Avoiding a cancellation report - using part of the path for a stock move.

[whole diary]

[grahame]

05:15 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 07:47
05:15 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 07:47 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Pewsey, Bedwyn, Hungerford, Kintbury, Newbury, Thatcham, Theale, Reading and London Paddington.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 8. First class not available.

Strikes me as a convenient way to stock move a set from St Phillip's Marsh to Westbury (where the TransWilts train was unavailable at peak times again yesterday) without declaring a full cancellation.    First arrival in London from Pewsey now 08:07 rather than 07:47.  Not really a disaster due to the clumping of stoppers on the Berks and Hants, and this being the first of a pair.

[eightf48544]

What do they say about statistics?

Just another example of a poorly specified performance measure which works to the  advantage of the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) and against the passengers affected by the cancellation.