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

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Looks like a wipe out on the Transwilts tomorrow, with no replacement road options on offer....

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham

Due to severe weather at Westbury all lines are closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham will be cancelled.

Customer Advice
Westbury station has been closed as a safety precaution, and trains are unable to call there.
This is unlikely to be resolved until end of the day Sunday 8th December 2024.

No Rail Replacement road services will operate between Westbury and Swindon.
Operators have advised that due to dangerous conditions they are unable to provide an alternative service.


Passengers are advised not to travel, road transport will not be provided.

[grahame]

No Rail Replacement road services will operate between Westbury and Swindon.

Operators have advised that due to dangerous conditions they are unable to provide an alternative service.

Eh?   In Melksham at the centre of that line, where I live, buses were all suspeneded this morning but services 271 and 272 resumed at lunch time, and service 273 (evenings and Sundays) is running now.    And I would be surprised if Sunday's x34 does not run.

[grahame]

No trains today, and no rail replacement buses or taxis either.

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham

Due to severe weather at Westbury all lines are closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham will be cancelled.

Customer Advice

Westbury station has been closed as a safety precaution, and trains are unable to call there. This is unlikely to be resolved until end of the day Sunday 8th December 2024.

No Rail Replacement road services will operate between Westbury and Swindon.
Operators have advised that due to dangerous conditions they are unable to provide an alternative service.


Passengers are advised not to travel, road transport will not be provided.

Disruption on Saturday 7th December 2024 and Sunday 8th December 2024

Following red and amber weather warnings in relation to Storm Darragh on parts of our network, we are advising customers to change their plans if possible this weekend. Strong winds mean speed restrictions will be in place across the network, increasing journey times. Fallen trees and other debris may also impact services.
-
Ticket Easement;

Customers with tickets for travel on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December can be used on Monday 9th December. If you no longer wish to travel this weekend you can claim a full refund at GWR.com/help-and-support/refunds.

Further Information

An update will follow within the next 2 hours.
If you require further information please speak to our staff at the station or on the train, use the Customer Help Point, tweet us @GWRHelp or call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 484 950.

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:08/12/2024 04:18

[grahame]

No Rail Replacement road services will operate between Westbury and Swindon.
Operators have advised that due to dangerous conditions they are unable to provide an alternative service.
Last Updated:08/12/2024 04:18

Faresaver, however, have planned normal services out on the x34 (Chippenham - Melksham - Trowbridge) and 273 (Devizes - Melksham - Bath) and 231 (Chippenham - Corsham - Bath).

Which operators did GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) talk to / who gave them this advice?  Is it far cheaper and easier just to abandon any attempt to provide public transport?  Why no ticket acceptance in place?

[TaplowGreen]

Due to severe weather at Westbury all lines are closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham will be cancelled.
Customer Advice

Westbury station has been closed as a safety precaution, and trains are unable to call there.
This will not be fixed until Monday 9th December at the earliest.

We are in the process of requesting road transport for this route. Details will follow once this is in place.

[TaplowGreen]

Looks like this will continue into the week..................

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham

Due to severe weather at Westbury all lines are closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 09/12/24.
Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham will be cancelled.

Customer Advice
Westbury station has been closed as a safety precaution, and trains are unable to call there.
This will not be fixed until Monday 9th December at the earliest.

Limited road transport is operating in place of several services.

[bobm]

There is a similar mention about limited road transport in connection with the Chippenham closure.

For customers arriving at Chippenham, LIMITED road transport is in operation for customers making local journeys towards Bath Spa, Swindon, Melksham, and Westbury.

There is also limited ticket acceptance

Stagecoach route 55: Swindon (Bus Station), Chippenham (Station) are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

[grahame]

There is a similar mention about limited road transport in connection with the Chippenham closure.

For customers arriving at Chippenham, LIMITED road transport is in operation for customers making local journeys towards Bath Spa, Swindon, Melksham, and Westbury.

There is also limited ticket acceptance

Stagecoach route 55: Swindon (Bus Station), Chippenham (Station) are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

Oh dear ... so from Bath you travel through Chippenham to get to Swindon then double back.  Happy days?

Funnily enough the 231 bus runs from Bath to Melksham - but as that's not run by First's big bus company friends, no arrangements or mention in place.

Customers requiring Chippenham are advised to travel to Swindon, where road transport will be available. If travelling from Bristol Temple Meads or Bath Spa, please board a London Paddington bound service and change at Swindon. For customers travelling from London Paddington or Reading, please alight at Swindon for transport. Please also be advised that due to availability, there may be a waiting time of up to 30 minutes at Swindon for road transport.

[grahame]

It appears that both Chippenham and Westbury are re-opened this morning - a big "Thank You" to everyone involved; it was not pleasant weather to be out in.

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey and Southampton Central.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Back to the "old" problems then ... and on the shoulder of the weekend shutdown a few "shortage of train crew"s are more forgivable that on a normal Sunday ... or Saturday ...

[grahame]

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57

13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Usual pair cancelled - staffed off the London to Paignton service and if anything goes wrong - oops ...

Never mind there will be another train along 2 hours later, or (if you are not headed to / from Melksham) you can travel via Bath Spa, for which the online booking engine will charge you more than twice as much.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

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

[bobm]

Presumably missing a guard.  Unit is running empty from Gloucester.

[grahame]

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12

An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12.

[grahame]

07:52 Westbury to Swindon due 08:36

07:52 Westbury to Swindon due 08:36 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Due to engineering works on the Berks and Hants, 16 out of 18 local trains are already cancelled this week due to the line being taken over by semi fast services from further west to London.

[grahame]

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:07

An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:07.