Engineering Work Swindon area weekends of 22/23 and 29/30 March

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/planned-engineering

Track renewal work will affect trains between Didcot Parkway and Bristol Parkway or Chippenham.

Trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads or Swansea will use an alternative route – not stopping at Didcot Parkway, Swindon or Chippenham.

Trains will still run between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa, plus trains will run between Chippenham and Westbury or Frome.

Some trains will also be running between Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads on Saturdays only.

Replacement buses are planned between Swindon and:

Didcot Parkway
Reading (non-stop)
Bristol Parkway (weekend of 29/30 March only)
Chippenham (Saturday) or Bath Spa (Sunday)

Important to note

On Sundays a reduced train service will be running hourly between London Paddington and South Wales via Bristol Temple Meads.

Nothing unusual about this engineering work and its location. It’s the last paragraph that is of note with Bristol and South Wales services merged with no additional ‘peak hours’ Bristol to London services in the afternoon.

My guess is this is down to ongoing train crew issues with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) covering their back sides, something they did the last time work was taking place in the Swindon area merging both Bristol and South Wales services, but at the last minute.

Could be some very busy trains, particularly in the afternoon and evening.

However, the stop at Reading is set down only in the up direction and pick up only in the down direction with GWR running an hourly shuttle between Reading and Paddington. Sensible moves which may help a bit to mitigate the reduction in services.

[UstiImmigrunt]

I wonder if someone high up has noticed my comment at https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=29251.msg352532#msg352532

And realised the big problem that has developed over the last few years.

[Timmer]

I wonder if someone high up has noticed my comment at https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=29251.msg352532#msg352532

And realised the big problem that has developed over the last few years.

Indeed, and as the last paragraph pertains to this particular diversion to avoid the engineering works in the Swindon area, I’ve quoted it below:

As Paddington and Bristol HSS^▸ (High Speed Services)▸ drivers finish the ability to do short notice diversions via the B+H is drastically reduced. Out of all the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) depots only Exeter are capable of going Reading Newbury Westbury Bath. No other GWR depot signs between Bedwyn and Westbury.

So once again there is potential for passengers to face an overcrowded train because of the risk GWR don’t have enough crew on a Sunday who sign the Berks and Hants so they can only run one service an hour instead of two. The only plus I see in doing this is that there will be more certainty that this reduced timetabled service will actually run.