Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2025

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38
15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38 will be reinstated.

It will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Like ordering fish, chips and mushy peas and "sorry - we're out of fish and chips - but we have supplied you the mushy peas.  Oh and the good news is that we've given you tartare sauce".

The simile is not my best - comparing mushy peas to Frome seems a bit of a stretch.

I think GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) should use the phrase 'partially reinstated' in such cases.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with barriers at a level crossing.

[grahame]

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train earlier today.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with barriers at a level crossing.

[grahame]

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to the train departing late to maintain customer connections.

Makes sense - 20:07 arrival from Paddington ; connection left at 20:10.   The 18:36 from Paddington is due into Westbury at 19:58 - an official connection with some good advance fares, but all too often leads to a long wait at at Westbury.

[Timmer]

Makes sense - 20:07 arrival from Paddington ; connection left at 20:10.   The 18:36 from Paddington is due into Westbury at 19:58 - an official connection with some good advance fares, but all too often leads to a long wait at at Westbury.

The 18:36 made an additional stop at Kintbury because the 18:08 Pad to Frome was cancelled hence the slight delay arriving into Westbury.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

Makes sense - 20:07 arrival from Paddington ; connection left at 20:10.   The 18:36 from Paddington is due into Westbury at 19:58 - an official connection with some good advance fares, but all too often leads to a long wait at at Westbury.

The 18:36 made an additional stop at Kintbury because the 18:08 Pad to Frome was cancelled hence the slight delay arriving into Westbury.

Indeed ... and that sets me going with a whole thought chain about services that call at intermediate stations from Newbury to Taunton and how they *might* look in the future in a regime that has stations at Somerton/Langport and Devizes Gateway, and where extra Westbury -> Reading capacity is provided using a redoubled relief line via Melksham.

[TaplowGreen]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to trespassers on the railway.

[grahame]

09:46 Westbury to Swindon due 10:28
11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47

11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

That'll make it three times cancelled in ten days - 30% (and "terminated at Swindon" is doublespeak for "cancelled" as far as the Swindon to Westbury (TransWilts) line is concerned.  Once is unfortunate, twice would be a bit of as co-incidence but three times is a pattern that smells of "systemic problem" and should be addressed.

On the occasions it has run ... only once significantly late - 9 minutes; not an issue as far as I can tell - I am not aware of any connections missed as a result.   Although it is irritating in the extreme to see the 07:21 from Melksham miss the Bristol train at Chippenham, less than 10 minutes delay but running is an order or magnitude better than cancelled.

[bobm]

And as night follows day…

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be started from Chippenham.
It will no longer call at Swindon.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident near the railway earlier today.

[bobm]

This train did in fact start from Swindon in the end albeit over 20 minutes late.

The inward journey from Westbury was delayed once it joined the mainline at Thingley as it became stuck in a queue of trains.   It reached Chippenham 15 minutes late, where at one point the platform screens showed it as cancelled but the on board staff kept announcing it was only delayed.   It then left 27 minutes late and arrived in Swindon just before 3.30pm.   With trains from London severely delayed or cancelled, the rescheduled 15:15 service provided a welcome alternative for people trying to get to Chippenham.

(Source: I was on the 14:18 from Westbury)