I saw this service at Didcot and it was formed of 10 carriages although only the first 5 were in use. It is also the first day that it has been an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) rather than an HST^▸ (High Speed Train). This service is often 'full and standing' at Didcot but fortunately that wasn't the case today even though it was short-formed.
 

Was this on the 0700 Paddington - BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI))? It left Paddington 27 late and has just left Chippenham 54 late.
The automatic announcements at Didcot said it was because it had arrived late from the depot (which appears to be true according to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website)).

I don't know whether they are the main contractor but they are doing a lot of work for the Oxford area enhancements. So if they did go bust it could seriously impact that work. They would either have to retender the work or possibly an administrator could sell/transfer the contract to someone else.

Are they involved in any of the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification programme?

Could the feed for the Didcot - Oxford line be the electrical substation at Radley?

I have always been of the opinion that unless Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) started to dismantle this substation then electrification to Oxford is going to happen, this is probably hopelessly naive.

In other news I notice they have started to put up electrification masts around Didcot East curve.


Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

I have also seen 5 and 10 car station stop signs at Didcot Parkway.

Bizarrely its quite common to see the Oxford to London Advance tickets advertised on posters at Didcot Parkway. That has never made any sense to me.

Cancellations and delays now expected until end of service.

They appear to be now storing these units at Didcot as there is one berthed in the DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Cargo yard, well away from any OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE").
With so few services to run I assume they must be running out of storage space at Reading.

There don't appear to be any IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)'s running today (19th Oct), maybe Hitachi/GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) don't want them getting wet:-)

For those who want a ride on the new trains today (17/10).
The diagram that failed yesterday (0815 Pad -  Cardiff) was being worked by 800008 and 800009 today and was on time at Didcot.
Where these the sets that failed yesterday or where they on the other diagram?

f is Oxford
b Edinburgh?

I picked this up this morning:

There seems to be a shortage of stock this morning:

I have seen 4 trains that normally run as 3 carriages running as 2 carriages today (0728 BAN - PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains), 0657 PAD- OXF^» (Oxford - next trains), 0834 DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) - PAD., 0721 PAD-OXF(?)) and a train that is normally class 180 (0807 Oxford - PAD) was a 5 car 165/166.

1521 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington cancelled due to 'Shortage of Train Crew' according to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website).
Empty stock running on the same schedule http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O31084/2017/09/29/advanced, so I assume that is a shortage of guard's.

And the obvious substitute from Oxford the 1611 or 1638 to Marylebone are also cancelled, this is due to a broken down train at Denham.

I see that the demolition and rebuild of the bridge at Steventon has been delayed until the start of CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) (April 2019).
NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have determined that they will not have the bridge rebuilt in time for the introduction of electric trains in 2018.

And I quote from NR "To enable electrification to proceed, a temporary solution must now be introduced at Steventon bridge (B4017) to enable us to deliver the electrified railway through Steventon. In advance of this, some preparatory work on the track underneath the bridge will begin at the end of November 2017. In the longer term, to enable the introduction of timetabled electric train services, the temporary solution will also require a speed restriction on the railway, to ensure the safe passage of trains through Steventon."

I assume the delay must be for budgeting or resource reasons.

NR Press Release can be found here http://www.steventon.info/railway.html