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

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2025/04/plans-discussed-for-a-metro-system-for-bath-and-wiltshire.html

His name is Dan Okey, not Dan Oakey, and it's Okehampton, not Oakhampton: more examples of shoddy journalism - perhaps using autocorrect, without bothering to make sure it is in fact correct. 

[JayMac]

Someone's got acorns for brains.

[bobm]

[grahame]

Ah yes - added after my original post (and I admit I had changed my plans for today overnight and hadn't checked back this morning)

Further Information
We're sorry for the disruption to your journey.
-
Taxis have been arranged leaving Swindon at 19:43 calling at Chippenham (20:14), Melksham (20:32), Trowbridge (20:45) and Westbury (20:57 arrival). Please see the Information Poster at the station for the road transport pick up/drop off point or visit nre.co.uk/stations.
-
The taxi company is Cross Street Cars.

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay

Last Updated:06/04/2025 07:58

[grahame]

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be reinstated and will now run as scheduled.
Last Updated:10/04/2025 17:34

[grahame]

18:11 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:33

18:11 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:33 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

18:11 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:33

18:11 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:33 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

and now - not surprised ...

19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25

19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:13/04/2025 17:45

... only surprise is that they cancelled the up service and lunchtime, but left the return service running until 4 hours later

[TaplowGreen]

20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23
20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23 will be cancelled.

This is due to trespassers on the railway.

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16
21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.

This is due to trespassers on the railway.

[grahame]

20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23
20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23 will be cancelled.

This is due to trespassers on the railway.

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16
21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.

This is due to trespassers on the railway.

I wonder whether they had the crew?  We only ever get one reason and, somewhat uncharitably, I sometimes wonder if we are told the reason for cancellation that brings the least criticism onto the operator.

[grahame]

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34
08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26

08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

[grahame]

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19
18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:57
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12

Facilities on the 22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12.
Toilet facilities are not available. Disabled toilet facilities are not available.
This is due to a fault on this train.

[a-driver]

I see Melksham now has IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) stop boards on the platform.

Presumably IETs can now stop there which will come in handy when they’re diverted for whatever reason.

[grahame]

I see Melksham now has IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) stop boards on the platform.

Presumably IETs can now stop there which will come in handy when they’re diverted for whatever reason.

I understand that is the plan  - I understand that there's a need to do some sort of final check out of the system / test stop perhaps and fill in risk assessment paperwork perhaps so I am not counting my chickens, but clearly with it being programmed into the units and also having the stop boards in place it's coming into place.

[matth1j]

Presumably IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) can now stop there which will come in handy when they’re diverted for whatever reason.

Probably a daft question... I can only imagine that they'd want to stop at a specific point relative to the platform (on a single track line) to allow passengers on/off. But under what circumstances would they do that?

[grahame]

Yes - for passenger purposes.    When planned works or an emergency stoppage take place between Westbury and Reading, trains to / from the South West get diverted either via Bristol Temple Meads or via Melksham.  The very long distance expresses often go via Bristol, but the semi-fasts always go via Melksham so that a service can be maintained from Castle Cary and Westbury into Reading and London, and they'll be able to call at Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham and reduce the need for some of the rail replacement buses and taxis.