't think realise the difficulty in which they put vulnerable groups when using this service.

Great Western needs to lose its franchise and be replaced with a company who actually care about its passengers. 4 weeks for a complaint response shows how little they care.

Neither do GWR understand the contractual requirements. When a person buys a ticket, they will have checked the schedule so as to arrive at the right time. The purchase of a ticket is made on that information. Sadly 15 minute delays are the minimum delay cut-off before one can claim a partial refund.

The service operated by GWR is the worst I have ever had to experience in UK travel

About to be stranded in Banbury for 45 mins because the stopping train from Oxford via King Sutton - which always waits for the connection from London - didn’t wait for 2 minutes. The attitude from the GWR staff on the platform seemed to be tough, that’s not how our trains work. Infuriatingly I am going to miss said stopping train going back in the opposite direction by - guess what - about 2 mins. I am cross and tired and did not need this.

An absolute embarrassment of a company. In the last 5 days of using this service, only one day has passed without any cancellations. For a service running into London this is a complete joke. For a capital city having these clowns providing a train service in is utterly mind blowing.