2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury

[whole diary]

[Trowres]

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

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.

One learns to take the words after "This is due" with a pinch of salt. So, was this connected with the failed freight train? (which was on the up line between Stroud and Kemble and not the line due to be used by the Salisbury-Worcester)

A quick look at the cancellation codes given on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website):

This service was cancelled between Swindon and Worcester Foregate Street due to a problem with rail adhesion (MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)).

But... the unit was promptly classified as an ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) (5M81) and dispatched towards Gloucester at 08:10, arriving there at 08:42 (in other words, without delay).

The next train towards Gloucester departed at 08:39 and again ran without delay.

So, what was really going on?

[Timmer]

Steam/smoke coming from under the seats apparently

Transwilts steam hauled today then?

I’ll get my coat.

[grahame]

Steam/smoke coming from under the seats apparently

Transwilts steam hauled today then?

I’ll get my coat.

Regular shambles of a day ... and this afternoon (wonder if it was part of the same stock plan / diagram) the lemon 15:12 Westbury to Warminster was cancelled (not huge issue). But the follow on 15:30 Warminster to Bristol (key school train) is one of the worst to loose.

Checking back - no - another cancellation into Westbury too.  Look like they may be falling like flies.

[grahame]

Steam/smoke coming from under the seats apparently

Transwilts steam hauled today then?

I’ll get my coat.

http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/flying-scotsman-at-melksham.jpg

[brooklea]

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

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a late running train being in front of this one.

One learns to take the words after "This is due" with a pinch of salt. So, was this connected with the failed freight train? (which was on the up line between Stroud and Kemble and not the line due to be used by the Salisbury-Worcester)

A quick look at the cancellation codes given on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website):

This service was cancelled between Swindon and Worcester Foregate Street due to a problem with rail adhesion (MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)).

But... the unit was promptly classified as an ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) (5M81) and dispatched towards Gloucester at 08:10, arriving there at 08:42 (in other words, without delay).

The next train towards Gloucester departed at 08:39 and again ran without delay.

So, what was really going on?

Clearly there was a driver to take the train on at Swindon. I would hypothesise that the guard was elsewhere due to the problem with the freight train, so it had to run as an ECS.

[bobm]

The "failed freight" was struggling to get up Sapperton bank and came to a stand before the summit.   It had to be rescued by a loco from Didcot.

[Timmer]

Regular shambles of a day ... and this afternoon (wonder if it was part of the same stock plan / diagram) the lemon 15:12 Westbury to Warminster was cancelled (not huge issue). But the follow on 15:30 Warminster to Bristol (key school train) is one of the worst to loose.

Checking back - no - another cancellation into Westbury too.  Look like they may be falling like flies.

Indeed, it’s concerning. With new rolling stock looking at least 5 years away to replace the knackered West local fleet, the future for local services looks grim reliability wise.

[brooklea]

Indeed, it’s concerning. With new rolling stock looking at least 5 years away to replace the knackered West local fleet, the future for local services looks grim reliability wise.

Too bad that the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) class 769 project didn’t work out.

[Mark A]

Its routing between Boston and Swindon is considerably more convoluted than one might at first think.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H19990/2024-09-25/detailed

My fantasy 1955 railway has just taken it from Boston across to Nottingham, sure, but then, hang a left, a brief visit to Victoria, and then out the way it came in, southbound across the rooftops of Nottingham, Leicester, another climb, so Cosby Corner good and steady and setting it up for a game of Rugby, slog up Staverton and through the hole, hang a right, drop down to Banbury and on to the Gas Works Railway, hang a right at Didcot and wave to the White Horse, but another reversal in Swindon.

Apologies, mods pls del, this is wild and too much resembles a sort of 'Steel train Mornington Crescent'. But then, in this case, reality sends it up Sapperton Bank so where does that leave us?

Mark

[grahame]

For the record (because that path will be lost from RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) in a week) ...

Boston 20:21
Nottinghsm 22:01
Totton 22:20 - 02:01
Leicester 02:43
New Street 04:21
Kiddermister 04:58
Cheltenham Spa 05:46
St Mary's Crossing 06:11 (4 early)
Kemble 09:56 (203 late)
Swindon 10:13
Swindon Stores 10:45 (214 late)

[brooklea]

For the record (because that path will be lost from RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) in a week) ...

Boston 20:21
Nottinghsm 22:01
Totton 22:20 - 02:01
Leicester 02:43
New Street 04:21
Kiddermister 04:58
Cheltenham Spa 05:46
St Mary's Crossing 06:11 (4 early)
Kemble 09:56 (203 late)
Swindon 10:13
Swindon Stores 10:45 (214 late)

That would be very convoluted! 

After reversal at Toton, it would usually run via Castle Donington and Burton-on-Trent, before by-passing Birmingham New Street, and then running down the Lickey Incline and onwards to Swindon, but the climb of Sapperton is part of the normal route.

[grahame]

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18
18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17
19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25

19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Here we don't go again.   

[Timmer]

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18
18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17
19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25

19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Here we don't go again.   

All reinstated.

[grahame]

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18
18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17
19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25

19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Here we don't go again.   

All reinstated.

Indeed, and thank you for flagging that up.    I actually travelled on the 17:35 from Swindon,  and found myself wondering just how busy it would be - whether people would have been put off.   On one side I would like confirmation that the rail industry's flagging up of issues reaches people, but on the other hand I would have to have people put off by being told of a cancellation which is then re-instated.

Sorry - I have no strong evidence either way - between 50 and 60 people on the train into Melksham which was somewhat thin but not dramatically so.  I did not complete my usual count of people on and off at Melksham as I stepped off the train and straight into an ongoing situation where "Station Friends" became my priority. 

Personally, without BobM's "re-instated" post I might not have got back to Melksham by train.  The official journey planner when I go up yesterday morning was not helpful, more along the lines of "go away and find alternative" without offering a viable alternative for m journey.  Yes, I am an experienced traveller and know the public transport network but others are not so skilled - witness the number of people looking for help when I look around.

Here for the record is the journey planning help the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) site gave me - no viable alternative suggested!

[bobm]

Personally, without BobM's "re-instated" post I might not have got back to Melksham by train. 

I can't claim the credit for that - it was my esteemed colleague Timmer.

As re-instatements go hopefully the damage was not too great.   They were cancelled at 02:28 and reinstated at 07:37.