Great Western Coffee Shop

I hadn't notices a through Cardiff to Brighton service before (and I appreciate this one isn't actually RUNNING from Cardiff).  Is this a "weekend special" due to engineering works, or a regular thing?

I've just checked the printed timetable and the service certainly does exist and runs every Sunday (also news to me).  In fact, every Sunday FGW service to Brighton originates from Cardiff Central (usually Great Malvern or Worcester on Mon-Sat).  Another unusual one is the Saturday 17:00 service from Brighton, which terminates at Cheltenham Spa.

I believe it the service you've highlighted forms the 15:47 from Brighton to Bristol Temple Meads.

quite a few short formed diagrams operating on Cardiff-Portsmouth/Weymouth/Brighton lines today. FGW got quite a few poorly units at the moment or are they getting them ready for summer when every unit is more precious than usual when it comes to lengthening trains in Cornwall and on the Weymouth line?

From FGW live updates page http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/LiveUpdateList.aspx

10:08 Cardiff Central to Brighton due 15:06
This train will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.This is due to an earlier train fault.

11:08 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 14:48
This train will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.This is due to an earlier train fault.

12:08 Cardiff Central to Brighton due 17:05
This train will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.This is due to an earlier train fault.

13:08 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 16:53
This train will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.This is due to an earlier train fault.

13:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth due 16:14
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 4.This is due to an earlier train fault.

14:00 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads due 16:23
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 4.This is due to an earlier train fault.

15:08 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 18:45
This train will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.This is due to an earlier train fault.

Now a complete cancellation on the 16:08

16:08 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 19:43
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a train fault.
Last Updated: 25/04/2010 15:56

Edit, now as follows:
16:08 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 19:43
This train will be started from Cosham.It will no longer call at: Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea and Fratton.This is due to a train fault.
Last Updated: 25/04/2010 16:04

Not to mention the 15.10 Bristol T.M. - Weston S.M. calling at Highbridge this afternoon.  I'll leave you to ponder here..........  8) ;)

I believe they are poorly, quite a few 2 car 158's about at the moment and last nights 17.23 BRI Portsmouth was 2 car 158 + a 150, although how much of that was due to the failure around Newport I'm unsure.

Things were not helped when a unit welding itself to the rails apparently around Fratton after it dropped bits of itself on the 3rd rail.

It's been going on for a while now, I get the impression the West fleet is in a bit of a sorry state at the moment. I'm sure the past months reliability figures are looking pretty dreadful.