When will GWR▸ sort out (or be allowed to sort out) their crew issues? Two weeks of completed "running" of their new December 2022 to May 2023 timetable, but more trains have been cancelled than have run on time. And on only 2 days of the 14 (21st and 22nd December) have they had enough staff available. Make no mistake that during Industrial Action, both Didcot and Westbury signal boxes have been open during the day and there's no network reason that trains could not run from Westbury to Swindon at normal times that the railway was open (07:36, 09:46, 12:17, 14:18, and 16:25) and back at 08:45, 11:05, 13:15, 15:14, and 17:36.
Day TT On time V.late Cancelled
Trains Trains Trains Trains and why
11 14 7 1 6 Train fault; Crew Shortage; Points Failure
12 17 15 0 2 Late Crew
13 17 0 0 17 Industrial Action
14 17 0 0 17 Industrial Action
15 17 3 1 13 Industrial Action, Train fault
16 17 0 0 17 Indistrial Action
17 17 0 0 17 Industrial Action
18 14 4 0 10 Crew Shortage
19 17 15 0 2 Crew Shortage
20 17 14 0 3 Crew Shortage, Points Failure
21 17 17 0 0 The only day in 2 weeks that they all ran!
22 17 13 1 3 Supermarket Trolley on track
23 17 15 0 2 Crew Shortage
24 17 11 0 6 Industrial Action, Crew issue
Totals 232 114 3 115
This is not the reliable service that GWR are contracted to provide (or is it? What does the DfT» require of GWR these days). Happy for it to be simplified - 05:17, 07:17 and 09:17, 12:17, 14:17 and 16:47, 19:17 and 21:47 from Westbury, 06:11, 08:11, 10:11, 13:11, 15:11 and 17:41, 20:11 and 22:42 from Swindon.
Simple shuttle train. Personal need break opportunities in there. Decent connections via Salisbury to and from the Portsmouth service (but assuming that service does not dramatically change at Westbury. Tweaking may be usefuk to help connections at Trowbridge and Chippenham to / from Bristol Temple Meads. Enough trains from Swindon to London to not worry too much, and probably worth a look at a morning connection from Westbury to Weymouth and an evening one back.
