North Cotswold Line delays and cancellations - 2024

[whole diary]

[charles_uk]

17:34 London Paddington to Hereford due 20:25 will no longer call at Hanborough and Kingham.
It is being delayed at London Paddington and is now expected to be 25 minutes late.
This is due to this train being late from the depot.

Presumably the Hanborough call has been missed to avoid congestion on the single track stretch. Otherwise seems odd when the train is still calling at less busy stations.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Yes, I think it was because the 1734 was running so late that the 1757 had basically caught it up by Oxford. The announcement at Oxford was that the 1734 would be first stop Moreton.

[Witham Bobby]

15:23 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 17:47 will be cancelled.
This is due to a member of on-train staff being taken ill.
Last Updated:08/11/2024 14:45

18:02 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 20:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a member of on-train staff being taken ill.
Last Updated:08/11/2024 14:46

I guess the days of having spare crew in the cabin ready to step in when things like this happen are long gone 

[Witham Bobby]

19:53 London Paddington to Hereford due 22:58 will be terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-In-Marsh, Honeybourne, Evesham, Pershore, Worcestershire Parkway Hl, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern, Colwall, Ledbury and Hereford.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Further Information
Last Updated:08/11/2024 13:09

"Terminated at Oxford" = a cancelled service between there and Hereford, and should be shown as such, really, rather than as an "other service amendment"

Hereford will soon forget what it was like to have a half decent GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service of direct trains to London

[Worcester_Passenger]

Saturday November 9

RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is reporting that 1P13 06:18 Hereford to London Paddington as "cancelled between Hereford and Great Malvern due to an issue with the train crew (TG)", though  this change doesn't appear on Journeycheck. This is probably because of last night's short working - the stock is currently (05:30) running empty from Oxford.

And in the other direction,

09/11/24 05:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 08:18 will be started from Oxford.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:08/11/2024 22:42

The 05:52 was indeed started from Oxford, some 20 late. It was held at Wolvercote and Evesham (+48). It arrived Foregate St +50 and was cancelled thereafter.
The return working, 1P17 08:50 Great Malvern to London Paddington was started from Worcester Foregate Street.

[charles_uk]

Becoming quite a regular feature of the evening peak:

16:58 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 19:26 will call additionally at Combe, Finstock, Ascott-Under-Wychwood and Shipton.
This is due to the train making extra stops because a train was cancelled

17:04 Didcot Parkway to Moreton-In-Marsh due 18:10 will be terminated at Oxford.
It will no longer call at Hanborough, Combe, Finstock, Charlbury, Ascott-Under-Wychwood, Shipton, Kingham and Moreton-In-Marsh.
This is due to a fault on this train

18:51 Evesham to Oxford due 19:50 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train
Last Updated:11/11/2024 17:07

[ChrisB]

Possibly been 'borrowed' by the Gatwick services to replace one of their faulty turbos?

[Worcester_Passenger]

Tuesday November 12

Due to a broken rail between London Paddington and Reading fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
-
Track defects have been reported affecting the fast line towards Reading in the Hayes & Harlington area and the fast line towards London Paddington in the Ealing Broadway area.
-
Last Updated:12/11/2024 17:17

1W25 12:51 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate St (15:00) : Reading +10, arrived Shrub Hill +23 and cancelled thereafter
1W27 13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern (16:15) : Reading +20, arrived Worcester Foregate Street +20 and cancelled thereafter.

1P34 15:17 Worcester Foregate St to London Paddington started from Shrub Hill

16:32 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 19:29 will be started from Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a broken rail.
Last Updated:12/11/2024 16:17

19:53 London Paddington to Hereford due 22:58
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.
Last Updated:12/11/2024 05:46

- which means tomorrow's 05:23 from Hereford will only have 5 coaches.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Tuesday November 12

19:53 London Paddington to Hereford due 22:58
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.
Last Updated:12/11/2024 05:46

- which means tomorrow's 05:23 from Hereford will only have 5 coaches.

In the end, it ran with 9 coaches.

Wednesday November 13

07:13 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 09:42 will be cancelled.
This is due to the train driver being taken ill.
Last Updated:13/11/2024 04:18

[Worcester_Passenger]

Wednesday was a good day, with just the one cancellation.

Thursday November 14 started with 1P11 05:14 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington being delayed at Shrub Hill due to train crew issues. It left +33 and skipped stops, only calling at Evesham, Moreton, Charlbury and Hanborough. +16 at Oxford, +15 at Paddington.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Friday November 15

A curious entry on JourneyCheck:

20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:29
20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:29 will be delayed between Reading and London Paddington.
This is due to a fault on a train in front of this one.
Last Updated:15/11/2024 00:12

Which is probably about the journey on Thursday evening, despite the 'last updated' time.

According to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website), Thursday's 1P46 20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington departed +12, was held at Shrub Hill (+43) and Norton (+55). It was further delayed between Reading (+48) and Paddington and arrived +76.

Meanwhile, also on Thursday:
1W31 15:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern was held at Reading (+31), arrived Worcester Foregate Street +49 and was cancelled thereafter.
The return working, 1P42 19:05 Great Malvern to London Paddington was started from Foregate Street .

[Worcester_Passenger]

Friday November 15

17:04 Didcot Parkway to Moreton-In-Marsh due 18:10 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:15/11/2024 04:33

18:51 Evesham to Oxford due 19:50 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:15/11/2024 04:33

20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 23:13 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:15/11/2024 04:26

[charles_uk]

Friday November 15

20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 23:13 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:15/11/2024 04:26

Some good news

20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 23:13 will be reinstated and will now run as scheduled.
Last Updated:15/11/2024 19:44

[Worcester_Passenger]

Friday November 15

A curious entry on JourneyCheck:

20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:29
20:56 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 23:29 will be delayed between Reading and London Paddington.
This is due to a fault on a train in front of this one.
Last Updated:15/11/2024 00:12

Which is probably about the journey on Thursday evening, despite the 'last updated' time.

On Friday, the 20:56 ran OK.

But (according to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website)), 1P06 22:00 Hereford to London Paddington took 57 minutes to get from Hereford to Ledbury. West Midlands had cancelled their last train to Hereford, which should have crossed with 1P06 at Ledbury. 1P06 was held at Shrub Hill (+84) and arrived Paddington at 02:36 (+76). Though I can't imagine that many passengers were inconvenienced. Perhaps this train should be named the 'Night Cathedrals'.

And 1W05 19:53 London Paddington to Hereford was held at Malvern Wells (+15) and Ledbury (+43), arriving at Hereford +44.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Saturday November 16

The problems between Ledbury and Hereford continue:

06:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:44 will be diverted between Worcester Shrub Hill and Didcot Parkway and terminated at Reading.
It has been delayed between Hereford and Ledbury and is now 74 minutes late.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 07:55

The signalling fault is reported on the National Rail 'Disruptions' list and is expected to continue until 09:30. West Midlands Railway are reported as running rail replacement coaches from Shrub Hill to Hereford. And indeed, these are listed on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for later in the day.

10:50 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 13:44 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 04:09

11:55 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 14:44 will be terminated at Reading.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 00:35

14:50 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 17:44 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 00:54

20:20 Hereford to London Paddington due 23:44 will be terminated at Reading.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 02:17

06:36 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 09:26 will be started from Oxford.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 02:58

07:36 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 10:16 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 00:29

10:36 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 13:25 will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 00:54

12:36 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 15:11 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:16/11/2024 00:43