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

[whole diary]

[grahame]

18:27 Frome to Swindon due 19:33
19:42 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25
20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23
21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:15

Facilities on the 21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:15.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.

No problem ... I'm never sure what's supposed to be 2 or 3 carriages.

[TaplowGreen]

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 industrial action.

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 industrial action.

[bobm]

Somewhere along the line the 20:06 was reinstated to run full route.  Haven’t yet unraveled what happened before it. 

[grahame]

All too frequent and I do not post it here every time, but as far as customers at Melksham and [many/most] other GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) operated stations are concerned, all services are cancelled today.  I define a "cancellation" as being a train that's shown in the timetable published twice a year, shown to be running there today, but they are not able to travel on.   The railway is not fulfilling the purpose for which it is provided.

Alterations to services on all routes

Due to industrial action fewer trains are able to run.

Train services running across the whole Great Western Railway network have been revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 06/10/23.

Customer Advice

Due to strike action by members of the ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) union, an extremely limited service is in operation across the GWR network today. Many stations and routes will not be served at all, with services that are running expected to be busy. If you intend to travel where trains are operating, please check both your outward and return journeys; there will be a reduced operating window with services not starting until after 07:00 and finishing much earlier than usual in the evening.
***
Online journey planners have been updated to reflect the services that we are able to operate, with further information available at gwr.com/strike.
***
To assist customers who had planned to travel today but decide not or are unable to do so, your ticket will be valid for travel on GWR services until Friday 6th October. Alternatively, you are able to claim a full refund or amend your ticket if you decide not to travel. Those who travel but experience delays may be entitled to compensation under our delay repay scheme, if you are more than 15 minutes late arriving into your destination.
***
In addition, members of the ASLEF union are also engaging in action short of a strike on Thursday 5th & Friday 6th October. Whilst we endeavour to run as many services as possible on these days, services are subject to short notice cancellation or alteration; please check before you travel.

[ChrisB]

Workers are fully entitled to withdraw their labour.

[TaplowGreen]

Thu, 5 October 06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47

05/10/23 06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be cancelled.
This is due to industrial action.

[grahame]

Workers are fully entitled to withdraw their labour.

Indeed.

However, it still means that customers at Melksham have no northbound service between 12:33 and 18:53, and no southbound service between 13:40 and 19:09 ... which they find hard to understand because they feel that this is a human issue between the people involved and not an act of God.

Thu, 5 October 14:19 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01
Thu, 5 October 15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59
Thu, 5 October 16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:08
Thu, 5 October 17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:20

05/10/23 17:36 Swindon to Westbury due 18:20 will be cancelled.
This is due to industrial action.

I am loathe to suggest cuts elsewhere instead, but point out that the 14:36 and 16:40 round trips from Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads are both followed by other trains - at 15:02 and 17:02.

[grahame]

Good to see that alternative provision is being made.  And from a quick look at these, there is one for each service.

14:19 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01

14:19 Westbury to Swindon due 15:01 will be cancelled.
This is due to industrial action.

Additional Information
Sorry for the disruption to your journey today.
Passengers from Westbury and Trowbridge are advised to await the next GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service towards Bath Spa/Bristol Temple Meads and then change at Bath Spa for services towards Chippenham and Swindon (to London Paddington).
Depart Westbury at 14:40, Trowbridge 14:45, arrive Bath Spa at 15:08.
Change there, for the 15:43 GWR service to London Paddington, arriving Chippenham 15:54 and Swindon 16:08.

Passengers For Melksham: please await and board the 14:40 GWR departure from Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads. Get off the train at Trowbridge at 14:45 and change there for replacement taxis to Melksham.
Please check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for the replacement road transport at the designated stop.

Passengers from Melksham: Replacement road transport has been arranged to run in lieu of part of this train service to Chippenham. Change at Chippenham for connections to Swindon.
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.

Advice from Westbury and Trowbridge to Chippenham and Swindon leads to a 68 minute later than planned arrival into Swindon ... I'm not going to attempt to evaluate other latenesses; I'm not clear if the road transport from Trowbridge to Melksham then carries on to Chippenham, or if extra vehicle(s) start there at about the time the train would have left.

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Swindon

Due to industrial action between Westbury and Swindon fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or suspended between Trowbridge and Chippenham. Melksham will not be served. Disruption is expected until 18:30 05/10.

Customer Advice
We apologise for the disruption to your journey today.
Replacement road transport services are conveying passengers between Trowbridge and Chippenham via Melksham in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

[grahame]

Fri, 6 October 12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
Fri, 6 October 13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57

06/10/23 13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to industrial action.

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 has been delayed at Gloucester and is now 13 minutes late.
This is due to a speed restriction over defective track.

[TaplowGreen]

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34
16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55
17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[IndustryInsider]

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34
16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55
17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

First one reinstated.  Second one reinstated as far as Westbury. 

Journeycheck’s accuracy on start of service updates for trains later in the day remains awful.

[grahame]

Journeycheck’s accuracy on start of service updates for trains later in the day remains awful.

Indeed ... though with uncertainty whether the can get home, people will be put off taking day trips.  On the other hand, that may be far better than letting people be stranded.  I have no better suggestion though - apart from having enough staff available to ensure you can run the service!!

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:17

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:17 will be starting late from Swindon and is expected to be 16 minutes late.
This is due to the train departing late to maintain customer connections.

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between Swindon and Westbury via Melksham

Due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge at Trowbridge all lines are blocked. Disruption is expected until 18:00 09/10.

Train services between Swindon and Westbury via Melksham may be delayed.