Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing discussion - 2026

[whole diary]

[bobm]

But additional calls

12:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 15:46

12:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 15:46 was diverted between Westbury and Bath Spa.
It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham, Chippenham, Oldfield Park and Keynsham.
It has been delayed due to the diversion and is now 15 minutes late.
This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 3.

15:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 18:50

15:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 18:50 will be diverted between Westbury and Bath Spa.
It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 14 minutes late.
This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

[Mark A]

8 cancellations reported ... and the issue is on a adjoining line and not on this one!

What has happened?
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A vehicle has struck a bridge in the Freshford area between Trowbridge and Bath Spa. The bridge has been examined and one of the two lines over the bridge, the line towards Bath Spa, will remain closed for the rest of today.

They're very coy about which bridge is involved.

Mark

[bobm]

It is the one at Limpley Stoke that was closed for refurbishment last year.   Quite a bit of damage has been done to the bridge and the trackbed is affected.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I'm assuming it was this one:

[Image from here is not available to guests]
Image from https://www.wiltshire999s.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Screenshot-2024-11-21-at-11.54.04-750x428.png

[bobm]

More special stops

15:28 Weymouth to Gloucester due 19:04

15:28 Weymouth to Gloucester due 19:04 will be diverted between Westbury and Bath Spa.

It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.

It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 16 minutes late.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

16:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 19:53

16:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 19:53 will be diverted between Westbury and Bath Spa.

It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.

It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 15 minutes late.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

17:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 20:46

17:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 20:46 will be diverted between Westbury and Bath Spa.

It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.


It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 15 minutes late.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

18:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 21:45

18:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 21:45 will be diverted between Westbury and Bath Spa.

It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.

It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 16 minutes late.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

19:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 22:56

19:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 22:56 will be diverted between Westbury and Bath Spa.

It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.

It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 15 minutes late.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

20:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 23:57

20:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 23:57 will be diverted between Westbury and Bath Spa.

It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.

It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 15 minutes late.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 3.

Also a couple of road replacements

20:06 Chippenham to Westbury due 20:49

An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 20:06 Chippenham to Westbury due 20:49.

20:50 Chippenham to Westbury due 21:33

An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 20:50 Chippenham to Westbury due 21:33.

[grahame]

A vehicle had struck a bridge in the Freshford area between Trowbridge and Bath Spa. The bridge has been examined and we are now able to run trains.
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What are we doing about it?
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Our service between Chippenham and Westbury via Melksham will remain suspended as a number of our trains and crew are now not in the right place.
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What are your options?
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We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today, these are the current options available to you:
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Replacement transport has been arranged to run in place of cancelled train services. These have been advertised on journey planners.

[grahame]

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 has been delayed at Melksham and is now 23 minutes late.
This is due to a points failure.

[bobm]

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34 has been cancelled.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge earlier today.

08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26

08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 will be cancelled.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge earlier today.

Limpley Stoke bridge again.  Stopped the stock from Bristol reaching Westbury.

[grahame]

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34 has been cancelled.
08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 will be cancelled.

This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge earlier today.

Limpley Stoke bridge again.  Stopped the stock from Bristol reaching Westbury.

Oh geeze ... I have a feeling of frustration ... that "they" can't send the feeder train down via Chippenham, or commandeer a train that should have been heading the other way but can't get through B-o-A to Bath and send it up to Swindon instead.   But I'm sure there are perfectly good reasons that this couldn't be done.

Leaves a southbound timetable gap from 06:29 to 11:31.  On a frequency like ours, every train matters.

[bobm]

I think in this case the good reason was the train involved may well already have been on the Avon Valley line when it was stopped.   Realtimetrains shows the delay was at the junction, but following trains towards Chippenham were not disrupted so the line must have been clear.  It could have been put into the goods loop but I am not sure that is cleared for passenger use.

[grahame]

I think in this case the good reason was the train involved may well already have been on the Avon Valley line when it was stopped.   Realtimetrains shows the delay was at the junction, but following trains towards Chippenham were not disrupted so the line must have been clear.  It could have been put into the goods loop but I am not sure that is cleared for passenger use.

You are likely right, Bob ... hence my "perfectly good reason" caution.  There are times on the forum where I feel that some of us may speak as apologists for the rail industry - trying to justify the frankly unjustifiable - but this is NOT one of those cases.

[JohnM]

Leaves a southbound timetable gap from 06:29 to 11:31.  On a frequency like ours, every train matters.

271 bus saves the day again. Although the 07:46 Paddington-Weston service at Bath was delayed so ended up on the 07:51 Filton Abbey Wood; ~45 mins later than usual into the office. Just lucky the office is in Bristol not Southampton.

[grahame]

18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
20:12 Swindon to Westbury due 20:56

20:12 Swindon to Westbury due 20:56 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Noting that it's Maundy Thursday, lead up to Easter and a good time for those with families to be taking leave - probably a total co-incidence?    No alternative suggested / offered at the moment.

After the 18:37 from Westbury, the next train is 20:06.   After the 20:12 from Swindon, the next and final train is 22:31.  The last buses from Trowbridge to Chippenham and from Chippenham to Trowbridge have departed by the time these trains are due, so there is no fallback available there.

[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 fault on this train.

No alternatives on offer from/suggested by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) ... there *are* buses, though much slower, from close to Trowbridge into Melksham and Chippenham towns,  and buses from the other side of Chippenham from the station to Melksham and Trowbridge.

[bobm]

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will be cancelled.

This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be cancelled.

This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.