Great Western Coffee Shop

Odd that no replacement signal person or station staff person can be found.  Or are these excuses a bit bogus?  Bearing in mind that the excuses have been posted overnight, is it really impossible to find a relief signal person by late-on in the morning?

This was sent out on Twitter last night although it understates the services affected. A different region might have sent out another one.

(https://i.gyazo.com/714cd7ecbc7c9b8dec1b0f763cb53f48.png)

Not a good day on the North Cotswold line today.

Up trains:
05:23 Hereford - Paddington : delayed between Ledbury and Malvern but back on time after Evesham
06:43 Shrub Hill - Paddington : 23 late from Shrub Hill ("late from depot" according to JourneyCheck, though this one starts from Shrub Hill), 56 late into Paddington
06:43 Hereford - Paddington : 128 late from Hereford ("train crew being delayed"), terminated at Oxford
08:56 Great Malvern - Paddington : started from Foregate Street

Down trains:
05:50 Paddington - Great Malvern : terminated at Foregate Street

And now some afternoon congestion:

The 1450 PAD:WOF was 4 minute late out of Oxford, 13 late at Wolvercote Junction and 30 late by the time it got to Hanborough. That has delayed the 1516 WOF:PAD by 28 minutes and the 1520 PAD:WOF is now 23 late at Hanborough.

And today (Monday August 22), it's


Same applies to

    05:23 Hereford to London Paddington due 08:24
    06:43 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:38
    09:50 London Paddington to Hereford due 12:44
    11:50 London Paddington to Hereford due 14:41
    13:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:22
    15:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 18:29

Realtimetrains is reporting nothing at Ledbury before 18:00, and nothing at Hereford before 11:00.

And in fact there's been nothing at Hereford all day - first train is due through just before 18:00.

Significant disruption at present.

[update to show cancellations beyond Oxford so far]

Significant disruption indeed. RealTimeTrains reported (for Wednesday August 24)

14:50 Paddington - Foregate St : delayed before Charlbury (20 late). Turned round at Shrub Hill.
15:20 Paddington - Foregate St : cancelled after Oxford
15:50 Paddington - Malvern : same
17:03 Didcot - Moreton : started 23 late, cancelled after Oxford.
16:58 Paddington - Malvern : held at Oxford, left 36 late. Terminated at Foregate Street.
17:35 Paddington - Hereford : held at Oxford, left 20 late. Further delayed by Charlbury (32 late).
17:57 Paddington - Foregate St : started from Reading 19 late.
18:58 Paddington - Hereford : started from Reading 11 late.

15:16 Foregate St - Paddington : Held at Charlbury, left 76 late. Cancelled after Reading.
15:18 Hereford - Paddington : Held at Moreton, left 64 late. 92 late from Charlbury. Cancelled after Reading.
16:31 Malvern - Paddington : Held at Shrub Hill, left 85 late. Cancelled after Reading.
17:26 Foregate Street - Paddington  : Started from Shrub Hill 52 late.
17:58 Foregate Street - Paddington : cancelled throughout.
19:10 Moreton - Oxford : cancelled throughout
19:05 Malvern - Paddington : cancelled throughout.
19:45 Malvern - Paddington : started from Foregate Street.
21:00 Foregate Street - Paddington : delayed after Oxford, but that's another story

A rather quieter afternoon today:

Paddington and Reading to the Cotswold line Tuesday 6th Sept 2022

I travelled on the 17:57 Paddington to Worcester Forgate street yesterday. Ok for me but not a good day for those travelling from the south coast and Reading by cross country.

The 17:57 passed trough Reading at 18:22 i.e. 2 min late. The 16:45 Bournemouth Manchester was running late, arriving at Reading also at 18:22. Reading managed to turn it round in 3 minutes leaving again at 18:25.

The 17:57 ran via Didcot platform 3 and paused at Didcot North Junction for about a minute. By this time (18:37) the Manchester train was between Moreton cutting and Didcot east junction.

For some reason the 17:57 was then allowed to proceed arriving at Oxford first meaning that passengers from Reading on the Manchester train then faced an hours wait at Oxford for the Next Cotswold line train.

Then to cap it all the 17:57 was held between Oxford North Junction and Wolvercote Junction waiting for a late running up train to clear the single line from Charlbury. The Manchester train then overtook the 17:57 while it was waiting.

Good luck to those who try and claim delay repay on that lot. Cross country will say they where only 13 late at Oxford and GWR will say they where on time.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W43897/2022-09-06/detailed#allox_id=0 (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W43897/2022-09-06/detailed#allox_id=0)
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P89014/2022-09-06/detailed#allox_id=1 (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P89014/2022-09-06/detailed#allox_id=1)

All this just to save a path for a non-existant superfast to Bristol.

Due to signalling staff being taken ill between Worcester Shrub Hill and Hanborough all lines are closed.
Train services running through these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 18:00 11/09.

Customer Advice

The Signal Box that covers an area near Worcestershire Parkway station is closed due to the Signaller becoming unwell. This means we cannot run trains in this area. Trains will run between Great Malvern & Worcester Shrub Hill, as a shuttle train. We have requested coaches operate as a shuttle bus service between Worcester Shrub Hill & Hanborough/Oxford, more information on this will be published as soon as confirmed.

We're sorry for any disruption this brings to your travel plans today.

It does feel like the service has been a bit spottier recently - I've been waiting around for delayed trains more often than usual.

Down one IET today by the look of it: 10.59 Great Malvern–Paddington, 13.50 Paddington–Great Malvern, 16.31 Great Malvern–Paddington all cancelled.

Two peak-hour cancellations this morning, involving successive trains:

Plus the via-Stroud journey:

And today it's the evening shift:

Isn't this the only evening peak service to the north Cotswolds that calls at Reading?

Corresponding return working, 2200 Hereford - Paddington also CAPE

I guess the half-five evening train out of London would normally be quite a busy service

Not a good day. At 13:30,

10:59 Great Malvern - Paddington is stopped somewhere between Ascott and Charlbury (due there 12:12, so about 80 late)
          JourneyCheck says "this is due to a fault on this train".
11:55 Great Malvern - Paddington is waiting at Moreton, 45 late.
13:16 Shrub Hill - Paddington is waiting at Evesham, 5 late.

At 14:30, RealTimeTrains reports that the three trains are still in the same place. 10:59 Great Malvern - Paddington has disappeared from the JourneyCheck listing.

Westbound trains are working, though 12:50 Paddington - Foregate Street was held at Oxford and is now 20 late.

13:50 Paddington - Great Malvern is cancelled
17:26 Foregate Street - Paddington is cancelled

14:44 : OpenTrainTimes 'Oxford' display, shows the Cotswold line as 'SHUT'.

And at 15:40,

10:59 Great Malvern - Paddington had left Charlbury some 180 minutes late
11:55 Great Malvern - Paddington had moved off from Moreton, 140 late
13:16 Shrub Hill - Paddington had moved off from Evesham, 104 late.

12:50 Paddington - Foregate Street terminated at Shrub Hill, 17 late
15:16 Foregate Street - Paddington was started from Shrub Hill

13:50 Paddington - Great Malvern is cancelled
16:31 Great Malvern - Paddington is cancelled
17:26 Foregate Street - Paddington is no longer cancelled

And today is no better.

05:50 Paddington - Great Malvern. 25 late from Paddington. 46 late at Foregate Street. Cancelled from there to Great Malvern.
        Knock-on effects on subsequent journeys.
09:50 Paddington - Hereford. 8 late from Oxford. 19 late by Foregate Street. 21 Late at Hereford.
13:50 Paddington - Great Malvern. 11 late.
17:50 Paddington - Foregate Street. On time to Moreton. Arrived Honeybourne 27 late. Left 58 late. Arrived Shrub Hill 104 late and terminated.
18:50 Paddington - Hereford. Left Moreton 46 late. Arrived Hereford 81 late.
19:50 Paddington - Great Malvern. Lost time Oxford - Worcester. Arrived Great Malvern 33 late.
21:50 Paddington - Shrub Hill. Left Didcot 28 late. Arrived Shrub Hill 41 late.

08:25 Foregate Street - Paddington. 14 late.
15:13 Hereford - Paddington. 16 late.
17:00 Great Malvern - Paddington. 12 late.
20:20 Hereford - Paddington. Held at Shrub Hill. Departed 42 late. Arrived 34 late.
22:42 Great Malvern - Evesham. Departed 30 late.

And today there's knock-on effects from last night.

And...

10:38 had to wait at Evesham and is now 57 late.

11:38 now terminating at Foregate Street.
15:48 return working will start from Foregate Street.

And today:

04:49 Hereford - Paddington cancelled throughout.


This train was reported by Realtime Trains as having arrived at Kingham at 07:23 and departed at 08:24.
Behind it, the 06:52 Foregate Street - Didcot Parkway was held at Moreton, departing 49 late.
And the 06:43 Hereford - Paddington was held at Evesham, departing 40 late.

And today, a tree is blocking the railway due to high winds.

15:20 Paddington - Foregate Street 4 late at Honeybourne, but 47 late at Evesham. Terminated at Shrub Hill.
15:50 Paddington - Great Malvern terminated at Moreton according to JourneyCheck
but struggling on according to Realtime Trains - 54 late at Honeybourne. Terminated at Foregate Street.
16:58 Paddington - Great Malvern terminated at Oxford.
17:34 Paddington - Hereford 22 late at Hanborough, 20 late at Hereford.
19:50 Paddington - Hereford started 33 late, arrived 34 late at Hereford.

16:40 Great Malvern - Paddington held at Evesham and left 37 late. 20 late at Paddington.
17:26 Foregate Street - Paddington was held at Shrub Hill, 47 late at Pershore. 28 late at Paddington.
17:58 Foregate Street - Paddington cancelled throughout
19:05 Great Malvern - Paddington started from Foregate Street.
19:45 Great Malvern - Paddington started from Oxford.

Is it me, or is JourneyCheck no longer reporting trains that are 'merely' delayed?

Thursday Nov 03 03:50 : edited to give a proper record.

I live a few hundred yards from the railway between Honeybourne and Evesham.  The wind in the area yesterday late afternoon and early evening was blowing very hard.  I'm not surprised a fallen tree brought the trains to a halt for a while.

And today, Sunday November 6, it's a lack of train crew that is causing the problems:

13:46 Paddington - Hereford (16:59) - terminated at Shrub Hill
15:46 Paddington - Hereford (18:59) - cancelled throughout
18:46 Paddington - Hereford (21:55) - terminated at Shrub Hill

17:30 Hereford - Paddington (20:28) - started from Shrub Hill

Not a good evening.

The 1734 Paddington–Hereford appears to have sat down and wept on the Didcot avoiding line, where it's been stuck for 50 minutes and counting: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W43883/2022-11-23/detailed#allox_id=0

The 1757 Paddington–Foregate has been sent through Didcot station to avoid it, but is itself running 45 minutes late, most of it picked up in the Paddington–Reading disruption: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W43897/2022-11-23/detailed#allox_id=0

And today:

06:43 Shrub Hill - Paddington cancelled throughout
08:56 Great Malvern - Paddington started from Foregate Street
09:54 Great Malvern - Paddington held for single line at Charlbury, 26 late at Paddington
13:18 Hereford - Paddington started from Foregate Street, 16 late at Paddington
15:16 Foregate Street - Paddington started from Shrub Hill 23 late, 28 late at Paddington
16:31 Great Malvern - Paddington started from Foregate Street
17:30 Foregate Street - Paddington delayed at Oxford, 30 late at Paddington
17:58 Foregate Street - Paddington cancelled throughout
19:05 Great Malvern - Paddington held for single line at Charlbury, 28 late at Paddington
19:45 Great Malvern - Paddington 24 late at Paddington
21:00 Foregate Street - Paddington cancelled throughout
22:00 Hereford - Paddington started 21 late, will be terminated at Reading

05:50 Paddington - Great Malvern terminated at Foregate Street 42 late
09:50 Paddington - Hereford terminated at Foregate Street 26 late
11:50 Paddington - Hereford 32 late
12:50 Paddington - Foregate Street terminated at Shrub Hill 42 late
13:50 Paddington - Great Malvern terminated at Foregate Street 21 late
15:20 Paddington - Foregate Street cancelled throughout
17:34 Paddington - Hereford 24 late
17:57 Paddington - Foregate Street terminated at Oxford 29 late
19:50 Paddington - Hereford terminated at Great Malvern 51 late
20:50 Paddington - Great Malvern terminated at Foregate Street 29 late
22:50 Paddington - Worcestershire Parkway started from Reading

A long and sad record of delays, cancellations and short runs.  That's 12 up trains and 11 down trains listed.  To put this into context, your report is on just over half the services scheduled - I have just looked it up and there are 21 passenger departures scheduled from Oxford headed out to and via Moreton-in-Marsh. 

And ... I didn't bother with anything under about 15 minutes.  And we have several services which have long dwell times for various bits of the single track, which allowed recovery yesterday.

Today:

05:50 Paddington - Great Malvern : cancelled throughout - an "issue with the train crew" according to Realtime Trains

And the consequence was

It can only be described as a shambles.  Not an effective service at all.  We're back to the level of reliability of the trains that was experienced before the re-doubling works in 2011

So Far today 15th December.

08:13 WOS-PAD Cancelled
08:56 GMV-PAD Cancelled
09:54 GMV-PAD Disapeared from the timetable overnight

So no up trains until the 10:59 GMV-PAD if it runs.

Several points failures around Oxford I understand

It did run departing Great Malvern 20 minutes late and Oxford 27 late.

The unparliamentary train for the halts

Now reinstated.  Not that you’d know though as it’s still cancelled according to Journeycheck!