North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025

[whole diary]

[Worcester_Passenger]

Wednesday May 28

The Wednesday of the half-term holiday, with lots of day-out traffic to London.

Alas, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) seem to have suffered from a perfect storm. I have never know such a wide range of explanations for delays. I suffered from

• track circuit failure in the Swindon area
• failed train blocking a platform at Shrub Hill
• unspecified delay south of Oxford
• unspecified delay after Slough
• overhead wire problems between Paddington and Reading
• waiting for a driver
• following a stopping train
• following a different stopping train

Final scores for yesterday are not a pretty sight, and will have put off some of that day-out traffic from using the train.

1P20 08:18 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington : arriving stock blocked by 1W11 (+50), departed +36, further delayed after Oxford, arrived +71.
1P22 08:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington (11:27) : started from Worcester Foregate Street, delayed after Reading, arrived +28.
1P24 09:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington (12:23) : delayed after Reading, arrived +19
1P30 13:16 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington (15:22) : departed +28, arrived +28.
1P04 13:18 Hereford to Paddington (16:24) : held Norton for 1W02 (+12), delayed before Oxford (+53), arrived Reading +53 and cancelled thereafter.
1P34 15:18 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington (17:29) : cancelled throughout.
1P05 15:18 Hereford to London Paddington (18:29) : started from Worcester Shrub Hill
1P38 16:32 Great Malvern to London Paddington (19:29) : started from Worcester Foregate Street
1P39 17:26 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington (19:52) : departed +22, saved 10 at Moreton.
1P42 19:02 Great Malvern to London Paddington (21:26) : started from Worcester Shrub Hill, arrived +15.
1P44 19:45 Great Malvern to London Paddington (22:24) : started from Shrub Hill

1W11 05:53 London Paddington to Great Malvern (08:38) : held Moreton (+12), spent 26 at Shrub Hill (blocking 1P20), arrived Worcester Foregate Street +22 and cancelled thereafter.
1W15 07:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern (10:14) : departed +23, arrived +16.
1W17 08:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (11:14) : held Wolvercote for 1P20 (+16), arrived +22.
1W21 10:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill (13:01) : departed +23, delayed before Reading (+42), arrived +38.
1W02 11:52 London Paddington to Hereford (14:44) : delayed before Reading (+34), arrived Shrub Hill +39, Worcester Foregate Street +56 and cancelled thereafter.
1W25 12:52 London Paddington to Foregate Street (15:00) : delayed before Reading (+42), arrived Oxford +46 and cancelled thereafter.
1W27 13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern (16:15) : delayed before Reading (+13) and at Shrub Hill (+21), arrived Worcester Foregate Street +20 and cancelled thereafter.
1W29 14:53 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (17:04) : delayed before Oxford (+40), arrived +36.
1W31 15:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (18:26) : departed +14, held Reading (awaiting driver, +42), held Wolvercote (behind halts train, +62) and Ascott (same, +73), saved 13 at Evesham. Arrived Worcester Shrub Hill +63 and cancelled thereafter.
1W33 16:58 Paddington  to Great Malvern (19:25) : started from Reading, held Oxford (+35), arrived Worcester Shrub Hill +29 and cancelled thereafter.
1W03 17:34 London Paddington to Hereford (20:25) : held Evesham (+32), arrived +31.
1W34 17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (20:11) : started from Oxford
1W36 18:57 London Paddington to Great Malvern (21:18) : delayed before Reading (+23), arrived +25.
1W41 20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (23:13) : cancelled after Worcester Shrub Hill (train crew)

[Worcester_Passenger]

Meanwhile, a technical question about signalling on our line.

Yesterday (Wed May 28), I was on the 15:52 back from Paddington. We left Oxford +48, but then sat at Wolvercote for 13 minutes. Looking at OpenTrainTimes, this seemed to be waiting for the halts train, in front of us, to get out of the single track section at Charlbury. We also sat at Ascott, waiting for it to reach Moreton.

Now, looking at OpenTrainTimes, there appear to be intermediate signals on the Wolvercote - Charlbury section. My question is this : why could we not have followed the halts train through the suingle track section? We would still have had to wait at Ascott, but at least we'd have got passengers to Hanborough and Charlbury.

As it was, we got to Charlbury +64 and to Moreton +75.

[Witham Bobby]

09:52 London Paddington to Hereford due 12:46 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:29/05/2025 10:02

13:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:24 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:29/05/2025 10:02

[Witham Bobby]

Meanwhile, a technical question about signalling on our line.

Yesterday (Wed May 28), I was on the 15:52 back from Paddington. We left Oxford +48, but then sat at Wolvercote for 13 minutes. Looking at OpenTrainTimes, this seemed to be waiting for the halts train, in front of us, to get out of the single track section at Charlbury. We also sat at Ascott, waiting for it to reach Moreton.

Now, looking at OpenTrainTimes, there appear to be intermediate signals on the Wolvercote - Charlbury section. My question is this : why could we not have followed the halts train through the suingle track section? We would still have had to wait at Ascott, but at least we'd have got passengers to Hanborough and Charlbury.

As it was, we got to Charlbury +64 and to Moreton +75.

I don't think there are any intermediate signals on the Wolvercote - Ascott-under-Wychwood single line.  So, heading downwards, a second train cannot leave Wolvercote until a preceding one has cleared Ascott-under-Wychwood and the section is clear

[IndustryInsider]

There were delays from about 15:45-16:15 at Oxford after a freight was stopped for examination after reports of smoke coming from an axle.

Meanwhile, a technical question about signalling on our line.

Yesterday (Wed May 28), I was on the 15:52 back from Paddington. We left Oxford +48, but then sat at Wolvercote for 13 minutes. Looking at OpenTrainTimes, this seemed to be waiting for the halts train, in front of us, to get out of the single track section at Charlbury. We also sat at Ascott, waiting for it to reach Moreton.

Now, looking at OpenTrainTimes, there appear to be intermediate signals on the Wolvercote - Charlbury section. My question is this : why could we not have followed the halts train through the suingle track section? We would still have had to wait at Ascott, but at least we'd have got passengers to Hanborough and Charlbury.

I don't think there are any intermediate signals on the Wolvercote - Ascott-under-Wychwood single line.  So, heading downwards, a second train cannot leave Wolvercote until a preceding one has cleared Ascott-under-Wychwood and the section is clear

To add to Witham Bobby's post.  There are no intermediate signals, other than the colour light distant signals for the signals that protect the junctions at either end.  There is an intermediate axle counter section which splits the single line section into two parts, but that hasn't got any signals associated with it.

It's a bit different between Ascott and Moreton-In-Marsh as there are intermediate signals - for the level crossing at Bruern - and again between Moreton and Evesham for Blockley and Chipping Campden L/C's.  But these are only to protect the crossings, so trains can't go beyond the section signal of a given box until the train in front is within station limits of the signal box ahead.

[Worcester_Passenger]

OK, that makes sense - thanks.

I'd been looking at the map at https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/oxford#T_WVCTJN, which has what looked like intermediate signals.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, that's a logical interpretation. 

2405/2418 are the distant signals (yellow or green only). 
2406/2425 are the section signals. 
2407/2416 are the signals protecting the junctions (and when a train has passed them it is clear of the section)
The two black boxes between Hanborough and 2418 are the axle counter sections (neither is associated directly with 2418)

I find it a little easier to intepret on SignalMaps than OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website, or possibly 'over the top', depending on context):  https://signalmaps.co.uk/#cherval1:1658  You can also see when Ascott has requested a slot for the up direction - the 'AW2406 Release' lights up white.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Thanks for that. It's wonderful how much specialist knowledge you get here! 

And you may regret including that link - you'll get some more dumb questions from this end!

[Worcester_Passenger]

Friday May 30

08:18 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 10:25.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.
Last Updated:30/05/2025 05:59

Not a good week for this to be short-formed : it's half-term and this is the first train for cheap off-peak tickets.
I was on it on Wednesday, when it was a 9-car set; we had the "move any bags off the seats - people are standing" announcement before Oxford.

17:34 London Paddington to Hereford due 20:25 will be started from Oxford.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:30/05/2025 07:13

Later:

20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 23:13 will be started from Reading.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:30/05/2025 08:09

12:30 : Train crew found for the Paddington - Oxford leg of the 17:34.