2023 - Train update and amendment log - Swindon <-> Westbury

[whole diary]

[grahame]

.....sorry just noticed that's already been posted!

Don't worry - easy to miss a post in the sad flurry we have in this thread.

Interesting that that same train - the 19:40 Weymouth to Swindon (reverse working of the train I logged with around 150 on it at Melksham this morning) is still shown as running throughout.

[bobm]

......sorry just noticed that's already been posted!

So good they cancelled it twice.   

[IndustryInsider]

Interesting that that same train - the 19:40 Weymouth to Swindon (reverse working of the train I logged with around 150 on it at Melksham this morning) is still shown as running throughout.

Looks like a Gloucester based guard is working it covering a Westbury diagram from Westbury to Swindon and is at the end of their day and unable to go back to Westbury with it. 

That particular guard is working parts of three different diagrams from three different depots today.  A good example of the elastic band at full stretch again!

[bobm]

While frustrating to lose the final service cancelled the post above does show the efforts that are made to cover things with the resources available.  Whether there should be greater resources available is, of course, a whole different question.

[grahame]

While frustrating to lose the final service cancelled the post above does show the efforts that are made to cover things with the resources available.  Whether there should be greater resources available is, of course, a whole different question.

Little doubt of the effort made. Whether the tools (Resources) are enough and rules (applied methods) are right and making best use of those resources, I don't know either.    I can't help wondering if the whole setup has become over complex to squeeze the ultimate out of every resource when everything is working exactly as it should, but when the slightest thing goes wrong, the ripples of problems spread far further and wider than they would if the system as a whole wasn't so complex and running so close to its limits.

[grahame]

Mon, 3 July 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

03/07/23 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to industrial action.

Mon, 3 July 20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05

03/07/23 20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to industrial action.

Mon, 3 July 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey and Southampton Central.
This is due to industrial action.

[grahame]

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will call additionally at Dilton Marsh.
This is due to a problem currently under investigation.

[bobm]

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07 has been reinstated.

It will be started from Westbury.

It will no longer call at Gloucester, Stonehouse, Stroud, Kemble, Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[TaplowGreen]

21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to industrial action.

22:30 Swindon to Westbury due 23:11
22:30 Swindon to Westbury due 23:11 will be cancelled.
This is due to industrial action.

[grahame]

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07 has been reinstated.
It will be started from Westbury.

For clarity of the message you relay there, Bob - it remains cancelled as far as passengers at stations like Melksham are concerned, loosing their southbound peak hours, get-to-work service.   First train via Trowbridge now leaves at 09:10.

I met one of our well established local train users in the Market Place half an hour ago, and she was telling me that these days she catches a bus on the start of her journeys, which are often long distance, because of the lack of reliability in the local service and the danger of her missing an ongoing reservation if it's cancelled.  Lack of reliability has driven her away, you'll note - not lack of decent frequency.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05 will be started from Swindon.
It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

So that's 5 out of 18 cancelled - 72.2% running versus a 98% minimum target.

[TaplowGreen]

(Unfortunately) Forewarned is forearmed.....

Wed, 5 July 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
05/07/23 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.

It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.

This is due to industrial action.

[grahame]

(Unfortunately) Forewarned is forearmed.....

Wed, 5 July 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
05/07/23 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.

It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.

This is due to industrial action.

Good to see that announced ahead of time.  The have added an extra Westbury to Salisbury train running in its path

Announced today

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:05 will be started from Swindon.

It will no longer call at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

22:30 Swindon to Westbury due 23:11

22:30 Swindon to Westbury due 23:11 will be cancelled.
This is due to industrial action.

[grahame]

Oops - missed one

21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58

21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to industrial action.