Sensible filling in for cancelled train.

[whole diary]

[grahame]

16:54 Bedwyn to London Paddington due 18:15
16:54 Bedwyn to London Paddington due 18:15 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

13:00 Penzance to London Paddington due 18:16
13:00 Penzance to London Paddington due 18:16 will call additionally at Bedwyn, Hungerford, Kintbury and Newbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

This makes sense.   So why not extend it to 1Z40 (called Westbury 11:17, next stop Reading) to also call at TransWilts stations - it had no scheduled Berks and Hants stops.   And 1C79 (passed Westbury on avoider at 12:20 having run non-stop from Reading) run via Swindon and make the stops from Swindon.  Not a total replacement for the trains cancelled, but better than the total lack of anything provided this morning. 

[Adelante_CCT]

I was going to suggest that for that to happen it would require some common sense.

However, had those two trains been diverted, it would no doubt have added 30+ minutes on to both journeys, allowing everyone travelling west of Reading to claim delay repay. Also those on the Transwilts whilst at least having a service, would have no doubt been delayed and also have been able to claim. By not providing a service those turning up at Melksham, or those heading to Melksham would probably see that no service was due to operate, not bother purchasing a ticket, and make alternative arrangements.

Some slight revenue lost by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) by not providing a train to start with, but not the revenue that could have been lost through compensation by diverting those 2 mentioned services.

[grahame]

I would be inclined to agree that a diversion of 1C79 might be two steps forward and three back.  The other train I suggested was a Castle Cary special (adding insult to injury - probably where our train crew was) but replacing two round trips with a single journey in one direction would have been half-cock.

Lots of trains getting held up today by overcrowding on the return from Glastonbury ... just an example:

16:40 Gloucester to Weymouth due 20:10
16:40 Gloucester to Weymouth due 20:10 will no longer call at Filton Abbey Wood, Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill, Freshford, Avoncliff, Bradford-On-Avon and Trowbridge.
It has been delayed at Gloucester and is now 26 minutes late.
This is due to overcrowding because of an event.
Further Information
This train is running late because of earlier overcrowding at Castle Cary, and as a result has to miss-out a number of stops in order to reach its destination.