Great Western Coffee Shop

I travelled from Paddington to Foregate Street yesterday, Friday December 9, on the 13:50 from Paddington to Great Malvern.

We left Paddington 9 late - there had been problems inbound to Paddington between Reading and Slough and everything was running late.

We're 10 late at Charlbury and we get stopped at an intermediate signal to warn the driver to run cautiously near Kingham - the previous train had reported a potential track defect.

We're 19 late at Evesham. After which the train manager announces that he's just been told that we will terminate at Foregate Street.

We get held before Norton Junction because another train has been allowed to precede us.

At Foregate Street (arrive 23 late at 16:24) it turns out that West Midlands Trains have cancelled their 16:36 to Great Malvern and Hereford; the next departure is at 17:24.

And the train we got held for at Norton? That was GWR's Warminster - Great Malvern, running on time. If only that could have been held so that we preceded it through Norton, our Great Malvern passengers could have used it...

Or am I expecting too much from GWR's Control office?

They would both have used Pl 1 at WOF. Letting the IET through first wiould have blocked Pl 1 until it recommenced its inward journey restarting at WOF. Waa the turn back already full perhaps & it was going to delay the Warminster such that also would need caping at WOF?

It would certainly have delayed the Warminster>Malvern service by enough that it would have had a late start on the return journey as it has a very tight turnround.  But if the turnback was empty at Henwick then I think on balance it would have been best to have held it at Norton for the delayed Paddington>Malvern train.

My only question would be how much notice was given for the cancellation of the following Hereford WMT service?  Realtimetrains doesn't help much, but the lack of reports and a cancellation note perhaps hints that it wasn't much!

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P96074/2022-12-09/detailed

I did check in Liverail, which has mere detail including the time a message is posted, but I think that relies on TRUST alone. And, as openraildata.com says:

The 13:50 was a 5-car train. Could the Warminster - Great Malvern have been held in P1a of Shrub Hill, and the Paddington come into P1b behind it? There's a signal that I've always assumed controls this just by the footbridge.

Potentially it could have, yes.  The IET would have not been able to open all its doors, so not ideal, but possible.