Cotswold Line services autumn 2017

[whole diary]

[charles_uk]

I think I might have chosen a good day to take off work...

Cancellations to services between Oxford and Moreton-In-Marsh

Due to a safety inspection of the track between Oxford and Moreton-in-Marsh all lines are blocked.

Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 16:00 30/11.
Further Information

An update will follow within the next 1 hour.

Last Updated:30/11/2017 13:30

[Worcester_Passenger]

Entirely predictable - Madame is coming back from London today.

RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is reporting

    1P51 12:09 HFD^» (Hereford - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) just left Charlbury, 43 late.
    1W25 12:22 PAD-WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) cancelled between Oxford and Worcester.
    1P61 15:21 WOS-PAD cancelled likewise.
    1W27 13:22 PAD-WOF just left Oxford, 34 late - which sounds like good news.

[charles_uk]

Cancellations to services between Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street all lines are blocked.

Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes. Disruption is expected until 12:00 01/12.

Last Updated:01/12/2017 10:58

A couple of London bound services currently being delayed: the 09:58 Great Malvern to Paddington appears to be stationary in the Worcester area about an hour late at present, and the 10:59 GMV-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) has yet to start.

[Worcester_Passenger]

The 08:21 Padd'n - Hereford is being terminated at Shrub Hill, and the return working, the 12:09 Hereford - Padd'n will be started from Shrub Hill.

I'd've thought that sending it back to Padd'n, pretending to be the now-delayed 10:59 from Great Malvern, would've been a good idea.

[IndustryInsider]

Signalling problems at Foregate Street.

[Worcester_Passenger]

... which have now been sorted out.

09:58 Great Malvern - Paddington, which had been trapped in Foregate Street, left Shrub Hill at 12:17 some 122 minutes late. According to JourneyCheck it will run non-stop to Oxford. Arrived Oxford at 13:00, having taken 43 minutes for the 57 miles = 80 mile/h.

10:59 Great Malvern - Paddington has been started from Foregate Street (?) and left Shrub Hill at 12:33, some 71 late.

12:06 Foregate St - Paddington was started from Shrub Hill at 12:19, 9 minutes late.

It has to be said that we don't often suffer from signalling problems - which may be something to do with the old-fashioned systems that are in use.  I suspect that this one may have involved that new-fangled electricity.

[Richard Fairhurst]

09:58 Great Malvern - Paddington, which had been trapped in Foregate Street, left Shrub Hill at 12:17 some 122 minutes late. According to JourneyCheck it will run non-stop to Oxford.

Impressive - Oxford in 43 minutes. Pretty much 80mph station to station. Btline will be gutted to have missed it.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C29337/2017/12/01/advanced

[charles_uk]

and yet again:

15:49 London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh due 17:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Third time in six days GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have failed to run this service (and the return) on the Cotswold Line.

[charles_uk]

I suppose we should be grateful for some degree of advance notice:

15:22 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 17:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

18:35 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 20:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

[IndustryInsider]

Let's hope the following one to Moreton runs tonight!

[charles_uk]

And this afternoon's treat  :

15:22 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 17:58 will be terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Honeybourne, Evesham, Pershore, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link and Great Malvern.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

[Worcester_Passenger]

... followed by

17:49 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 20:05
Facilities on the 17:49 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 20:05.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 8. First class not available. Catering is not available. There are no reservations on this service.
Additional Information
Owing to a change in the type of train forming this service we are unable to honour seat reservations that customers may have made for this journey.
Further Information
Customers for Maidenhead may wish to travel on the 17.42 London Paddington to Maidenhead which is formed of an 8 coach Electric train for a more comfortable journey.

and the return:

20:59 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:37
20:59 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:37 will be terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Reading, Slough and London Paddington.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 8. First class not available. Catering is not available. There are no reservations on this service.

Would it not be more sensible to not stop at Maidenhead this evening?

[TaplowGreen]

... followed by

17:49 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 20:05
Facilities on the 17:49 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 20:05.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 8. First class not available. Catering is not available. There are no reservations on this service.
Additional Information
Owing to a change in the type of train forming this service we are unable to honour seat reservations that customers may have made for this journey.
Further Information
Customers for Maidenhead may wish to travel on the 17.42 London Paddington to Maidenhead which is formed of an 8 coach Electric train for a more comfortable journey.

and the return:

20:59 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:37
20:59 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:37 will be terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Reading, Slough and London Paddington.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 8. First class not available. Catering is not available. There are no reservations on this service.

Would it not be more sensible to not stop at Maidenhead this evening?

This whole "more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time" excuse is ridiculous, it now seems to be Business as Usual, they've been trotting it out for months on end now.

I really feel for people on the Cotswold Line, LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) is dire enough but these long distance cancellations/short forms/delays now seem to be a daily occurrence affecting far less frequently served destinations.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmmm. 

In the relatively recent past, the Conservative MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for Witney (who travelled by train) would probably have had something to say to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) on the subject.

And the Conservative MP for Maidenhead would most certainly have had a lot to say on the subject - for example, see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15199.0

However, these days, she doesn't generally travel by train, but instead is driven from her home to the office in London - the wrong way around roundabouts. 

Make of that what you will.  It's all in the public domain. 

[martvw]

I get the impression that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) do not really want to be operating the Oxford to Worcester/Hereford line looking at the recent service or lack of service, (is it to far north of the patch for them)? Perhaps the franchise should be offered to chiltern trains as they now operate to and from Oxford, also they have a depot just north of Worcester at Kidderminster!!