Great Western Coffee Shop

Cancellations to services between Trowbridge and Chippenham via Melksham

Due to heavy snow at Westbury disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Train services between Trowbridge and Chippenham via Melksham will be cancelled.

Customer Advice
Due to engineering works in the Westbury area, rail services are already disrupted.

Rail replacement road transport was in operation, however due to the snow, some coach operators are standing down and therefore the advertised rail replacement road services may not run.

Slightly confusing message in that there were no *train* services planned through Melksham today in any event due to the engineering work.

Oh dear ...

During the Westbury closure the 17:35 from Swindon has been operated with the unit which worked the morning service from Trowbridge.    The unit has spent the day idle in Platform 2 at Swindon.

Whatever the fault with it was, it left Swindon at 17:00 today to head to St Philips Marsh depot in Bristol.

As far as I am aware it is the only train, or bus replacement, not to operate for passengers over the duration of the works.

Celebration!    The triains are back and running again.   Lots of  2 <-> 3 carriage swiches today and in this queter season that won't make a huge difference (2 carriages on "The Weymouth" in the summer WOULD)

Running time 52 minutes, Warminster to Swindon.  What a wonderful contrast to the last month.  Buses have performed well, but the journey has taken twice as long.

Those are the "clever" services which are crewed by staff coming off the 10:35 London to Exeter at Westbury which has been cancelled due to flooding ... not sure flooding where ... and our fair weather railway fails again!

Ah  - it must be this


And they are economic with the truth there - disruption is expected until 13:57 and not just until 13:00 ...   

Woohoo - my 07:21 Melksham-Chippenham this morning was on time, and I was able to catch the 07:34 Weston service at Chippenham without 'sprinting' (I use the term loosely) across the platform. All those upgrades have worked :)

Appreciate there have been fewer trains so far this year, but by this stage of 2024 we were on page six of the disruptions topic.

Indeed.   With the engineering hand we were dealt this year, thiough, a comparison to previous years can only be a distant one.

A*week* between entries? Strewth!! :o :o ;D

Not a problem of the early part of the route though it may get cosy into Southampton.  At least it's running now - giving s Southampton arrival at ten past 8 rather that ten past 10 as it was a month ago.

Good - makes sense

Sensible.  On schooldays should always be 3 carriages - otherwise it overloads in the Stroud Valley. During covid was the "most overcrowded train" on GWR ...

Journey Check reports just 3 cancellations (and no short runs and  just one delayed train) across the whole of the GWR network as I write.


and in case you wondered

Restored (hope not too many people have replanned their journey) but now


Edit to add ... 7 minute delay, mostly made up by a quick reversal at Swindon

If it can get to Westbury - am I to read it / can I guess that the train is being raided off the Southampton service to go somewhere else instead?

Yes, it went to Weymouth at 06:50.

Perhaps it always should - with a train starting from Westbury forming the Southampton service a few minutes later.  Discussion point but the failure of the train from Swindon (and Trowbridge) to connect onwards to Weymouth is one of life's frustrations ... not on the same scale as war and famine, but still a frustration ...

Out of order - from yesterday:

(https://www.wellho.net/pix/fym.jpg)

The railway was closed at Trowbridge "at the request of the police due to ammunition being found near the line" and these things happen.   The ongoing information at Melksham was AWFUL - for the longest time the 06:32 just said "delayed"  and the 07:21 was on time.  Even when the southbound train was stated with a time again - estimated 07:18 - the northbound train at 07:21 still said "on time".   That makes a mockery of the "system knowledge" as it's predicting an impossibility on the single line and I found myself chatting with other passenger and telling them "not before 07:33" for the Worcester train.

"Delayed" on a 3 line screen is useless; there IS a big screen there (facing the car park) and all that was saying was the same thing with 2 lines each for the following 3 or 4 services.   Could have been more descriptive.   When I eventually got to Westbury, the screens there were showing distrupted train departures alternating with a desciption of what the problem was and why.   Why on earth could the same not be done - automatically share across stations big and small with responsive design so there's no need for human input on a. station by station business at the time of extreme re-organisation?   

I was at the Rail Innovation Exhibition yesterday (ironic) and lots of clever stuff. BUT there could be so much basic stuff done getting information right for passengers at the time of disruption - accurate (and not afraid to say "don't know"), consistent, and perhaps with interactive tools.  Lots of things being displayed but frightening on the information display side as to how fragmented, partial and at times embryonic it is - leaving passengers literally out in the cold.   I did a better job in Melksham reading my phone and helping to explain roughly what was going on from scant evidence.

Yes, I did try the help point.  It was obvious to me that the 06:32 would miss the connection at Westbury on into the 07:00 to Paddington with my "this train only" ticket, and if that misses the next fastest way to London in the 07:21 change at Swindon.   The nice chap on the help point told me that my next train was the 07:58 from Westbury and my ticket would be accepted on it, but that my advanced ticket was for that route only and would not be accepted if I took the next alternative which happened to use a different route (via Swindon) even if it got me there quicker. He then told me that I COULD use my ticket on SWR trains such as one that was running from Yeovil Pen Mill because "ticket acceptance is in place".  I got the impression that his geography was not great and he was of the understanding that Yeovil is just a short walk up the road from Melksham.

2O19 "adjusted" to not run beyond Salisbury (it was so late that the school traffic it normally carries south of there would have gone on the following train operated by SWR if they could all get in!)

2M81 got to Westbury on time, and sat there until the line re-opened ... and for some considerable time thereafter.  It was still there when I arrived at 07:30 when it should have left at 07:05 ... and stayed even longer as trains via Bath Spa were displatched out of order - perhaps because it was so late that "what's another 10 minutes?".  There were hard decisions to make here - a backlog of trains and a limited line.

Net result ... 2M81 ran only just ahead of the path of 2M13, probably took much of its traffic, and delayed 2M13 as well.   Two trains at Melksham, 14 minutes apart, to Swindon must be close to a record.   Interesting to see it can be done, and perhaps just a gentle warning of how NOT to do it if we end up with competing Go-op trains - they need to be spaced out!

Zero information about any alternative ... but you are told about delay/repay.   Another micro example of the macro failure to look out for the passengers - the customers?

Rather than just criticise, I should offer an alternative.   The x34 bus now runs on a Sunday from Trowbridge to Chippenham, and tickets should be accepted on that and it should be included in the journey planner.  Passengers who normally travel through Melksham should be allowed to travel via Bath Spa, changing trains there, and be advised they can do so at the same price which should be offered by the online booking applications once the cancelled train is removed from them. You will note than none of this "looking after the passengers" results in extra vehicle or staff miles on the ground - it's helping people use what's already there!

---

Looking wider (and not just for a solution this Sunday morning) in terms of train and bus interconnection at stations, the x34 is a fascinating case.   The service runs seven days a week, daytime only; the Sunday service was revived quite recently after a gap of many years.  Evening services, provided by a competing operator, were lost a decade ago when that operator pulled out of the route.  Further study to follow ....

Still connected with the Paddington train at Swindon - which looks like it might have been held back a few seconds. Good - no problem here.

The 05:11 from Gloucester in reality is a chaining together of a series of separate workings and through passengers from Gloucester to Southampton must be rare as hen's teeth.  Even the crew changes along the way. It is scheduled to stop longer than is needed purely to drop off and pick up passengers at Swindon, Chippenham, Westbury and Salisbury and paths allowing could (and has been know to) make up much more time.   Good - whilst extended station dallies are not to be encouraged, a margin of time in schedules to ensure that trains turn up and connect on time even if held up earlier in their or a previous journey makes sense - especially where though passengers at "pause" stations are a minority of passengers.

 

Here we (don't) go again


At least it says "this" train - so it's not been theived off the Southampton service to run the Weymouth train from Westbury this time

And again ....

That is very odd indeed ...

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/rusurecan.jpg)

So it was capped at Westbury due to a fault on the train, but then 5 minutes later conveniently able to form a train to Weymouth?   Yes - there is a fault on the train (no loos reported on the Weymouth train) but it very much looks to me that "this is due to a fault on this train" is NOT why it didn't continue to Southampton - it was "hijacked" to form the Weymouth service.  Am I reading this wrong?   Are we being fed porkies?

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Clearly not telling public the truth.

Train is announced as terminating early at Westbury (but the alleged fault allows it to continue from time of announcement through to Westbury, so if it could continue that far, could have got to Southampton).

Train is miraculously fixed at Westbury, and can be used to form another service missing a train. 

2V58 the return train from Southampton is showing as cancelled for reason M8 (problem with the train), ie it's not available, although codes YR or YU (tactical unit swaps) sound more likely

Busiest train of the day ... no alternative suggested except "get your money back and have a free journey on the next train" as it's over an hour later.  Why chose this train to cancel if you're short of crew?

Strangely, it seems to have disappeared from Real Time Trains altogether.

On RTT, it has acquired "VCN" status, so you need to select the "CAN" option to view cancelled services. The reason given is ZW - unknown cause.

Also bearing a VCN status and ZW code on RTT is 2M34, the 20:14 Swindon-Westbury. There's nothing on Journeycheck about this service, and it is currently (at 19:22) shown on TIGER as "on time". Watch this space!  ???

Incidentally, the 18:37 Westbury-Swindon was delayed at Trowbridge for about 25 minutes (due to a "broken down train"). It lost a further 5 minutes due to missing its slot on the single line through Melksham.

2M24 (see above) is running.  :)

Nothing on journey check about what passengers should do - purely "feature" not "benefit" which I was taught was not the way to do it in my sales training.

There is an x34 bus at 08:48 from Melksham to Chippenham (railway station if required) that goes past the top of station approach in Melksham - doesn't actually stop there normally, but it [sh/c]ould.

There is an x34 bus at 09:25 from Chippenham railway station to Melksham and Trowbridge (on Sunday, of course, it does not go to the stop near Trowbridge station, and even by the time it reaches Melksham and passes close to the station, the train will have left.

Lots of things illustrated by these goings on ...

Alterations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham

Due to engineering works not being finished on time at Swindon all lines are closed. Disruption is expected until 10:30 23/02.

Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham may be delayed by up to 45 minutes or revised.
Customer Advice
As a result of engineering work not being finished on time there will be severe delays / disruption to services on this route this morning. Please accept our aplogies for any inconvenience this may cause.

A few years back there was a Sunday train from Westbury which was timetabled to terminate at Melksham and then return.  However in the end it was extended to Chippenham as it was reported you couldn't turn a train at Melksham as it "confused" the axle counters.   Perhaps that is no longer the case.

Not sure - there is "can't" and there is "CAN'T".

Trowbridge is a classic example - you can't turn a train arriving from the north there but yet it HAS been done when line to the south was blocked by an "incident".

and now ...


I guess that it was re-instated?  Not sure where the service disruption is - could it be the disruption caused by engineering works that mean the is bustitution from Westbury in the Frome direction?

I'v said it before but rather than a frightening will be cancelled from the earlier report which has a degree of finality about it, and suggests it's not even with checking back later, could we have a may be cancelled early caution system - rather like signals are not just red and green, but red, amber and green?

In the end it left on time,

... which supports grahame's suggestion: how many potential passengers on that service were put off by that original report, and made (subsequently proving to be unnecessary) alternative travel arrangements, such as taking the car instead?

 ::)

Person hit by the 13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth near Pewsey.

Still saying disruption expected until 17:00, although just noticed that the 17:50 from Swindon is cancelled (I go Chippenham-Melksham). I start at Bristol so I'll be taking the normal bus to Melksham from Bath.

Line re-opened at 4pm.

 :(

Oh dear - https://www.wiltshire999s.co.uk/person-dies-struck-train-pewsey/?


Hugest sympathy and thoughts with relatives, friends and staff involved.     Not for immediate consideration, but we really need to allow diverted trains to double up for local ones when diverted.

Reinstated as a result:
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19

Some sort of problem on the 17:50 Chippenham to Melksham as well - stopped at Melksham on time I think but then doors didn't open for over 5 minutes. Train was still sitting there as I headed back to Whitley over the railway bridge, although I believe it did eventually continue on to Westbury.

I am hoping the 21:16 from Westbury runs (selfish  ;D ) as I'm connecting into it from Portsmouth.  As the connection train from Portsmouth has 5 carriages (2 + 3), GWR could split it at Westbury if the train that would normally go to Swindon is in need of fixing.    That late of the evening, 5 carriages not needed all the way to Cardiff?

It ran ... not sure where the rolling stock came from, 158745 whereas it had been 158767 on the service in the morning. nice sprinting of passengers - I guess there were 20 into Melksham and (I did not walk through as I ate my bike) and perhaps a third got off. Not sure how many joined.

For today.


There's a shock - it's because the 10:35 Paddington to Exeter is late and the crew due off that at 11:56 at Westbury are not expected until 12:30.

Sorry, as typos go - this is one of the best.   ;D

Oh dear ....

Due out at 12:17, but the crew didn't arrive on the express from London until 12:35 and the Swindon train left at 12:37 (20 minutes late).  But then it got held up at Bradford Junction awaiting the single line to Chippenham, and was no less that 33 minutes late at Melksham. Why the extra delay?

A freight train due to follow the 12:17 at 12:30.  It was at Westbury early, and was allowed to leave at 12:21 - 9 minutes early.    Which should have been OK - except that it got held on the single line awaiting the other main line at Thingley and from being 11 minutes early at Melksham it was 3 minutes late by Chippenham - 27 minutes from Melksham to Chippenham.   And while it waited for the line to Swindon, the passenger train sat waiting for the single line,

A suggestion was made at one time to have an intermediate signal on the single line, and that would have helped today. Better is the more recent favoured plan of an intermediate loop which implicitly lets trains follow each other at a closer headway that a whole-single-line solution.

The freight struggled to get up the bank at Dauntsey trapping the Melksham service behind it.  Both now on the move.

The return working, the 13:15 from Swindon, left just over an hour late.

And the next round ...

Ketchup or brown? I had a pasty for lunch myself, but chacun à son goût as they say.

I knew it rang a bell.........

https://historicflix.com/michel-lotito-the-man-who-ate-everything/

Moving on from bikes eaten with Branston pickle ...

The staff connection off the London to Exeter train at Westbury once again triggered ongoing disruption ...
33 minutes late
66 minutes late
60 minutes late and terminated short
18 minutes late and started short
... major disruption all afternoon.

Naughty thought - if we had an hourly train, couldn't it have simple been a single train lost - one wait of 60 minutes rather than a a total of 177 minutes lost even before you look at extra delays and missed connections with a change of trains along the way.

20:08 Westbury to Chippenham due 20:34
20:08 Westbury to Chippenham due 20:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

No problem ... and will reduce (over)crowding at the very end of that journey


No problem ... and will reduce (over)crowding from Swindon to Stroud

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury via Swindon:

Hold it!

Coincidentally(??), the same train as was on the 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury yesterday (165132 according to RTT).

Swapping units at Westbury this morning caused an eleven minute delay to the TransWilts train, but presumably there were working toilets on the substitute train (and an extra carriage), so not all bad news (unless you were on the Castle Cary to Filton train without a working loo from Westbury….)

Just back from a week in Lanzarote, and was pleasantly surprised to find my 0721 Melksham-Chippenham train on time this morning. But it didn't last - the Paddington service that precedes it into Chippenham was running a bit late, so mine was delayed and I just missed the (unofficial) connection with the 0734 Chippenham-Bristol service. Then the next 0809 was cancelled (train fault). And now the 0832 is showing as 'running late' by 11 mins.

Good to be back :)

Welcome home ... what more can I say?

Looks like a 'false' report - just 1 minute late off Westbury in the end

Have to love this - NOT a points failure anywhere near us but a knock on delay from

Indeed not anywhere near Wiltshire - actually this points failure mentioned by GBM elsewhere on the forum https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=28556.msg359538#msg359538 (https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=28556.msg359538#msg359538), which was in Cornwall.

Ah hmm. Point of order m'lud https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=29650.msg359540#msg359540  ;)

I’ll concede the Twyford points failure didn’t help matters, but maintain that had the 05:03 Penzance to Paddington not lost over half an hour in Cornwall this morning due to a points failure, the train’s next working (1C77, with the TM for the TransWilts on board), would probably not have been late enough into Westbury to have knocked-on to the 12:17 to Swindon.  ;)

Both re-instated half an hour later.

Oh dear - I think.

I have written before of how difficult it must be for the decision makers as a situation arises as to when to say something in public.  - but, really, broadcasting in public will be cancelled is a very definitive statement and to my gives no room for doubt - it's a statement that the train in question won't run.

I would (personally - is it just me?) like to see an option where a train service could be reported as being at  [low/some/high] risk of cancellation and with a note of a time by which the record will be updated.

No - it's very annoying when you change your plans to take a less convenient (or, based on recent experience, more inconvenient :) ) form of commute and then find out you needn't have bothered.

Thank you for that confirmation.

There are times I feel that I am reflecting the needs / concerns of members and and the many people I talk with who are not Coffee Shop members - and that's good.    There are also time that I find myself wondering if I am the only one concerned at something - in which case I should probably move on from that issue.

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Westbury via Melksham

Due to a points failure at Swindon some lines are blocked. Disruption is expected until 15:00 21/03.
Train services between Swindon and Westbury via Melksham may be cancelled or delayed.

Customer Advice
Apologies for the disruption to your journey today.

Network Rail advise that a set of points has failed just outside Swindon station; this is affecting journeys in both directions as local services are caught up in the congestion on the Main Lines.

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59 will be cancelled.
This is due to a points failure.

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57
13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a points failure.

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will be terminated at Chippenham.
It will no longer call at Swindon.
This is due to a points failure.

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be started from Chippenham.
It will no longer call at Swindon.
This is due to a points failure.

Problems had started this morning ... I walked to the station and saw the dreaded word "delayed" against the 09:10 to Westbury. Checking Open Trains Times and Real Time Trains and another regular checked on her phone other sources, and on principle asking on the help point too, we were told 09:31 and that the connection at Trowbridge to Bath and Bristol would make, and a couple of minutes later Open Train Times map showed it coming.  Display changed to 09:34 which was going to be really tight at TRO.   No clues as to why ...

Good TM when it rolled in / explained about a point or track failure at Swindon and apologised - "I realise you don't have much information available at Melksham" which shows an excellent understanding.  Connection to Bath and Bristol made.  Connection to Warminster was lost / 30 minute delay to there. I'm not aware of where others were connecting to.

Just gotta get home now  ;D

How it should work (timing wise) - 17:53 from Taunton to Bristol, 18:30 on to Chippenham and 19:00 to Melksham arrived 1 minute down at 19:09 - 76 minute journey.

21:50 Chippenham to Westbury due 22:16
21:50 Chippenham to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Have just seen this. Yes this is definitely an issue which needs resolving. I have often gone to an unmanned station and been confronted with a screen just saying the service I am aiming to catch is cancelled. It has often meant that I have had to cancel a trip I was intending to make, or if possible to very hurriedly find another way of making the trip (for me this has often been to cycle very quickly from Oldfield Park to Bath Spa). It is exceptionally annoying to find that the service did run after all (at Oldfield Park it has often been that the train was running but late and was missing out our station). Screens, announcements and websites need to have much more information given in these circumstances.

In a way, if a service is even announced as cancelled (or part-run), for a portion of passengers it *is* cancelled - it ought to go into the cancellation stats whatever happens subsequently. If it doesn't, the industry's running for its own benefit rather than for its customers.

Mark

It does - as a part cancellation.

21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

There goes my train home ... advance ticket on the 21:31 off Paddington .... it always pays to have a plan "B" ... think I have one somewhere  ...

Looks like it's reinstated...along with several others!

Is that the plan "B"?  Take anything from JourneyCheck more than a few hours in advance with a huge pinch of salt?  :-\

Both now reinstated.

... and I have checked in to stay in Lambeth ...

No - "Plan B" was to stay over.  Today was planned at January sale time - but then in February I got an invite for tomorrow that I could not refuse and I was going to be pretty tired.  Plan B was "if return train cancelled, stay over" and button pressed to implement that.  I have emergency supplies anyway.

18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be diverted between Trowbridge and Chippenham.
It will no longer call at Melksham.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 9 minutes late.
This is due to a safety inspection of the track.

Luckily, the Wiltshire Metro will sort all this lot out.
https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2025/04/plans-discussed-for-a-metro-system-for-bath-and-wiltshire.html

His name is Dan Okey, not Dan Oakey, and it's Okehampton, not Oakhampton: more examples of shoddy journalism - perhaps using autocorrect, without bothering to make sure it is in fact correct.  ::)

Someone's got acorns for brains.

(https://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/2M16.jpg)

Ah yes - added after my original post (and I admit I had changed my plans for today overnight and hadn't checked back this morning)

and now - not surprised ...


... only surprise is that they cancelled the up service and lunchtime, but left the return service running until 4 hours later

20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23
20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23 will be cancelled.

This is due to trespassers on the railway.

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16
21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.

This is due to trespassers on the railway.

I wonder whether they had the crew?  We only ever get one reason and, somewhat uncharitably, I sometimes wonder if we are told the reason for cancellation that brings the least criticism onto the operator.

I see Melksham now has IET stop boards on the platform.

Presumably IETs can now stop there which will come in handy when they’re diverted for whatever reason.

I understand that is the plan  ;D - I understand that there's a need to do some sort of final check out of the system / test stop perhaps and fill in risk assessment paperwork perhaps so I am not counting my chickens, but clearly with it being programmed into the units and also having the stop boards in place it's coming into place.

Probably a daft question... I can only imagine that they'd want to stop at a specific point relative to the platform (on a single track line) to allow passengers on/off. But under what circumstances would they do that?

Yes - for passenger purposes.    When planned works or an emergency stoppage take place between Westbury and Reading, trains to / from the South West get diverted either via Bristol Temple Meads or via Melksham.  The very long distance expresses often go via Bristol, but the semi-fasts always go via Melksham so that a service can be maintained from Castle Cary and Westbury into Reading and London, and they'll be able to call at Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham and reduce the need for some of the rail replacement buses and taxis.

Happy with that ... and if it weren't school holidays that would be very welcome indeed beyond Swindon

At around 08:45, re-instated, I notice.

Damage already done - day planned and planned without a return to Melksham on those trains, comment made in public at https://www.passenger.chat/t30162.html and onto Facebook.

Stay-at-home Sunday for me then ... on an 8 out of 15 FOSW ticket and Sundays have the advantage of the early start being allowed, but I'me replanning for this to be a day of rest.   Yes, I know that evening round trip might get re-instated but there's no comfortable "Plan B" for Sunday evenings

08:06 Warminster to Swindon due 09:02
08:06 Warminster to Swindon due 09:02 was terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.

09:08 Swindon to Westbury due 09:49
09:08 Swindon to Westbury due 09:49 will be cancelled.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.

Oh goodie - 4 out of 14 (28% cancellation rate) not calling at Melksham on what's probably going to be the first really busy Sunday of the year. Just taken a look at the two morning cancellations and there's nothing helpful there about buses or taxis - just an offer to give you your money back ...

Over running engineering works have also done for the first service from Swindon to London Paddington (starts Didcot Parkway) and first westbound service to Bristol and Exeter St Davids (starts Bristol Temple Meads).

Oh dear ...  From Swindon to London, there's an 08:00 bus (change Reading) and an 09:40 train ... first train to Westbury now 2 hours after that. Passenger volumes are of course very different, but it's also a reminder of just how serious cancelling even one train on an infrequent service is.

Nearly 4 hours to wait for public transport home to Melksham now if you miss the 17:44 (and on a Sunday, the evening buses from Bath don't run so even those of us in "the know" would struggle)

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/leftwith20250420.jpg)

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury via Swindon:


Very late cancellation - hasn't made it to JourneyCheck.

What, if anything, would delay / repay get me on an FOSW for a delay of 72 minutes (projected). No, I probably won't bother - pragmatism over principle!

The 17:50 from Gloucester via Melksham was cancelled at 18:05 (the train sitting in the platform with passengers in it waiting to go - so I did not get into Melksham at 19:09 as per plan "A"

I took the 18:10 from Gloucester which also runs via Trowbridge to Westbury (via Bristol, this one) with the intent of changing into the 20:12 from Trowbridge back to Melksham - however that was cancelled at very late notice (about 5 past 8) so I did not get to Melksham at 20:21 which was plan "B"

The help point told me that I should wait for the 21:22 train which would bring ne into Melksham at 21:32 - plan C.   As far as he knew it would run but he couldn't promise anything.   He suggested I call GWR if I wanted to be more certain.  I did, but they were unable to give me any re-assurance.  They told me to wait and see if it ran - and if it was cancelled, I should then take a taxis and try and claim for it.    They were unable to explain why they only told the public that they had no staff for the 20:12 a couple of minutes before it was due ...

I ended up getting home last night at around 21:15 when I had planned to be home around 19:30 (very last minute cancellation ) and then - plan B - at around 20:45 (another very last minute cancellation). 

I made a thought out but quick decision in Trowbridge to take a taxi that was sitting on the rank; there are NOT always taxis there, and I've had to wait up to 90 minutes during the evening before.  I spoke to both the help point gentleman and a lady at GWR, and both told me that the final train could not be guaranteed but at the time of speaking it was still showing as running.  That would have got me home at 22:00 if it ran. 

Having had two trains cancelled in succession on my, in both instances at or after the time they were due to leave, and seeing a taxi available - pragmatic decision.  There was no fall back bus via Bath as it was a Bank Holiday bus service, and I was disinclined to take up the GWR suggestion to wait over an hour to see if that final train ran, and if it didn't then set about finding a taxi.

"Small beer" perhaps in yesterday's chaos across the GWR area, but cancellations - especially ones that are very late in the day, and advise which is not customer supportive (saving them money over customer's time / comfort / peace of mind) really don't help promote the railway.   And cancellations because of a faulty train, and because of a lack of available crew, are not the sort of reasons that well up mounds of sympathy in the same way that a passenger being taken ill on a train does.

A week is a long time in politics ... a quarter hour is a long time in a train service. 20:02, 20:10 and 20:14

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/at_2002.jpg)

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/at_2010.jpg)

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/at_2014.jpg)

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

..and here they are

(https://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/mkmiet3.jpg)(https://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/mkmiet4.jpg)

Interesting to note that Real Time Trains shows an on time arrival at Westbury and reports

So which is it - perhaps the fault on the train was that there was no-one to drive it  ;D ;D.

P.S. There is routinely a crew change at Westbury on this service

A driver was allocated to it and they arrived on time from Fratton on 2V52.

Doesn’t mean the RTT code is wrong (short notice illness etc.), but codes on RTT are unofficial and on JourneyCheck are ‘official’…but with a pinch of salt!

Journey check looking good today - flagging up just two cancellations across the whole GWR area.   Guess where


OK - so I notice a day when we are the only cancellations ... but this is not a unique occurrence!

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham
Due to a safety inspection of the track at Pewsey the line towards Reading is closed. Disruption is expected until 13:00 25/04.
Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham have been cancelled.
Customer Advice
Due to a safety inspection of the track, all train services between Westbury, Melksham and Swindon are cancelled.

Customers travelling between Westbury, Trowbridge, Chippenham and Swindon are advised to change at Bath Spa.

Melksham is not being served by trains for the time being. Road transport is being organised.

((A section of track between Westbury and Pewsey is being examined for a possible defect. As a precaution we are not currently running trains along this stretch. This affects services to London Paddington from Devon and Cornwall. Where possible trains will divert, taking an alternative, slightly longer route. Where this is not possible, train services may be terminated at short notice.))

Typical "because of a problem on another line we're cancelling the trains on your line".

Hopefully, we have a better solution for the future ...only yesterday, I was photographing the new Stop boards for IETs at Melksham, and a train manager was telling me how they've had a circular around telling staff that the long distance trains can stop here.  Ideal for the sort of thing we have going on today? If the none-stop Taunton to Reading services run via Bristol and Bath, the semi-fast can run via Westbury and serve Trowbridge and Melksham in addition to Castle Cary and Westbury.  But it will take a bit of getting used to - oy, anyone in GWR reading this  ;D

Unless these IETs stop at roughly the same time as timetabled services however (and I doubt they'd be advertised given the necessarily ad hoc nature), wouldn't they largely find an empty platform at Melksham due to people having drifted off/not expected to find a train stopping at a given time?

I suppose some hardy souls may hang around in the hope of something stopping!

It needs to be used carefully and is far more relevant during planned engineering works.   Today's disruption turned out to be over almost before it began, with a handful of long distance expresses running via Swindon rather than Newbury, and as far as I can tell the biggest service disruption was a four hour gap each way on trains between Westbury an Swindon.

Agreed re: engineering works, a proper "timetable" could be put in place and advertised.

The lineside fire related disruption bit Bath rugby going home time, a bit of a queue outside the station and at least one bus driver being generous to people travelling back to places that suddenly had no train service. The bus station wasn't quite coping with the volume of people some of which were displaced from the trains and some *waves at the bus to Wells* definitely weren't.

Mark

14:22 Frome to Swindon due 15:34
14:22 Frome to Swindon due 15:34 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.

15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38
15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34
16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Frome.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

and some additional information.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 was terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to train crew being delayed by service disruption.

Only 2 trains in GWR area cancelled through lack of crew ... guess where

Cancelled as the guard for those services is booked to arrive at Westbury on the 1C77 10:35 Paddington to Exeter St Davids service which is currently being diverted via Swindon. Not the first time that problems or delays with 1C77 see the Swindon services cancelled.

For the record, the points failure at Westbury yesterday caused the cancellation of the 2M28 15:15 Swindon to Westbury and 2M21 16:23 Westbury to Swindon services. The unit stayed in the bay platform at Swindon and became the 17:35 departure to Westbury.

It's in "Oh no - not AGAIN" territory ...  known as being a risky train. I will look at putting some numbers on it some time.

This train has run 89 times in the last six months, in which there have been 130 weekdays.  28 of those days it was cancelled because of planned engineering, 2 because it was Christmas / Boxing Day.   So 100 "should" have run. 11% cancellation rate - a very high percentage for a weekday.

Here's the proof, and comparison to other services:

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/fail6m_202504.jpg)

Because of the very thin service, any cancellation is serious.

Hold it!


Opportunities if the train is running to time, you have ...
1 minute (no chance!) at Westbury
7 minutes at Swindon (*)
9 minutes at Gloucester (*)
17 minutes at Worcester Shrub Hill
* - Train calls at platform away from station building

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train

At least they've given is two hour's notice this time rather than cancelling it at 18:08 as they did on Easter Monday.   One of those "don't ask" days.

Interesting that it's the 17:50 to Salisbury that's cancelled rather than the 18:10 to Westbury, on a service with a far more frequent service where a gap might be less missed.

Agreed at Swindon but the toilets are on the same island platform and I reckon, even at the speed I walk, you could get to the lavatory and back in the time allowed.

No suggested alternative ... late notice cancellation.  There may be operational reasons but it's the very late changes without an (it could be automatic) passenger-focused advise line are highly damaging to customer morale.

Has 6A16 (Whatley Quarry to Oxford) sat down?

Looks like it ...

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/can1_20250502.jpg)

Too late to do anything about it today, but a proper integrated transport system should offer an alternative when you look up your train and try to book.  Rather that cancelled and a note that the next train is 151 minutes later, if the 09:52 id cancelled what not suggest that people catch the 09:55 bus from the top of the Trowbridge station approach - 10:29 in Melksham Town Centre and about 10:33 at the top of the Melksham Station Approach?   The fact that the bus goes past Melksham Station Approach and does not actually stop there is another issue ...

According to Traksy, 6A16 is still somewhere between Bradford Junctions and Melksham, at 1040

Without inside information, we can only guess.  JourneyCheck was telling us about problems until the end of the day, and I speculate that a skate might be needed to get something with wheel problems out of the way.   With lack of bypass loops and sidings, perhaps they are waiting for the more important lines between Chippenham and Swindon, and between Trowbridge and Westbury to become clear after service? 

Just knock the faulty vehicle out of the train and drop it onto the North Loop to await attention from C&W.  Nothing booked to run over that today.  Oh.  Wait.

I know, I know.  If only

Guessing on what's wrong with the train - but there IS a siding still at Thingley Junction.

Although the siding is not easily accessible from the Melksham line

The problem is with the freight loco itself and fitters are having difficulty isolating components on it before it can be moved.    A rescue loco is on site ready to move it once that becomes possible.

Thanks for that, Bob ....

At least there is a replacement bus in place (scheduled to arrive Westbury 40 minutes after the train, but better than telling people to wait hours) ... not a clever day today. 

20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:57
20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

"Short" runs this evening too - the 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury and the 20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa both missing out Melksham.  Makes sense to be reversing TransWilts trains at Bathampton - remembering that 2 out of 3 passengers along the single line on a normal day are going through (not from or too Melksham) and so this is the best solution for them.

I have to ask ... why does it take so LONG to get a failed locomotive out of the way?  Is it part of a more general set of things that seem for whatever reason to take fare longer to sort out when things go wrong?  No backup plans?  No spares/staff around?  Extra Health and safety requirements? Everyone a specialist?

Oops - and sadly that's not what they have done with the evening trains after all


So "disruption until 20:00" is the operational description.  Anyone who hopes to head from Melksham to Cheltenham Spa (agreed not a huge flow) at 20:25 won't get there until - what - 11 p.m. or later?  [Edit - looked it up - 23:31!]

I'd point that question at Hopwood if I were you, after all it's his trains that are being cancelled and his customers inconvenienced.  Given that, I'm sure he's all over those responsible and should be able to address your points.

A summary from yesterday - of 18 calls planned, just 7 happened.

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/can2_20250502.jpg)

Southbound at 06:32, 20:39 and 23:12
Northbound at 07:21, 08:02, 18:52 and 21:31
Early evening calls at 19:09 and 20:22 were cancelled, even though the line had been re-opened by that time.

Let's record a day when it all worked - Saturday, 3rd May.

Back to a familiar scene this morning

Reinstated.

Thank you.  I wonder, sadly, just how much damage cancellation and re-instatement of services does on a line where waiting for the next service will be a significant change to plans.

It is a question asked many times.  Unfortunately I suspect we will only ever have anecdotal answers.

It would require considerable data logging and analysis and work to try to remove other factors from the results.

It is probably a fair assumption that it makes SOME difference, with their being some people who don't book / make other plans when a train is recorded as cancelled.    An on that basis is worth pointing out to the people who cancel and then re-instate services that this practise reduced the number of passengers carried and p***es off quite a number too, and is a practise they should avoid.. If something is bad, it's not necessary to put a number on exactly how bad it is before you fix it!

I think most people would check to see if the service is running and if it isn't, they will make other plans - realistically, no-one is going to keep checking back on the off chance of a reinstatement.

The 06:32 service from Melksham to Southampton was uncharacteristically late this morning - departed at 06:38, which meant I just missed the (official) connection with the 06:46 Bristol service at Trowbridge. Don't know what caused the delay to the Melksham train - it left Chippenham on time, and was just described as 'running late'. Not a disaster though - caught the 07:05 Cardiff train.

First time there's been any sort of problem taking this route to Bristol for quite a few weeks. It's so much more reliable than the alternative via Chippenham, and is worth the very early start.

No obvious reason - it seems to have left Chippenham on time and then been stuck for 5 minutes at Thingley - however that was NOT waiting for something else to clear the single line.

Next train from Trowbridge was only a 19 minute wait ... next train from Chippenham when the unofficial connection fails is a 34 minute wait (it did connect this morning). Because it's official you can claim delay / repay for an 07:28 expected arrival to an 07:48 actual arrival into Bristol whereas you have no claim via Chippenham.  Only negatives about the Trowbridge change are the earlier start and the need to cross the footbridge which if you have heavy luggage or are in a wheelchair is not clever.

Looks like a special train went though Trowbridge while you were waiting?

Yes - there was an announcement that a charter service was due at 0653, and I wondered whether it might be worth leaving the waiting room if it was going to be steam powered. I didn't, and it wasn't - a diesel of some sort, obviously old and 'special', but not a Deltic. It stopped to pick up a lucky few - looked like they were in for a very nice breakfast :)

Golden Arrow - diesel (47) from Bristol to West London (Hanwell)  then Brittania London to Canterbury. 

Well it flippin should be for £425 :o
https://saphostrains.com/journey/the-golden-arrow-07-05-2025/

"The day starts as you settle into your seat with a glass of chilled bucks’ fizz..." - before 7am...

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09
05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be diverted between Chippenham and Trowbridge.

It will no longer call at Melksham.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 7 minutes late.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be started from Westbury and diverted between Trowbridge and Chippenham.

It will no longer call at Salisbury, Warminster and Melksham.

It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 10 minutes late.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

Yeah and the 06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street, which I would have caught at Melksham at 07:21 instead, is also showing as cancelled due to a signalling problem. Will wait for the 07:45 Westbury - Swindon (Melksham 08:02) and hope they've fixed things by then - I'm not buying a ticket, yet...

To confirm to anyone who might be reading this in GWR - these are not just "7 minute delay"s - they are cancellations as far as Melksham (population 25,000) is concerned

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/can_20250508.jpg)

Cancellations to services between Trowbridge and Chippenham

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Trowbridge and Chippenham the line towards Melksham is closed.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 08:00 08/05.

Cancellations to services between Trowbridge and Chippenham
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Trowbridge and Chippenham the line towards Melksham is closed.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 08:00 08/05.
Customer Advice
Taxis have been sourced as below:

Bath Taxis - 06.35 Chippenham calling Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury. Please wait for the taxis at the rail replacement bus tops.
Bath Taxis- 07.11 Trowbridge calling at Melksham and Chippenham. Please wait for the taxis at the rail replacement bus tops. Passengers can use any London Paddington train from Chippenham to Swindon.

We're sorry for the delay to your journey.

The Salisbury-Worcester service now showing as running (on National Rail app), due Melksham 07:23  ???

(started from Westbury I think)

In summary ... the 06:32 call didn't happen at Melksham and a taxi at 06:35 from Chippenham was added at some point.  Useful for those headed towards Southampton though it would have arrived at Trowbridge / Westbury well after the diverted train had passed there, so passengers for Salisbury who joined at Melksham and normally carry on at 06:55 would drop back to the 07:40 as far as Salisbury, or the 08:01 if headed for Southampton (yes, there is a commuter flow)

Personally I was trying my luck with a sub-5-minute change at Westbury onto the Weymouth train which runs every 2 hours and of course that would have failed.  With the taxi added, I would have left Westbury 2 hours after plan, and without the taxi (on the 09:10 from Melksham) 4 hours late. For a day trip, a 4 hours delay kills the day and I didn't try it once the cancellation came up (decision made before the taxi got added).  Had I been required to travel, I could have caught a bus to Frome and picked up the train there 2 hours after my plan.

For Bristol, the 06:32 connects into Bristol with an arrival at 07:28.   That would have failed this morning as taxis are slower.  Arrivals into Bristol at 07:48 or (more likely) 08:11 depending on how long the taxi too.

The 07:21/07:23 did call in the end, and the quick connection into Bristol that sometimes worked appears to have done so ... not sure how many people got put off and looked at other alternatives such as the bus or waiting (with fingers crossed) for the 08:02.

There are some slight but noticeable improvements in how issues are handled, but the rail industry seems to be intensely unreliable, with shortages of crew, trains breaking down, signalling failures. Short term cancellation rates are 5% at present and that's 3 times what "Which?" described as "dreadful" for an airline - it means that if you commute from Melksham Station for a fortnight, 5 days a week, you can expect one journey to be cancelled.  For passengers on the 07:21 to Chippenham or Swindon, that's "just" a 40 minute delay - with almost all other trains, especially with connections, it's far worse.   With a proper (every 30 minutes or better) service, a 5% cancellation rate could perhaps be shrugged off, but with a 120 minute frequency, every one hurts and damages the public confidence.

There IS a "thank you" due to the people who fixed the line, to the people who arranged the taxis.  But [they/you] should not be put into a position of having to do that so often, and they should have tools to give better feedback to the customers.  To some extent, they are victims of a skimping on maintenance and a reduction of available staff below sensible limits, just as the passengers are.  Here's looking to you - management and controllers ...

I was put off, but happy to take the less stressful 08:02 option :)

12:17 left Westbury on time but was stopped outside Trowbridge for 20 minutes as the preceding train to Cardiff had come to a stand due to a fault with the driver vigilance device.  It got on the move after systems were isolated and terminated at Bath Spa.

The Swindon service didn't make up any lost time and arrived in Swindon 20 minutes late before leaving 12 down on the return journey.

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

I have a funny (peculiar, not haha) feeling that trains get swapped around and "fault on this train" is reported because an old crock or a train someone was doubtful about was assigned to the service.  The feeling is boosted by the reaction when I made a comment at Westbury about waiting for / catching the Swindon train (I forget the comment exactly) and eyes were rolled in such a way that indicated the staff see it as the flakiest that runs from there.

And now ...


Would someone please fix the bl**dy thing or split a couple of carriages off another train?    You could even split 5 cars off a London to Plymouth evening service now as they get quieter when they get past Westbury.

I've taken the liberty and had a look in a couple of directions ... not ideal, but here are some multiple units passing through Westbury.  16:08, 17:06 and 18:03 could all drop 2 carriages on their way to Portsmouth.  The first one would get a bit crowded further south, but the latter 2 with 3 and 2 carriages

What heads west - 10 carriages just after 6 p.m. and I'm sure only 5 are needed beyond Westbury. And there's that 9 car that goes out of service at Frome ;-)


(https://www.wellho.info/pix/sources_wsb_1.jpg)

(https://www.wellho.info/pix/sources_wsb_2.jpg)

08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:25
08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:25 is being delayed between Swindon and Chippenham.
This is due to a broken down train.

20 minutes late into Westbury and no significant connections missed, return train left on time.   This turned out to be a pinprick of a delay compared to yesterday's major rupture when the train broke down which lead to the complete cancellation of six services.

This is NOT the right forum section BUT.
10:45 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 12:35
10:45 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 12:35 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
11:12 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads due 12:31
11:12 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads due 12:31 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
15:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance due 20:42
15:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance due 20:42 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

One unit breaks down and three services cancelled?

Now changed to


Still cancelled for my station, then ...

I am getting confused ... and not risking any trains today!

I am interested in the reasons why trains are often delayed for, apparently, no obvious reason and in the explanations provided to passengers.

In this particular instance the journey check text should have read '17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 departed Gloucester 8 minutes having returned to Platform 1 from it's waiting point 10 minutes later than scheduled, because the platform was occupied by the late running 2T49 WOF>BRI service until 1748, and has been further delayed on the approach to Stonehouse.'

Too much information obviously but I think the majority of people understand what is meant by the term 'depot' and I doubt the Gloucester Loco Spur qualifies.

And I can't figure out why the service lost another c. 8 mins between Standish Junction and Stonehouse.

Can't get the train out of platform 2??

Greetings from the Dutch traveller where I have proof that connections don't always work here.  I have just HAD TO DROP BACK to a train 7 minutes later that I planned.  It's a DIS-GRACE  ;D ;D

With crew shortages all over the place, so far the Westbury to Swindon service is doing far better than most today, having said which even a single cancellation on that line leaves a huge gap.   I have to personally wonder at why, after so many years, crew shortages seem to be almost routine and look to the management and direction (from inside and outside the TOC) for having failed to avoid such issues being so frequent, or to cynically have passed them off as an acceptable lack-of-service level.

Succinctly, because those at the upper reaches of GWR tend to be Managers rather than Leaders, and there are few better examples than this long running issue.

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Salisbury and Warminster.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Portsmouth to Cardiff running 50 minutes late ... now arrives in Westbury at 14:02 and I suspect the crew is transferring and is progammed to take a personal needs break.   

All a very long way from Mockava I'm travelling on, which is supposed to pause at Trakiszki for 8 minutes but but was there for more like 30 ... couple of Polish border guards going through and checking passengers. Not sure whether it was just the two who got on, but the two who came to all compartments in uniform left with two others not in uniform.

Argh! First commute in over 2 weeks and the trains...  >:(

When I left the house, it was looking good. But then the 0632 Southampton service I catch from Melksham to Trowbridge got delayed and was showing as 20 mins late, meaning I'd miss the 0646 Trowbridge Bristol. And the next option, the 0705 Cardiff service, was also showing as delayed, with the following Filton Abbey Wood cancelled.

So I'm on the bus to Bath, where I should be able to catch the 0747 Weston service. What's even more annoying is that the 0705 Trowbridge Bristol that was showing as delayed ended up being on time - it just started from Westbury instead of Frome.

Try again tomorrow...

Yeah ...


... it appears to have arrived on time in Swindon but spent 30 minutes rather than 10 there.  Looks like it will be on time from Salisbury, in spite of Journey Check assuming "once delayed, delayed all the way". Guessing it was some sort of issue the crew on local staff at Swindon were able to sort out.

That would have been the last leg of my commute home. Looks like another £3 on the buses  ::)

...and if I search for Bristol Temple Meads - Melksham on the National Rail app it also shows the earlier 1545 option as cancelled as well, although I can't be bothered to check which of the 2 trains on that route aren't running.

Both now re-instated.

21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Followed, as sure as night follows day, by

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Depressing ... and it feels it's getting even worse again.

Gap at Melksham ...
12:32 to 18:53 northbound
13:39 to 20:38 southbound
... and that's for a town of around 25,000 where an appropriate service would be running hourly each way; the timetable is thinner (just one every 2 hours) and the sort of thing being offered today has six hour gaps. Sadly, this is not unusual - it's ongoing.   The trains MAY end up being re-instated later but that's cold comfort to people who need to have their days planned. 

Things WILL go wrong occasionally ... but this is an ongoing problem and it is NOT occasional. It's difficult to see anything being done to provide a reliable service ... words are spoken, actions being taken explained and promised and there are even good patches for a while with it running a bit better, but it falls over again. Sad.

The 16:23 from Westbury and the 17:35 from Swindon now re-instated.

However

Just looking at options for my usual commute home Bristol-Melksham (on the National Rail website) and of 9 options between 13:00 and 19:25, 4 are currently showing as "This service is cancelled". 2 cancellations are for the Chippenham-Melksham leg, 2 for Trowbridge-Melksham.

It is a "joke" ... a humeourless joke ... today. Goodness knows what has been cancelled and what has been re-instated and what ends up running in the end.    It  may feel OK to the folks who run the trains to chop and change during the day depending on staff availability - after all, a driver coming in to work at X O'clock doesn't need to know where he's going to be until a few minutes before.   However, for passengers (customers) rather more planning is needed, especially on services which are infrequent in the first place.  Perhaps more thought should be given to customers and the effect on them of all these "will-it, won't-it" flip-flops.

And now cancelled throughout ... no real difference on the TransWilts section where it was cancelled anyway!

20:06 Westbury to Swindon due 21:21
An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 20:06 Westbury to Swindon due 21:21.

Additional Information
Four people carriers from Bath Taxis. Before getting in any taxi vehicle please check with the driver that they are working on behalf of GWR, the driver should not ask for payment.

I understand that Gloucester drivers have had Melksham work removed with the change of timetable. Along with Bristol drivers losing Weymouth, it would appear Westbury depot are too thin to cover all the gaps.

There are ... times ... I wish I had provided an "amazed" button answer as well as a "like" button. If you have understood correctly (and I have no reason to doubt it) it looks to be rather backward step in terms of providing a reliable service, doesn't it?

Has the new timetable change sorted out the lunchtime problem where a crew arriving off the semi-fast London to Exeter service do a round trip to Swindon ... notorious for being cancelled, turned at Chippenham or delayed if anything goes wrong (does it ever?) between London and Reading,  delaying the Exeter.

Explains why Weymouth trains often end up terminating at Westbury in both directions if Bristol drivers no longer sign the route down to Weymouth. Might be good for operators but not good for passengers.

The change only happened last weekend!

The lunchtime train is still booked with an Exeter guard who arrives on the London to Exeter service.  The 1623 Westbury to Swindon and 1735 Swindon to Westbury services are now booked to have a driver who travels up from Exeter! I think Westbury have covered it (when possible) every time it has run since the timetable change though. ???

The evening 1750 Gloucester to Salisbury service is now booked from Swindon for a driver from Reading depot who is then booked to bring back the 2006 Westbury to Cheltenham service as far as Swindon.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

So as of last night it was 50% of the days since the change that the peak evening train was declared cancelled then re-instated.  Unclever - very unclever.

Let's hope that THIS crew shortage issue (or the way of reporting it in a way that scares the customers away) is shortlived - teething troubles.  Sadly, I am not holding my breath as prior experience of staff shortages is that they go on. And on. And on.

Almost all depots have lost routes with the May timetable. I guess it works on paper. Believe Oxford are the odd ones out who’ve actually gained a new route.

---

Time flies - it's been two weeks not one, hasn't it, ChrisB?   And I fell for that without doing a fact check ... I have not looked back at the first week after the changes; that record commented on is for the second week as they should be bedding in.

I guess it does.  Problem is ... railways don't run on paper ... they run on people, and engineering, and trains and rails, all of which have less continuous availability than a sheet of paper which remains a miracle that can be written on and still read years later.

And six hours later ... the almost inevitable cancellation of the train in the return direction

1 cheer not 3. Not "reinstated" as far as passengers wishing to join at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham or Trowbridge are concerned ...

Somewhat better news (2 cheers not 3) that the following return trip is no longer on the cancellation report, so id probably re-instated throughout.

Just noticed ...


So is that 2 trains with faults at Westbury this morning, or a fault on the train planned to run to Weymouth and then a decision to use the one planned for the TransWilts service for the Weymouth instead?

Something looked odd here ... then I found it ... the fault isn't even on our line ...

With the power to the signalling at Newbury restored, the latter pair above have now been re-instated.

but ... another two cancellation.  Not exactly customer friendly, is it?

It ran last night - we was on it - 3 carriage train, 10 in our carriage (so guessing around 30 in the train), 8 off and perhaps 2 or 3 on at Melksham (we were slow getting off so I may have missed 1 or 2. So that is  [32/10] which is not bad going for one of the very quietest trains of the day. 

This is the descendant of the 19:35 service from the bad old decade of "2 trains a day - too early and too late" when we were a line without a train - borrowing one from another line to run when it really wasn't much use there (either) ... and in those days we would have been lucky to see 5 people using the train.  How well we have come forward, even allowing for the flakiness and the 30 minute later running, timed (I suspect) to allow for the personal needs break of the crew arriving from Gloucester rather than to connect with the service from Salisbury of provide an evenly spaced service.

And this morning ...

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will no longer call at Chippenham, Trowbridge and Dilton Marsh.
It will be starting late from Gloucester.
This is due to trespassers on the railway earlier today.

You may wonder why I am quoting the Basingstoke service too - which is cancelled "due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time".   That's because these are the ONLY two trains across the whole of the GWR area which are cancelled at short notice this morning.  It is not unusual to see this sort of metric, where a very high proportion of cancellations are on our little line - from our 14 services out of around 2,000 that GWR should run.

Oh - and


So that's a cancellation in all but name ...

2/14 is a 14.5% cancellation rate ...

A major signalling failure at BRI means nothing moving until around 1000

Now both re-instated.

::)

...and the 17:35 Swindon-Westbury left Chippenham on time, but then stopped for about 5 mins somewhere before Thingley, due to a red signal according to the train manager. Wasn't obvious why; I assumed something had got delayed coming from Melksham in the opposite direction on the single track we were waiting to turn into, but nothing came past us. Strange.

Nothing obvious on Real Time Trains ... the other possibility that I looked at was the possibility of something ahead of it that had to clear Bradford Junction before you could proceed, but that was NOT showing on RTT.

Signalling experts may be able to help me - but I think that the train is passed from Didcot to Westbury sit passes along the line and signallers at both ends have to co-operate to pass trains.  I get the impression that the paths / this is occasionally done very late.

The signaller at Westbury controls the single line through Melksham. In order to route a down train from Thingley Junction towards Bradford Junction, the signaller on the TVSC Swindon workstation has to request the slot from their counterpart at Westbury. If the slot is not requested or given in good time, the Automatic Route Setting will set the route up only as far as the signal before the Thingley crossovers. This is to ensure that the junction is not blocked if there was to be a train coming up from Bradford Junction first.

Perhaps a good place to log my two journeys Swindon to Melksham

Yesterday at 22:31 (Friday 13th) from Swindon
18 passengers on train into Melksham. where 10 got off and 3 on. [21/13]

Today at 15:14 from Swindon
36 passenger on train into Melksham, where 18 got off and 2 got on.  [38/20]

22:12 Swindon to Westbury due 22:55
22:12 Swindon to Westbury due 22:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

Sun, 15 June 13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:45
15/06/25 13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:45 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Wonderful end to a day trip

And for today ... the first train is replace by a bus because, as far as I can tell, the line is needed to run a more important West Country express that calls at Westbury, with engineering works closing the normal line through Pewsey.   Then ...

Quoting from Heart of Wessex ...


On the TransWilts service, don't forget that the first round trip was a rail replacement bus this morning - not really a replacement but a substitution by something different and inferior.

A lot of TransWilts southbound in the morning use it for onward connections which leave Westbury (today) at ...
09:32 and 09:57 (yes, 2 at 25 minutes apart) for Weymouth
09:37 for London
09:54 for Penzance
10:02 for Portsmouth
and these would normally offer connections off the train from Swindon.   Guess what - the bus arrives at Westbury at 10:14 and that breaks all of these connections.   Only 2 other GWR trains are timetabled to leave Westbury before 11:00 and could be described as connection - 10:40 to London (by Real Time Trains tells me it's not expected until 11:10)  and a train at 10:41 which - oh dear - heads up to Swindon which is where the direction the bus came in from in the first place!