2019 - TransWilts cancellation and amendments log

[whole diary]

[phile]

Today the 17:36 was a class 158.

There was a 3 car 158 on Tuesday on the 10:02 from Melksham ... and another 3 car 158 in the bay when we got to Swindon on the Cheltenham Spa layovers.   To run 5 cars on Cardiff / Portsmouth, you can't mix 15x and 16x - so I suspect that as 2 car 165s have become available to bolster those services, the 3 car 166s have had to join them and the 158s displaced onto TransWilts, Stroud Valley, etc

I think the 3 Car 158s are only working on the route while the Whiteball Tunnel block is on as the displaced ones are working to and from the West of England, the block preventing their access West..

[grahame]

07:04 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:05
Facilities on the 07:04 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:05.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.

Not a problem until about Kemble ... will get a bit tight as far as Gloucester.

[grahame]

Just two cancellations reported in the entire GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area ...

18:45 Westbury to Swindon due 19:27
18:45 Westbury to Swindon due 19:27 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:53 Swindon to Westbury due 20:34
19:53 Swindon to Westbury due 20:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:10/03/2019 14:02

[phile]

Just two cancellations reported in the entire GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area ...

18:45 Westbury to Swindon due 19:27
18:45 Westbury to Swindon due 19:27 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:53 Swindon to Westbury due 20:34
19:53 Swindon to Westbury due 20:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:10/03/2019 14:02

Journey Check now saying that passengers from Swindon can travel to Chippenham for taxis but no advice for anybody travelling from the Trowbridge direction or for joining at Melksham

There were some other cancellations this morning including Exeter to Penzance and return but later re-instated

[grahame]

Journey Check now saying that passengers from Swindon can travel to Chippenham for taxis but no advice for anybody travelling from the Trowbridge direction or for joining at Melksham

Better than nowt!

Advise for the 18:45 Westbury to Swindon will be "wait of next train".   This is one of those times when the TransWilts is like London buses - nothing for ages then two close together ... wait is 45 minutes which is not good, but would you believe shorter than the time it can take to get a rail replacement taxi at Trowbridge.

Catching the 20:17 off Melksham to Trowbridge?  Joined up thinking would be to advise people to wait for the incoming taxi(s) from Chippenham to take them on, as that's a call which drops off more than it picks up.  Joined up doesn't always seem to happen though!

[phile]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter - Family at Melksham trying to get to Trowbrige and Help Point at Melksham not connecting and when it did eventually, were told nothing could be done.    GWR advise catch train ex Westbury to Chippenham, thence train to Bath and change again for Trowbridge.    Depart Melksham 1957, arrive Trowbridge 2130.   
GWR Control not authorising taxi following passenger request, saying this journey by train would be the safest bet by the time a taxi could get there.

[grahame]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter - Family at Melksham trying to get to Trowbrige and Help Point at Melksham not connecting and when it did eventually, were told nothing could be done.    GWR advise catch train ex Westbury to Chippenham, thence train to Bath and change again for Trowbridge.

Jeeze!

[grahame]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter - Family at Melksham trying to get to Trowbrige and Help Point at Melksham not connecting and when it did eventually, were told nothing could be done.    GWR advise catch train ex Westbury to Chippenham, thence train to Bath and change again for Trowbridge.    Depart Melksham 1957, arrive Trowbridge 2130.
   
GWR Control not authorising taxi following passenger request, saying this journey by train would be the safest bet by the time a taxi could get there.

Well - I could get them a taxi in 10 minutes. Problem is that local taxi firms do not want GWR accounts because they have to wait for payment.

To be fair, knowing how long it takes to get a GW^▸ (Great Western) authorised taxi here, they probably would get their sooner via Chippenham and Bath Spa.

Best solution still the one I mentioned earlier to have an ex-Chippenham (passengers for Melksham) taxi instructed to pick up people for Trowbridge at Melksham.   Probably not in the call centre script!

[bobm]

11:47 Westbury to Swindon not calling at Melksham because of a points problem.

[grahame]

11:47 Westbury to Swindon not calling at Melksham because of a points problem.

Neither is the next one ...

12:20 Westbury to Swindon due 13:02
12:20 Westbury to Swindon due 13:02 will no longer call at Melksham.
This is due to a points failure.

Some things don't change (and I'm guessing that includes certain points!)

So Melksham to Swindon gap from 10:02 to 14:40 (and that's making an assumption)

[bobm]

No reverse on the points at Bradford Junction.   

I’m heading to Westbury.  Hopefully at least one of the return workings will operate - even if it does miss Melksham.

[bobm]

Passengers FOR Melksham from Westbury or Trowbridge were able to travel on the diverted 12:20 and then double back from Chippenham on the 12:49 ex Swindon.

[bobm]

Problems tonight after a freight train failed at Thingley East. 

The 17:41 from Cheltenham (18:48 from Swindon) was trapped behind it at Chippenham and was sent back to Wootton Bassett junction to cross over to the up line to get past it and gain the single line. Currently running an hour late.

Meanwhile the 19:32 from Westbury is going via Bathampton, so missing Melksham.

[bobm]

20:08 from Swindon also went via Bathampton missing Melksham.

Rescue loco on the way to move the striken freight train.

[grahame]

20:08 from Swindon also went via Bathampton missing Melksham.

Rescue loco on the way to move the striken freight train.

So that's 4 lost out of 18 today - 22% cancellations at Melksham, with another one an hour late.  Considerable  sympathy for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) as two were probably attributable to Network Rail and the other two or three to a freight operator, but really the rail industry as a whole doesn't come up smelling of roses.