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

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

I know it’s a bit off the Transwilts, but the service at Dilton Marsh since 4pm onwards has been next to non existent with cancellations in both directions with Warminster/Salisbury services being cancelled.

There are supposed to be automatically added stop orders - that may only be on certain trains though - have extra stops happened?

If there have been, they haven’t appeared on the Tiger Departure Board this afternoon/evening or Journeycheck saying Cardiff-Portsmouths making additional stops.

[grahame]

Saturday 12th July

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

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

Sunday 13th July

We expect disruption on some routes this Sunday because of crew availability. 

No services will operate on the following routes on Sunday 13 July and customers should not attempt to travel between:

Westbury and Weymouth (No bus replacement able to operate)
Swindon and Westbury (A very limited bus replacement will operate)
A reduced, amended timetable will also be in place for trains between: 

Westbury and Bristol Temple Meads
On this route, customers should change their plans if possible and only travel if necessary. Fewer trains will run, and those that do will be extremely busy. Some further services may also be cancelled or delayed at short notice. 

Because of the late-notice changes, and the complexity of updating timetable systems, journey planners will not show changes correctly before Sunday morning.

Faresaver buses leave Chippenham Railway Station on Sunday at 09:25, 10:25, 11:25, 12:55, 13:55, 14:55, 16:25, 17:25 and 18:25 for Melksham Market Place (26 minutes later) and all up to and including the 17:25 continue to Trowbridge (Manvers Street).   

Return buses leave Manvers Street in Trowbridge at 09:20, 10:20, 11:20, 12:50, 13:50, 14:50, 16:20, 17:20 and 18:20.. All call at Melksham Market Place 28 minutes later and all up to and including the 16:20 bus continue to Chippenham Railway and the bus stations. There is an extra bus from Melksham to Chippenham at 08:48.

Sunday buses on route x34 do NOT serve Trinity Church which is adjacent to Trowbridge Railway Station - they terminate in Manvers Street (behind Sainsburys) which is a few minutes walk away if you are able bodied and know where you are going.    They do not serve Melksham Railway Station, but call (nearest stops) at Broughton Road and on the main Chippenham road outside Aldi / McDonalds

A maximum fare of £3 per individual journey applies on these buses, but to my knowledge there is no rail ticket acceptance in place.

[TaplowGreen]

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17
18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00
19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:29
19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

22:12 Swindon to Westbury due 22:55
22:12 Swindon to Westbury due 22:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[Timmer]

Gosh, never mind tomorrow, not much of a service today.

[TaplowGreen]

Gosh, never mind tomorrow, not much of a service today.

But don't forget, as we are repeatedly told, apparently there is no shortage of staff 

[grahame]

[snip length=long]

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00
19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[snip length=long]

Our risk assessment has been NOT to market day trips from Melksham to Weymouth at present due to the significant risk of people having a severely upset trip in one or both directions.  The other part of the risk assessment related to how bad the effect of the risk would be.   The next train from Westbury to Melksham as I understand it is 34 hours later;  robust passengers who know what they are doing could travel on to Bath and catch the 23:20 bus into Melksham at midnight.  And in theory there will be/ would be station staff around to help with onward transport, which in the evening sometimes involves a wait of 90 minutes.

I wish our decision had not been vindicated. And a corollary question is to ask what to do - as a community where we want to use the train -  about this state of affairs. 

[Timmer]

Being the last train of the day AND knowing there will be day trippers from Weymouth, onward travel from Westbury should be made available?

[grahame]

Being the last train of the day AND knowing there will be day trippers from Weymouth, onward travel from Westbury should be made available?

Indeed - but the word "should" can cover a whole host of evils.  They "should" have enough staff in the right place, at the right time, with the right route knowledge and other training, and enough working trains, to provide a full service in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

[John D]

Being the last train of the day AND knowing there will be day trippers from Weymouth, onward travel from Westbury should be made available?

Indeed - but the word "should" can cover a whole host of evils.  They "should" have enough staff in the right place, at the right time, with the right route knowledge and other training, and enough working trains, to provide a full service in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

Interestingly the banner headline on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) seems to imply multiple failings on GWRs part.

1) failed to have enough serviceable staff
2) failed to update journey planners in timely way
3) failed to hire in replacement buses (or coaches, or charter train)
4) what trains they run will be busy because not lengthening them

And what do they mean by "Your comfort and safety are our priority.  Please check live updates...."   is that PR^▸ (Public Relations) speak for we can't be bothered to get you there.

https://www.gwr.com/sunday-disruption

[ellendune]

Interestingly the banner headline on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) seems to imply multiple failings on GWRs part.

1) failed to have enough serviceable staff
2) failed to update journey planners in timely way
3) failed to hire in replacement buses (or coaches, or charter train)
4) what trains they run will be busy because not lengthening them

And what do they mean by "Your comfort and safety are our priority.  Please check live updates...."   is that PR^▸ (Public Relations) speak for we can't be bothered to get you there.

https://www.gwr.com/sunday-disruption

Given that these franchises are now management contracts that are micromanaged by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), how many of these things are actually in GWR's power to change?

1) I suggest that increasing staff is probably subject to DfT approval, and even then would take many months.
2) Yes as far as I can see this is down to GWR
3) I am not sure where they are going to get these from at certain times.  The bus/coach industry is cut-throat and a company that has vehicles and drivers sat around is likely to go out of business very quickly. 
4) Again DfT have demanded that they reduce the number of trains in service to cut costs.  That is why the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) have largely gone and other so called surplus stock. 

[John D]

Given that these franchises are now management contracts that are micromanaged by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), how many of these things are actually in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s power to change?

But surely the management contract specifies a minimum level of service, and thus that implies a certain number of staff contractually employed to work it.

Or are you saying GWR have accepted a contract that can only be performed if volunteers choose to help up, and GWR cannot incentivise the staff to volunteer.  Illogical (but if DfT are involved, plausible)

[IndustryInsider]

Or are you saying GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have accepted a contract that can only be performed if volunteers choose to help up, and GWR cannot incentivise the staff to volunteer.  Illogical (but if DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) are involved, plausible)

The railway, nationally, has always run on volunteers working additional shifts.

[grahame]

Or are you saying GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have accepted a contract that can only be performed if volunteers choose to help up, and GWR cannot incentivise the staff to volunteer.  Illogical (but if DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) are involved, plausible)

The railway, nationally, has always run on volunteers working additional shifts.

Indeed - and it makes sense.  For it to work well, it needs staff (volunteers) who have reason to want to work extra - to earn extra money, because they enjoy the work and the folks they work with, to support the team/organisation they work for,  to provide mental stimulation, or to get out of the house away from the screaming kids / in-laws ...

Once it becomes "expected" of them and less enjoyable and they feel "obliged", a system which is good for both employee and employer ceases to work well.   A story was told to me about a bus company who employed a bus-washer six days a week (Saturday overtime) ... so good was his work that he was given a pay rise - a big "thank you" from him and he cease Saturday work because he didn't need the extra money.  I wonder sometimes about just how much staff enjoy working on a variety of routes, and I wonder if restricting route knowdledge also restricts volunteering ... I wonder if so much chopping and changing between trains along the way rather than driving the whole way is a de-motivator.

[grahame]

Rail replacement transport will operate from Chippenham calling at; Melksham; Trowbridge and Westbury.

Rail replacement transport from Westbury will be request stops. Please speak to station staff.

Nothing about what people should do from Melksham or Trowbridge - but we did do what GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) asked of us from Melksham which is put out a "don't use GWR" message.   What an extraordinary thing for a company to do ...

[TaplowGreen]

Or are you saying GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have accepted a contract that can only be performed if volunteers choose to help up, and GWR cannot incentivise the staff to volunteer.  Illogical (but if DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) are involved, plausible)

The railway, nationally, has always run on volunteers working additional shifts.

And ironically, since privatisation, salaries have risen to such an extent that those volunteers no longer want the overtime, and their employers have done nothing to fill the gap.