Four Daily Services for Melksham

[whole diary]

[John R]

.... but only on Good Friday, and they are replacement bus services.

Graham - any idea why the rail replacement service on that day is twice as frequent at the usual train service? 

[swlines]

I would say that there is probably double the service in order to allow people to either arrive or depart at the correct times for trains, which ties in with the times of the services.

Good Friday buses for Melksham
0750 to Didcot Parkway, calling at Chippenham, Swindon and Didcot Parkway
0815 to Westbury, calling at Trowbridge and Westbury
0935 to Swindon, calling at Chippenham and Swindon
1515 to Westbury, calling at Trowbridge and Westbury
1645 to Swindon, calling at Chippenham and Swindon
1915 to Westbury, calling at Trowbridge and Westbury
2030 to Swindon, calling at Chippenham and Swindon
2215 to Westbury, calling at Trowbridge and Westbury

[grahame]

I would say that there is probably double the service in order to allow people to either arrive or depart at the correct times for trains, which ties in with the times of the services.

I wondered about that, but that doesn't really seem to fit in with the times specified.

Monday to Friday service has a Westbury train at 06:43, so I would expect to see a bus at 06:20 or so to make Westbury connections, then one at around 07:20 for people who  would normally leave Swindon on the 06:18 train ...

Saturday service ... First train is 90 minutes after the first bus you list, so again it doesn't tally.  Is it part of a wider picture in some way?

0750 to Didcot Parkway, calling at Chippenham, Swindon and Didcot Parkway

Goodness - that would be useful as a normal train.   Melksham to Oxford by train at present is a nightmare.

[swlines]

Yep - most of the buses going to Swindon/Didcot are through services from Westbury, vice versa for the services to Westbury, they're all from Swindon. I'd say they're to allow faster connections than going via Bath Spa which as I recall will have appalling connections on Friday...

[grahame]

20080325   05:29   Gloucester   08:09   Southampton Central   
"This train will be started from Westbury.It will no longer call at: Gloucester, Stonehouse, Stroud, Kemble, Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable. "

And here we are, Tuesday Morning and back to work ... except we don't actually have a train ...

"Never mind, sir, the 06:43 is cancelled - but there should be another one along at 19:11. Have a good day"

[grahame]

20080325   07:02   Westbury   09:03   Cheltenham Spa

Full report: "This train will be started from Gloucester.It will no longer call at: Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Swindon, Kemble, Stroud and Stonehouse.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable. "

A train from Gloucester to Cheltenham - one stop - is a fat lot of use to anyone wanting to travel from Trowbridge or Melksham to Swindon.  But I'll bet it arrives at the end of its journey on time so doesn't actually get logged as cancelled!

[swlines]

That train won't meet PPM^‡(resolve) as it's been altered.

[Lee]

20080325   07:02   Westbury   09:03   Cheltenham Spa

Full report: "This train will be started from Gloucester.It will no longer call at: Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Swindon, Kemble, Stroud and Stonehouse.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable. "

A train from Gloucester to Cheltenham - one stop - is a fat lot of use to anyone wanting to travel from Trowbridge or Melksham to Swindon.  But I'll bet it arrives at the end of its journey on time so doesn't actually get logged as cancelled!

This is interesting, given that there appear to be problems in the area at present :

07:23 Warminster to Great Malvern due 10:28
This train has been terminated at Gloucester.It will no longer call at: Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link and Great Malvern.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

07:27 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 09:38
This train will be started from Gloucester.It will no longer call at: Cheltenham Spa.This is due to signalling problems.

08:31 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 10:39
This train will be started from Gloucester.It will no longer call at: Cheltenham Spa.This is due to signalling problems.

10:43 Great Malvern to Brighton due 16:14
This train will be started from Gloucester.It will no longer call at: Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Spa.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

[Lee]

More on the Gloucester signalling problems, plus engineering work overruns by Network Rail (links below.)
http://thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=231771&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231754&home=yes&more_nodeId1=231776&contentPK=20229932

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7312162.stm