HEART OF WESSEX LINE cancellations and short journeys.

[whole diary]

[martyjon]

13/08/2007
From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website ;-

06:44 Weymouth to Cardiff Central due 10:16
This train has been cancelled.
 
05:35 Weymouth to Cardiff Central due 09:05
This train will be terminated at Westbury. It will no longer call at: Trowbridge, Bradford-On-Avon, Avoncliff, Freshford, Bath Spa, Oldfield Park, Keynsham, Bristol Temple Meads, Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Filton Abbey Wood, Patchway, Newport South Wales and Cardiff Central.

and from the NRES^▸ (National Rail Enquiry Service) website the 0804 Bristol Temple Meads - Weymouth is shown as No Report at all calling stations, another source reports did not run, the 0904 was reported full and standing from Westbury.

As a result of the cancellation of the 0804 from Bristol the return working departing Weymouth at 1051 was also cancelled as far as Westbury.

and a later look at the FGW website gives another HOWL cancellation ;-

11:00 Cardiff Central to Weymouth due 14:27
This train will be terminated at Westbury. It will no longer call at: Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey and Weymouth.

So presumably this will also lead to the cancellation of the 1451 from Weymouth as far as Westbury as well, will try and check later.

Well I did check somewhat later, the service did terminate at Westbury then the unit was reported as running ecs to Weymouth and the 1451 was shown on NRES as running from Weymouth.

First Great Western living up to their reputation as the nations worst performing train operator, Moir Lockhead got a cheek to threaten London Travelwatch with legal action for telling the nation the truth.

[Timmer]

Its not been a good few days on the Heart of Wessex line or the rest of the regions railways come to think of it. Is it me or does there seem to be a lot of short runnings and cancellations on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) at the moment? I saw The Pembroke Coast Express didnt make it to Pembroke on Saturday. Hardly good publicity for letting the train take the strain as part of your holiday experience. Still you can always spend the day at Heathrow or Gatwick!

[Jim]

0904 was 2 vice 4, with the 0804 cancelled, so I make it technically 2 vice 8!

[martyjon]

14/08/2007
From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website ;-


08:44 Weymouth to Cardiff Central due 12:17
This train will be started from Yeovil Pen Mill. It will no longer call at: Weymouth, Upwey, Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Chetnole, Yetminster and Thornford. This is due to a delay on a previous journey.


06:04 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth due 08:23
This train will be terminated at Yeovil Pen Mill. It will no longer call at: Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey and Weymouth. This is due to a delay on a previous journey.


In neither case is there any mention of road replacement transport being available. Pity the poor passengers waiting at Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole and Maiden Newton going to Dorchester and Weymouth to work, at least Dorchester passengers going to Weymouth have an alternative from the South Station or a bus, oh dear thats First Group as well.

No wonder FGW are tagged the worst performing TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).

In the case of the 06:04 from BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) can anyone in the know reply as to what previous journey this would be delayed on at such an early time in the morning. I note from NRES^▸ (National Rail Enquiry Service) that this service departed BTM at 07:07 and was terminated at YPM at 08:49.

There is at least one consolation for the crew they got at least 30 minutes at Yeovil to enjoy a sit down, chat, read the daily newspaper, discuss the award of the ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) Franchise to National Express and finally that all important cuppa.

[Jim]

The Weymouth - Cardiff pax were bussed to Westbury, but the coach got lost, appranrently they went via Warminster and Trowbridge!

[Scooby]

Most of these cancellations were however not cancellations, in the current 'cancellation scam' thats taken place..

Basically if a path (train) is cancelled within TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS) (train running computer system) before the day the train is due to run it is classed as a 'planned cancellation'. ie, if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) knew it had no crew for a certain service and it inputted it as 'CAN' in TRUST before the day it runs its a planned cancellation, FGW DO NOT get penalised for 'planned cancellations'.

A couple Sundays back was dozens of these VSTP cancellations (very short term planned), but as they are 'planned' no penalty is incurred.

Sounds mad but is true.....

So anyway, why are First still here???

[Steve Bray]

There was a curious statement this morning on FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s website (now gone) about a Bristol/Weymouth/Bristol train not operating on Saturday 18th due to a "contractual dispute". 

[Ollie]

Steve it is still there.

http://firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=1613

[Timmer]

Steve it is still there.

http://firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=1613

If I was FGW^▸ (First Great Western) I wouldnt bother running these replacement coaches. The weather for Saturday looks pretty rubbish for a day trip to the seaside so I doubt overcrowing will be a problem on this line over the coming weekend.

[martyjon]

19/08/2007
From the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website at 10:35 ;-

These must be planned cancellations which do not go down on the statistics but cancellations THEY ARE.

20:03 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads due 22:25
This train has been cancelled.

Replacement road transport will be in operation between Weymouth and Bristol Temple Meads.

17:07 Weston-super-Mare to Weymouth due 19:57
This train will be terminated at Bristol Temple Meads. It will no longer call at: Keynsham, Oldfield Park, Bath Spa, Freshford, Avoncliff, Bradford-On-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey and Weymouth.

Replacement road transport will be in operation between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth.

[Daniel]

I apologise for the "bump" of this thread, but I was, in fact, booked on-board the following train:

14/08/2007

08:44 Weymouth to Cardiff Central due 12:17

This train will be started from Yeovil Pen Mill. It will no longer call at: Weymouth, Upwey, Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Chetnole, Yetminster and Thornford. This is due to a delay on a previous journey.

In neither case is there any mention of road replacement transport being available.

I was due to board the train from Dorchester West, and alight at Castle Cary, where I would have a 20 minute gap to await the 1022 Adalente to Exeter, where I would meet a friend, on which I was booked on an AP FC^‡(resolve) ticket - (was on holiday).

Standing at Dorchester with around 5 other people, I thought something was up when the train was around 5 minutes late. Even for First Great Western, it's odd to have a late train that close to it's origination point. I used the customer information point, and after 6 tries I got it to work. It told me the 0804 to Weymouth was cancelled. Nothing about the 0858 to Cardiff, though. As I couldn't find the number for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Cust. Serv. on any of the posters, I called NRE^‡(resolve).... and was referred to FGW. As I had guessed, the 0804 was cancelled, which so happened to be form the service from Weymouth, meaning it couldn't run. At that time I was told that it was cancelled due to a fault on the train. I requested taxis for myself and my fellow passengers, as collectivley we were travelling to three different destinations. I was refused. When I asked why, I was told "There's a coach, but it don't stop at Dorchester". Cue shouting down the phone, and the coach stops at Dorchester. I found out from the coach driver that the coach was going to Westbury where passengers could board a train to go onwards. However the coach only had one stop - Yeovil Pen Mill - and I wanted to go to Castle Cary. The coach driver said he'd stop for me - nice chap . After some investigation work by some friends, (namely Jim on this forum), it turned out the down Weymouth was something like 90 minutes late at Yeovil, so was terminated there. Shame they couldn't just hold the train at Yeovil for the coach.
Anyway, we arrived at Castle Cary at 10:21:46, and as we pulled into the car park, the 1022 departed. BUGGER! Asked the coach driver to wait for me, ran inside and got through a crowd of people and asked for the next train to Exeter, and was told it was over an hour away. Went back through the crowd and ran out to the coach, the driver just said "Go to Westbury, they'll sort it out." It's a shame that I only realised after we had left that those in the waiting room could have wanted the coach, which wasn't supposed to stop...

Anyway, driver got lost. Went to Westbury via Frome, Warminster and Trowbridge!

Eventually made it to Westbury, and after a quick explanation to the ticket staff my ticket was stamped to allow me travel on the next train - still in first class. What made me laugh was that the three people behind me simply said, "Same as him, please!" 

Now, here's the next problem... I'd just missed a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) down south, next one wasn't for an hour. As it turns out, the train I got, (a HST), was the one I would have got if I had stayed at Castle Cary.

Got down to Dawlish around 4 hours late IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly)! 


Ah well, it was fun going Westbury-Exeter with a Castle Cary-Exeter ticket, on a train calling Westbury, Castle Cary! Bet that confused the TM^‡(resolve)... 


Oh yeah, and gateline staff kept my (SGL) tickets, despite my pleas, so no refunds.

[grahame]

I apologise for the "bump" of this thread, but I was, in fact, booked on-board the following train:

Welcome to the forum, Daniel ... and threads are here to be bumped if there's summat worthwhile to add ... as there certainly was in this case.

[Daniel]

Thank you - I know that bumping is generally frowned apon in most instances so thought it would be best to apologise beforehand. 

[Timmer]

Thank you - I know that bumping is generally frowned apon in most instances so thought it would be best to apologise beforehand. 

No need to apologise Daniel, threads on this site can go on for months and months. As Graham said, if there is something worth adding to a previous thread then go ahead. Its often good to revisit a previous discussion especially when someone who is new to the site can add some input or there has been a development on a particular topic. Welcome to the site btw.

[devon_metro]

I remember that day. It was generally chaos in Wiltshire. I have some word documents showing some of the unit delays. Whilst in Devon things were running well considering how rough it was at Dawlish.