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Inadequate service will be provided to Dilton Marsh once the shuttle is withdrawn, and Warminster too will see a major drop in services.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 ... Strange reason given for a short-formed train? (9 March 2010)
Link to ... Freight train derails in Hampshire (22 February 2010)
Link to ... Short trains today ...
Link to ... Incident near Salisbury (3-2-10)
Link to ... Portsmouth to Swindon
Link to ... Inquiry after man hit by train in Hampshire (12/01/2010)
Link to ... Hooray and not so Hooray!
Link to ... Poor Bad Weather Planning by Southern
Link to ... West Wilts Rail User Group - AGM and presentation by FGW
Link to .. FGW's other Salisbury - Southampton services
Link to .. New SWT Website Launched
Link to .. Oldfield Park failure 30/10/09
Link to .. Bid to improve access to town’s rail station at Romsey (October 2009)
Link to .. "New improved inter-urban Porstmouth-Cardiff services" from 2018/2019
Link to .. Southampton Tunnel Closure Advance Information
Link to .. Looks like an interesting morning ...
Link to .. Todays Farce
Link to .. Almost non-existent service!
Link to .. Tram-Trains For Southampton-Fareham?
Link to .. South Hampshire Rail Users (SHRUG)
Also ... blogs and other active groups:
Alternatives
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