Loadings, cancellations and other issues

[whole diary]

[bobm]

09:48 Westbury to Swindon and 10:47 Swindon to Westbury now also cancelled.

[grahame]

Cancellations to services at Melksham
Due to a fault with the signalling system at Melksham all lines are blocked.
Impact
Train services running through this station may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 11:30 11/03.
Customer Advice
Replacement buses have been requested to run Trowbridge - Melksham - Chippenham.

Customers who are not travelling to or from Melksham itself should travel via Bath Spa on rail services.
Further Information
An update will follow within the next 1 hour.
Last Updated:11/03/2016 09:17

Seem to have a lot of trouble with our infrastructure - perhaps we're the "New Thames Valley"!!

[bobm]

Next round trip cancelled now. First southbound train of the day could be the 15:12!

[bobm]

This week, due to the Bath-Bristol closure, there is a handily timed 07:18 service from Swindon to Westbury which then continues to Portsmouth Harbour.  Only this morning it is cancelled between Swindon and Westbury due to train crew shortages. 

[bobm]

07:18 cancelled again this morning. This time because the incoming train from Salisbury was terminated at Westbury. It had been delayed by an early running freight train and then a points problem at Eastleigh en route from the depot.

[bobm]

Not the best start to the new timetable.

Over-running engineering work means the 08:30 Westbury to Swindon and 09:26 return are both cancelled.

[grahame]

Not the best start to the new timetable.

Over-running engineering work means the 08:30 Westbury to Swindon and 09:26 return are both cancelled.

Thank goodness we did NOT do a big Weymouth launch (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) had asked us to / postponed marketing to next weekend as also busitution today on Heart of Wessex)

[bobm]

Not been a good day on the TransWilts due to a broken down train at Chippenham and then the TW unit itself developing a fault.

09:48 Westbury to Swindon arrived 52 late
10:47 Swindon to Westbury left 47 late
11:47 Westbury to Swindon cancelled
12:20 Westbury to Swindon ran as booked
12:47 Swindon to Frome started at Westbury
13:19 Swindon to Westbury ran as booked
14:04 Frome to Swindon ran but arrived 6 late
15:12 Swindon to Westbury cancelled due to fault on the train.  (not sure what has happened to the 153 - it has disappeared from the opentimetrains map.

At least the extra lunchtime train filled what would otherwise have been a large gap.

[bobm]

Another frustrating Sunday morning on the TransWilts....

08:30 Westbury to Swindon
09:29 Swindon to Westbury

Both cancelled due to a train fault.

[grahame]

Another frustrating Sunday morning on the TransWilts....

08:30 Westbury to Swindon
09:29 Swindon to Westbury

Both cancelled due to a train fault.

I sometimes wonder why bother.  It feels like we're back to "always the first cancellations".   For crying out loud - that's a 2 car unit that couples to the Weymouth at Westbury on the way back.  Get the 153 out 1 cycle early ... rather that disappoint all the traffic we've encouraged from Swindon, Chippenham and Melksham to the seaside!

[grahame]

I guess today's a typical midweek autumn day ... and I happened to be at the station early, when the 06:38 to Southampton (06:12 off Swindon) called.

Ten passengers joined, one left the train, and it left with somewhere around 25 passengers on board.  From observation, each of the joining passengers was travelling on his / her own rather than in groups; I spoke with two (unscientific sample - people who I know / knew) and both were headed all the way to Southampton - one to the city, and the other to the airport.

For anyone reading this post and looking for a context, this train - the 05:19 ex Gloucester, 06:12 from Swindon is one of the original two that was running prior to December 2013, and up to that time typically left Swindon with one passenger, picking up perhaps another 1 or 2 at Chippenham and maybe one at Melksham.   It's now a part of the day to day livelihood of dozens of people, and I'm pretty sure that the increased numbers are because there are now new opportunities for passengers starting their day at 06:38 in a southbound direction to get back home prior to 19:48 which used to be the only return time.

[bobm]

I have noticed the growth on that train over the three years from the surveys I have done and the occasional real journeys I have made to get to Salisbury.

It is deceptive - it doesn't look a busy train because it is almost always a two coach 150.

[grahame]

I guess today's a typical midweek autumn day ... and I happened to be at the station early, when the 06:38 to Southampton (06:12 off Swindon) called.

Ten passengers joined, one left the train, and it left with somewhere around 25 passengers on board. ...

Even busier this morning - 12 on and 4 off the 06:38 and it didn't look like vast open spaces - even though it was a 150/1 with 3 + 2 seating.    I didn't go through and count as I was - err - making arranements to double back and pick up my laptop which I had accidentally left at home.   So I can also tell that a lot more got on at 06:48 at Trowbridge, and that the 07:10 from there also had a lot of people on it - with about 7 off at Melksham and uncounted numbers on;  that was a 158 2 car and thank goodness - had it been a 1 car it would have been crushed.   Speaking with a regular gent who's used the service for 11 years, he was talking about how hugely different it is now, and how it's been changing - getting busier - on a continual basis since the service improved.  Apparently the 15:12 off Swindon is now getting so full as to be uncomfortable.

Again - 'the last train is too early'.  And again - ' we can afford to live in Melksham and the train's what makes it possible for us to do so'.

[grahame]

The 07:10 just arrived at Trowbridge.



Well - I couldn't count that lot.   It does show the vital importance to the TransWilts of traffic through from Trowbridge to Chippenham and Swindon.

[bobm]

I didn't go through and count as I was - err - making arranements to double back and pick up my laptop which I had accidentally left at home.   

That in itself is a sign of progress - three years ago back doubling back by train would have taken a very long time.  But then I guess three years ago you wouldn't have forgotten your laptop either.