North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025

[whole diary]

[Worcester_Passenger]

If the problems with the engines continues, then we will need to have an emergency timetable.

Your wish is about to be granted.....my understanding is that this starts on January 5th.

https://x.com/chimewhistle/status/2000278585152577675?s=43&t=xkfWmHOnbkxHSxxmzGCejw

Another forum is describing this as an unreliable source. Does anybody have any good information?

[Timmer]

Another forum is describing this as an unreliable source. Does anybody have any good information?

The ‘unreliable source’ is rail journalist Jonathan Webb freelance editor of ‘Today’s Railways UK^▸ (United Kingdom)’.

I would tend to lean towards Jonathan being a more reliable than unreliable source.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Another forum is describing this as an unreliable source. Does anybody have any good information?

The ‘unreliable source’ is rail journalist Jonathan Webb freelance editor of ‘Today’s Railways UK^▸ (United Kingdom)’.

I would tend to lean towards Jonathan being a more reliable than unreliable source.

The new copy of Modern Railways has half a page about the issue. A couple of quotes from this:

    "So far, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) has managed to run a full service"

    "An emergency timetable similar to that brought in when the yaw damper cracks were discovered is not - yet - under consideration, MR^▸ (Midland Railway, Modern Railways magazine or Motor Rail, depending on context) understands."

Well, it's not a full service on the Cotswold line.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Wednesday December 17

Facilities on the 05:16 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 07:24.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.
Last Updated:17/12/2025 06:33

07:13 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 09:43 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Last Updated:17/12/2025 04:04

And bad news for tomorrow morning:

Facilities on the 21:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 00:01.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.
Last Updated:17/12/2025 06:27

[Witham Bobby]

17 December 2025

RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) reports that 1P14 0713 Great Malvern to Padd was cancelled throughout, because of "safety checks"

The stock for this service comes cars from Stoke Gifford.  The empty train stops at Bristol Parkway, to divide, for a portion to go forward to Bath Spa.  Today, it got as far as Bristol Parkway, 23 minutes late.  The Great Malvern portion went no further

[charles_uk]

Wednesday December 17

And bad news for tomorrow morning:

Facilities on the 21:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 00:01.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.
Last Updated:17/12/2025 06:27

Also, not mentioned on JourneyCheck, Realtime Trains is showing the five car 802006 booked for tonight's 19:53 Paddington to Hereford sevice which will mean a second consecutive short-form in tomorrow's London bound peak.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Wednesday December 17

Late-running continues:

1P36 1726 Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington : held Norton (+12), saves 10 at Moreton, held Charlbury (+15), arrived Oxford +13 and cancelled thereafter (RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) : "due to an issue with the train crew (TG^▸ (TaplowGreen - a respected member of this forum))").
Stock in Oxford platform 3 19:13-19:47, then ran empty to Paddington.
1P38 1802 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington : held Charlbury (+12), Oxford (+22 - baulked by 1P36), arrived +16.

1W03 1734 London Paddington to Hereford : Oxford +15, held Evesham (+32), arrived +33.
1W34 1757 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street : held Wolvercote (+12) and Evesham (+20), arrived +35.
1W41 2052 London Paddington to Great Malvern : delayed near Acton, Oxford +19, held Evesham (+37), arrived +40.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Thursday December 18

Wednesday December 17

And bad news for tomorrow morning:

Facilities on the 21:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 00:01.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.
Last Updated:17/12/2025 06:27

Also, not mentioned on JourneyCheck, Realtime Trains is showing the five car 802006 booked for tonight's 19:53 Paddington to Hereford sevice which will mean a second consecutive short-form in tomorrow's London bound peak.

1P10 0523 Hereford to London Paddington (08:24)
1P12 0643 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington (08:44)
both reported on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) as being 5-car sets. No mention on JourneyCheck.

[charles_uk]

More short-forms today.

JourneyCheck is showing the 11:52 London Paddington to Hereford, 15:18 Hereford to London Paddington and 18:57 London Paddington to Great Malvern services as five car short-forms.

Not on mentioned on JourneyCheck but showing on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is that the 19:53 Paddington to Hereford train will again be five cars (802015) so expect tomorrow's 05:23 Hereford to Paddington service to be short-formed yet again.

(edit to add)

and also tonight's 17:34 Paddington to Hereford is a five car short-form (800008), again not mentioned on JourneyCheck

[charles_uk]

17:05 Didcot Parkway to Evesham due 18:24 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

18:51 Evesham to Oxford due 19:50 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Not on mentioned on JourneyCheck but showing on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is that the 19:53 Paddington to Hereford train will again be five cars (802015) so expect tomorrow's 05:23 Hereford to Paddington service to be short-formed yet again.

Journeycheck now reporting the 19:53:

Facilities on the 19:53 London Paddington to Hereford due 22:56.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. Service full and standing from London Paddington. First class is declassified.
Last Updated:18/12/2025 20:02

Was this really only noticed at 20:02?

[Worcester_Passenger]

22:00 Hereford to London Paddington due 01:16 will be terminated at Reading.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:18/12/2025 16:05

[Worcester_Passenger]

Friday December 19

1W01 09:52 London Paddington to Hereford (12:46) : departed +28 (late arrival of incoming stock), arrived Great Malvern +28 and cancelled thereafter.

13:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:24 will be started from Great Malvern.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Last Updated:19/12/2025 12:18

[Worcester_Passenger]

Saturday December 20

12:53 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 15:11 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Last Updated:20/12/2025 10:21

20:03 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 22:23 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Last Updated:20/12/2025 10:21

This the curious working that spends four hours parked behind Shrub Hill station.

[charles_uk]

11:55 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 14:24 has been reinstated.
It will be terminated at Reading.
It will no longer call at London Paddington.
This is due to the train departing late to maintain customer connections.

13:05 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 15:22 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
It will no longer call at Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.

13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 16:17 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

14:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 17:14 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Reading.
It will no longer call at London Paddington.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

17:00 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 19:24 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.