2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury

[whole diary]

[grahame]

10:58 Weymouth to Swindon due 13:22

10:58 Weymouth to Swindon due 13:22 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[TaplowGreen]

14:22 Frome to Swindon due 15:34
14:22 Frome to Swindon due 15:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38
15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

14:22 Frome to Swindon due 15:34
14:22 Frome to Swindon due 15:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38
15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Gonna be one of those days on which we look back and take a history from one of the data logging sites to see what actually happened.  What a fine way (not) to run a railway.

I caught the 08:02 from Melksham yesterday, changed at Chippenham and on to Bristol.  Back from Bristol mid-afternoon; save myself a very long wait at Chippenham or Trowbridge by changing to the bus at Bath, which also comes closer to home though not - after the 15:15 bus from Bath - to the stop on the pavement outside the house next to us.

Melksham Station - unmanned
Train - ticket checked by train manager
Chippenham - 2 dispatch staff + 2 on the gateline that I could see
On train - announcement of refreshments (and I could have done with a coffee) but no trolley or staff appeared
Bristol Temple Meads - Only one gateline open with around 4 staff on it.
---- return journey
Bristol - Only one gateline open with around 4 staff on it
Caught train to Bath arrived ex Weston and 4 passenger facing staff (2 x managers + 2 x ?) boarded
Bath Spa - at least 2 dispatch staff plus at least 3 on the gateline

Are there enough staff around, but perhaps not doing the right jobs?

[grahame]

10:58 Weymouth to Swindon due 13:22 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Further Information
Customers are requested to check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for replacement road transport at the designated stop. Customers are advised that 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.
RRS confirmed for 11.00am from Weymouth to Westbury.
RRS confirmed for 12.37am from Westbury to Swindon.

Good. Sorta. I suspect the 12:37 from Westbury will leave before the 11:00 from Weymouth arrives, mind.  The whole solution would seem to be to have more available train (drivers and TMs^‡(resolve)) and not have to employ so many bus (drivers). Oh - and it would be just one train and not two buses!

[TaplowGreen]

13:42 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:57

13:42 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:57 will be started from Westbury and terminated at Yeovil Pen Mill.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey and Weymouth.

This is due to heavy rain flooding the railway.

[grahame]

13:42 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:57

13:42 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:57 will be started from Westbury and terminated at Yeovil Pen Mill.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey and Weymouth.

This is due to heavy rain flooding the railway.

Getting complicated

Cancellations to services between Westbury and Weymouth
Due to a tree blocking the railway between Westbury and Weymouth all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 18:00 24/11.
Customer Advice
Due to a fallen tree which blocked the line at Yeovil Pen Mill earlier today, the line is currently block between Westbury to Weymouth. This is so a train can check the route, before the line can fully re-open to passenger trains.

 

Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between Swindon and Bristol Parkway the line is closed.
Train services running through these stations will be diverted. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
-
We're sorry for the delay to your journey.
-
Flooding, caused by heavy rain, has meant Network Rail have had to close the line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway. This will affect our services between London Paddington and South Wales, in both directions. Trains will use an alternative route, but this will extend journey times by around 20 minutes.
-
We will update this message with more information when we have it.

-

[bobm]

There has been 1.75 inches of rain since midnight in Swindon (2 inches in the last 24 hours) - and it is still raining.

[Chris from Nailsea]

It's been raining steadily here in Nailsea for the past 48 hours - and, no, I haven't ventured outside just to measure it. 

[grahame]

It's been raining steadily here in Nailsea for the past 48 hours - and, no, I haven't ventured outside just to measure it. 

I'm seeing report of flooding outside The Bear here.   Wondering if I should go down there, stick my nose in when there's nothing I can do like a councillor, or let the those who can help do something.

[Trowres]

You could pop down to the station to see the (presumably) IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) forming a Swindon-Bristol special, via Westbury. Currentl "bang line" between Wootton Bassett Jn and Chippenham.

Not stopping at Melksham.

[TaplowGreen]

You could pop down to the station to see the (presumably) IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) forming a Swindon-Bristol special, via Westbury. Currentl "bang line" between Wootton Bassett Jn and Chippenham.

Not stopping at Melksham.

Probably get drenched by the bow wave!

[Mark A]

Melksham has a local issue - something called the Clackers Brook rather going for it - it's already exceeded its 'Highest ever'...

Mark

https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/station/9279

[grahame]

Melksham has a local issue - something called the Clackers Brook rather going for it - it's already exceeded its 'Highest ever'...

Mark

https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/station/9279

Ah yes  - know it well.  Various parties saying "something must be done" for years.  It floods regularly but this sounds like a corker!

[Trowres]

I make it 2 out of 14 services that ran today. The last five services vanished without any cancellation being recorded. Neither Journeycheck nor National Rail's disruption pages mentioned anything (apart from Journeycheck having the early notice of staffing cancellations).

[grahame]

I make it 2 out of 14 services that ran today. The last five services vanished without any cancellation being recorded. Neither Journeycheck nor National Rail's disruption pages mentioned anything (apart from Journeycheck having the early notice of staffing cancellations).

Real Time Trains confirms that - and we start today with

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07 will be cancelled.
This is due to heavy rain flooding the railway.