Based on industry times that have appeared on "Real Time Trains". It is anticipated there may be some further last minute adjustments.
It would appear that some of our concerns on the earlier Monday to Friday services have been addressed (thank goodness!). Connections are important, but the current data feed format is such that it would be a long job to make a correlation, and I anticipate having a far easier format available by the middle of the month.
This is my first look at Saturday and Sunday services on which there has been no community consultation to my knowledge. At a very brief glance, it would appear that Saturday and Sunday service plans are a marginal improvement - that may not seem to be saying much, but it's a step in the right direction and a potential risk of major problems eliminated.
Calls at Melksham - provisional working timetable - Monday to Friday from 16th December 2019| - | arrives at | | from | | train no. | operator | to | leaves at | previous timetable equivalent |
| WTT▸ | 0532 | | Westbury | | 2M09 | GW▸ | Swindon | 0533 (1) | new |
| WTT | 0636 | | Swindon | | 2O20 | GW | Southampton Central | 0636 | 06:36 |
| WTT | 0718 | | Westbury | | 2G81 | GW | Gloucester | 0719 (2) | 07:20 |
| WTT | 0751 | | Westbury | | 2M13 | GW | Swindon | 0752 | 07:49 |
| WTT | 0908 | | Swindon | | 2M22 | GW | Westbury | 0909 (3) | 09:18 |
| WTT | 1000 | | Westbury | | 2M15 | GW | Swindon | 1001 | 10:02 |
| WTT | 1129 | | Swindon | | 2M24 | GW | Westbury | 1130 | 11:12 |
| WTT | 1231 | | Westbury | | 2M17 | GW | Swindon | 1232 (4) | 12:03 and 12:36 |
| WTT | 1338 | | Swindon | | 2M26 | GW | Westbury | 1339 (4) | 13:14 and 13:55 |
| WTT | 1431 | | Westbury | | 2M19 | GW | Swindon | 1432 | 14:40 |
| WTT | 1538 | | Swindon | | 2M28 | GW | Westbury | 1539 (5) | 15:45 |
| WTT | 1640 | | Westbury | | 2M21 | GW | Swindon | 1641 | 16:37 |
| WTT | 1800 | | Swindon | | 2M30 | GW | Westbury | 1801 | 18:02 |
| WTT | 1853 | | Westbury | | 2M23 | GW | Swindon | 1854 | 18:48 |
| WTT | 1915 | | Gloucester | | 2O90 | GW | Southampton Central | 1916 (2) | 19:15 |
| WTT | 2021 | | Westbury | | 2G91 | GW | Cheltenham Spa | 2022 (6) | 19:47 |
| WTT | 2109 | | Swindon | | 2M34 | GW | Westbury | 2110 (7) | 20:33 |
Calls at Melksham - provisional working timetable -
Saturdays from 21st December 2019| - | arrives at | | from | | train no. | operator | to | leaves at | previous timetable equivalent |
| WTT | 0752 | | Westbury | | 2M11 | GW | Swindon | 0753 | 07:49 | |
| WTT | 0850 | | Westbury | | 2M13 | GW | Swindon | 0851 (11) | 08:38 |
| WTT | 0910 | | Swindon | | 2M22 | GW | Westbury | 0910 | 09:02 |
| WTT | 1020 | | Westbury | | 2M15 | GW | Swindon | 1021 (11) | 09:46 |
| WTT | 1129 | | Swindon | | 2M24 | GW | Westbury | 1129 | 11:02 |
| WTT | 1220 | | Westbury | | 2M17 | GW | Swindon | 1221 (11) | 11:48 |
| WTT | 1329 | | Swindon | | 2M25 | GW | Westbury | 1329 | 13:02 |
| WTT | 1420 | | Westbury | | 2M19 | GW | Swindon | 1421 (12) | 13:48 |
| WTT | 1515 | | Westbury | | 2M20 | GW | Swindon | 1516 (12) | 15:31 |
| WTT | 1532 | | Swindon | | 2M27 | GW | Westbury | 1533 (12) | 15:02 |
| WTT | 1625 | | Swindon | | 2M29 | GW | Westbury | 1626 (12) | 15:48 |
| WTT | 1647 | | Westbury | | 2M21 | GW | Swindon | 1648 | 16:48 |
| WTT | 1757 | | Swindon | | 2M30 | GW | Westbury | 1758 | 18:02 |
| WTT | 1850 | | Westbury | | 2M23 | GW | Swindon | 1851 | 18:48 |
| WTT | 1957 | | Swindon | | 2M40 | GW | Westbury | 1958 | 20:02 |
| WTT | 2131 | | Swindon | | 2M44 | GW | Westbury | 2132 | 21:32 |
Calls at Melksham - provisional working timetable -
Sundays from 15th December 2019| - | arrives at | | from | | train no. | operator | to | leaves at | previous timetable equivalent |
| WTT | 0835 | | Warminster | | 2M05 | GW | Swindon | 0837 (21) | 08:36 |
| WTT | 0936 | | Swindon | | 2M06 | GW | Westbury | 0937 (21) | 09:47 |
| WTT | 1058 | | Westbury | | 2M07 | GW | Swindon | 1100 | 10:47 |
| WTT | 1205 | | Swindon | | 2M08 | GW | Westbury | 1206 | 11:53 |
| WTT | 1255 | | Weymouth | | 2V79 | GW | Swindon | 1256 | 12:53 |
| WTT | 1405 | | Swindon | | 2O91 | GW | Weymouth | 1405 | 14:04 |
| WTT | 1504 | | Westbury | | 2M11 | GW | Swindon | 1506 | 14:50 |
| WTT | 1610 | | Swindon | | 2M12 | GW | Westbury | 1611 | 15:53 |
| WTT | 1704 | | Westbury | | 2M13 | GW | Swindon | 1706 | 17:07 |
| WTT | 1808 | | Swindon | | 2M14 | GW | Westbury | 1809 | 18:17 |
| WTT | 1850 | | Westbury | | 2M15 | GW | Swindon | 1851 | 19:00 |
| WTT | 1951 | | Swindon | | 2M16 | GW | Westbury | 1952 | 20:18 |
| WTT | 2033 | | Westbury | | 2M17 | GW | Swindon | 2034 (22) | 19:57 |
| WTT | 2134 | | Swindon | | 2M18 | GW | Westbury | 2135 (23) | new |
Notes - Monday to Friday(1) A new train at 05:33 to Swindon. For most people, too early ... but there will be a small group for whom this will be significantly useful. In reality, this train is provided to get a train into place in Swindon for the 06:15 (ish) from there to Southampton which no longer runs from Gloucester
(2) The 07:20 to Cheltenham Spa and the train from Cheltenham Spa that calls at 19:15 now start / finish at Gloucester. Until 13th December, it s possible to travel from Melksham to places such as Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh with just a single change of trains via this service. In future these journeys now involve multiple changes.
(3) The 09:18 to Westbury now leaves at 09:09. Good - a step in the right direction to help get people to work at places such as County Hall, where a few minutes makes a big difference. I wonder how this retiming will effect fares - which fares from Swindon / Chippenham / Melksham are no longer off peak, but require "Any Time". Also Rangers, Rovers and freedom tickets??
(4) The two lunchtime trains are combined into one, with off peak service gaps increased in some cases from 2 to 2.5 hours. The best has been made of this service reduction - least damage to passengers journeys, but never the less the slipping back in overall daytime service so we can no longer even say "every two hours" on a line that justifies an hourly service is to be regretted. We note that the through service to / from Frome no longer operates. This may be an issue for the Heart of Wessex
CRP▸ .
(5) The 15:45 to Westbury is 6 minutes earlier (15:39). This is a very sensitive train - both to college traffic joining it just after 15:30 at Chippenham and for onward connections at Westbury.
(6) The 19:47 Cheltenham Spa train is later at 20:22 - good in that it gives a later train at Melksham and a more even gap. Need to check ex Weymouth connections at Westbury - may change a nice connection back after a day at the seaside into a longer wait.
(7) The 20:08 from Swindon (20:33 at Melksham) is 35 minutes later. GOOD that it evens out service, GOOD that it gives a later train from London, GOOD that it gives evening super off peak from London, reliable, and on Monday to Friday. Expect some negative reaction from a handful of commuters who's shifts finish to suit this train
Notes - Saturday(11) More even spread of morning trains to Swindon - though with some changes of just over half an hour, there may be some time specific concerns.
(12) Afternoon services are re-jigged as services no longer swap over with a train on the Swindon to Gloucester line. The new 16:26 arrival from Swindon will be especially welcome - regular customers and potential customers would LOVE that on a Monday to Friday too!
Notes - Sunday(21) Good to see the 09:47 back to 09:37 to Westbury - should help make more robust day out connections (but not checked those yet). Also good to have this first round trip (08:37 Swindon and 09:37 Westbury) cemented in the schedule.
(22) The 19:57 to Swindon later at 20:34 - in general principle good, but I really hope it doesn't mean that day trip customers to Weymouth have a 40 minutes extra at Westbury on their way home.
(23) New train calling at 21:35 on way from Swindon to Westbury. Delighted.
Immediate aspirations that have been discussed but are not shown as arriving in December(a) 06:36 extended via Southampton Airport and Romsey; 20:22 not starting back at Romsey via Southampton Airport. These would have been first tentative steps (see from a Melksham perspective as is this post) toward a linkage of Swindon - Westbury, Westbury - Warminster - (Salisbury) and Salisbury - Southampton - Romsey.
(b) Later SATURDAY service from Westbury to Swindon. 18:51 is mighty early for a last train on a Saturday, and an extra round trip about 20:30 to Swindon - as we have event other day of the week - would be useful and used (mostly inbound to Melksham traffic). Using the train that's been on the "shuttle" all day, it could then run back from Swindon, leaving there at around 22:45.
(c) Additional service northbound at about 08:50, late afternoon and 22:10 and southbound at 08:10, 17:00 and 23:10. ("Late afternoon" splits 16:41 train into services at around 16:00 and 17:00)
(d) General through running to the Southampton area (see (a) ) which would also improve use of resources and service at Dilton Marsh and from Westbury / Warminster to Salisbury.
The above are short(er) term aspirations that I believe are practical now, within current infrastructure, stock availability and the requirements of other current traffic that uses the line. Hourly services in each direction - which is an appropriate service for the line - would probably need enhanced capacity such as a passing loop once other traffic requirements are taken into account.. The aspirations which could not realistically be achieved in the timetable to run through 2020 are not discussed further in this post.
Big "Thank you" to Timmer for alerting us to the publication of base data from which the above has been developed
The new GW timetable is now appearing on RTT» . Usual caution that this is raw data and subject to change but gives you a chance to see what’s likely to be running from your local station from mid December.
