Great Western Coffee Shop

If I buy a ticket from Westbury to Chippenham intending to catch (say) the 1217 direct service - and that service is cancelled, can I then travel via Bath on that ticket ? OR .......do I have to wait for the 1418 service (assuming that isn't cancelled too), OR........... buy a new ticket before I board the Bath train, OR...........??

Silly thought - if I am allowed to travel via Bath on my "cheap" via Melksham ticket, can I then claim delay repay for my late arrival in Chippenham ?

The arrangement is that in the event of a cancellation, tickets routed "via Melksham" will be accepted via Bath Spa on the first  alternative train.   That is not always made clear, and indeed GWR's ticket sale site if a train is cancelled will not sell you the lower fare via Bath - "Hey - we've cancelled your train and we'll rub it in by putting the price up".

I have never heard of a "via Melksham" ticket being refused via Bath when the service via Melksham isn't running.

Note to any readers from GWR - the problem becomes less if you cancel fewer trains  ;D