Noticed on Journey Check that 17 07 Weston-super-Mare to Weymouth terminates Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) due member of traincrew not available.   Passengers advised to catch the next service.   Is this advice acceptable when the next service is some 3 hours later and arrives Weymouth after 2300 at night ?

I would hope that any passengers for Dorchester, Upwey or Weymouth holding 'Via Yeovil' tickets would have them endorsed to allow travel via Southampton. Those for Pen Mill being allowed to travel via Salisbury to Yeovil Junction (or provided with a taxi) and the rest, to the likes of Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Bruton, Maiden Newton and the shacks given a taxi. The passengers I would really be concerned for are those waiting for the train at those unmanned stations. I hope the help point responses are up to scratch and alternative transport is provided with the minimum of fuss.


A not unusual state of affairs on Christmas with the early shutdown. Although on routes where there is already a sparse service it can mean the last train is relatively early in the day. In this case it's 1749. Your son would have been hanging around until 2049 though even if there wasn't the early shutdown. Was there a reason why (other than price) you/he didn't opt for the 1822, change at Southampton for Dorchester South?

The entire 1707 service was cancelled in the end.

I'm told that passengers were informed to take the next service (presumably to Westbury) with replacement road transport being sourced to run between Westbury and Weymouth.

No such "luck" today ...

Sorry if some of my comments came across as harsh - I was questioning and not criticizing.

Last night, 20:00 arrival into WEY did not run beyond Westbury, buses provided to avoid a 3 hour delay

Today,
14:08 arrival did not run beyond Westbury, no buses provided, next train 2 hours later
19:14 arrival into WEY not running beyond Bristol, next train 1 hour later. No statement on alternative
Final train terminating at Yeovil (apparently standard for Christmas Eve)

Where there's a line with an infrequent service, as on the Heart of Wessex on Sundays, a single cancellation can severley inconvenience passengers - good to see the bus provided last night (there is an irony here - probably the same number of staff involved - just different training!) . A two hour gap, no alternative, and on what would have been the "going home" train for people working the morning only today is unfortunate to say the least - 80 passengers, 2 hours each, 160 hours worth and that is a complete week of people's time.

It's my personal view that infrequent services where there is no alternative should be among the last to be cancelled. Better to thin out services on more frequent sections.  Better to add in extra calls to provide services, just slowing down others.