Loadings, cancellations and other issues

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Can you let me know what the response to your earlier challenge was, as well as their response to the challenge you put in today is please - I need to assess whether this needs to go higher in order to be nipped in the bud.

Looks like this morning may have turned out to have had a very sensible solution. However, it didn't sort out the return train.

As I travelled in to work (along the busway in Cambridge!) this a.m., I was composing something of an "enough is enough" type email - however, with the way it had panned out when I got back online, I THINK the response can be more measured and provide a positive hook not a negative hit.

We DO need reliability for 2015.  Only yesterday, I got a comment that "I don't use the train because I cannot rely on it.  We also need assurance of continuation of services and connections throughout the year with only positive changes.

[Trowres]

Can we find out what information was provided to passengers at Melksham this morning? If the help point just shows "cancelled" for the Swindon train then many people would have wandered off... and was the diverted service that called at MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains) shown on the display?

[grahame]

Can we find out what information was provided to passengers at Melksham this morning? If the help point just shows "cancelled" for the Swindon train then many people would have wandered off... and was the diverted service that called at MKM^» (Melksham (Station code) - next trains) shown on the display?

Cynical answer: It probably said "This help point is out of action" which it's been doing far too much recently.

We have access to the current display via http://iris2.rail.co.uk/tiger/rendercis.asp?file=303426.xml but no history, and I wasn't online and watching while this was going on, so I can't help with what it was programmed to say.

[bobm]

Signalling problems south of Westbury affecting the 07:04 this morning.  That's the one which forms the connection into the 07:58 at Swindon.  There are, of course, other trains to London, but that one doesn't call at Reading and is usually quieter.

[grahame]

Making the local paper too ...

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/headlines/11675338._/?

There has been more morning misery for train travellers with signalling problems and overrunning engineering work causing delays.

A signalling problem near Warminster in Wiltshire led to journeys being delayed by up to 60 minutes between Salisbury and Westbury which was understood to be affecting services through Chippenham.

Yesterday morning a signalling problem near Trowbridge meant trains being unable to run between Bath Spa and Westbury for a time.

[bobm]

Little late on this one.

Both 14:14 Westbury to Swindon and 15:14 Swindon to Westbury cancelled.

The unit booked to work today had problems earlier while forming the 09:48 from Westbury and came to a stand at Dauntsey, causing the diversion of one service from Bristol via Hullavington.

[grahame]

Sad to see the 7.47 from Melksham to Swindon cancelled this evening due to lack of crew. Next train at 7.48 - sounds acceptable until you realise that's 7.48 on Saturday morning - 60 hours and 1 minute later!

[grahame]

20:01 Cheltenham Spa to Westbury due 21:59
This train will be terminated at Gloucester.
This train will no longer call at Stonehouse, Stroud, Kemble, Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury.
This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

[grahame]

18:18 Westbury to Swindon due 19:02
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to a train fault.

19:55 Swindon to Westbury due 20:39
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to a train fault.

Understand that the cab heater at one end has failed.

[bobm]

09:48 from Westbury and 10:47 return both cancelled due to a bridge strike between Westbury and Trowbridge.

[bobm]

Although not showing on Journeycheck - the station screens at Swindon show the 14:15 ex Westbury and 15:14 ex Swindon are cancelled due to a points failure to the west of Swindon station.

[grahame]

18:52 from Swindon, 8.1.2015  Just 22 on into Melksham, 3 off 1 on = 23/4

"Been quiet all week" says regular / "People not all back yet".  Hope that's it, rather than people trying to use it and finding it not running last week!  (17:36 back to 17:22, 18:52 not running, meaning that people turning up at Swindon station at 17:30 had until 20:12 for the next train.  Not clever IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion)).

[bobm]

Not a good morning.. the 09:48 from Westbury failed just outside Swindon Station.

Now the 10:47 and 12:47 Swindon to Westbury and the 11:47 Westbury to Swindon have all been cancelled.

Edited to update:  According to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) the 09:48 arrived in Swindon 73 minutes late and the 10:47 did eventually run - leaving at 12:01 (74 minutes late).

[grahame]

14:14 Westbury to Swindon due 15:03
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to a vehicle striking a bridge.
Last Updated :29/01/2015 14:17

[TeaStew]

From the public part of the forum

07:33 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
Additional Information:
Customers at Westbury and Trowbridge should travel via Bath Spa.
A taxi has been arranged to convey customers at Melksham to Chippenham for further train services to Swindon.

Oops.   I hope that the information board at Melksham reflects this, and that it's more than one taxi.  We've moved on from 2013, and multiple (3 or 4?) taxis would be needed - also something's needed for the inward commute to Melksham from Westbury and Trowbridge.

Sounds like "via Melksham" fares will be honoured via Bath Spa (otherwise 8.20 fare has gone up to 14.10).  Scheduled arrival time into Swindon now 08:40 rather than 08:19 (o a train 5 minutes later from Trowbridge)

08:49 Swindon to Westbury due 09:42 This train will be cancelled.
This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
Additional Information:
Customers at Swindon and Chippenham travelling to Trowbridge and Westbury should travel via Bath Spa. Customers at Swindon travelling to Melksham should travel to Chippenham from where road transport will be provided to Melksham. Customers at Melksham will be provided with a taxi to convey them to Trowbridge or Westbury.

After a break from rail travel I started again this morning. I had meant to mention this cancellation and the following returning 0915 on here but it has been a busy morning. I heard "on the ground" that these cancellations were due to one driver being scheduled to drive two trains at the same time - TransWilts and also one "to Bristol" [maybe 0738 WSB^» (Westbury - next trains) - GMV].

No mention on the info screen about taxis when I was there for the 0720 but screen was working perfectly..!