GWR line closures this Sunday

[whole diary]

[Richard Fairhurst]

Indeed, it still is.

Sunday 31 July

Trains will continue to be disrupted. Please make alternative travel arrangements and only travel if absolutely necessary.

There will be no service on the following routes:

Swindon to Gloucester
Oxford to Worcester/Hereford

[Mark A]

This put me in mind of a wet Sunday - 21st August 2021. I'd caught a train to Swindon and arrived as a Cheltenham train was attempting to depart from platform 3 for some reason. A two carriage 158, full and standing and the overspill passengers, about 20 in number including two wheelchair users were waiting rather despondently on the platform. No platform staff, and the train manager doing his best...

I was headed for a bus to the Swindon and Cricklade railway across town, something that involved the bus sitting in crawling queues of traffic for about 40 minutes before I was able to bail out and make my way to the current rudimentary platform for the heritage operation, where a loco and 5 or so carriages emerged through the downpour in good time, with more volunteer staff than you could shake a stick at, if very few customers given that the demand for rail transport between the outskirts of Swindon and a puddle some way short of Cricklade is somewhat limited.

All in all a curious contrast with the provision of stock and staff on the 'big' railway a mile or so south - but most atmospheric and well recommended. However, the days when that line could have taken the Kemble overspill and transported them to Cirencester Watermoor are long past...

Mark

[grahame]

This put me in mind of a wet Sunday - 21st August 2021. I'd caught a train to Swindon and arrived as a Cheltenham train was attempting to depart from platform 3 for some reason. A two carriage 158, ...

Not too different to today, I suspect.   11:28 at Swindon.  An IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) from London had just arrived at Platform 4.  A 2 car train to Weymouth stands at platform 3, and there's a throng making for the Cheltenham Spa train in the bay (platform 2) that's due to leave in a few minutes - old blue 3 car turbo and according to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) the only train headed up the Stroud Valley in the morning.

[grahame]

To complete the South Cotswold story for yesterday, here is a log of what actually ran, as recounted by Real Time Trains

[Timmer]

So why say no services were running on the South Cotswold line when there clearly were trains running?

[IndustryInsider]

To be fair to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) the information provided about services on and around the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) strike days was very good.  Less so for this initial ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) action.

[Timmer]

To be fair to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) the information provided about services on and around the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) strike days was very good.  Less so for this initial ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) action.

I would imagine planning services for weekdays following industrial action are easier than for Sundays as the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) won't know how many drivers are available until 5 days out is it?

[ChrisB]

I am in constructive discussion with both GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) & Network Rail on this South Cotswold problem & the fact no posters had been sisplayed at North Cotswold stations. Many people tried to travel eg from Evesham in Sunday without success

[Worcester_Passenger]

Here's what was on offer at Shrub Hill on Sunday - a handwritten notice from West Midlands Railway.

[grahame]

Here's what was on offer at Shrub Hill on Sunday - a handwritten notice from West Midlands Railway.

Curiously effective, mind you ... nothing wrong with old systems, though strong electronic (on line) and other location  backup to stop people getting to Shrub Hill to find no trains in the first place.

[didcotdean]

Maybe not surprising it is all happening again this Sunday (14 August). The only thing is that there has been a little more notice, but only if you know where to look for it (https://www.gwr.com/strike).

Sunday 14 August
Trains will continue to be severely disrupted, please make alternative travel arrangements and only travel if absolutely necessary.

There will be no service on the following route:
Oxford to Worcester/Hereford ...

Mention of reduced service to Bristol, Swansea, Plymouth and Penzance, but not Cheltenham where there will a few shuttles to Swindon. Particularly big gap between 0939 and 1301.

[Richard Fairhurst]

What have we Cotswolders done to upset you, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)?

[didcotdean]

No lessons learnt from last time - still running just 5 carriage trains on the hourly Paddington - Oxford service. Hold very tight please.

[IndustryInsider]

No lessons learnt from last time - still running just 5 carriage trains on the hourly Paddington - Oxford service. Hold very tight please.

Indeed.  A very poor show from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).

[TaplowGreen]

Amazingly low number of staff shortage cancellations though, given it's a Sunday in the height of BBQ season.......no doubt the overtime comes in handy to offset the pay lost on strike days!