North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2025

[whole diary]

[Worcester_Passenger]

20:47 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 23:04 is being delayed at London Paddington.
This is due to a problem currently under investigation.
Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:05/10/2025 20:56

[ChrisB]

Overcrowding, as its short-formed?

[Richard Fairhurst]

0523 from Hereford, 0643 from Shrub Hill and 0700 from Shrub Hill all cancelled this morning. Not good.

[Worcester_Passenger]

0523 from Hereford, 0643 from Shrub Hill and 0700 from Shrub Hill all cancelled this morning. Not good.

Tactful understatement.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Yes, Mrs F (who was hoping to use at least one of those trains to get to work) was a bit less tactful at 6.45 this morning…

[charles_uk]

21:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 00:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

so, presumably tomorrow's 06:43 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington service will also be a cancellation.

[1st fan]

On Realtime Trains it says

 This service is cancelled.
This service was cancelled due to the planned train being replaced with a slower train (MS).

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P08654/2025-10-07/detailed

That’s not an excuse/reason I’ve seen used before.

[grahame]

On Realtime Trains it says

 This service is cancelled.
This service was cancelled due to the planned train being replaced with a slower train (MS).

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P08654/2025-10-07/detailed

That’s not an excuse/reason I’ve seen used before.

https://wiki.openraildata.com/index.php/Darwin:Cancellation_reason_codes_and_text
https://wiki.openraildata.com/index.php/Delay_Attribution_Guide

MS officially reads
"Planned underpowered or shortformed service and or vehicle, incl. exam set swaps"
and I suspect that the descriptions are recoded out of rail jargon by real time trains

[Worcester_Passenger]

21:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 00:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

so, presumably tomorrow's 06:43 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington service will also be a cancellation.

And Tuesday's 1W05 19:53 London Paddington to Hereford was short-formed with a five-car set, leading to

Facilities on the 05:23 Hereford to London Paddington due 08:24.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.
Last Updated:08/10/2025 03:58

05:50 : The 06:43 will be operated by the (nine-car) set from last night's 1W36 18:57 London Paddington to Great Malvern (21:18). This set normally runs back to Stoke Gifford, but couldn't get there on Tuesday night on account of the oiver-running Gloucester engineering work, so it spent the night at Shrub Hill.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Thursday October 9

A nice complementary pair this morning:

Facilities on the 08:18 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 10:25.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.
Last Updated:09/10/2025 04:03

Facilities on the 08:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 11:14.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 5.
Last Updated:09/10/2025 04:04

... which means the excuse about "trains needing repair" is rather silly.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Something broke down in Worcester at a critical moment this morning, with serious knock-on effects over the single track from Shrub Hill through Foregate St to Henwick.

WMT^▸ (West Midlands Trains (more correctly, it should be West Midlands Railway)website)'s 11:40 Foregate Street to Stratford : started from Shrub Hill (P1 11:47) +18 "due to a problem with the traction equipment (MD)".

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s 10:53 Foregate St to Bristol Temple Meads : departed +20, departed Shrub Hill +51, arrived Bristol Parkway +54 and cancelled thereafter.

1P26 10:59 Great Malvern to London Paddington (13:25) : due Foregate St 11:11-11:12, held Henwick (+22), Foregate St (+39), arrived Reading +53 and cancelled thereafter.

11:58 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 14:23 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
It will no longer call at Great Malvern, Malvern Link and Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a broken down train.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 5.
Additional Facilities Information
Reservations for Coach D in Coach K.
Last Updated:09/10/2025 11:48

1W17 08:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (11:14) : due Foregate St 11:02-11:03, cancelled after Worcester Shrub Hill.
1W01 09:52 London Paddington to Hereford (12:46) : held Shrub Hill (+14), arrived +21.

13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 16:15 will be started from Reading.
It will no longer call at London Paddington.
This is due to a broken down train earlier today.
Last Updated:09/10/2025 11:59

[Witham Bobby]

22:51 London Paddington to Worcestershire Parkway Hl due 01:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Further Information
We're sorry for the disruption to your journey.
-
A coach (Brooks Coach Hire) has been arranged leaving Oxford at 00:55 calling at Hanborough (01:08), Charlbury (01:26), Kingham (01:45), Moreton-in-Marsh (02:02), Honeybourne (02:31), Evesham (02:52), Pershore (03:08) and Worcestershire Parkway (03:09 arrival).
-
If you're travelling from London Paddington or Reading, please join the 23:14 from London Paddington to Oxford calling at Reading at 00:07 then change for the bus at Oxford.
-
Road transport pick up/drop off points can be found on the Information poster at stations or online at nre.co.uk/stations.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 10:16

[Worcester_Passenger]

15:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 18:26 will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 12:03

1W33 16:58 London Paddington to Great Malvern : delayed before Oxford (+13), held Shrub Hill (+29), arrived +26.

17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 20:11 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 14:05

1W45 22:51 London Paddington to Worcestershire Parkway (01:06) : cancelled, as described above
Stock ran ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from Paddington to Shrub Hill.

19:02 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 21:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 12:03

Stock ran ECS from Shrub Hill to Paddington.

20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:10/10/2025 14:06

21:30 : updated
Saturday Oct 11 : note added about 1W45 ECS journey.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Saturday October 11

1W01 0950 London Paddington to Hereford (12:43) : held Oxford (+21) and Ledbury (+42), arrived +41.

13:20 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:22 will be starting late from Hereford.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:11/10/2025 12:57

Departed +22, arrived +12.

In the late afternoon, there was a trespass incident between Didcot and Oxford:

1P33 17:00 Great Malvern to London Paddington (19:24) : cancelled after Oxford
1P35 17:48 Great Malvern to London Paddington (20:23) : delayed after Oxford, arrived +35.

1W35 17:52 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate St (20:10) : held Didcot North Jn (+55), arrived Shrub Hill +64 and cancelled thereafter.
1W37 18:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (21:13) : operated via Stroud.
1W39 19:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (22:23) : started from Oxford (+19), arrived +21.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Sunday October 12

...was going well until

1W08 18:45 London Paddington to Hereford (21:54) : departed +24, held Evesham (+51), delayed Pershore (+64), arrived +63.

But the consequences are ambiguous:

13/10/25 05:23 Hereford to London Paddington due 08:24 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:12/10/2025 22:35

Mon, 13 October 05:23 Hereford to London Paddington due 08:24
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 13/10/25 05:23 Hereford to London Paddington due 08:24.
Last Updated:12/10/2025 23:02