Great Western Coffee Shop

From the departure screens at Swindon, seems this train from the West Country has been diverted via an unusual route but still almost on time....  ;D

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/1A81.png)

Not sure how an automated system suggested Midgham when the train was at that point about to pass through Melksham.

Is it as simple as a typo?

Saw it go (none-stop) through Chippenham ... much to the surprise of a chap waiting for the 13:26.  "Why don't they stop all trains here" he asked;   seemed satisfied when I explained it was on its way up from the West Country and off its normal route.

It only takes about 10 minutes longer Westbury to Reading via Swindon than via Newbury none-stop - assuming a clear run.   And it's the "old road" ... London to Bristol line for early GWR days, with the Wilts Somerset and Weymouth line off from Thingley Junction via Westbury, Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill.

Journey check states diversion due to a train hitting an obstruction. Possibly the 10.38 Whatley to Hayes, it lost time (26 mins) between Bedwyn and Newbury

Appreciate that - but Midgham is between Thatcham and Theale and the train never got near it having been diverted from the Berks & Hants at Westbury.


Can an automated system make a typo?

.... unless its been told Melksham is between Thatcham and Theale and Midgham in the intermediate station on the TransWilts line between Chippenham and Trowbridge !!!!

Would it be that the WC to Padd service was capped at Midgham and a Zulu path put into the system to reverse from Midgham to operate via Melksham and Swindon to Padd.

It it's connected to GWR I am sure anything is sadly possible  ;D

It was due past Midgham at 13:17, so maybe that's how the system got confused.

I really suspect there was a degree of human input involved ... with a speaker saying "via Melksham" and the listener hearing "via Midgham".  Sound-alikes and, after all, who has ever heard of ("Can you spell that please") Melksham.

Assuming this system generates CIS data based on the route in the day's timetable, it needs to be told about the diversion, and about any extra stops along the diversion. Presumably that is done by filling in a form, so the relevant points would be Westbury (diverge), Swindon (call), and Reading (rejoin). I would have though that was entered first into an operational system and then copied to the CIS one, in which case the mistake is less understandable, but I don't know. Either way, there might be some pick lists with standard diversions, but then maybe not.

If you got the message "line blocked at Midgham (not quite true, but not far off), divert via Swindon with a call there" you might get confused and enter Midgham as the start point. Lack of geographical knowledge would also help, of course! Whether either operational or CIS software ought to know better is an interesting question. Probably it is unwise to let it be too dogmatic about what's possible, or it will refuse very odd unforeseen routings if they ever are needed.