2021 - TransWilts cancellation and amendment log

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I have split the following into a separate thread as it merits its own topic and I want to be able to point direct to it with a direct URL - http://www.passenger.chat/25812

A check on RealTimeTrains this morning (Melksham (Station code) - next trains)/2021-12-29/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=passenger&order=wtt" target="_blank">https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:MKM/2021-12-29/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=passenger&order=wtt suggests a partial cull of the TransWilts services for the rest of this week; the following trains don’t appear:
0946 Westbury - Swindon
1625 Westbury - Swindon
1736 Swindon - Westbury
1834 Westbury - Swindon
2047 Swindon - Westbury

Curiously, the 1101 Swindon - Westbury is still in the system, so the possibility of a data feed glitch exists, although I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.

No mention of anything amiss on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s website, but checking departure times on there confirms the cuts to the service.

News to me.

It would appear that train departures from Melksham this week are scheduled as follows:
Trains to Swindon at
05:31 07:24 07:52 12:32 14:31 20:23
Trains to Westbury at
06:36 09:09 11:25 13:39 15:40 19:16

Taking a look at a day in the middle of next week (5.1.2022), the following are offered (trains missing this week indicated with "*" to help see the difference:
Trains to Swindon at
05:31 07:24 07:52 10*01 12:32 14:31 16*40 18*49 20:23
Trains to Westbury at
06:36 09:09 11:30 13:39 15:40 18*02 19:16 21*06

Also flagged up to me by users.  Researching.   Further research inputs welcome.

[IndustryInsider]

Also flagged up to me by users.  Researching.   Further research inputs welcome.

I can only see this rather generic message on the alterations page of the website:

ALL ROUTES
ALL Monday to Sunday - Services on many routes will be amended over the Christmas and New Year period. Please check your journey.

The drivers diagram for the 09:46 Westbury to Swindon exists today and then has that driver working the 12:34 Westbury to Weymouth after the return from Swindon - which is also now missing from the timetable.  That suggests a very short notice change that should be on JourneyCheck.

[grahame]

Also flagged up to me by users.  Researching.   Further research inputs welcome.

I can only see this rather generic message on the alterations page of the website:

Personally, I guess I'm happy it's not just me taken by surprise ... from a wider perspective, though, I am really disappointed in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). From my message feed (from a contact I am trying to get information for)

Thanks. A lot of people have been caught out this morning.

[grahame]

Also flagged up to me by users.  Researching.   Further research inputs welcome.

I can only see this rather generic message on the alterations page of the website:

ALL ROUTES
ALL Monday to Sunday - Services on many routes will be amended over the Christmas and New Year period. Please check your journey.

The drivers diagram for the 09:46 Westbury to Swindon exists today and then has that driver working the 12:34 Westbury to Weymouth after the return from Swindon - which is also now missing from the timetable.  That suggests a very short notice change that should be on JourneyCheck.

I am following up at http://www.passenger.chat/25812 - I have just split the topic as this is far more than "just"  a cancellation and amendment ... and I am going to lock this topic for a few hours, purely to help keep all the data in one place - that new thread.  Please contribute there

[TaplowGreen]

06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Indeed - and thank you.  I was up earlier and failed to press "post".  The 05:17 Westbury to Swindon was lost too ...

05:17 Westbury to Swindon due 05:59
06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central due 08:09

06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

To complete 2021 ... looking back at December's figures:

467 services logged plus 15 removed from system without notice, so total 482 services timetabled

303 on time, 98 delayed, 66 shown as failing to run (cancelled), a further 15 failed to run but removed from system without notice (also cancelled). So as far as passengers are concerned, 81 cancelled

41 cancellations shown due to train crew shortage
15 cancellations not shown at all
2 cancellations "train crew delayed" which is really a shortage
1 cancellation "a problem currently under investigation" looks like failure to sneak from the system when there was no crew.

So of 81 cancellations, 59 attributable to lack of crew from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)
3 points failure, 8 faults with signals, 4 level crossing barriers - 11 or 15 attributable to Network Rail

401 of 482 ran - 83%.  17% cancellation rate - and let's remember that 2% is a generously lax target.

Now - let's try to summarise that with a suggestion.  "If you are that short of crew, switch to an amended timetable and tell us you are doing so.  Say round trips from Westbury at about 07:30, 09:45, 12:30, 14:30, 16:45 and 19:00.  That's 12 trains per day, with 29 days of running it would have been 348 trains - well under the 401 managed and everyone would have known where they stood."