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15:33 Reading - Plymouth Service today (Saturday 09/01/10)

Ran via Swindon > Melksham > Trowbridge

Something a bit different I suppose ;D

Not that different for it to run via that route. It's the ability to route trains that way during times of engineering works &c around Westbury that have kept the line open (well, that and the freight). Would have been remarkably noteworthy had it actually stopped at Melksham though....

I was expecting the 12.54 Plymouth - Reading to go that way (as I had been told that engineering works were  stopping trains (Westbury - Bedwyn)  but it continued up the Kennet Valley line.

Agreed!  :o ::) ;D

According to my friend at Truro, there were engineering works planned around Bedwyn so london-southwest and vice versa trains were meant to go swindon/westbury. However due to bad road conditions  the works were cancelled and although the mainline services weren't altered, a local shuttle service was instigated from Reading - Bedwyn. Then there was a bridge bash at/near Melksham about lunchtime,so some HST services were then rerouted via the B&H

That explains it. Couldn't work out why my train was routed via Kennet Valley when I had been told it wouldn't be and there were no trains via Newbury today.

Actually I was quite looking forward to travelling via Melksham in daylight as previous diversions via that route have been in the dark.