2022 - TransWilts cancellations and amendments log

[whole diary]

[Mark A]

The driver of the vehicle died. Police appealing for information.

https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/news/2022/05/fatal-collision-in-standerwick-under-investigaton/

[Gaz]

First trip to the office for 26 months today, took the 9am from Chippenham to Trowbridge, planned to get the 12:23 back but guess what, cancelled, somethings never change! So, off to Bath Spa and the Paddington service to Chippenham.

[grahame]

15:05 Westbury to Swindon due 15:49
16:03 Swindon to Westbury due 16:44

16:03 Swindon to Westbury due 16:44 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

Yesterday - at least 3 trains through Melksham cancelled or show as such - we suspect one may have been re-instead. Another 25 minutes late having come up "delayed" on the platform with no indication of how long for, then displaying "no trains are expected at this platform" before going back.

A call on the help button to ask about alternatives to the 13:30 to Westbury told us to wait for the 15:37 and there was no alternate transport being arranged.

But that was the old timetable - senior GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) management have advised me that it IS worth marketing thins like day trips to Weymouth as from the new timetable starting today; issues have been largely resolved and it should now be alright with resources released and retrained, for example.

I look at today's maps for GWR as a whole and note a whole load of cancellations but TransWilts (all be it with the first service as a bus) and the Heart of Wessex AOK.    Do forum members feel that our problems on these line are fixed as from now, in spite of what look like significant issues elsewhere?

[IndustryInsider]

Do forum members feel that our problems on these line are fixed as from now, in spite of what look like significant issues elsewhere?

What's your definition of 'fixed'?

[grahame]

Do forum members feel that our problems on these line are fixed as from now, in spite of what look like significant issues elsewhere?

What's your definition of 'fixed'?

90% reliability of trips to Weymouth was the line we drew in our request for advice as to whether we should market to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).  In other words, if people from Melksham want a day out in Weymouth, the trains or bus alternative should run and connect as per the timetable on 9 days out of 10. If a journey is a bit late (no problem with up to perhaps 30 minutes late at destination) that's understood - these things happen and it's not a failure.

[IndustryInsider]

It’ll be interesting to see if that reasonable target can be achieved this year.  I wouldn’t like to bet on either way to be honest.

[grahame]

08:11 Warminster to Swindon due 09:07

08:11 Warminster to Swindon due 09:07 has been delayed at Warminster and is now 35 minutes late.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.

[grahame]

Anyone from Swindon, Chippenham or Melksham headed for a day out in Weymouth - lovely day ...

The 09:14 from Swindon left very late.  It called at Melksham at 10:13 (33 minutes late) and got to Westbury at 10:29 - which was a bit unfortunate because the Weymouth train had left five minutes earlier, and there isn't another one until 12:28 - so instead of arriving in Weymouth before lunch, day trippers won't be there until two in the afternoon.

Before planning the marketing of Saturday and Sunday trips this summer, I asked GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if they anticipated 90% of day trips to be good ones - all trains running, and passengers arriving in both directions within half an hour of timetable.  Looks like a failure on the very first Sunday train - root cause looks like "overrunning engineering works" at Warminster so that's OK for GWR - they can attribute to Network Rail.

[GBM]

Anyone from Swindon, Chippenham or Melksham headed for a day out in Weymouth - lovely day ...

The 09:14 from Swindon left very late.  It called at Melksham at 10:13 (33 minutes late) and got to Westbury at 10:29 - which was a bit unfortunate because the Weymouth train had left five minutes earlier, and there isn't another one until 12:28 - so instead of arriving in Weymouth before lunch, day trippers won't be there until two in the afternoon.

Before planning the marketing of Saturday and Sunday trips this summer, I asked GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if they anticipated 90% of day trips to be good ones - all trains running, and passengers arriving in both directions within half an hour of timetable.  Looks like a failure on the very first Sunday train - root cause looks like "overrunning engineering works" at Warminster so that's OK for GWR - they can attribute to Network Rail.

Surely the Weymouth train could have been held to ensure a connection if GWR were serious about "A grand day out"!

[TaplowGreen]

20:24 Westbury to Swindon due 21:06

21:25 Swindon to Westbury due 22:05

Cancelled due to a shortage of train crew.