16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

Last Updated:01/01/2026 16:15

Due to a safety inspection of the track at Oldfield Park the line is blocked. Disruption is expected until 16:30 01/01.
Impact:
Train services between Bristol Temple Meads and Swindon via Bath Spa and Chippenham may be cancelled or diverted.
Customer Advice:
-
What has happened?
-
A track defect has been found in the Oldfield Park area between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads, affecting one of the two lines.
-
What are we doing about it?
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Network Rail have engineers making their way to site who will investigate and fix the problem. We are unable to run our services between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington along their normal route, they will be diverted and not calling at Bath Spa or Chippenham in either direction.

Looking at the photo shared by TG, I agree entirely. It is a far from simple job, although one for which I am sure there are the proper equipment and training.

18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
Replacement road transport has been arranged to run in lieu of this train service. There will be a Travel Southwest minibus running.

Please check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for the replacement road transport at the designated stop.

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.

You may also use your ticket, at no extra cost, on train services changing at Bath Spa

Posted on 1 January 2026
We are pleased to start 2026 by announcing that this year, we are planning to run the Imberbus service on

Saturday 15th August 2026

when several vintage former London Transport Routemaster double deckers (plus a few newer ones) along with some visiting buses from other areas, will again provide a bus service from Warminster Station to Imber and other isolated locations on the Salisbury Plain between 10am and 6pm.

Once again our event will be a Car Free Day, with the only access to Imber on 15th August being on the buses operating the Imberbus service. These special arrangements help to keep traffic congestion around Imber village to a minimum, but they do mean that there are some restrictions on what you can and cannot do when you get there, details of which will be confirmed during the summer.

IMG_1116-001 (1568 x 1045)The timetable for this year’s service will also be published during the summer and is expected to be very similar to the one used in 2025.

Snow alerts upgraded to amber as Scots warned of blizzard conditions

Amber snow warnings have been issued for parts of northern Scotland as the country braces for several days of wintry weather.

Parts of the north east, Highland, Perth and Kinross and Angus are expected to be blanketed with up to 20cm (7.9ins) of snow in low levels, with blizzard conditions forecast from 12:00 on Friday until 12:00 on Saturday.

Ferry services have already been disrupted as snow begins to dust the north of Scotland and police have urged motorists to plan ahead before travelling.

A less severe yellow warning is already in place for most areas north of Dundee throughout New Year's Day, lasting until midnight on Sunday.

CalMac has said that services leaving Stornoway and Ullapool on Friday had been cancelled due to strong winds forecast and that other sailings were likely to be disrupted at short notice.


Choppy waters earlier at Kirkwall harbour on Orkney

(BBC news article continues)

I have come to the conclusion from the news reports that there was a de-wirement in one of the tunnels, sounds like it was a le-Shuttle caught up in the entanglement; that train may not have been the cause of the damage.

It is difficult enough to sort OLE de-wirements on open plane line, the logistics required in a 22 mile long tunnel are not to be underestimated; and repair cannot be done until the damaged train had been hauled clear of the damaged area.

I know from my previous dealings with Eurotunnel when I was working they are acutely aware of the demands on their systems over certain peak times of the year, Christmas and New Year being one of them; the place a lot of resources in the lead up to and over these peaks.

The did well recovering so quickly

Didn't take long, did it?

First train of the year. As a part of the regular service for the communities along the way, this is an important main stream topic and I will write up some comments later

South Yorkshire Supertram network fares capped at £3 for 2026


The fare freeze is the first in a non-Covid pandemic year for more than a quarter of a century, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority says

Travel fares in South Yorkshire have been frozen or cut for 2026, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has announced.

The Supertram fare freeze is the first in a non-Covid pandemic year for more than 25 years, SYMCA said, and active from New Year's Day.

Adult long distance Supertram single fares have reduced by 40p to £3, bringing it in line with the national single bus fare cap, with child concessionary fare across buses and trams remaining £1.

South Yorkshire's mayor Oliver Coppard said the move was possible after the Supertram network returned to being under public control in March 2024. South Yorkshire hopes to run a publicly-controlled bus network by the end of 2027.

The fares decision was taken at a meeting of the SYMCA board in November. Aside from 2021, the fare freeze is the first since the late 1990s.

"Whether you're commuting, studying, visiting family or heading out for the night, we're building a transport network that works for everyone," Coppard said. "Freezing and reducing fares is just the start."

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59 will be cancelled.

This is due to a fault on this train.

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.

This is due to a fault on this train.

That's a presuming that there will be infrastructure problems in the Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere in 2026 ....................    I am a born optimist 

Five major changes planned for Bristol in 2026



Some major projects are expected to be completed this year, which could have dramatic impacts on our city.

From the opening of a £11m youth zone to possible reforms to how vehicles move around Bristol, 2026 is set to bring some significant changes.

Below, we take a look at five of Bristol's biggest schemes for the year ahead - some definitely happening, others potential controversies to watch.
...

Car-free Park Street?


Under the new plans, cars will still be able to access the street via side roads but will not be able to drive from end to end

At some point in the not-too-distant future, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is going to have to respond to Bristol City Council's request for money that would stop cars driving through one of the main streets in the city.

In March 2025, Green Party councillors approved the £15m plan to limit Park Street to only buses, cyclists and pedestrians. Under the new plans, vehicles will still be able to access the street via side roads but will not be able to drive from end to end.

However, the funding needs to come from WECA, which has a budget from the government for "sustainable transport" schemes.

WECA is yet to respond to the council's request, but Labour mayor Helen Godwin previously said she was "very unsure" about the proposal. So will she give the council the money it wants? Either way, there will still be plenty of roadworks and building going on around the city.

Temple Quarter opens


The £23m Eastern Entrance is set to welcome its first rail travellers in September 2026

The Temple Quarter redevelopment covers an area roughly the size of a hundred football pitches - and while it will not be totally finished, parts of it are due to open towards the end of 2026. A new eastern entrance to Temple Meads will change the way people access the train station, with predictions it could be used by more than two million people per year.

The £23m project will connect with the University of Bristol's new Enterprise Campus, which is due to open in September. As well as providing a home for about 5,000 students and staff, the campus is expected to be a space for start-ups and community work, and will be open to everyone. It is the first major piece of infrastructure delivered under the ambitious Temple Quarter regeneration programme, which is being administered by WECA.

(BBC article continues)

I'm comfortable with your post appearing here, Worcester_Passenger. Your excellent research will no doubt provide very useful reference material in this ongoing discussion.

CfN. 

***snip***
I don't have the bus safety net in Melksham either.   Also happy to stop for a breakfast at the Knights Templar ...

Plea to help raise £135,000 to fix historic paddle steamer


Waverley, which was launched in 1946, now offers cruises to the public

The team behind the world's last seagoing paddle steamer is hoping to raise £135,000 to replace "vital components" ahead of the 80th anniversary of its launch.

The sum is just a small part of the £1.5m required to repair the Waverley, which is due to visit the Bristol Channel in late May 2026.

Waverley was built in Glasgow to connect rail passengers to seaside towns, and now offers cruises to the public.

Paul Semple, general manager of Waverley Excursions, the company that runs the trips, said: "We are preserving her truly unique character. As the world continuously changes around Waverley, she becomes even more special as she represents a moment in time when she was first designed and built."

The renovations will also be funded by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society and the steamer's owning charity, Waverley Steam Navigation Co.

The £135,000 is needed to replace the ship's two masts and several windows in the dining saloon with authentic materials.

Mr Semple said: "They are vital components that really give the authentic nature to Waverley. Essentially, many parts of the ship could be replaced with more modern materials and fittings which may last longer, but collectively that would change the look and feel of the ship."

Waverley was built shortly after the Second World War for the London and North Eastern Railway, connecting passengers from Glasgow to towns such as Rothesay and Dunoon. It was launched in October 1946 and entered service the next year.

Following the end of its working life, the ship was gifted to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society in 1974 for £1.

08:48 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 11:14 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 01:16

11:58 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 14:35 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 01:16

11:48 London Paddington to Hereford due 14:44 will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill.
It has been previously delayed, has been further delayed between Reading and Oxford and is now 38 minutes late.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 13:52

12:48 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 15:00 will no longer call at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-In-Marsh, Honeybourne, Pershore and Worcestershire Parkway Hl.
It has been delayed at Reading and is now 46 minutes late.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system earlier today.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 14:20

14:48 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 17:04 will be started from Oxford.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system earlier today.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 15:01

13:16 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 15:34 will be started from Oxford.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 11:50

13:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:34 will be started from Great Malvern.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 11:44

15:18 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 17:34 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system earlier today.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 15:21

15:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 18:34 will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:01/01/2026 13:51