2023 Delays and Cancellations

[whole diary]

[Witham Bobby]

In the interests of completeness, we should record problems with yesterday's (Thu Aug 24) train 1P06 22:00 Hereford to London Paddington.
This left Hereford on time, was held at Norton (for 1W41 20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern, which lost time between Oxford and Worcester, arriving at Malvern 15 late)  and at Charlbury and arrived at Paddington 24 late.
But ... does this lateness matter? Does anybody travel on this train? You have to ask what it is for - would it not be more sensible to leave it parked in the sidings at Shrub Hill and use it on an early journey to Paddington?

Meanwhile, in early journeys to Paddington today (Fri Aug 25):

1P11 0514 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington was cancelled throughout, "due to an issue with the train crew (TG)" according to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website).

25/08/23 06:43 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 08:43 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:24/08/2023 22:56

07:13 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 09:40 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:25/08/2023 06:51

25/08/23 09:52 London Paddington to Hereford due 12:46 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:24/08/2023 22:59

So, at Evesham, the trains towards Paddington were
    05:35 cancelled
    06:35 from Hereford - OK
    07:00 cancelled
    07:21 halts train (to Oxford and Didcot Parkway), just 2 cars
    07:51 cancelled
    08:35 from Shrub Hill - OK

Complete shambles

Reliability of any of the OWW^▸ (Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton) services these days is somewhere close to zero.  The only thing that can be relied on is that there will be cancellations and delays every day

[Witham Bobby]

But ... does this lateness matter? Does anybody travel on this train? You have to ask what it is for - would it not be more sensible to leave it parked in the sidings at Shrub Hill and use it on an early journey to Paddington?

It’s ironic that it’s by far the most reliable of the Hereford to London trains, but hardly anyone uses it for that journey.

There will usually be up to a dozen on board from Hereford getting off at either Ledbury or Worcester, a few more join there (on a Friday night a couple of dozen), a few more on at Parkway, but mostly they will leave at Pershore/Evesham.  Then you’ll usually be in single figures to Oxford where up to another couple of dozen will join (twice that on a Friday), mostly heading to Didcot.  From there you might have a couple of dozen boarding and alighting through to Paddington (again, quite a lot more on a Friday).

So, a one car Class 153 would be ideal, apart from a Friday when you might need a two or three car Turbo.  A 9-car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) is a little bit of an over provision to put it mildly.  It’s not alone in that regard for a late evening service heading to Paddington though.

And if it didn’t run at all beyond Worcester I’m sure the locals wouldn’t be happy about having a last train to Evesham, Oxford and London as early as 9pm.

Isn't this just a working to balance the rolling stock?  Could be ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) but, as it's running, why not take a few quid in fares

[Witham Bobby]

1W27 1350 Paddington to Great Malvern cancelled throughout today because of a problem with the doors on the unit

and the return working, 1P38 1632 Great Malvern to Paddington, is also scrubbed

According to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) this should have been operated by 802009

[Witham Bobby]

Nightmare of a day continues

1P25 1253 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street, 30 late starting out from Padd, 49 late arriving at Shrub Hill where it was terminated and started back to London as 1P34, 30+ late

[Worcester_Passenger]

RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) reports:

1W27 13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern
This service was cancelled due to a problem with the doors (M7).

JourneyCheck:

16:32 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 19:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:25/08/2023 14:11

[Worcester_Passenger]

And today, it being Bank Holiday Monday, the 'halts' train does not operate.
But RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) records this with a curious choice of words:

This service was cancelled due to the planned cancellation (was not planned to operate) (PD).

And we have plenty of notice for a cancellation this evening:

18:57 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 21:21 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:28/08/2023 02:00

[Witham Bobby]

12:53 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 15:00 will be terminated at Reading.

This is due to a problem with line-side equipment.

15:17 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 17:24 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
It will no longer call at Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a problem with line-side equipment.

I have questions!

Particularly as RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) shows:

This service was cancelled between Reading and Worcester Foregate Street due to disorder (VA).

Edit: to include additional information

[ChrisB]

ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains)?

[Witham Bobby]

ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains)?

Yes.  RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) says 802009 for outward and return services.  But why?

[ChrisB]

Disorder? Maybe the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) wanted evidence?

[Witham Bobby]

The ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock)  5W25 is shown as a very short term provision in the timetable, 1318 Reading to Wocester Shrub Hill via Honeybourne. No details on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) until the train reached Didcot North Jcn, 51 minutes late.

It's not going to be at Shrub Hill in time for a 1521 departure back towards Paddington, which is what the GW^▸ (Great Western) JourneyCheck is still showing

[IndustryInsider]

Disorder? Maybe the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) wanted evidence?

Guard verbally abused and accused of being racist by a passenger.

[Worcester_Passenger]

From JourneyCheck:

19:44 London Paddington to Worcestershire Parkway Hl due 21:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Last Updated:03/09/2023 14:18

According to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website), on arrival at Worcestershire Parkway, this journey was scheduled to depart at 22:06 and run empty to Stoke Gifford, arriving 00:41.

After this one, the last two trains are the 20:44 from Paddington, scheduled to run back empty to Oxford, and the 21:49, scheduled to run back empty to Evesham (arrive 01:17) and wait for the engineering work at Shrub Hill to be finished. Scheduled to depart 02:25, arriving into Shrub Hill at 02:45.

[Worcester_Passenger]

and later:

19:44 London Paddington to Worcestershire Parkway Hl due 21:55 will be reinstated and will now run as scheduled.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5 from Oxford. First class not available. Catering is not available.
Last Updated:03/09/2023 16:08

[Worcester_Passenger]

and later:

19:44 London Paddington to Worcestershire Parkway Hl due 21:55 will be reinstated and will now run as scheduled.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5 from Oxford. First class not available. Catering is not available.
Last Updated:03/09/2023 16:08

RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is reporting that this train was formed of two 2-car Turbo units from Paddington to Oxford, and one 2-car unit from Oxford onwards.