Great Western Coffee Shop

You have to feel for SWR in the south and west at the moment. Try as they might to run a train service there always seems to he something to prevent that. Strikes, landslips, crumbling footbridges, floods...

Today it's GWR throwing a spanner in SWR's works. Late last night (6th December) a GWR unit heading into Fratton depot derailed. In such a spot as to almost totally block access into and out of the depot. 14 SWR units were consequently trapped. Unable to get out for the start of service this morning (7th December). Consequently, cancellations and short forms.

Re-railing of the unit is being attempted as I type. That though isn't the end of the problem. It's GWR's turn today on the ASLEF strike merry-go-round. There's no GWR driver available to move the unit once it's back on track. Fortunately the derailed train is 2x 158 so SWR might be able to source a driver (most likely from Salisbury depot) themselves, although the overtime ban may make that option difficult too. Along with getting the necessary permissions to drive another TOCs train. At least it wasn't a GWR Class 165/166 that derailed. That would've been even more difficult to shift today.