Great Western Coffee Shop

Digressing slightly, I'm curious as to why the 0730 Paddington to Paignton reversed from Bristol to Chippenham (according to RTT).  Appreciate going via Bradford would mean it was in reverse formation, but that wouldn't seem a good enough reason to further delay it.

Broken down train at Yatton. (One of three in the West this morning)

Freshford has seemingly moved to the middle of Irish Sea.

Weymouth bound service delayed 43 mins at freshford. The blue line from Weymouth stretches to the middle of the sea.

I feel for those on board the 1C04 0730 London Paddington to Paignton (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C50216/2016/02/29/advanced) service this morning.

The service was diverted via Bath and Westbury due to a broken down train in the Nailsea area - only to be further delayed by another broken down train between Bath and Westbury. Finally being terminated at Exeter St Davids some 85 minutes late.

Appreciated that, but I would have expected it to run direct from Bath to Westbury, not via Chippenham, which was the question.  Though as richwaswicker has just proved, "When it rains, it pours..." which led to the curious routing.

See also: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=16781.0




Edit note: In the interests of clarity and continuity, several posts relating to the same incidents have been moved and merged into this one topic. CfN.

3x GWR 150s all sat down within an hour of each other. All with brake problems caused by loss of air. Two of the three blocking main lines and severely delaying a number of services. Quite bizarre to have three units of the same class all fail with the same problem at around the same time

One at Yatton. One at Freshford.

The third I overheard being discussed about by XC staff - somewhere in the vicinity of Bristol TM, maybe an ECS, maybe empty stock in the station - not managed to corroborate.

Because both Bristol-Taunton and Bath-Westbury were blocked there was nowhere for westbound CrossCountry services to go. Main route and alternate blocked. That meant the 0944 was nearly an hour late to Taunton and beyond, being turned back at Newton Abbot. With the 1045 around 30 minutes late into Plymouth.

CrossCountry staff I overheard were most critical of GWR maintenance.

..........well I guess it represents improved consistency?  ::)

Freshford has been relocated for next time it's mentioned in dispatches.    Just about every possible station that a GWR train can start or terminate has been added in the location file, but just occasionally somewhere's used for the first time.

I recall a couple of years ago just prior a new Timetable starting, the 06 47 Worcester to Weymouth was showing in systems as terminating at Freshford until the last minute before the commencement date.

 S