2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury

[whole diary]

[bobm]

And for today ... the first train is replace by a bus because, as far as I can tell, the line is needed to run a more important West Country express that calls at Westbury, with engineering works closing the normal line through Pewsey. 

I am not sure if that was the case.   The up train from Warminster is usually timed to be on the single line between 08:26 and 08:38.    Today the Penzance train was slightly early and was on the line between 09:02 and 09:14.

The return service from Swindon is usually between Thingley and Bradford Junctions from 09:27 and 09:38.

[grahame]

And for today ... the first train is replace by a bus because, as far as I can tell, the line is needed to run a more important West Country express that calls at Westbury, with engineering works closing the normal line through Pewsey. 

I am not sure if that was the case.   The up train from Warminster is usually timed to be on the single line between 08:26 and 08:38.    Today the Penzance train was slightly early and was on the line between 09:02 and 09:14.

The return service from Swindon is usually between Thingley and Bradford Junctions from 09:27 and 09:38.

I couldn't see any other reason ... and it was planned in well ahead and wasn't an "oops - we've no staff or train" on the morning!

[grahame]

20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23

20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23 has been cancelled.
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.
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:15/06/2025 20:46

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.

[grahame]

Performances like yesterday's will happen but should be so rare they take us by surprise.  As something that happens all too often, and digging into the data the cancellations are again all "rail industry" rather than "act of God" attributable, this is not marketable to new and nervous users.  The risk of mucking up people's plans to the extent of having them put off the railway for a long time to come is just too high.



On a service that was scheduled to run every 20 minutes, alternate cancellations may not be an issue that seriously damage people's whole day / plans.  On a service that runs every 120 minutes, it renders what's left as unfit for the purpose of getting people around and if we can't fix it, why/should we bother?

[Phil]

The sad thing is that it's a day when services DO run to schedule that's so rare it takes us by surprise.

[grahame]

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be delayed between Kemble and Stroud.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

[grahame]

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be delayed at Swindon.
This is due to train crew being delayed by service disruption.

[grahame]

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 is being delayed at Salisbury.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[TaplowGreen]

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 is being delayed at Salisbury.
This is due to a fault on this train.

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[grahame]

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 is being delayed at Salisbury.
This is due to a fault on this train.

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

And

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 has been reinstated.
It will be started from Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Salisbury, Warminster, Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Swindon, Kemble, Stroud and Stonehouse.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[grahame]

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be delayed at Swindon.
This is due to train crew being delayed by service disruption.

False alarm?  Pretty well on time all the way and no delay off Swindon.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

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

[grahame]

14:19 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01
15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

There used to be two trains each way in the middle of Saturday afternoon and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) were having trouble crewing them both.  I went public in support of cutting out one of the two in order to make the system and remaining train robust.   Sad that they can't even find crew for the remaining mid-afternoon train.  Do I feel mislead and shortchanged?  Is that a reasonable feeling in the circumstances??

[grahame]

08:06 Warminster to Swindon due 09:01
09:08 Swindon to Westbury due 09:49
10:41 Westbury to Swindon due 11:23

10:41 Westbury to Swindon due 11:23 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

11:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 13:45

11:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 13:45 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.

Not really "reinstated".   Still cancelled as far as the TYransWilts line is concerned.

[Chris from Nailsea]

11:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 13:45 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.

Not really "reinstated".  Still cancelled as far as the TransWilts line is concerned.

Fair comment. And how many of the potential passengers for that service would have been those travelling from Swindon to Westbury, proportionately?

I don't know: how busy is that remaining service between Westbury and Weymouth on a Sunday, during a heatwave? 

CfN.