2018 cancellation and amendment log

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Also

17:41 Cheltenham Spa to Westbury due 19:30

17:41 Cheltenham Spa to Westbury due 19:30 will be cancelled.
This is due to severe weather.

(18:48 off Swindon, 19:15 Melksham)

[grahame]

from http://train.fyi

[grahame]

Interesting to note that the local service is lost because of the weather, but yet the line's open for the train that's on a placement move to serve the Stroud Valley line.

[bobm]

I wonder if a decision has been made to swing the points at Bradford, Thingley and Thingley East junctions as little as possible in the current climate.

They have proved to be unreliable in kinder conditions as it is.

[rogerw]

The only slightly good news is that the X34 is running today, but only using main roads so that a journey from Melksham to Chippenham or Trowbridge is, at least, possible

[grahame]

The only slightly good news is that the X34 is running today, but only using main roads so that a journey from Melksham to Chippenham or Trowbridge is, at least, possible

And for when we look back ... note that the Wilts Police report for the record:

On 03/03/18, the below roads are currently still affected by the harsh weather conditions:

CLOSURES
A346 Chiseldon
A4361 Wroughton to Avebury
A303 Willoughby Edge
A303 at Mere
A338 Grafton to Burbage
A345 Old Sarum
A361 Beckhampton
B3083 Winterbourne to Shrewton
A350 Lords Hill, (just outside Warminster)
B390 Cape Hill to Chittern

PARTIAL CLOSURES
A342 one lane open
A338 Burbage to Collingbourne (One lane open)
M4 two lanes open

[grahame]

I went down to Melksham Station (perfectly easy to get too - and I am VERY cautious with my lack of balance).  Just a single car in the car park (not surprised - no outbound trains this morning) and the information display says:



Checking back with our maps on the forum, that familiar tic at about 70 degrees is appearing out from the sea of blue indicating cancellations and / or changes on Swindon to Westbury, with no other blue lines into either of those points.  And  although the line's to all intents and purposes closed, it's clearly not important enough to be listed as such

[Trowres]

For the record, Grahame, that 16:48 service was shown as "on time" until several minutes after it should have departed from Westbury (there was nothing in the platforms at Westbury at that time). The staff version of the Melksham display then changed to show the 16:48 as a Trowbridge-Swindon service. It even managed to show it as about 3 minutes late (if I recall correctly), which would give someone more confidence than the default "on time"... then it changed to the "Delayed" shown on your photograph.

As noted in the Snow topic under "Smoke and Mirrors", the information provision leaves much to be desired.

[grahame]

Alterations to services between Westbury and Melksham

Due to severe weather between Westbury and Melksham the line is disrupted.
Train services running through these stations may be suspended. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice

The line between Swindon and Westbury is currently closed due to the continued poor weather conditions. We are unable to run a train service because of the weather, we will also be unable to use taxis or buses. Road conditions will not be safe for road transport to be used as an alternative and we advise you not to travel on these routes.

Further Information
An update will follow within the next 5 hours.
Last Updated:04/03/2018 03:44

Hmmm ... seems from the map that problems are very localised.    Must have turned really bad in the last few hours, and in just this little bit of Wiltshire - buses were running (restored) along the parallel main road yesterday, and traffic looked fine to me when I was out.

The message would be more believable if it said "haven't got around to checking the line yet" or "we're short of staff because everyone's been putting in extra hours to do what they can elsewhere in the bad weather"

[grahame]

Hmmm ... seems from the map that problems are very localised.    Must have turned really bad in the last few hours, and in just this little bit of Wiltshire - buses were running (restored) along the parallel main road yesterday, and traffic looked fine to me when I was out.

OK - don't feel quite so unloved now ...

[grahame]

Wiltshire Police

On 03/03/18 at 11.30pm the only road currently closed is the A346 between Ogbourne St George and Chiseldon. This will remain closed overnight when vehicles will hopefully be removed tomorrow and the snow cleared.

Journey Check

Alterations to services between Westbury and Melksham
Due to severe weather between Westbury and Melksham the line is disrupted.
Train services running through these stations may be suspended. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
(at 05:26)

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Weymouth
Due to severe weather between Westbury and Weymouth the line is closed.
Train services running to and from these stations have been cancelled. Disruption is expected until 12:00 04/03.
(at 05:26)

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Gloucester
Due to severe weather between Swindon and Gloucester fewer trains are able to run on all lines.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
(at 06:47)

Other journey check line warnings:

Alterations to services between Reading and Gatwick Airport
Cancellations to services between Hanborough and Worcester Foregate Street
Cancellations to services on all routes

[TaplowGreen]

.......especially for you Graham! 🙂

[Timmer]

I expect today is being used as a recovery day to get things in place to operate a near normal service for the first day of the working week.

The thaw has continued overnight so would expect most train train crew that were rostered to work today would be able to get in.

[grahame]

.......especially for you Graham! 🙂

No ... for the people who make the 250k journeys per annum on the TransWilts perhaps, having forgotten a mention in dispatches over the last few days.   "Even" the 08:30 Westbury to Swindon train on Sundays carried regular commuters ...

Perhaps my post triggered someone to note that oversight and put in an entry to help keep us informed for our line to the level they have been doing for other lines. If that's the case and the person's reading - THANK YOU.     Entries of major disruption appear in dribs and drabs - sensible to get as much data out as early as possible - just a bit unlucky that the initial snapshot I got was of pretty well no problems remaining except on the TransWilts, old data for having been cleared for a fresh start.

[TaplowGreen]

.......especially for you Graham! 🙂

No ... for the people who make the 250k journeys per annum on the TransWilts perhaps, having forgotten a mention in dispatches over the last few days.   "Even" the 08:30 Westbury to Swindon train on Sundays carried regular commuters ...

Perhaps my post triggered someone to note that oversight and put in an entry to help keep us informed for our line to the level they have been doing for other lines. If that's the case and the person's reading - THANK YOU.     Entries of major disruption appear in dribs and drabs - sensible to get as much data out as early as possible - just a bit unlucky that the initial snapshot I got was of pretty well no problems remaining except on the TransWilts, old data for having been cleared for a fresh start.

.......I wasn't being entirely serious Graham, but I am sure that your scrutiny keeps them on their toes!