Signal problems between Cheltenham and Worcester

[whole diary]

[Worcester_Passenger]

We don't seem to have a geographical heading for local services north of Cheltenham - perhaps no Forum members ever travel this way?

However, it's worth recording that most of the service has been cancelled this morning and that there were heavy delays yesterday on account of signal problems. This list misses out the very early morning trains:

07:08 Worcester Shrub Hill to Weymouth due 11:01 will be started from Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 05:29

07:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 09:57 will be started from Cheltenham Spa.
It will no longer call at Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 05:51

07:28 Warminster to Great Malvern due 10:27 will be terminated at Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link and Great Malvern.
It was 12 minutes late but is now being further delayed at Bristol Temple Meads.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Additional Information
At Gloucester customers should take the next available train service to Cheltenham Spa, the 09:49 CrossCountry Nottingham service, and change at Cheltenham Spa for road transport to Worcester stations.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 08:53

08:23 Southampton Central to Great Malvern due 12:28 will be terminated at Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link and Great Malvern.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Additional Information
At Gloucester customers should take the next available train service to Cheltenham Spa, the 11:48 CrossCountry Nottingham service, and change at Cheltenham Spa for road transport to Worcester stations.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 07:53

08:55 Worcester Foregate Street to Westbury due 11:34 will be started from Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 05:29

09:00 Brighton to Great Malvern due 14:29 will be terminated at Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link and Great Malvern.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Additional Information
At Gloucester customers should take the next available train service to Cheltenham Spa, the 13:48 CrossCountry Nottingham service, and change at Cheltenham Spa for road transport to Worcester stations.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 07:54

10:41 Great Malvern to Brighton due 16:13 will be started from Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
There are no reservations on this service.
Additional Information
Customers at Great Malvern and Malvern Link should take the next available service to Worcester Foregate Street or Worcester Shrub Hill. Replacement road transport has been arranged to run in place of this service between Worcester Shrub Hill and Cheltenham Spa calling at Worcester Foregate Street and Ashchurch For Tewkesbury. Customers can catch further train services from Cheltenham Spa.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 08:11

12:27 Southampton Central to Great Malvern due 16:28 will be terminated at Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link and Great Malvern.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Additional Information
At Gloucester customers should take the next available train service to Cheltenham Spa, the 15:48 CrossCountry Nottingham service, and change at Cheltenham Spa for road transport to Worcester stations.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 07:55

12:42 Great Malvern to Weymouth due 17:06 will be started from Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Additional Information
Customers at Great Malvern and Malvern Link should take the next available service to Worcester Foregate Street or Worcester Shrub Hill. Replacement road transport has been arranged to run in place of this service between Worcester Shrub Hill and Cheltenham Spa calling at Worcester Foregate Street and Ashchurch For Tewkesbury. Customers can catch further train services from Cheltenham Spa.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 08:12

14:41 Great Malvern to Weymouth due 19:00 will be started from Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Additional Information
Customers at Great Malvern and Malvern Link should take the next available service to Worcester Foregate Street or Worcester Shrub Hill. Replacement road transport has been arranged to run in place of this service between Worcester Shrub Hill and Cheltenham Spa calling at Worcester Foregate Street and Ashchurch For Tewkesbury. Customers can catch further train services from Cheltenham Spa.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 08:13

16:44 Great Malvern to Westbury due 19:31 will be started from Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Additional Information
Customers at Great Malvern and Malvern Link should take the next available service to Worcester Foregate Street or Worcester Shrub Hill. Replacement road transport has been arranged to run in place of this service between Worcester Shrub Hill and Cheltenham Spa calling at Worcester Foregate Street and Ashchurch For Tewkesbury. Customers can catch further train services from Cheltenham Spa.
Last Updated:28/01/2020 08:14

[grahame]

We don't seem to have a geographical heading for local services north of Cheltenham - perhaps no Forum members ever travel this way?

We have a board ( http://gwr.passenger.chat/b38 ) for

Swindon to Gloucester / Cheltenham
Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham and onwards

Not totally logical now in that there are very few services "across" Gloucester / Cheltenham Spa, but perhaps that board description should be enhanced

Swindon to Gloucester / Cheltenham and Worcester
Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham and on to Worcester and Malvern

As an aside, will journey opportunities for passenger between Worcester and Cheltenham Spa significantly improve when Worcestershire Parkway opens later this year?

[ChrisB]

Is there a board for BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains)-WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains)/WOF/GMV - that's the actual journey these services make. Otherwise, you are making the second most obvious suggestion.

No increases in journeys on theis route until theDfT specify them, according to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). The CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) have been pushing for an incrwase now for a number of years

[grahame]

Is there a board for BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains)-WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains)/WOF/GMV - that's the actual journey these services make. Otherwise, you are making the second most obvious suggestion.

No increases in journeys on theis route until theDfT specify them, according to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). The CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) have been pushing for an incrwase now for a number of years

I would be reluctant to add another board - heads us to the "too many, too sparse posts" direction.  Another alternative would be adding it to WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) commuters but in reality that's getting to be a long journey from Worcester.

I appreciate no more journeys on the route; with a change (at some future date) at Worcestershire Parkway, are service gaps nicely filled, and are Worcester city stations to Cheltenham Spa tickets going to be valid on the marginally longer route via Parkway?

[Worcester_Passenger]

I take your point about too many boards, and the fact that it hasn't cropped up before shows it's not vital. Given that the regular service goes to Bristol rather than Swindon, I'd be inclined to go for the Bristol Commuters board as being the rightful place.

Changing at Worcestershire Parkway isn't attractive. It involves a wait of about half an hour in each direction. I live within walking distance of both Worcester stations. If I was having to drive in, then I might well go to Parkway and start from there.

[brompton rail]

Though I take the point about the appropriate forum board for cancelled Worcester to Gloucester services, it should be added that although the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service was badly affected, the more frequent and busy XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service was equally in taters.

[Bmblbzzz]

What's this about changing at Worcestershire Parkway? Is there a plan to end the Gt Malvern to Bristol service? Worried!

[grahame]

Though I take the point about the appropriate forum board for cancelled Worcester to Gloucester services, it should be added that although the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service was badly affected, the more frequent and busy XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service was equally in taters.

Looks like that will continue for much of today ...

Alterations to services between Cheltenham Spa and Worcester Shrub Hill
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Cheltenham Spa and Worcester Shrub Hill all lines are closed.
Train services running through these stations have been suspended. Disruption is expected until 14:15 29/01.

[grahame]

What's this about changing at Worcestershire Parkway? Is there a plan to end the Gt Malvern to Bristol service? Worried!

No such plans.

There have been previous requests / suggestions that the Cheltenham Spa to Great Malvern section of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) route - which has only run every 2 hours - should be hourly, citing that train journeys from Worcester (Shrub Hill and Foregate Street) have been very thinly served.

My question "up thread" was to ask if, when the Parkway station opens, whether it will offer attractive extra fill in services for passengers between Worcester and Cheltenham.  Answer seems to be "no - impracticably long wait at Parkway" - not sure if that's in one direction or both, and not sure if anyone confirmed (or knows) whether tickets will be valid via Parkway anyway; I suspect they will be valid as it's less that the magic 3 miles longer that way, I believe.

[Worcester_Passenger]

The half-hour wait is in both directions.

Meanwhile, JourneyCheck is confused this morning.

Delays to services between Cheltenham Spa and Worcester Shrub Hill
Following a fault with the signalling system between Cheltenham Spa and Worcester Shrub Hill all lines have now reopened.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed. Disruption is expected until 14:15 29/01.
Customer Advice
The line between Cheltenham Spa and Worcester Shrub Hill has reopened.
Last Updated:29/01/2020 04:45

But...

05:35 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 07:58
06:10 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street due 07:56
07:08 Worcester Shrub Hill to Weymouth due 11:01
07:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 09:57
07:28 Warminster to Great Malvern due 10:27
08:55 Worcester Foregate Street to Westbury due 11:34
10:41 Great Malvern to Brighton due 16:13

are all shown as not operating north of Gloucester.

Then I looked at the time-stamp on the cancellations - they're all before the 'reopened' message.

[Bmblbzzz]

What's this about changing at Worcestershire Parkway? Is there a plan to end the Gt Malvern to Bristol service? Worried!

No such plans.

There have been previous requests / suggestions that the Cheltenham Spa to Great Malvern section of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) route - which has only run every 2 hours - should be hourly, citing that train journeys from Worcester (Shrub Hill and Foregate Street) have been very thinly served.

My question "up thread" was to ask if, when the Parkway station opens, whether it will offer attractive extra fill in services for passengers between Worcester and Cheltenham.  Answer seems to be "no - impracticably long wait at Parkway" - not sure if that's in one direction or both, and not sure if anyone confirmed (or knows) whether tickets will be valid via Parkway anyway; I suspect they will be valid as it's less that the magic 3 miles longer that way, I believe.

All clear and all good, thanks.