Great Western Coffee Shop

Calling only at Yeovil Pen Mill (intermediate)

No short-form trains showing

Has traffic on the line outgrown the train capacity??

And its not even the school summer hols yet !!!!

After looking at the CIS information there do not appear to be any short forms on the route today

The service from London Victoria certainly had its full compliment of carriages as it passed me at Templecombe!

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=21886.0

The same two services were put on Journeycheck early on Monday but quickly removed.

Wonder if it’s a standby service in the event of short forms or exceptional weather bringing out the crowds during the school holidays bearing in mind there is no extra Summer Saturday service during the week or the SWR services that operate Saturdays only.

During school holidays there will be spare coaches to hand to have a standby service that can be called upon at short notice.

I was on the train yesterday from Bath that arrived at Yeovil Pen Mill at 10.12. It certainly wasn't short-formed, it was either 5 or 6 carriages long. I was in the rear carriage and after most people had got out at Bath Spa, it was fairly empty, and for the last part of the journey after Frome I was the only passenger in that carriage - an experience I haven't had on any journey for a very long time. The guard did say the front of the train had been very busy, but there was certainly plenty of spare capacity at the rear.

I got out at Yeovil and there didn't seem to be many people either getting on or off there.

Today, Journey Check says those two additional services are cancelled - due to overcrowding!

Coming across to me as George Orwell's doublespeak!

Journey Check on SWR is quite informative but that on GWR seems to put forward the reason from a small, inflexible set of reasons. It seems that there is a multiple choice table of reasons from which you select the most appropriate.
Whereas on SWR you are given a statement which is more realistic with more operator input.

Only thing I don't like about SWR's Journeycheck is that it only shows services for the next two hours.

Yes, for some reason that has only just become regular. Previously it was only done at times of disruption. Perhaps a setting has been changed and not reversed.

Looks like the 1740 relief bus out of Weymouth will be well used tonight due to...


Leading to...


Anyone know what the fault is?

One engine out on 158955.

And that would explain why they REALLY don't want it to go down the hill into Weymouth!

Indeed, it probably wouldn’t get back up.

Or, as I heard an exasperated shopkeeper say once "I'm fed up of telling folk there's no demand for it!".

Looking at outcomes on Real Time Trains, return train set off from Dorchester West about 5 minutes late which (if information systems had worked effectively) would have allowed the majority of passengers from Weymouth to catch the 17:20 Waterloo train and walk between stations in Dorchester.   It was back on time after Westbury.

More problems heading to the seaside today. A Cardiff to Weymouth railtour experienced delays on its way to Castle Cary. It missed its slot to Yeovil Pen Mill and was thus further delayed waiting for a Weymouth - Gloucester GWR service.

That railtour delay at Castle Cary also delayed the Waterloo - Corfe Castle SWR service behind it.