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 10/05/25 - BRTA Westbury
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21st Apr (1958)
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Train RunningCancelled
15:28 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
15:42 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
15:49 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
15:58 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
16:07 London Paddington to Bristol Parkway
16:50 Falmouth Docks to Truro
16:50 Plymouth to London Paddington
16:59 Basingstoke to Reading
17:00 Oxford to Reading
17:07 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
17:07 Newbury to Reading
17:10 Reading to Newbury
17:20 Truro to Falmouth Docks
17:27 Bristol Parkway to London Paddington
Additional 17:40 Newbury to Exeter St Davids
17:49 Reading to Gatwick Airport
17:50 Falmouth Docks to Truro
18:27 Bristol Parkway to London Paddington
18:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
18:51 Evesham to Oxford
19:00 London Paddington to Plymouth
19:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
20:20 St Erth to St Ives
20:34 St Ives to St Erth
20:50 St Erth to St Ives
21:05 St Ives to St Erth
21:20 St Erth to St Ives
21:37 St Ives to St Erth
22:30 St Erth to St Ives
22:48 St Ives to Penzance
23:30 Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads
Additional 23:36 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads
Short Run
12:15 Penzance to London Paddington
13:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance
14:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance
14:15 Penzance to London Paddington
14:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
14:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
14:49 Plymouth to Cardiff Central
15:15 Taunton to Cardiff Central
15:15 Plymouth to London Paddington
15:18 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington
15:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
15:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
15:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
16:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton
16:00 London Paddington to Penzance
16:15 Penzance to London Paddington
16:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
16:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
16:30 London Paddington to Plymouth
16:31 Barnstaple to Axminster
16:45 London Paddington to Great Malvern
16:47 Bristol Temple Meads to Warminster
16:50 Penzance to Cardiff Central
17:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton
17:00 London Paddington to Penzance
17:09 Didcot Parkway to Evesham
17:10 Taunton to Cardiff Central
17:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
17:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
17:50 Penzance to London Paddington
18:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance
18:10 Taunton to Cardiff Central
18:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
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Author Topic: 'Rhubarb Parly.' A cancellation but not according to FGW.  (Read 5462 times)
JayMac
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« on: December 30, 2010, 16:56:36 »

The 1338 Westbury to Bristol Parkway is not running at all between Christmas and Tues 4th Jan. No mention of this at all anywhere in published literature, on stations or on FGW (First Great Western)'s website. I found this out the hard way today when I pitched up at Westbury, hoping to catch this service so I could tick off the Rhubarb curve in my Rail Atlas.

Initial reason given to me by staff at Westbury for the non-running of this service was because of the Reading blockade! No, really. That was the reason I was given.  Roll Eyes

A phone call to FGW Customer Services and I got a patient explanation that no such train exists. I really wanted to shout, "try a fupping printed timetable instead of your useless computer", but I bit my tongue as it's not the CS guy's fault the 1338 is mising from all systems. The CS Advisor then called someone on my behalf and I was called back with a full explanation as to why the service was not running. FGW decided that they would pull the service to make better use of rolling stock and staff, during the holiday period. This was a decision taken way in advance, so the 1338 WSB» (Westbury - next trains)-BPW» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) was never booked into various train planning or stock/staff rostering systems. Consequently it doesn't show on Journey Planners or LDBs. Most importantly from FGW's point of view the non-running of the service doesn't count toward cancellation statistics. And that last point is what makes me just a little angry.

Anyone, like me, who relies on paper timetables or timetable posters at stations (I don't have internet or smartphone on the move) is left in the dark. There are not even notes in the timetables against this service saying it will not run on certain dates.

I am disappointed that FGW feel they can get away with removing a service from the schedule altogether for operational convenience. At least have the decency to flag it up as a cancellation, or provide footnote information in printed timetables explaining that it will not run on certain dates. If FGW can provide a footnote saying it does not call at Bristol Temple Meads; then another saying, 'will not run on 27th-31st Dec 2010 and 3rd Jan 2011', is hardly difficult is it?

It's been a while since I had a rant (I think!) on here, and this should be my last one for 2010.  Cheesy
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« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2010, 17:10:09 »

FGW (First Great Western) have done a good job of providing information regarding services that go through Reading over the Christmas/New Year period but not so much information regards other services namely 'West' services. With my knowledge of previous years I know that a Saturday service operates on Bank Holidays but I couldn't tell you what services are running the other three days of this week. I assume a normal Monday-Friday service with a few early morning/afternoon peak trains not running?
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grahame
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« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2010, 17:46:04 »

This service always causes some confusion .... from pocket timetable no. 25:



And the footnotes?


M   Please note that this train does not call at Bristol Temple Meads
br   Change at Bristol Temple Meads
 Grin
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grahame
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« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2013, 16:55:07 »

Quote
14:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 17:44
This train will no longer call at Bristol Temple Meads.
This is due to signalling problems.

The previous timetable problem was solved by taking the train off permanently ... very rare to get a chance to us the loop northbound these days.
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