2023 - Train update and amendment log - Swindon <-> Westbury

[whole diary]

[grahame]

16:25 Westbury to Swindon due 17:08
17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:20

17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:20 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

Cancellations to services between Pewsey and Westbury

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Pewsey and Westbury all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Pewsey will not be served. Disruption is expected until 18:30 12/04.

I don't think the fault is between Swindon and Westbury at all, then?

The 17:36 is a key commuter train that's in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s priority list

Realiability is much improved, but still has a way to go.   From my inbox this week, from a resident of Melksham Town where I sit on the Council, to me in my councillor role:

I commute to Bristol for work and the trains have been so unreliable in recent months I just don't bother anymore. Unfortunately I'm stuck with driving unless things improve.

[TaplowGreen]

16:25 Westbury to Swindon due 17:08
17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:20

17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:20 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

Cancellations to services between Pewsey and Westbury

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Pewsey and Westbury all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Pewsey will not be served. Disruption is expected until 18:30 12/04.

I don't think the fault is between Swindon and Westbury at all, then?

The 17:36 is a key commuter train that's in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s priority list

Realiability is much improved, but still has a way to go.   From my inbox this week, from a resident of Melksham Town where I sit on the Council, to me in my councillor role:

I commute to Bristol for work and the trains have been so unreliable in recent months I just don't bother anymore. Unfortunately I'm stuck with driving unless things improve.

Trees down, bridges out, crew shortages & signal failures. Think everyone is feeling the pain today.

[grahame]

06:35 Salisbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:03 has been delayed at Swindon and is now 12 minutes late.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system

Just "for the record" really ... on time from Westbury to Swindon then a shortish delay.  Probably not too busy a train today as the schools are out.

[grahame]

21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49

21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Last train of the day.

Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay

Great. 

Passengers for from Swindon and Chippenham to Melksham who rely on public transport may instead catch a train to Bath and then catch the 273 bus to Melksham at 23:15, arriving at 23:54 - 140 minutes late.    Passengers from Melksham to Trowbridge and Westbury can catch the bus at 22:33 to Bath, changing there to the train and arriving Trowbridge at 23:52 and Westbury at 23:59 - 130 minutes late

[grahame]

21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49

21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Last train of the day.

Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay

One of our guests was helping someone just outside Chippenham yesterday from late morning with some hard physical work.  He travelled up by bus ... and the kind lady brought him all the way home when he was finished, arriving about an hour before he would have done so on the cancelled train.   People will muck in and help out, but it does our public transport no good to have cancellations like this one, with the only offer from the operator to return your fare if you have paid already.

[bobm]

Just to complete the record for yesterday.  The 13:05 from Swindon did not run however there were numerous announcements about alternative arrangements given out.

I say "did not run" - in fact it did, but out of service to Westbury to pick up its next working.  So presumably it was cancelled for passenger use due to the lack of a guard.

[grahame]

Delays to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham

Due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge between Westbury and Trowbridge all lines are blocked. Disruption is expected until 16:30 18/04.

Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham may be delayed.

Customer Advice

We're sorry for the delay to your journey.

We will update this message with more information when we have it.

[TaplowGreen]

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 is being delayed at Swindon and is now expected to be 55 minutes late.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

16:25 Westbury to Swindon due 17:08

16:25 Westbury to Swindon due 17:08 will be starting late from Westbury and is expected to be 25 minutes late.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 has been previously delayed, has been further delayed at Stonehouse and is now 35 minutes late.
This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge earlier on this train's journey.

[bobm]

Also to note the 09:45 Westbury to Swindon terminated 38 minutes late after being trapped by a points failure at Wootton Bassett Junction.

Return working departed 17 minutes late as a result.

[grahame]

14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to a late running freight train.

[bobm]

Not sure if there is an issue between Chippenham and Wootton Bassett junction.  Trains heading east seemed to be losing time along that section today.  I was on the 12:33 from Melksham and we barely got about 60mph along that stretch. 

[grahame]

07:44 Westbury to Swindon due 08:26

07:44 Westbury to Swindon due 08:26 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident earlier today.

An example (far from the first time  ) of an incident elsewhere having a knock-on to the Swindon to Westbury line.  Interworking between lines is clever in terms of stock utilisation to smartly ensure that SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) (Service Level Commitment) is reached but at the cost of some loss of reliability.

Come next month, there is a reduction of timetabled Saturday trains on this line with a revamp of the timetable. I am not screaming and shouting at the loss of two daytime trains even though it makes for longer service gaps - rather I celebrate the extra northbound service on Saturday evening and the moving of the last train back from Swindon an hour later.   I am scratching my head as to why this extra train doesn't run after the summer; last train on Saturday night at 18:35 is a bit - well - restrictive!

[bobm]

07:44 Westbury to Swindon due 08:26

07:44 Westbury to Swindon due 08:26 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident earlier today.

An example (far from the first time  ) of an incident elsewhere having a knock-on to the Swindon to Westbury line.  Interworking between lines is clever in terms of stock utilisation to smartly ensure that SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) (Service Level Commitment) is reached but at the cost of some loss of reliability.

Left eight minutes late and arrived in Swindon nine down.  Still in time to make the advertised connections to London and South Wales.

[TaplowGreen]

21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49

21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49 will be starting late from Swindon and is expected to be 30 minutes late.

This is due to train crew being delayed.