Cancellations Golden Valley

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Something to do with a weight limit on the particular section of track perhaps? The shuttles are, at most, 3-car DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) whereas the London Paddington services are HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) - significant difference in tare weight.

OR ... are they running single line at a point where trains pass each other in normal service?

[bobm]

I am sure first thing this morning the cancellations were put down to crew shortages and only affected down services - as I was trying to work out why the return workings were not being cancelled.

This afternoon there are rail replacement buses from Swindon (or in the case of this one - a rail replacement choo choo!)

[martyjon]

Since my post earlier today notice Bristol - Londons are now being cancelled due to urgent repairs to the track which are probably due to later journeys in the diagrams involving the cancelled Cheltenham - Londons.

Also I noted that there is NO line updates which I would expect to see on journeycheck if there was a need to carry out urgent repairs on any line.

Me thinks this reason is a smokescreen following earlier posts on this topic regarding cancelled services on a Sunday and no, South Wales services aren't being diverted via Gloucester today either.

[grahame]

Me thinks this reason is a smokescreen following earlier posts on this topic regarding cancelled services on a Sunday and no, South Wales services aren't being diverted via Gloucester today either.

I have never seen the system that tells us public about "changes" to services give multiple reasons.   "We can't run this train because we haven't got a driver who knows the way, and in any case the line is closed because of an exploding pigeon" isn't a standard reason that's available.

If a service isn't running because of a lack of drivers, it would seem to be a sensible opportunity to make urgent fixes, rather than have to close it again later at a time that there are train drivers available.

[Adelante_CCT]

Great Western may tell you one thing, but other sources give alternate reasons:

This service was cancelled throughout due to a planned cancellation by the train operator (PG).

The below is from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website

Sunday 27 August 2017

Due to issues including late notice engineering work, there will be disruption to a small number of our services on Sunday and we will be running a reduced service on some routes.

The following services have been cancelled:

London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads

14:00, 15:27, 17:27, 18:27, 19:27

London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa*

08:27, 10:27, 12:28, 14:27, 15:27, 16:27, 18:22

Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington

08:15, 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00

Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington*

11:18, 13:33, 15:33, 17:33, 19:32

*Scheduled shuttle trains will continue to run between Cheltenham Spa and Swindon.

Having said that the 16:00 from Bristol did run, just 15 late throughout.

[grahame]

Great Western may tell you one thing, but other sources give alternate reasons:

This service was cancelled throughout due to a planned cancellation by the train operator (PG).

The below is from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website

Sunday 27 August 2017

Due to issues including late notice engineering work, there will be disruption to a small number of our services on Sunday and we will be running a reduced service on some routes.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C26253/2017/08/27/advanced

Up service showing on DOWN main at Challow.   Single line operation somewhere between Didcot and Swindon, and that thinning out is logical.   2 trains an hour each way between Swindon and Didcot, one to Bristol and one to Swansea. Remove the extra Cheltenhams and Bristol 2nd hourly train.

[phile]

I challenged GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) on Friday (Via Twitter) asking them what the other issues, mentioned in addition to the Engineering aspect, actually were.    The reply I received was that there was an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) out of action following the derailment at Paddington last week, so left me wondering how 1 x HST out of order could be responsible for the cancellation of this number of trains.   I have told them today that this had been rumbled and would have preferred openness and honesty.

[martyjon]

Great Western may tell you one thing, but other sources give alternate reasons:

This service was cancelled throughout due to a planned cancellation by the train operator (PG).

The below is from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website

Sunday 27 August 2017

Due to issues including late notice engineering work, there will be disruption to a small number of our services on Sunday and we will be running a reduced service on some routes.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C26253/2017/08/27/advanced

Up service showing on DOWN main at Challow.   Single line operation somewhere between Didcot and Swindon, and that thinning out is logical.   2 trains an hour each way between Swindon and Didcot, one to Bristol and one to Swansea. Remove the extra Cheltenhams and Bristol 2nd hourly train.

If, as suggested, the urgent repairs to the track was between Swindon and Didcot, the Cheltenham to Paddingtons could have still run and connected into the Paddington bound services at Swindon with the crews having their breaks at Cheltenham, after return trip to/from Swindon, rather than at Paddington.

The Cancelled Bristols could have run via the B & H for the day.

The only possessions I could see earlier today on OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website) was on the main line at Slough where main line services were crossed to the slow lines at Dolphin Junction.

Reminds me of a product of pig meat being sold here, would be nice to have one now with my beer.

[martyjon]

Lets see what reliabilty next and subsequent Sundays services produce.

[phile]

Great Western may tell you one thing, but other sources give alternate reasons:

This service was cancelled throughout due to a planned cancellation by the train operator (PG).

The below is from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website

Sunday 27 August 2017

Due to issues including late notice engineering work, there will be disruption to a small number of our services on Sunday and we will be running a reduced service on some routes.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C26253/2017/08/27/advanced

Up service showing on DOWN main at Challow.   Single line operation somewhere between Didcot and Swindon, and that thinning out is logical.   2 trains an hour each way between Swindon and Didcot, one to Bristol and one to Swansea. Remove the extra Cheltenhams and Bristol 2nd hourly train.

If, as suggested, the urgent repairs to the track was between Swindon and Didcot, the Cheltenham to Paddingtons could have still run and connected into the Paddington bound services at Swindon with the crews having their breaks at Cheltenham, after return trip to/from Swindon, rather than at Paddington.

The Cancelled Bristols could have run via the B & H for the day.

The only possessions I could see earlier today on OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website) was on the main line at Slough where main line services were crossed to the slow lines at Dolphin Junction.

Reminds me of a product of pig meat being sold here, would be nice to have one now with my beer.

All GWR would say when asked about the location of the Works was that they were in the London area

[ellendune]

All GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) would say when asked about the location of the Works was that they were in the London area

I do not regard Challow as being in the London area

[grahame]

All GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) would say when asked about the location of the Works was that they were in the London area

I do not regard Challow as being in the London area

I think the express lines may have been closed somewhere near Dolphin Junction too, forcing all the fast main line traffic onto the slow relief lines.

[bobm]

All GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) would say when asked about the location of the Works was that they were in the London area

I do not regard Challow as being in the London area

Even in the days of the original GWR, their London Division only went as far west as Milton.  Challow is around another 10 miles further on.

[stuving]

There were several pages of possessions early on Sunday in the EAS, from Paddington out past Reading. All platforms at Reading were closed until 08:10, then during the day P12-15 and the Reliefs elsewhere too. I guess one of those look-and-grease operations might have spotted something serious enough to need fixing that day (or even caused it, of course).

[martyjon]

All GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) would say when asked about the location of the Works was that they were in the London area

I do not regard Challow as being in the London area

Even in the days of the original GWR, their London Division only went as far west as Milton.  Challow is around another 10 miles further on.

Hiya Bobm,

Remember me, I met you and your partner in the Knights Templar at Temple Meads after the SPM^▸ (St Philip's Marsh (Bristol depot)) Open Day last year.

I too remember seeing a sign by the trackside whilst travelling back home for weekends or at holiday times whilst I was at College in Slough. It had  "  <-- Bristol Division | London Division -->  "  on it but cannot for the life of me remember between which stations it was because at that time all the stations between Didcot and Swindon were still open. One of my last returns to Slough whilst at college was to journey all the way back to Slough calling at all stations which involved 4 trains, Temple Meads to Bath, Bath from the up bay platform to Swindon, Swindon from a bay platform on the downside of the then Swindon station to the down bay at Didcot thence finally joining an all stops Oxford to Paddington service for the last leg to Slough.

Them were the days when the Blue Pullman was running and to guarantee a seat I splashed out the extra 5/- (25 pence for younger readers of this forum) at holiday times to travel home in what was luxury in them there days. I remember on one occasion when I was travelling on it, the inbound service was late and it went into one of platforms 9 - 12 which were usually only for arrivals hence the two signal boxes PADDINGTON ARRIVALS SIGNAL BOX between platform 12 and 13 and PADDINGTON DEPARTURES SIGNAL BOX on the platform 1 side of the station throat. However even though the inbound service was late it still left on time for its 1hr 55min journey to Bristol calling at Bath Spa only. Lovely trains those Blue Pullmans, pity one didn't survive into preservation.