It got removed to relieve congestion - Turbos can only run at a max speed of 90mph over a 125mph capable route so it could cause issues when they were late running - not that surprising they were eventually canned altogether. Shame as it would be a useful service.
Melksham trains can only run at 75mph (or are timed for it) but they cover a smaller section of the route and there's many fewer per day.
If and when the inherent long term advantages of electrification over bi-modes (lower weight so less wear and tear, lower maintenance costs and they should be able to accelerate quicker without the diesel engine) are sufficiently recognised and NR can show they can reduce electrification costs (which should now be possible given lines have been electrified for the first time since privatisation - other than Stoke-Crewe - and they should now have rather more electrification nous than a few years ago), then maybe both routes to Bristol TM and to Oxford will be energised and maybe a 110mph class 387 (or any newer equivalent) can run between them. Although I suspect the west to north curve won't be electrified to save a few quid, meaning it can't/won't happen.
Some VERY interesting feedback from yesterday that I'll be following up with on Swindon - Didcot capacity.
Two notes - TransWilts 75 m.p.h. timings will change to 90 m.p.h in the future; we now have 90 m.p.h. stock on most trains (and they are getting to stations early and sitting to wait time!
And from the
Oxford Mail:
IMPROVED rail capacity between Oxford and Didcot should be made a priority as the Government seeks answers to ‘crucial questions’ over the future of the Great Western franchise.
England’s Economic Heartland (EEH) - a partnership of local authorities from Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and Swindon - has written to the Department for Transport demanding the rail link be improved.
A Government consultation has asked for views on how the Great Western rail network could be improved from April 2020.