Cotswold Line - 2018 cancellation and amendments log

[whole diary]

[DavidT]

As a newcomer to this forum, I am quite genuinely shocked by the amount of cancellations. I commuted on Chiltern for many years -- not always perfect, but actual cancellations were very rare. On GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) they seem almost a daily occurrence. I'm puzzled by the 'fault on this train' excuse.  Can GWR's trains be far more 'faulty' than Chiltern's? Or is it the interpretation of what constitutes  a 'fault' -- and who is deciding? Sorry if these questions seem a bit naive!

[grahame]

As a newcomer to this forum, I am quite genuinely shocked by the amount of cancellations. I commuted on Chiltern for many years -- not always perfect, but actual cancellations were very rare. On GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) they seem almost a daily occurrence. I'm puzzled by the 'fault on this train' excuse.  Can GWR's trains be far more 'faulty' than Chiltern's? Or is it the interpretation of what constitutes  a 'fault' -- and who is deciding? Sorry if these questions seem a bit naive!

David - this forum is so much about answering the questions that everyone wonders about - delighted you have asked and many more can read the answers that will follow.  I may well split this thread as it's of far more general interest that just on the Cotswolds.

Let me try an amateur's answer ... but these days I'm an informed amateur.

1. Equipment tends to be at its least reliable when it's very new (teething troubles) or old (wearing out) and GWR are moving from being the oldest fleet to (in parts) one of the newest at present - the worst of both worlds, with HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) in their twighlight being replaced by newborn IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train)

2. GWR has a massive area to cover, and rather than spread grief evenly if things go wrong, they may rob one line to run a service on another.   I was at a conference in June where they talked of four lines - the Heart of Wessex, the Severn Beach, the TransWilts and the North Cotswold, which had suffered a disproportionate amount of problems;   Chiltern being smaller don't have such a flexibility to move misery around

3. With new fleets coming in, depots closing and new ones being opened by different contractors, maintenance staff don't exactly feel secure. So someone invites them to a new and more secure job ... and you're left with a shortage of experience to be looking after the trains at the very time they're getting old

4. Traffic has grown far more that was expected in the last decade, so there are fewer spare trains around; where int he past having 2 or 3 awaiting repair might not have been an issue, now it certainly is.  And franchises are deigned to be as lean on resources as is practical.

5. With modern trains getting more complex, and modern health and safety being very much more fussy, more trains are likely to be declared failures (or not signed off for use) than used to be the case.

6. HSTs in particular were never designed for all the stop-start working they're called on to do these days - they're expresses for occasional stops. Perhaps that place undue wear on them?

Now - let's see which of those the professionals agree with and which they tell me are complete tosh!

[Worcester_Passenger]

And again:

05:47 London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh due 07:36 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:21/11/2018 05:49

08:14 Moreton-in-Marsh to London Paddington due 09:46 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:21/11/2018 05:49

[DavidT]

Looks like they can't even pay the compensation on time!
Thanks for getting in touch
Following an increase in customer contact, we are busier than normal atthe moment. We will respond as soon as we can, but if you are claiming compensation for a delayed journey this might take up to 14 days.

[martyjon]

Looks like they can't even pay the compensation on time!
Thanks for getting in touch
Following an increase in customer contact, we are busier than normal atthe moment. We will respond as soon as we can, but if you are claiming compensation for a delayed journey this might take up to 14 days.

Still waiting for a claim I made following a cancelled London to Bristol service on June 16th.

[DavidT]

19.22 Paddington to MIM delayed by 30 mins 'due to train crew being delayed'.

[Adelante_CCT]

Departed 24 late, having been 35 late arriving on its inbound journey

[didcotdean]

As a newcomer to this forum, I am quite genuinely shocked by the amount of cancellations. I commuted on Chiltern for many years -- not always perfect, but actual cancellations were very rare.

This year on Chiltern hasn't been that great - various track and signalling problems, 'more carriages needing repair', and from August to October daily cancellations through lack of staff. Indeed one evening it got so bad they could barely cover a two-hourly service and were bailed out by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)/XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)).

These don't really get reported often here, but for example this morning looks problematic: one train to Birmingham getting no further than Wembley before sitting down and blocking the whole line; another being turned round short at Dorridge; earlier a key commuter train to Oxford being turned round short at Bicester with the result of people being an hour late for work etc.

[DavidT]

I don't want to get into a comparison about which railway company has the better record. All I can say is that the service this week from Charlbury to Paddington has been abject. On Tuesday the 8.35 was cancelled. And cancelled on Wednesday. The next train is an hour and six minutes later. Every train this week has been late arriving at either Paddington or Charlbury, bar one. Tonight the 5.22 which should have reached Charlbury at 18.35 has been terminated at Oxford at 7pm.  It is a really quite shocking litany of management failure. They are paid to run an efficient service. They really don't. No excuses. 

[charles_uk]

And just what you need for a Friday evening:

17:22 London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh due 18:57 was terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham and Moreton-in-Marsh.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:23/11/2018 18:55

in a week when the following 17:52 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains):WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) isn't running beyond Oxford either.

[charles_uk]

Alterations to services between Moreton-In-Marsh and Oxford
 
Due to a broken down train between Moreton-in-Marsh and Oxford some lines are closed.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 15:00 25/11.

Further Information
Owing to a broken down train at Moreton-in-Marsh it is not possible to operate train services between Oxford and Moreton-in-Marsh. The line beyond Moreton-in-Marsh is closed owing to pre-planned meintenance work. The bus services being operated on the section of route between Worcester and Moreton-in-Marsh will be extended to operate to and from Oxford but the journey time for throughout journeys will be much longer than corresponding train journeys.
Last Updated:25/11/2018 12:00

[Worcester_Passenger]

Later...

10:15 Moreton-in-Marsh to London Paddington due 12:05 was started from Charlbury.
It will no longer call at Moreton-in-Marsh, Kingham, Didcot Parkway, Reading and Slough.
It has been previously delayed, is being further delayed between Hanborough and Oxford and is now expected to be 125 minutes late.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:25/11/2018 12:53

12:14 Moreton-in-Marsh to London Paddington due 14:10 will be started from Oxford.
It will no longer call at Moreton-in-Marsh, Kingham, Charlbury and Hanborough.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:25/11/2018 10:46

13:15 Moreton-in-Marsh to London Paddington due 15:05 will be started from Oxford.
It will no longer call at Moreton-in-Marsh, Kingham, Charlbury and Hanborough.
This is due to a broken down train.
Last Updated:25/11/2018 12:16

[Richard Fairhurst]

RRBs^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus) going down entirely unsuitable roads in Charlbury town centre yet again - we almost got mowed down by a Henshaws coach mounting the narrow pavement outside our house just as I was about to wheel the cargo bike out. Junior and I had already abandoned our plan to go to All Things Wild in Honeybourne because of the disruption.

I wonder where they were dropping passengers in Charlbury - buses going over the fragile river bridge to access the station is a major no-no.

[Witham Bobby]

 

12:00 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 14:27
12:00 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 14:27 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
It will no longer call at Worcester Foregate Street.
It will be delayed at Worcester Shrub Hill and is expected to be 30 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:26/11/2018 11:31

The down service (1W19  0921 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street) was 6 mins late leaving Paddington, 10 late Slough, 57 late Reading and 70 minutes late arriving at Worcester Shrub Hill, where it was terminated.  Real Time Trains suggests a brake fault.

[charles_uk]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) haven't used this fix for a couple of weeks:

15:50 London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh due 17:26 was terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham and Moreton-in-Marsh.
This is due to congestion.
Last Updated:28/11/2018 17:05

and return run similarly affected.