20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be starting late from Westbury and is expected to be 20 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 3 to Swindon.

The reductions were nothing to do with ORCATS anyway, they were removed on request from the DfT about service duplication. There was no need for it & saved both units & staff time if removed. As the DfT is still looking to shave the budget, there is no chance of the duplications being reinstated IMHO

Another take: the service met a whole slew of different travel needs for people, was popular and well used, and as long as the railway doesn't introduce and develop this sort of service as part of addressing the glaring shortcomings of rail travel in the south west arising from the shortage of staff, rolling stock and infrastructure, it's relegating itself to a legacy transport mode.

Mark

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 has been cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:30/01/2026 17:54

A commuter was left traumatised after being trapped inside a train toilet for almost two hours, with firefighters eventually being called in to cut down the door.
Robin Smith experienced the rail journey from hell after a malfunctioning automatic door left her stuck inside the small loo.
The 35-year-old, who is severely claustrophobic, almost fainted twice during the shocking incident.
Keen athlete Robin was travelling down to take part in a hyrox open ladies event when her day was turned upside down.
It happened last Saturday (24 Jan) on  CrossCountry rail service from Southampton Central to Manchester Piccadilly.

All the processes in the employment dispute appear to have been actioned correctly. Not sure what "common sense and decency" has been ignored. Unless one is advocating for ignoring due process.

From RailUser Express ("RUX may be forwarded, or items copied") January 2026

Dear Graham,

We promised to keep you updated on the impact of recent storms on the rail network. We're very grateful for the patience of our customers and communities over the past week as we've dealt with substantial flooding and damage to the railway, and the resulting impact on our train services.

Currently, the Barnstaple, Okehampton, Newquay and Looe lines remain closed. All four of these routes have substantial damage due to flooding and landslips. Our teams are working very hard each day to get these lines safely reopened as quickly as possible, but in some cases have not yet been able to assess damage because flood levels are too high and the flow of water is too fast.

As it stands, we hope that the Barnstaple and Okehampton lines will reopen for passenger services on Tuesday 3rd February, though this is subject to change. We are now able to run an hourly all stations replacement bus, an hourly direct Barnstaple-Exeter replacement bus, and a two-hourly Okehampton to Exeter replacement bus. Capacity is limited so we're asking customers to consider if their journey is necessary before setting off. Full details including ticket acceptance on local buses is available here and our team are updating journey planners as soon as possible.

The Par-Newquay line also remains closed due to flooding, and we anticipate rail services will not start again until Monday 2nd February at the earliest. Replacement buses are in operation, running from St Austell instead of Par, and we also have ticket acceptance on local buses.

Finally, the Looe line also remains closed due to damage caused by storms and flooding. This closure is expected to last until next week at the earliest and again we have replacement buses and local ticket acceptance in place.

Customers should continue to check their journeys at www.gwr.com/check or through our social media channels. With flooding still in place and saturated ground, it is possible that further rain will result in more disruption and we will of course keep you updated.

Any help you can give to share this amongst your networks would be much appreciated, and if there's any questions you may have please do not hesitate to let us know.

Transport for London has ruled out reviving a "lost" London Underground station which shut due to a lack of passengers. Commuters in Ongar, Essex want Central line services which currently terminate in Essex to be extended to the previous terminal which was axed in 1994.

Passenger numbers had dropped throughout previous decades until just 85 people a day were using it. London Regional Transport, which ran the Central line until TfL took ownership in 2003, was losing so much money the Ongar stationmaster remarked it would be cheaper to buy each passenger an Austin 7 car rather than keep it open.

However, local leaders are now calling on TfL to reinstate the line to help Epping Forest District Council keep pace with Government housebuilding targets. Speaking at a committee meeting on Tuesday (January 27), Ongar councillor Tom Bromwich said: “We're looking at a different reality.

Thinking of where in the Coffeeshop area people would like to send (in a positive way) the Inspiration Train. Not sure what it needs by way of length of platform face and of course it needs not to bring the network to a halt... Parkend?

Mark

Hmmm. I wouldn't describe a Hastings Diesel as able to 'glide'.... [Image from here is not available to guests] [Image from here is not available to guests] [Image from here is not available to guests]

Community Rail Network is excited to announce the shortlisted entries for the 2026 Community Rail Awards.

The Awards, now in their 21st year, recognise the vital work carried out by community rail partnerships, station friends and other community groups working to connect communities with railways and stations. 

Organised by Community Rail Network, the Awards recognise a diverse array of projects that support stronger, greener, more inclusive communities, served and connected by their railways and the wider sustainable transport network.

The winners will be announced at a high-profile awards ceremony in Derby on Thursday 19 March 2026, supported by headline partners East Midlands Railway.

RAILFUTURE WESSEX

Rf Wessex hopes that when every TOC in the south is operating under the GBR brand, some of the direct links that were lost with privatisation could be restored: Brighton - Southampton trains extended to Bournemouth; Waterloo – Salisbury to Bristol, and some Reading - Basingstoke shuttles to Salisbury. There must be many other examples around Britain, where direct connections could be restored once the accurate division of fares income is no longer an issue.

As of December 2025, the government announced a new fund for local bus services, the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG). Somerset Council has been awarded £4.3 million for each of the next three years. Through the Somerset Bus Partnership, we have submitted a request for £150k to cover the entire cost of the pilot service for the first six months and to add a buffer to ensure the trial lasts for at least 12 months (see details of funding requirements below).
​
The decision on the allocation of these funds is due shortly. If you get an opportunity to talk to your local councillor in the coming days, expressing your support can only help.

Due to flooding between Exeter St Davids and Crediton all lines are closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Train services between Exeter Central and Barnstaple via Exeter St Davids have been cancelled.

If your journey is essential, limited rail replacement services are now operating between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple only, due to road conditions we are unable to serve intermediate stations. As this is so limited and due to the conditions of the roads, these will be roughly every 2 hours at approximately half past every even hour from Barnstaple (e.g. 10:30, 12:30). - this is a direct service to Exeter st David’s no stops

Very good idea,although hoped the time table would be flexible so if the train is running late,
the bus would still wait a reasonable time to connect for the journey to Glastonbury