Description of line
Double track from Salisbury to Westbury and on to Freshford.
Most of the ststions in the Wylye Valley were closed in the Beeching era, so there's a long run from Salisbury to Warminster. Even Wilton station - and Wilton was the old capital of Wessex - is gone.
North of Warminster, it gets a little better with stations at Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Avoncliff and Freshford ... but the stations into Bath, once again, are all closed.
Major railway junction at Westbury, Swindon line leaves just north of Trowbridge, and the line joins the main London to Bristol line just before Bath.
Service offered
Hourly Portsmouth to Cardiff service throughout the day, and this is a popular moneyspinner.
Extra hourly "stopper" service from Westbury to Bath and Bristol making, overall, a half hourly train. Some of these extended to Frome, Yeovil and Weymouth.
In 2007 (ONLY) an extra shuttle service from Westbury via Salisbury to Southampton, approx every 3 hours.
2 extra trains per day Westbury - Trowbridge (and on to Swindon).
Peak flows
To Bath and Britol in the morning peak, return in the evening
Known issues
Overcrowding at peak times from Wesbury to Bristol
Overcrowding on almost all trains Portsmouth - Cardiff, espcially when they run with just 2 coaches. (April 2007 - 2 car seems to be the norm! now!)
Inadequate service will be provided to Dilton Marsh once the shuttle is withdrawn, and Warminster too will see a major drop in services.
Commuter traffic from West Wilts stations and Frome to Swindon is no longer catered for by the inadequate service of 2 trains a day left on this line; changing at Bath is an inconvenient option on already-overcrowded services.
Standing room only (and some were left behind) between Trowbridge and Bath
More about thisOvercrowded trip
Forum
See here
Link to ... Revisions/Short-Formed Trains (01/07/2008)
Link to ... Additional Calls At Mottisfont & Dunbridge/Dean (30/06/2008)
Link to ... Short-Formed Trains (24/06/2008)
Link to ... Signalling Problem In The Portsmouth Harbour Area (17/06/2008)
Link to ... Revisions (12/06/2008)
Link to ... Additional stops
Link to ... Fatality Bath Area
Link to ... Wiltshire Station Improvements Celebration
Link to ... Extra Stops For Avoncliff & Freshford (30/05/2008)
Link to .. Theoretical Design For A New DMU For Portsmouth-Cardiff Services
Link to .. Lots of problems on this wet bank holiday..
Link to .. Short-Formed Trains (21/05/2008)
Link to .. Southampton-Great Malvern Revision (19/05/2008)
Link to .. Poster Timetables for Cardiff/Portsmouth route
Link to .. Evening Revisions (16/05/2008)
Link to .. Full and standing..
Link to .. 0830 Cardiff-Portsmouth Service Calls At STJ (28/04/2008)
Link to .. Vandalism and...
Link to .. Revisions (24/04/2008)
Link to .. Lineside Fire In The Freshford Area (17/04/2008)
Also ... blogs and other active groups:
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