I don't.  Have you thought of asking those who make the claims for their sources? 

More problems at Kemble. From Gloucestershire live

Background ... there's a problem (somewhere near Reading West?) with the overhead lines, and the Reading to Newbury local service can't run as it's electric trains these dye, and there's no power,  So - sensible decision  - the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) that normally run fast through Newbury Racecourse, Midgham and Aldermaston are calling at those stations to provide an alternative service.

I am posting on the TransWilts board because this is an example of what can be done.  IETs have automatic doors, selective door opening and doors in the front vehicle and so they can make extra stops at smaller stations when the local service is not running for some reason or another.  It's also made more practical by the far better acceleration of IETs so each stop costs even less time.

So .. should local services from Swindon to Westbury calling at Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge be withdrawn (due to the line being needed for IET services from London to Exeter and beyond, can the 2 hourly semifast services please call at Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge on their way through - just like the Bedwyn services are calling at Aldermaston, Midgham and Newbury Racecourse today?   Thank you!

Please note - not a call for every West Country express to call ... just the semifasts, rather as is happening this afternoon in the Kennet Valley.

[pedant]I would argue that ... take the 07:09 from Portsmouth Harbour
"Our destination is Brighton
it becomes the 08:59 from Brighton
"Our next destination is Great Malvern"
it becomes the 14:50 from Great Malvern
"Our next destination is Weymouth"
from whence it goes into the Jersey Sidings ... arguably the final destination of the day
[/pedant]

Journey planner offering me a Darlington to Melksham changing at Bristol Temple Meads (to a bus) and Trowbridge (to another bus) ... 268 minutes Darlington to Bristol then a wait of 51 minutes and a further travel time of 121 minutes until I reach Melksham.    Same journey a week later offers me 59 minutes from Bristol to Melksham, 25 minutes of which is awaiting a connection at Chippenham.

So ...
average speed Darlington to Bristol 58 m.p.h.
average speed Bristol to Melksham (23rd June) 12.9 m.p.h.
average speed Bristol to Melksham (30th June) 26.5 m.p.h.  (could be 40 m.p.h. with a 5 min connection at CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains))


No - in fact see comparison above that I was typing that compares a 23rd June (bus) and 20th June (train) link for me from Bristol.

I will ... not ... be bussing all the way on rail replacements from Temple Meads.

An interesting read from the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) (office of rail and road) - https://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/41256/passenger-rail-usage-2018-19-q4.pdf

Quoted bits are picked out from the 20 pages or so of the report - gleaning vital headline statistics



So
.. Average journey cost £5.85
.. Average journey length 38.49 km = 23.92 miles
.. Average cost of travel 24.46p per mile
.. Average passenngers on a train at a time - 127.98


This latter means that trends show and changes for GWR are skewed and cannot be directly compared to other operators.


Assume "off peak" includes Super Off Peak??
Figures retyped - from a graphic in the report, franchised services only
Noting journeys rather than miles, kilometres or number of sales.

A big thank you to the team at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) who organised this conference and who made those attending very welcome.  An awful lot of hard work, very well done; perhaps (as ever with events) they had their trials and tribulations on the day, but on the surface for those of us attending it ran as a well oiled machine.

Over coming weeks and months, Coffee Shop members and guests will see posts and other follow ups which have been positively informed and / or developed from learning and networking opportunities that this annual meeting uniquely offers, and from other projects which - although not instigated yesterday - were informed / driven forward. 

By our nature, Coffee Shop members often have associated interests with other groups too (indeed the Coffee Shop is often secondary). We were well represented over the whole event, and it was very clear from elements of the presentations that GWR very much see us as an example of community and rail in partnership across their franchise area.

From my Facebook feed


From my ticket enquiry, Darlington to Melksham,23rd  June 2019

Checked today with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) team.  If gates are in use (rather than open) they should either be staffed or with a call point which is answered as a priority. No one should have to wait because "staff are busy", or have to go off and use another exit / go find someone.

Interesting.  Why?    Is it to allow headline times to be published such as "The Ten O'Clock" when it really leave a minute later, or to allow something to be described as "and every hour until" when in reality the odd one is varied fro freight / stock type / need to allow a bit longer on station duties for a train that's heaving.   But yet I see none of these applying at Warminster late at night ...

Pictured - speakers and audience from this evening's Community Rail dinner.  Billed as a "thank you" to the most dedicated of Community Rail volunteers who have put in many days of work, it becomes a very serious networking evening as people circulate and talk through Community Rail and slightly wider issues.  Almost without exception, the people there tonight have put in a great deal and are 'driven' in what they do, and the networking is intensely valuable.  I'm delighted to have been able to attend this year and quickly confirm to a few VIPs just how well the Coffee Shop is doing, and how it's headed forward.

Amusing moment in a video this evening (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Conference) which was taking about how services numbers and passenger numbers have blossomed since privatisation ... showing Lelant Saltings as their background picture. I wonder if anyone else noticed the irony in this!

As I recall (I don't have the timetable drafts to hand - I am away tonight) you are broadly correct. The 05:17 from Gloucester becomes a through train to London, getting to Swindon (I think) in time for the Westbury train, which is now provided by the stock from a new 05:18 Westbury to Swindon service.

The two trains the have fed into the 2 hourly local train going up from Chippenham - one from Westbury and one fro Gloucester via Bristol no longer feed in that way.  So that removes the through service from Keynsham and Oldfield Park to Swindon, the one train a day that's not an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) through Corsham.   That and other changes mean the service from Chippenham into Swindon in the peak hour will have a gap of over 40 minutes now, rather than just over 20 minutes at present.  All subject to Network Rail agreeing the proposals which are with them at present (confirmed still to be the case this evening by a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) director who I reminded of the more local traffic ;-) )

I have found on all bar one occasions that the gatelines have been staffed, or there has been someone on the end of the button straight away.  That one exception (I went off to find someone to let me through) was also at Chippenham.

Tomorrow is the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Community Rail Conference in Bristol.  I will check what should happen with someone who knows - I'm sure there will be someone here who does.   Any more reports on this thread by 09:00 tomorrow please if there is other data to consider.

P.S.  I found that my North East rover failed on all gate lines too - EXCEPT Darlington, where it let me through.  If you are leaving the station in Darlington and the gates are actually in use, do let me know if your ticket works!