2020 - TransWilts cancellation and amendment log

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Didn't think 150s were supposed to be around these parts any longer?

Oh they are still around. ...

Yep, the 09:09 Melksham to Westbury was a 3 car 166 this morning ... rather than for the 09:47 back, it carried on to Weymouth and 150001 which arrived on the Bristol to Weymouth service took over the diagram.  75 mph unit on what's now supposedly a service run with 90 mph stock, but the new stock does seem to have time in hand. Welcome back the "old girl" 150 prototype to the TransWilts.

[grahame]

07:36 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19
Facilities on the 07:36 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

3 carriages all day ... classic case of "oh sh**" when I saw the map at the top of these pages ... moving to "oh - no problem" when I read the reports.

There was a 3 car on Friday on the 14:17 from Westbury.   And a very worried passenger looking for the Swindon train convinced that this unit was headed for Reading because of what it said on the side:



The chap concerned expected to see a display by the door telling him where the train was going.   And naming trains after places risks confusion!

[grahame]

January 2020 summary - from a MELKSHAM PASSENGER perspective, as analysed off industry feeds:

307 train services on time
55 bus services - no record of timing. All planned ahead for engineering
96 trains just a bit late (< 5 minutes)
37 trains signifanly late
10 trains cancelled
1 service arrived 20 minutes early and left on time
1 service not scheduled at all

Total of 507 services.
10 to 12 cancelled (1.97% to 2.37% cancellation rate)
(for 12, I have counted a train 20 minutes early as cancelled)
(for 12, I have counted a failure to schedue a service as cancelled)
ppm of 90.3% assuming buses were on time

cancellation reasons:
6 - fault or broken down train
2 - person ht by train
1 - urgent repair to bridge
1 - flooding on the line
1 - reason not logged
1 - probably a scheduling error

None of the significant delayes were huge. Some reasons, longest delay quoted
a late running freight train (8 minutes)
a passenger being taken ill on a train (10 minutes)
congestion (10 minutes)
a fault with the signalling system (10 minutes)
a fault with barriers at a level crossing (8 minutes)
heavy rain flooding the railway (21 minutes)
damage to the overhead electric wires (13 minutes)
a broken down train (15 minutes)


An excellent month - 9 out of 10 service near as damn it on time, passenger let down (no service) just 1 journey in 50.  Others may compare to their own lines and think this is just average, but for us it's a massive improvement.

[grahame]

05:17 Westbury to Swindon due 06:00
06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central due 08:08

06:11 Swindon to Southampton Central due 08:08 will be cancelled.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.

05:10 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 07:35
05:10 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 07:35 will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon, Trowbridge and Westbury.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.

[TaplowGreen]

21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49


21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49


21:07 Swindon to Westbury due 21:49 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Indeed - thanks.  We were both posting at the same time;   I was being slow, as I had something to say ...

Oh great - here we go again. 

The importance of last / late(r) evening services was highlighted last night.  Local (Melksham) meetings usually end with people headed home within the town on foot or by c-a-r, but last night's was a meeting about public transport and was timed to suit.

As we were winding up, after we had concluded, three or four people said hasty "good bye"s as they headed for their bus back home,  and we also got lifts to the station for several other people for the 21:10 train.   That last train is significantly later than the final train was prior to 15th December last; retimed nearly three quarters of an hour later, it opens up opportunities that weren't there before - inbound and also outbound.

[grahame]

13:41 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:49
13:41 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:49 has been previously delayed and is now 59 minutes late from Westbury.
This is due to a tree blocking the railway earlier today.

If anyone comes to look at this later ... the up train from Weymouth also delayed and a 3 minute turn around achieved at Swindon.   Storm Clara reaking havoc all over the place and a miracle that - so far - TransWilts has kept going.

[grahame]

09:45 Westbury to Swindon due 10:33
11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:46
12:16 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:55

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a tree blocking the railway.

07:03 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:05
07:03 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:05 will no longer call at Kemble, Stroud and Stonehouse.
It is being delayed at Swindon.
This is due to a tree blocking the railway.

[grahame]

09:45 Westbury to Swindon due 10:33
11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:46
12:16 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:55

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a tree blocking the railway.

07:03 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:05
07:03 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:05 will no longer call at Kemble, Stroud and Stonehouse.
It is being delayed at Swindon.
This is due to a tree blocking the railway.

I don't think this is quite as simple as it's made out ... the 09:09 at Melksham is running.   I suspect that it's some tree elsewhere that's left a crew shortage or rolling stock shortage and we've got a case of "this is an easy service to cull" again.  Please tell me if I'm wrong.

[bobm]

There's a tree down on the Kemble line near Sapperton Tunnel.

EDIT TO ADD^▸ (Automatic Dropping Device):  There is also a tree down between Newbury and Reading with West of England services being diverted via Melksham which is probably more likely to be the reason.   

[grahame]

And 2 more ...

14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:55

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a tree blocking the railway.

Additional Information
Road replacement transport will be provided between Chippenham and Trowbridge on both directions. Alternative train services are operating from Swindon and Chippenham via Bath Spa to/from Westbury.

Bit late for me (personally) to tell me about the rail replacement bus ... by the time that was added (10:56 update) I was on the regular bus to get to a meeting ...

[Timmer]

Must have been a big tree or damage was done Line side for it to still be causing disruption between Newbury and Reading.

[grahame]

Must have been a big tree or damage was done Line side for it to still be causing disruption between Newbury and Reading.

Tree balanced on semi-collapsed electric overheads near Newbury Racecourse

[bobm]

The down line through Newbury is now open but apparently the wires are hanging too low on the up line to allow even diesel trains to pass.    Repairs will take until the morning.

[grahame]

The down line through Newbury is now open but apparently the wires are hanging too low on the up line to allow even diesel trains to pass.    Repairs will take until the morning.

The benefits of electrification