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

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Sun, 3 November 10:46 Westbury to Swindon due 11:31
03/11/24 10:46 Westbury to Swindon due 11:31 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Sun, 3 November 11:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 13:52
03/11/24 11:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 13:52 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.

And as we wake, more gone  .... I am trying to make sense of this.

08:18 Warminster to Swindon due 09:10
03/11/24 08:18 Warminster to Swindon due 09:10 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Warminster and Dilton Marsh.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

** 10:46 Westbury to Swindon due 11:31
03/11/24 10:46 Westbury to Swindon due 11:31 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

** 11:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 13:52
03/11/24 11:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 13:52 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.

11:09 Dorchester West to Swindon due 13:22
03/11/24 11:09 Dorchester West to Swindon due 13:22 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford, Yeovil Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Bruton and Frome.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

** 13:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 15:47
03/11/24 13:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 15:47 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.

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34
16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Frome.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

** 17:44 Swindon to Westbury due 18:25
17:44 Swindon to Westbury due 18:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Services marked "**" are not running between Swindon and Westbury - the others are through services which are disrupted south of Westbury.   Some oddities such as the train into Swindon at 17:34 arriving, but the 17:44 departure being cancelled and I wonder if there are some complex crew rosters today.

And I do find it frustrating that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have a very much reduced service today with many trains replaced by buses due to engineering works and trains locked in depots as a result ... so not being staffed ... and yet they can't have those staff available to run the other services that are not blocked.   Yeah, sure, traction and route knowledge - still frustrating!

[brooklea]

Sun, 3 November 11:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 13:52
03/11/24 11:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 13:52 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.

And as we wake, more gone  .... I am trying to make sense of this.


11:09 Dorchester West to Swindon due 13:22
03/11/24 11:09 Dorchester West to Swindon due 13:22 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford, Yeovil Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Bruton and Frome.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

** 13:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 15:47
03/11/24 13:42 Swindon to Dorchester West due 15:47 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.

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34
16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Frome.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

** 17:44 Swindon to Westbury due 18:25
17:44 Swindon to Westbury due 18:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Services marked "**" are not running between Swindon and Westbury - the others are through services which are disrupted south of Westbury.   Some oddities such as the train into Swindon at 17:34 arriving, but the 17:44 departure being cancelled and I wonder if there are some complex crew rosters today.

Makes more sense like this, unfortunately for TransWilts

11:09 Dorchester West to Swindon due 13:22 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.
Last Updated:03/11/2024 11:51

Seems more likely that the 16:43 Frome to Swindon message has a similar error, and should probably read “will be terminated at” rather than “will be started from” Westbury, given that there are no updates for the journey to Frome, and the return from Swindon has been cancelled.

[brooklea]

Seems more likely that the 16:43 Frome to Swindon message has a similar error, and should probably read “will be terminated at” rather than “will be started from” Westbury, given that there are no updates for the journey to Frome, and the return from Swindon has been cancelled.

Sure enough;

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 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.

[grahame]

Outcome



And I have to wonder that with lines and a depot for express trains closed why there still not enough to run (drive and/or manage)  the local service. 

[grahame]

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Only 4 late off Westbury ...held on the approach to Thingley to let a late running London to Bristol train cross its path, and so about 8 late into Chippenham.  In the great scheme of things not a problem.  Not sure if it will connect to London "correctly" as Swindon, but there are plenty more onward trains.

[grahame]

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

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Salisbury and Warminster.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[TaplowGreen]

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[TaplowGreen]

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05
20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

and now

18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:58

20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

And chance of assigning the crew that is not available to the train that is not working and run at least one of the two successive cancelled trains?

[grahame]

Greetings from Chippenham ... coming home to Melksham later if I can ...

About 50 people on the 10:02 up here this morning, and another 12 joined at Melksham as 9 got off.

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:17

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

[TaplowGreen]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Gloucester, Stonehouse, Stroud and Kemble.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:17

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:17 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
Road transport is operating in lieu of 2M21.
2 X MPVs will depart Westbury for Melksham (via Trowbridge) at 1625.
1 X MPV will depart Melksham at 1640 for Swindon (via Chippenham).

I'm sure that people who would normally catch the 17:35 will be delighted to read that alternative arrangements were made for people who would have travelled on the incoming train. Let's hope there are alternative arrangements the other way too.

[Mark A]

Especially if you're needing to return to Melksham.

Mark

[grahame]

Especially if you're needing to return to Melksham.

Mark

Personal plans to be in Chippenham curtailed and I came back much earlier.  That's a story in itself for tomorrow ...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes - you always need a 'Plan B'.