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

[whole diary]

[grahame]

14:18 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.

13:03 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 14:15

13:03 Oxford to Bristol Temple Meads due 14:15 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

I know, I know ... but don't you just wish that where there's a shortage of trains, the crew that would have driven them could be redeployed to where there's a shortage of staff.

Apparently, from a very recent discussion, one of the problems with closing the line at Limpley Stoke because os bridge hits is the problem that creates finding enough staff who actually know the diversion route via Melksham, Chippenham, Corsham and Box.  "Fair weather railway" planning has thinned out route knowledge such that dealing with the sorts of problems that happen too-often becomes difficult.

[ChrisB]

Hey....at least you'll keep your local train paths if they can't find staff to divert trains!

[TaplowGreen]

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26
17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[JohnM]

17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Would have been a problem if I wasn't going home early (via bus) to watch the eclipse

[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 more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

[TaplowGreen]

21:20 Westbury to Chippenham due 22:01
An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 21:20 Westbury to Chippenham due 22:01.
Further Information

Due   Station   Status
21:20   Westbury   21:20
21:32   Trowbridge   21:32
21:45   Melksham   21:45
22:01   Chippenham   22:01

23:20 Chippenham to Westbury due 00:03
An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 23:20 Chippenham to Westbury due 00:03.
Further Information

23:20   Chippenham   23:20
23:36   Melksham   23:36
23:51   Trowbridge   23:51
00:03   Westbury   00:03

[grahame]

I came on to the Coffee Shop a few minutes ago to record / summarise yesterday's performance or lack thereof ... but find myself again reporting on new cancellations.

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 13:01
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.

For the record, from yesterday ... train summary. Only replacement flagged to be provided was a late pair of buses.

[grahame]

14:18 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 fault on this train.

I would have thought that with the Bristol - Salisbury service canned for the day, there would have been been stand in available.  Granted - there wasn't a train available at short notice for the train 2 hours earlier, but by this time ...

[grahame]

14:18 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 fault on this train.

I would have thought that with the Bristol - Salisbury service canned for the day, there would have been been stand in available.  Granted - there wasn't a train available at short notice for the train 2 hours earlier, but by this time ...

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26

17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

I would have thought that with the Bristol - Salisbury service canned for the day, there would have been been stand in available.  Granted - there wasn't a train available at short notice for the train 2 hours earlier, nor for the one 4 hours earlier ... but by this time ...

[bobm]

The service now cancelled for the rest of the day with the exception of the through services to and from the Stroud Valley.  

[grahame]

14:18 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 fault on this train.

I would have thought that with the Bristol - Salisbury service canned for the day, there would have been been stand in available.  Granted - there wasn't a train available at short notice for the train 2 hours earlier, but by this time ...

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26

17:45 Swindon to Westbury due 18:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

I would have thought that with the Bristol - Salisbury service canned for the day, there would have been been stand in available.  Granted - there wasn't a train available at short notice for the train 2 hours earlier, nor for the one 4 hours earlier ... but by this time ...

Looks like someone's still not looking outside the box!

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 fault on this train.

If there's a fault on this train, use another.  There should be plenty of spares today NOT running from Bristol to Salisbury!

[grahame]

The service now cancelled for the rest of the day with the exception of the through services to and from the Stroud Valley.  

So it would seem

21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Has the reason turned into an excuse??

[bobm]

Not based on anything more than a hunch, but with the reluctance to move as few sets of points as possible for fear they will fail, I wonder if that applies to those used to get sets off a depot?   They tend to be used most first and last thing when temperatures are, relatively, lower.

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Westbury

Due to a fault on this train between Swindon and Westbury the line is closed.
Train services running through these stations have been cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice

What has happened?
-
The train used on the Westbury to Swindon service has broken down and no spare is available. Therefore the service has been suspended for the rest of the day.

As no train is available, we cannot run a service. Customers travelling between Swindon, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Westbury can use GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services to Bath Spa and change for connections. For Melksham customers, we are arranging arranging road transport.

[JohnM]

Looking at Bristol-Melksham options on the National Rail journey planner it's still offering the 18:30, which includes the 19:00 Chippenham-Melksham train (not bus replacement)

I was thinking about taking that as it's the first option not showing as cancelled; I'd normally take the 17:12 Bristol-Oxford service to Chippenham. Plan B is usually just get to Bath then hop on the Melksham bus, but I did that yesterday (to get home in time for the eclipse) and it was pretty unpleasant without air con. And I like the hot weather.