2022 - TransWilts cancellations and amendments log

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

How in tarnation does a signalling fault prevent a station stop? 

Diverted via Bathampton Junction (and reverse) - pretty sharp work to only lose 12 minutes doing so.

[rogerw]

07:05 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:03

07:05 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 09:03 will no longer call at Melksham.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

How in tarnation does a signalling fault prevent a station stop? 

Signalling fault prevents route being set on/off line through Melksham

[TaplowGreen]

07:37 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19
07:37 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a safety inspection on a train.

08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26
08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a safety inspection on a train.

[ChrisB]

Some train has failed close to Westbury which has resulted in lines being closed & trains diverted/cancelled. Not sure of reason

[brooklea]

From National Rail

There is a safety inspection on a train between Newbury and Westbury. As a result of this, lines between these stations are currently blocked and trains may be cancelled or diverted via Melksham.
Disruption is expected until 09:00.

TransWilts making way for diverted West of England and freight services.

The 07:05 Westbury to Cheltenham didn’t start until 07:32, and is now so late at Melksham as to be picking up passengers waiting for the cancelled 07:37 Westbury to Swindon.

[grahame]

07:37 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19
07:37 Westbury to Swindon due 08:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a safety inspection on a train.

08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26
08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a safety inspection on a train.

In this case ... a regrettable pair to lose, however far more understandable and accepted than so many situations we have seen.  It's because the main Berks and Hants line through Bedwyn is blocked by a "safety inspection" of a train there, and the "important" long distance expresses are being squeezes - quarts into our pint pot of a single line, to the detriment of our customers.   Not even "our problem, but we are called on to help:

Cancellations to services between Newbury and Westbury
Due to a safety inspection on a train between Newbury and Westbury all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations will be cancelled, delayed or diverted between Westbury and Reading. Bedwyn, Hungerford, Kintbury and Pewsey will not be served. Disruption is expected until 09:00 25/01.

And - at least - summat is being provided instead:

Additional Information
A Pewsey Vale coach will be running in place of this train service between Chippenham and Westbury via Melksham and Trowbridge. Please check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for the replacement road transport at the designated stop. The replacement road transport may run later than the advertised train times owing to the additional time taken by road between stations and the time required for loading and unloading at each stop.

Nothing like the first time this has happened - and I never forget that this diversion ability probably saved the line 50 years ago - still a couple of learning lessons like "why can't the diverted trains make the extra calls" and "will the bus times appear on the customer feeds?"

The delay to the 07:04 from Westbury ... combining 2 trains into one "up" ... makes pragmatic sense.  Buses are so much slower.   Originally a bus was flagged up (Journey check but NOT on the platform displays) but the delay of the Cheltenham train into the Swindon timing works better.   Pity the very first southbound train in now not until 11:31, the 06:36 cancelled in the current term under temporary covid issues as well.

[grahame]

By the way, it was absolutely correct to close the Berks and Hants for the safety checks and any aftermath - my comments above relate to the use of the diversion.  What we really need on mornings like this (and on EVERY morning!) is more capacity.

[grahame]

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham
Due to a safety inspection on a train disruption is expected until 12:00 25/01.
Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham may be cancelled or revised.

08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26
09:24 Bedwyn to Newbury due 09:41
09:46 Westbury to Swindon due 10:34
11:06 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47

11:06 Swindon to Westbury due 11:47 will be cancelled.
This is due to a safety inspection on a train.
Additional Information
A Pewsey Vale coach has been arranged to run in place of this train service between Chippenham and Westbury. Customers at Swindon should travel on the 11:29 Bristol Temple Meads service and change at Chippenham. The coach will depart Chippenham at about 11:45 once the train from Swindon arrives and customers have made their way to the coach.

Please check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for the replacement road transport at the designated stop.

Customers with tickets routed via Melksham may travel via Bath Spa if they wish.

[brooklea]

The call often goes out when events such as this mornings occur on the Berks and Hants route as to why can’t diverted trains make the calls that are lost by the cancellation of the TransWilts trains. To some extent, the answers can be determined from this morning;

07:37 Westbury to Swindon cancelled, but the 07:05 Westbury to Cheltenham more or less substituted for this by running late (following a diverted Up Paddington train it’s true),

08:45 Swindon to Westbury cancelled, but replaced by road transport between Chippenham and Westbury - the 08:04 Paddington to Penzance would have been the closest train to matching the time of the cancelled TransWilts, but it was diverted via Bristol, as was the preceding Down West of England service,

09:46 Westbury to Swindon cancelled, but with road transport between Westbury and Chippenham. At the time this train would have been occupying the Melksham single line, a diverted Up stone train to Oxford was waiting at Bradford Junction for a diverted Down stone train to clear the single line. The Oxford stone train has only just left the single line at Thingley Junction as I write this.

It’s easy to overlook the fact that freight trains share the railway too when a passenger train is cancelled, but they have to run as well. At least by using road transport, a service is provided at approximately the originally advertised time. Who knows when, or if, another diverted passenger train will run via Melksham? We might not like it, but what’s being done is probably the best that reasonably can be under the circumstances.

[grahame]

14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01
14:16 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
Additional Information
Passengers for Trowbridge, should catch the 14:26 GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) departure from Westbury to Filton Abbey Wood.
Passengers for Chippenham and Swindon should catch the 14:26 GWR departure from Westbury to Filton Abbey Wood to Bath Spa and then change there for services to London Paddington
Passengers at Melksham please press the help point and alternative transport will be arranged.
Passengers for Melksham please travel on the 14:26 GWR service to Trowbridge and then press the Help Point for onwards transport to Melksham.

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58
15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.
Additional Information
Passengers for Chippenham, should catch the 15:29 GWR departure from Swindon towards Weston super Mare arriving Chippenham at 15:39.

Passengers for Trowbridge and Westbury should catch the 15:29 GWR departure from Swindon towards Weston super Mare to Bath Spa and then change there for services towards Trowbridge and Westbury.

Passengers at Melksham please await the rail replacement road transport which has been requested.

Passengers for Melksham please travel on the GWR departure from Swindon (15:29) towards Weston super Mare, and then alight at Chippenham where rail replacement transport has been requested for Melksham.

[grahame]

16:25 Westbury to Swindon due 17:08
17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19

17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

[grahame]

08:34 Westbury to Swindon due 09:23
09:35 Swindon to Westbury due 10:16

09:35 Swindon to Westbury due 10:16 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Further Information

If you hold a valid single, return, or weekly ticket, you will be able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com/DelayRepay

That's the 08:50 from Melksham - which I was planning to be on.  Oh well - replanning.

[grahame]

14:26 Frome to Swindon due 15:34

14:26 Frome to Swindon due 15:34 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Frome.
It will be delayed at Westbury.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[grahame]

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34
17:44 Swindon to Westbury due 18:25

17:44 Swindon to Westbury due 18:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Further Information

If you hold a valid single, return, or weekly ticket, you will be able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com/DelayRepay

Only three trains cancelled across the whole GWR area.   Why do I get the impression that all rubbish is assigned to run on the TransWilts, or it's the first line to be withdrawn if there's a train fault anywhere within 50 miles?

Yesterday ... plans mucked up (as you'll have read).  Today, I drove to Westbury to pick up a guest.  At this level of reliability (and I am not reporting the trains pulled from the timetable because of "Covid" crew shortages), GWR are losing all the goodwill that they have spent so long building up.

But then ... the malaise is not just the TransWilts.  Walking through the subway at Westbury (it's 6th February, remember),  the "upcoming" engineering poster expired on 4th February, and there's a big poster board extolling you with a GWR advert to "Get your Christmas back on track" and visit Cardiff.   SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Rewards are telling you to book direct with them, and making a price promise to refund the difference if you find the same train ticket cheaper elsewhere ... I think they have one service per day at the moment at Westbury, and their booking engine still defaults to more expensive First group services via Taunton unless they have fixed it in the last couple of days.

[bobm]

The four cancellations on Thursday were caused by the set for the TW service at 14:16 breaking down.   It was then planned to split a Cardiff/Portsmouth service at Westbury to provide a unit for the latter pair of services but the driver reported one of the units had an engine out so that put paid to that.

I understand the refurbishment programme for the Turbos has been slowed down so fewer units are away at any one time.  Partly due to the continuing delay in getting units from the east and also the loss of the 158 at Salisbury.   Incidentally that unit (158763) has been reported as a write off.