2018 cancellation and amendment log

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I hope you don't have to get used to hearing that excuse as frequently as those of us on LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley)!

This is what we're hearing today ...

18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train earlier today.

20:06 Swindon to Westbury due 20:49
20:06 Swindon to Westbury due 20:49 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train earlier today.

So that's full service Monday,  88% of trains ran Tuesday (some short formed), 88% running today. 
Tuesday - next train wait (maximum) 135 minutes - though taxis / circulate via Bath promised
Wednesday - next train wait overnight as it's the last train of the day. Alternative not yet advised.

Both days - repairs / broken down issues.  OK for crew, though contact tell me if you want a job as train crew, Westbury based, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are advertising externally. 

[grahame]

15:18 Swindon to Westbury due 16:01
15:18 Swindon to Westbury due 16:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Additional Information
Customers travelling from Melksham station are requested to make use of the Customer Help Point systems available, or contact National Rail Enquiries on 03457 484 950 detailing the total number of passengers travelling, and their intended destinations.

Lovely ... that's one of the trains that's getting really busy!

[grahame]

15:18 Swindon to Westbury due 16:01
15:18 Swindon to Westbury due 16:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Additional Information
Customers travelling from Melksham station are requested to make use of the Customer Help Point systems available, or contact National Rail Enquiries on 03457 484 950 detailing the total number of passengers travelling, and their intended destinations.

Lovely ... that's one of the trains that's getting really busy!

Looking back ...

2M12 1404 Frome to Westbury
Great Western Railway service
This service was cancelled between Westbury and Swindon due to a problem with the traction equipment (MD).

[grahame]

17:41 Cheltenham Spa to Westbury due 19:30
17:41 Cheltenham Spa to Westbury due 19:30 will be diverted between Chippenham and Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Melksham.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 7 minutes late.
This is due to a points failure.

18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be diverted between Trowbridge and Chippenham.
It will no longer call at Melksham.
It is being delayed between Trowbridge and Chippenham and is now expected to be 7 minutes late.
This is due to a points failure.

So that's 4 down out of 18 so far today ... 22% cancellation at Melksham.   Seems to be train and now track failures this week ... let's see if the last pair of trains run.

[brooklea]

1932 Westbury to Cheltenham has also had to divert via Bathampton Junction due to the points fault at Bradford Junction.

[grahame]

1932 Westbury to Cheltenham has also had to divert via Bathampton Junction due to the points fault at Bradford Junction.

Let's see if the 20:06 can get through

[brooklea]

Let's see if the 20:06 can get through

Looks as if it has 

[grahame]

The end of the first five days of the Turbos ... and a bit of a shaky start.  Teething troubles, I hope, and I have feedback (which is much appreciated) on various issues that have arisen.

18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be terminated at Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a fault on this trai

18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be terminated at Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:09/02/2018 18:51

Turbos again tomorrow too (Saturday) ... not sure about Sunday with all the engineering.

[TaplowGreen]

The end of the first five days of the Turbos ... and a bit of a shaky start.  Teething troubles, I hope, and I have feedback (which is much appreciated) on various issues that have arisen.

18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be terminated at Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a fault on this trai

18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
18:32 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be terminated at Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:09/02/2018 18:51

Turbos again tomorrow too (Saturday) ... not sure about Sunday with all the engineering.

.......so that's the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) , the Electrostars, and the Turbos all suffering from "teething troubles"........must be those brand new HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) turn next! 😂

[grahame]

.......so that's the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) , the Electrostars, and the Turbos all suffering from "teething troubles"........must be those brand new HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) turn next! 😂

Issues that have arisen are High Viz and everyone's working to ensure that the problems do not endure!   Also been hit by infrastructure failures at Westbury and at Bradford Junction this week ...

[bobm]

Only three of the three car turbos which have been cascaded to the west have selective door opening and the plan has been to keep them on services south of Westbury due to the number of short platforms.

A special case has been made for Melksham and Stonehouse to be served by using the "one door" only method in the short term while more units are converted. 

This has led to some problems in keeping the correct units on the correct diagrams and has reduced flexibility.  It has also been a learning curve for crew.  When a train is in trouble most drivers will want to "muck in" and get it moving again by getting their hands dirty and while classroom settings can help with some situations it takes time to build up experience.   A case in point happened earlier this week when a driver successfully got a unit moving again but it took some lengthy phone calls while he was talked through the process.

The good news is the necessary parts to convert more of the units to selective door opening are due any day and once fitted will give a greater pool from which to run the services both north and south of Westbury.

Of course it hasn't been perfect this week.  With one unit on the TransWilts running a two hourly service it isn't like the Severn Beach line where there are two.  If one of those fails it is usually possible to run an hourly service over at least part of the line with the other set already on the line.  A failure on the TW almost always involves finding another set. 

Where services have run the timekeeping has been good thanks to the better performance of the units which hasn't been the experience on the line through Clifton Down with its shorter running time between stations.

[grahame]

Some unusual goings on this morning ... 07:33 from Westbury curtailed at Trowbridge due to train fault (and 08:49 Swindon to Westbury came up cancelled) but then 2Z04 turned up as a new service from Melksham at 07:49 to Swindon.  Good on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to have a replacement in place ... I suspect it's the train that's still on the line which is a 150/1 that could do with a good clean.   I missed the fun in person having been on the 06:36 for the third time in 8 days.   I'll turn into a regular user at this rate!

[bobm]

11:47 Westbury to Swindon due 12:34

11:47 Westbury to Swindon due 12:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

12:47 Swindon to Frome due 13:41

12:47 Swindon to Frome due 13:41 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[grahame]

11:47 Westbury to Swindon due 12:34

11:47 Westbury to Swindon due 12:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

12:47 Swindon to Frome due 13:41

12:47 Swindon to Frome due 13:41 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Any cancellation is regrettable.  This one is the best one to loose as it's at a quiet time of day, and the next one isn't all that much later ... an extra service shortens our normally-two-hour gap to have the train in the right place at both peak ends of the day.

[grahame]

05:17 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09
05:17 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey and Southampton Central.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

07:04 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:05
07:04 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:05 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to a shortage of train drivers.

So today ...

First northbound - 08:19 into Swindon

First southbound - 09:42 into Westbury