Loadings, cancellations and other issues

[whole diary]

[grahame]

And here we go again!

07:33 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19
This train has been delayed from Westbury and is now 32 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.

+25 -2 at Melksham at 07:19 / left with around 80 on the train. 82/27

Reports that "some people" have been using the train to commute but have given up due to poor reliability.  Kiss-and-ride drivers tending to wait at Melksham to make sure the train really does show up ...

[bobm]

A 153 has failed at Westbury so another has been pressed into service to run the 07:33 and 08:49 return.

To get things back on course a third unit is on its way down from Bristol to form the 09:48 to Swindon but with another late start.

[bobm]

09:48 Westbury to Swindon and 10:47 return cancelled.

Gather there were two 153s at Westbury - but there were faults on both of them.

[JayMac]

A bus shaped 1135 from Chippenham to Westbury today, 29/01/2017

Chippenham 18
Melksham -4/+3 17
Trowbridge -8/+4 13

[grahame]

A bus shaped 1135 from Chippenham to Westbury today, 29/01/2017

Chippenham 18
Melksham -4/+3 17
Trowbridge -8/+4 13

That's 21/7.  Knowing that a switch from train to buses looses most of the traffic, that's truly astonishing for a January Sunday morning!

[bobm]

I tried looking back through this thread to see if we had comparable figures for a Sunday morning in the past but after eight pages realised it's not that easy.

Have we anything to compare today's numbers to?

[grahame]

I tried looking back through this thread to see if we had comparable figures for a Sunday morning in the past but after eight pages realised it's not that easy.

Have we anything to compare today's numbers to?

We have few bus figures .. and frankly few Sunday morning figures for the first couple of dead months of the year. Except that they're not dead months.   Dropped off someone for the 15:39 to Westbury on Friday and i ... think ... he got a seat 

[bobm]

Axle counter failure at Thingley Junction means the cancellation of the 16:21 Westbury to Swindon and (deep breath) the 17:36 from Swindon to Westbury.

Road Replacement should be in place.

[bobm]

18:32 Westbury to Swindon and 20:06 return now cancelled too.

[grahame]

18:32 Westbury to Swindon and 20:06 return now cancelled too.

Yeah ... a delay of a few minutes on other trains .... and canning 4 TransWilts runs ...

Smacks of "operational convenience" as the through train to / from Cheltenham Spa seem to be getting through perfectly well!

[grahame]

Long Facebook exchange with lady who's son was due to catch the 18:38 Trowbridge to Melksham and was told by the customer services to wait for the service an hour later.  Not a happy bunny ... and really kids of the age that they're coming back for a parent pickup are probably not the best people to systemically abandon at Trowbridge Station for an hour (partly from the viewpoint that customer service probably wants to avoid a livid parent ...)

[bobm]

Been trying to work out what has been going on however it looks like OpenTrainTimes has had some problems with its feed as it froze for nearly an hour.

It seems the problem is on the axle counters which allow trains to come off the single line and cross to the London bound line at Thingley East.  It was planned that the 19:32 from Westbury to Cheltenham Spa would run on the down line (ie the wrong one) all the way to Wootton Bassett Junction before crossing over - but I can't tell if that is what happened.

[bobm]

Changes to the through services to and from Cheltenham following the incident at Frampton Mansell crossing. However the 20:06 Swindon to Westbury diverted via Bathampton and thus avoiding Melksham due to signalling problems on the single line. Road replacement from Chippenham.

[grahame]

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads the line towards Bristol Temple Meads is blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 09:00 09/02.
Last Updated:09/02/2017 07:40
2 Train Cancellations
07:33 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19
08:49 Swindon to Westbury due 09:42

[bobm]

Been watching this unfold on OpenTrainTimes when I should really have been working.

The 07:04 from Westbury was held at Thingley East to allow a late running train from Bristol go in front.  However it seems they couldn't swing the points to allow the train from Westbury to cross over to the up line and so had to run it into platform 1 at Chippenham.



It then carried on "wrong line" using the reversible signals towards Wootton Bassett - meanwhile the 06:30 from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads was diverted at WB to run via Hullavington missing out Chippenham, Bath Spa and Keynsham



The train from Westbury finally regaining the right line at WB - just ahead of another train from Bristol.   The Westbury train continues to Cheltenham and is currently 18 minutes late.