2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Some sort of problem on the 17:50 Chippenham to Melksham as well - stopped at Melksham on time I think but then doors didn't open for over 5 minutes. Train was still sitting there as I headed back to Whitley over the railway bridge, although I believe it did eventually continue on to Westbury.

I am hoping the 21:16 from Westbury runs (selfish  ) as I'm connecting into it from Portsmouth.  As the connection train from Portsmouth has 5 carriages (2 + 3), GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) could split it at Westbury if the train that would normally go to Swindon is in need of fixing.    That late of the evening, 5 carriages not needed all the way to Cardiff?

[grahame]

Some sort of problem on the 17:50 Chippenham to Melksham as well - stopped at Melksham on time I think but then doors didn't open for over 5 minutes. Train was still sitting there as I headed back to Whitley over the railway bridge, although I believe it did eventually continue on to Westbury.

I am hoping the 21:16 from Westbury runs (selfish  ) as I'm connecting into it from Portsmouth.  As the connection train from Portsmouth has 5 carriages (2 + 3), GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) could split it at Westbury if the train that would normally go to Swindon is in need of fixing.    That late of the evening, 5 carriages not needed all the way to Cardiff?

It ran ... not sure where the rolling stock came from, 158745 whereas it had been 158767 on the service in the morning. nice sprinting of passengers - I guess there were 20 into Melksham and (I did not walk through as I ate my bike) and perhaps a third got off. Not sure how many joined.

For today.

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

There's a shock - it's because the 10:35 Paddington to Exeter is late and the crew due off that at 11:56 at Westbury are not expected until 12:30.

[bobm]

(I did not walk through as I ate my bike)

Sorry, as typos go - this is one of the best.   

[grahame]

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

There's a shock - it's because the 10:35 Paddington to Exeter is late and the crew due off that at 11:56 at Westbury are not expected until 12:30.

Oh dear ....

Due out at 12:17, but the crew didn't arrive on the express from London until 12:35 and the Swindon train left at 12:37 (20 minutes late).  But then it got held up at Bradford Junction awaiting the single line to Chippenham, and was no less that 33 minutes late at Melksham. Why the extra delay?

A freight train due to follow the 12:17 at 12:30.  It was at Westbury early, and was allowed to leave at 12:21 - 9 minutes early.    Which should have been OK - except that it got held on the single line awaiting the other main line at Thingley and from being 11 minutes early at Melksham it was 3 minutes late by Chippenham - 27 minutes from Melksham to Chippenham.   And while it waited for the line to Swindon, the passenger train sat waiting for the single line,

A suggestion was made at one time to have an intermediate signal on the single line, and that would have helped today. Better is the more recent favoured plan of an intermediate loop which implicitly lets trains follow each other at a closer headway that a whole-single-line solution.

[bobm]

The freight struggled to get up the bank at Dauntsey trapping the Melksham service behind it.  Both now on the move.

[bobm]

The return working, the 13:15 from Swindon, left just over an hour late.

[grahame]

The freight struggled to get up the bank at Dauntsey trapping the Melksham service behind it.  Both now on the move.

And the next round ...

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will be terminated at Chippenham.
It will no longer call at Swindon.
This is due to a broken down train.

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be started from Chippenham.
It will no longer call at Swindon.
This is due to a broken down train

[TonyK]

...I guess there were 20 into Melksham and (I did not walk through as I ate my bike) and perhaps a third got off.

Ketchup or brown? I had a pasty for lunch myself, but chacun à son goût as they say.

[TaplowGreen]

...I guess there were 20 into Melksham and (I did not walk through as I ate my bike) and perhaps a third got off.

Ketchup or brown? I had a pasty for lunch myself, but chacun à son goût as they say.

I knew it rang a bell.........

https://historicflix.com/michel-lotito-the-man-who-ate-everything/

[grahame]

Moving on from bikes eaten with Branston pickle ...

The staff connection off the London to Exeter train at Westbury once again triggered ongoing disruption ...
33 minutes late
66 minutes late
60 minutes late and terminated short
18 minutes late and started short
... major disruption all afternoon.

Naughty thought - if we had an hourly train, couldn't it have simple been a single train lost - one wait of 60 minutes rather than a a total of 177 minutes lost even before you look at extra delays and missed connections with a change of trains along the way.

[TaplowGreen]

20:08 Westbury to Chippenham due 20:34
20:08 Westbury to Chippenham due 20:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

21:25 Chippenham to Westbury due 21:52

21:25 Chippenham to Westbury due 21:52 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey and Southampton Central.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[grahame]

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

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Salisbury and Warminster.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.