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

[whole diary]

[grahame]

13:56 Chippenham to Weymouth due 15:51

13:56 Chippenham to Weymouth due 15:51 will be delayed between Frome and Bruton and is expected to be 10 minutes late.
This is due to a points failure.

[grahame]

17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55

17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[grahame]

20:45 Swindon to Westbury due 21:26

20:45 Swindon to Westbury due 21:26 has been delayed between Chippenham and Melksham and is now 7 minutes late.
This is due to congestion.

[grahame]

13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:56
14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[Phil]

13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:56
14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Now reinstated, apparently

[grahame]

13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:56
14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Now reinstated, apparently

The 13:15 remained cancelled according to Real Time Trains "This service was cancelled due to a problem with the on-board safety systems (MT)".  A very short notice class 5 train (empty coaching stock) ran from Swindon to Westbury instead, and what had been running up and down as a 2 car has become a 3 car this afternoon on, yes, that re-instated 14:16

I was at the station for every train this morning - with new timetables starting on Sunday, reaching out to customers to make sure they were aware that there are some changes.  Report to follow in separate post.

[grahame]

06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central due 08:07
19/05/23 06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central due 08:07 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey and Southampton Central.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

07:37 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19
19/05/23 07:37 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26
19/05/23 08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

The 07:37 (07:53 at Melksham) is a key one ... next service not until 10:02 and one of just three out of 17 trains each way (current timetable) that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have promised to prioritise.  I was at Melksham stations yesterday when thus train called and there were over 50 passengers from, to or through Melksham.

[bobm]

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham

Due to a shortage of train crew between Westbury and Swindon fewer trains are able to run on the line. Disruption is expected until 10:02 19/05.
Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham have been cancelled.

Additional Information
The 09:46 Westbury to Swindon via Melksham service is the next service to run which serves Melksham.

Replacement transport has been arranged but this is not expected to arrive into Trowbridge until 09:20. This will run from Trowbridge to Melksham and to Chippenham and then back again.

We're sorry for any inconvenience caused today.

[grahame]

Replacement transport has been arranged but this is not expected to arrive into Trowbridge until 09:20. This will run from Trowbridge to Melksham and to Chippenham and then back again.

Classic illustration of the delay caused by road replacement transport in addition to the bus being slower.

As I read this, the 07:43 train (07:53 Melksham, 08:03 Chippenham, 08:19 Swindon) is cancelled because they don't have the right sort of staff to run it.

There's a bus expected at 09:20 from Trowbridge, which will be 09:35 at Melksham and 09:55 at the earliest at Chippenham. Very unlikely to catch the 09:56 to Swindon so the next train will be the 10:11 and get people to Swindon at 10:34. Ironically, that's the bus connecting into the next train from Westbury ...

Thank you to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) for honouring their promise to lay on a bus if this train is cancelled.   Yesterday there were (look back at notes) between between 50 and 60 passengers using this train.  But I wonder how many of them will still be there for the bus ...


Return bus - say - 10:00 from Chippenham in place of the 09:00 train, say 10:35 into Trowbridge rather than 09:19, connection to Westbury at 11:00 rather than 09:26.   Slightly more useful than the bus the other way, as after 09:26 the next train arrival from Swindon is not until 11:47.

Oh for an appropriate hourly train service.  Cancellations would still be regretted, but it would render the need for a practical alternative (which these buses today are not!) unnecessary.

[Phil]

At least these cancellations were announced in good time - unlike two weeks ago when the 8.45 from Swindon was cancelled at 9.05, leaving everyone standing at Melksham wondering what the f*** to do next.

I saw this one coming and caught the 06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central at Melksham that terminated at Westbury, which luckily was as far as I needed to go in any case. The guard said he was expecting to have been with the service all the way - the problem (as usual it seems) was the lack of a driver.

Fortunately by late afternoon the service was running to time again so I was able to get home to Melksham without suffering from bustition or taxidermy or whatever the correct term is.

White Horse Soap Box Derby happening in Westbury tomorrow with 5,000 people estimated to attend, so fingers crossed some kind of service will take place...

[grahame]

White Horse Soap Box Derby happening in Westbury tomorrow with 5,000 people estimated to attend, so fingers crossed some kind of service will take place...

We have the Shambles Festival in Melksham - https://www.shamblesfestival.co.uk/festival-info.html .  I don't expect anyone will come by train - put off by the rather brutal problem of there not yet being any trains to get them home after the event finishes. The 22:32 bus to Bath may be interesting.

[TaplowGreen]

Cancelled due to crew shortage

14:05 Westbury to Swindon due 14:54
15:10 Swindon to Westbury due 15:56
21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49

[bobm]

Somewhat late in the day the 14:05 and 15:10 were reinstated. 

[grahame]

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 was terminated at Westbury.

It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.

This is due to a fault on this train.

and the knock-on

09:52 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads due 11:26 will be started from Gloucester.

It will no longer call at Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Spa.

This is due to a fault on this train.

[bobm]

14:19 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:19 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.