Looking most days at the service though Maiden Newton during the blockade, it seems to have been more reliable. There have been a few problems but less than before.
Does this suggest that it is the section north of Parkway which leads to the delays?
It will be interesting to see what happens now the blockade is over.
When I complained about the 17:49 from Worcestershire to Weymouth being often late at Trowbridge and missing the last Melksham connection, I was told "it has a long way to come so what do you expect" by someone at
GWR▸ who I know quite well. I suspect you are right, and know to be right.
Yesterday, the 17:49 was only two minutes late and made the connection! That's one out of three in the last few months for me.