Great Western Coffee Shop

Last night's weather caused all sorts of chaos .... and of course that resulted in no trains at all providing a Chippenham to Trowbridge service, even though the line was in full operational order.

At one point, information was passed out that the 18:06 Paddington to Frome would run via Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge calling at all of those ... but that didn't happen and passengers here abouts ended up - again - with alternative road transport.

See
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1456.0

Having read on the internet at 18:25 that I could get the London-Frome train from Swindon I set out for the station. Just 10 minutes later on arrival there, I discovered this was no longer the case and in addition that the 18:45 to Southampton Central via Melksham was also cancelled with no alternative supplied, you can imagine my dismay.
I eventually got home 3 hours later due to further delays brought on by flooding at Wootton Bassett.   :(

Yeah ... I know the weather conditions were bleak, but they managed to change what could have been some excellent publicity for the line into an awful homeward journey ... I was just glad not to be out in the chaos this time.

I've posted the timings they published (and comments as to what a sensible service it would be at normal times too) here.

http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5293.0 (http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5293.0)

I've not posted on savethetrain, but the two Westbury to London trains are not really for Westbury but for stations along the Berks & Hants routes as both stop at quite a few stations.

Oh, agreed ... I think (I would have to look back) that I did make comment on s-t-t that care would need to be taken about that.   Perhaps I should suggest that the "Odd" 06:40 Bristol to Paddington picks up at B-o-A, Trowbridge (reverse) and Melksham, or runs out empty to Trowbridge and starts from there  ;)  really a  question of playing around with these services at their outer ends?

Not convinced that trains can reverse at Trowbridge due to Westbury being so close but I shall check - suspect it's a limit of shunt which means trains can only pass with permission from control and signaller, etc.

More of a possibility would be perhaps a 0620 Castle Cary to London Paddington via Melksham?

0620 Castle Cary
0637 Westbury
0643 Trowbridge
0652 Melksham
0705 Chippenham
0721 Swindon
0821 London Paddington

Note it takes the timing of the 0640 BRI - PAD at Chippenham ;)

Would this not be one of the stupidly busy ones that serves newbury as a farely vital cmmuter train?

Didn't know the 0640 Bristol to London went via Newbury??  ??? ??? ???

I just read the castle cary part of it :P

so no it doesnt

Might as well give Frome/Bruton a Paddington train...

Yes but the further back the departure is from Castle Cary the earlier the ECS has to run messing up with rosters, etc.  ;D

(Quote)       Not convinced that trains can reverse at Trowbridge due to Westbury being so close but I shall check - suspect it's a limit of shunt which means trains can only pass with permission from control and signaller, etc

Trains can go from Westbuury to Trowbridge, cross over to Melksham Branch line, get in clear of the signal and tootle along back to Westbury et al...... 

This manouever is permitted and regular

I understood grahame's suggestion to be actually reversing in the platform...

Correct, swlines ... and I understand that it has been done with Box tunnel closed in the past; not sure how much of a regular manoever it could be, or the effect / hit on traffic.

There's various discussions going on around here, and a commuter-timed service into and out of London that covers stations with no such service using the outer leg of the current 06:30 and 06:40 would seem to be a logical improvement for the people who live in those places, and also a revenue winner for FGW - pulling in longer distance travellers.   Stations in the area that do NOT have a through Paddington service (roughly in order of population) are

Trowbridge
Melksham
Warminster
Bradford-on-Avon
Bruton
Dilton Marsh
Freshford
Avoncliff

and I am NOT suggesting there's any way every one of those could (or should) be covered.

Get SWT to call their early morning London service at Dilton Marsh and their 2120 London to Bristol at Dilton Marsh too and you've got a direct London service. Cheap, too.