2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury

[whole diary]

[grahame]

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07

Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

On a scale of 1 to 100 in importance, scores a minus one ... really makes no difference at that time of the morning.  Not that I have used it at 05:11.  It *is* much busier towards the end of its run.

[TaplowGreen]

08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26
08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 has been delayed at Chippenham and is now 13 minutes late.
This is due to a broken down train.

09:46 Westbury to Swindon due 10:29
09:46 Westbury to Swindon due 10:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47
11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

[TaplowGreen]

08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26
08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 has been delayed at Chippenham and is now 13 minutes late.
This is due to a broken down train.

09:46 Westbury to Swindon due 10:29
09:46 Westbury to Swindon due 10:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47
11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

Alterations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham
Due to a broken down train between Westbury and Newbury disruption is expected until 12:00 10/09.
Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham have been suspended.
Customer Advice
We are sorry for the delay to your journey.
-
A freight train has broken down on the line between Westbury and Newbury, this has resulted in services being diverted via the line that runs between Westbury and Swindon. As part of this is a single line, this restricts the number of trains that can run and the local stopping services between Westbury and Swindon have been suspended.

[grahame]

A freight train has broken down on the line between Westbury and Newbury, this has resulted in services being diverted via the line that runs between Westbury and Swindon. As part of this is a single line, this restricts the number of trains that can run and the local stopping services between Westbury and Swindon have been suspended.

Ever felt like a second class citizen?    Melksham Town Council wrote to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) last week pointing out the importance of a reliable train service to Melksham now that passenger numbers are 70,000 not 3,000 journeys a year ... and then over the weekend 7 round trips out of 14 were cancelled.   Melksham Without Parish Council resolved to write a similar letter last night, and so far today 1 round trip out of 9 has been cancelled and another held up.

The Network Rail report looking at the future development of rail in Wiltshire was discussed at the Melksham Without Council meeting last night and the proposals make sense and indeed are supported.  The performance of GWR in providing their own timetable meanwhile is horrendous; the question has been asked "why should First care" with the nationalisation plans, which puts us on rather thin ice and needing to be careful what we ask for as we don't simply want to get a two fingered gesture back from an operator with nothing to lose.

Melksham has been a growth town for many years, and the new government wants (and perhaps requires) many more homes to be built here.  From last night, my comments on this: https://grahamellis.uk/blog1349.html

[bobm]

The failed freight train has now been rescued and is in Hungerford loop.

[grahame]

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07

Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

On a scale of 1 to 100 in importance, scores a minus one ... really makes no difference at that time of the morning.  Not that I have used it at 05:11.  It *is* much busier towards the end of its run.

And today

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07

Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07.
Will be formed of 2 coaches.

This service doesn't need 3 carriages ... and I'm not even sure how long it's supposed to be.   Seems to be being reported if it's 3 (should be 2) and 2 (should be 3).  Both are an irrelevance on this service. Much more important is that it runs, and that connections work.

[grahame]

13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57

Facilities on the 13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57.
Disabled toilet facilities are not available.

[grahame]

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to a security alert at a station.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 was terminated at Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a security alert at a station.

[bobm]

Unattended suitcase on platform 1 at Westbury.

The 17:50 from Gloucester was used to convey BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) to Westbury - presumably after the driver agreed to do it!

[grahame]

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

Facilities on the 06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

OK ... and yet historically I thought it had been 3?  From Swindon to Stroud, that's a school and commuter train and during covid was the most overcrowded service on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).  Also a class illustration of how loading varies along a route; not exactly crush level off Salisbury, and 2 cars adequate up as far as Swindon.

[TaplowGreen]

.............full/part cancellations already being listed for tomorrow.....

Sun, 15 September 10:58



15/09/24 10:58 Weymouth to Swindon due 13:22 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.


15/09/24 13:42 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:57 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[TaplowGreen]

18:11 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:33
18:11 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:33 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

[grahame]

Three trains out of 14 gone so far today - and that would kinda suggest to be that a fourth might go too as they tend to gat cancelled for staffing reasons in pairs.

Yesterday, I took no less than eight trains on my journey to and from Bicester Village.   Busy all the way.  I counted 25 people joining at Melksham (and two off), with 103 on the train as it left northbound - so that's 103/27.   The 17:35 off Swindon on return had 33 on as it left Chippenham, with just 4 getting off and 7 more getting on at Melksham - so 40/11

Recording from Thursday (didn't log at the time, a trip to Swindon for TWSW^» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website)), 8 joined the 10:02 off Melksham and 2 got off, 34 on the train to Chippenham, so 36/10; returning on the 13:15 off Swindon, 34 on the train off Chippenham, 5 more on and 10 off at Melksham, so 39/15.

[grahame]

08:57 London Paddington to Paignton due 12:39

08:57 London Paddington to Paignton due 12:39 has been cancelled.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident.

There is an irony in that the mid morning round trip from Westbury to Swindon and back has been cancelled to make way for prioritised services such as this one, which is then cancelled.   

My understanding is that the incident is between Swindon and Didcot, not on the TransWilts line, but I will stand back and say ironic but understandable as we don't know what the incident is.  My words would be stronger if the cancellation was due to a lack of train crew or rolling stock.

Edit - to add that the incident is a person hit by train - gawd I wish we could reduce the instances of this!

[grahame]

Faresaver buses are reporting their services busier than usual at Chippenham, from where they run to Bath and to Melksham and Trowbridge, and I suspect that Stagecoach who run from Chippenham to Swindon might report similar.