Understood. But today I had to buy a ticket for an earlier train due to the cancellation, but if it's reinstated, I'll travel later at my usual travel time. So if that gets delayed, presumably it would be ok to claim for that, although obviously I would only claim for the delay relative to the scheduled arrival time of the reinstated service.

If you buy a ticket and intend to travel on the 17:35 train, but then hear it's been cancelled and travel earlier - there IS no delay ... it's delay/repay and not inconvenience/repay.  Delay/repay is a very rough tool with all sorts of funnies around the edges.

Just because you note a service was delayed, don't try & claim that it was that service you tried to catch, if you didn't intend to use it....

You are allowed to change your plans on an Anytime ticket which are flexible tickets. So yes, you can claim Delay/Repay for the service you choose to use. Just don't try it on a service you don't use...

... and as we wake up this morning, GWR telling us that we can't get home st the normal time - again. On recent form, not sure if I believe them ...

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 shortage of train crew.

Both reinstated just after 3.30pm.

No alternatives offered ... and I thought the 17:35 was an upper tier / protected service?  Welcome to what feels like the despairing land of empty promises.

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 has been delayed at Swindon and is now 15 minutes late.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 is being delayed at Westbury and is now expected to be 15 minutes late.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

Congratulations ... but please look after the day to day passengers and take a pride in that too. Our first two trains cancelled this morning due to lack of crew. First southbound at Melksham - not 06:36 but 09:10. And that's not a rarity.

This isn't GWR Ltd page

Indeed, and that message to "look after your customers - PLEASE" - need to be conveyed by other more direct routes too. However, (and I am delighted) a number of the GWR managers are also enthusiasts / enthusiastic too and it serves well to remind them of their customer in the few places that are no longer directly or indirectly financed and controlled by the Department for Transport / Treasury.

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 shortage of train crew.

Haven't bought my ticket yet, so I guess I can't do a delay/repay?

Pragmatic suggestion  - 271 or 272 to Bath Spa.

And, no, you can't get back what you ain't paid out in the first place.

So that's the first 2 options for my commute to Bristol gone; in the office by 9.10 instead of 7.40, assuming no more cancellations

Haven't bought my ticket yet, so I guess I can't do a delay/repay?

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey and Southampton Central.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

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

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch For Tewkesbury, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident.

If only GWR would put a minibus on to cover their route though...

Seems SWR have the same issues as GWR - all the Lymington shuttles have now been reinstated. 

Sun, 17 August 18:10 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:34
Sun, 17 August 19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25

17/08/25 19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be reinstated.
It will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Day trip to Weymouth - we won't get you home ...

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Sat, 16 August 19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00

16/08/25 19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

20:12 Swindon to Westbury due 20:56
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train earlier today.

As an aside the 17:35 was never shown as cancelled so I am wondering if it was a guard that was missing and the plan was to run the 16:24 empty up to Swindon and pick up a guard there for the return.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to overcrowding.

Last Updated:15/08/2025 18:34

I really wish there was a better way of doing this.    I appreciate that the folks at GWR on the day are struggling for staff but 16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 will be cancelled in the early morning reads pretty darned definite, discourages passengers, and fuels the unreliability reputation this line has.

Questions - with stats like those on ontimetrains which is currently showing 11% cancellations over the last 12 weeks - how do trains that are cancelled but then re-instated show up?   Are they counted as cancelled, as running, or double counted?   Does anyone have (or fancy to guess) at what proportion of announced cancellations end up running after all?

Questions - with stats like those on ontimetrains which is currently showing 11% cancellations over the last 12 weeks - how do trains that are cancelled but then re-instated show up?   Are they counted as cancelled, as running, or double counted?   Does anyone have (or fancy to guess) at what proportion of announced cancellations end up running after all?

The first two now re-instated.

Third one now also running.

14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09

Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

After twenty to seven in the evening, the Cardiff -> Portsmouth service is not going to be rammed - any chance of dropping 2 cars of one of the longer ones to maintain service?   

18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
20:12 Swindon to Westbury due 20:56
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Look behind you!

I suspect because the site seems to be running a little slow, you didn't see my post just before yours.   Mine took 30 seconds from pressing post til actually submitting.

Only the 18:10 from Castle Cary has been cancelled again because crew were delayed so the 19:43 is also a non runner.

Which means the 19:43 from Swindon to Westbury will now also run.

18:10 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:34

18:10 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:34 has been cancelled.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25

19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

In the limited time available I suspect Control went for the defensive option.

Yesterday (Saturday 9th August 2025) was one of those days where so many trains were cancelled and some of it was bit by bit that I have used Real Time Trains to summarise:



The first cancellation was understandable due to "person hit by train" though that happens far too often and at dreadful cost.  The second train should have run with the empty going up to Swindon for it from Bristol rather than through the closed line at B-o-A.  The later cancellations were TOC failures to provide enough trains or staff to work them.

18:10 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:34

18:10 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:34 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Castle Cary, Bruton and Frome.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:45

13:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 15:45 has been delayed at Westbury and is now 10 minutes late.
This is due to the train departing late to maintain customer connections.

Just found out that all trains to Melksham later have been cancelled so **** you very much GWR and your useless incompetence!

No idea how we’ll get home now!

On a Saturday there were two trains from Westbury to Swindon - 08:00 and 08:40 I think. "For robustness" GWR cut the second one - we've one train less in the Saturday timetable now - but the robustness has not been delivered and at times I feel we were cheated.

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58

15:14 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 has been cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

Arrived at Swindon 23 minutes late, but the return working left on time at 11:05.

On some routes especially it would seem that "Saturday is the new Sunday" when it comes to crew shortage.

09:52 Westbury to Swindon due 10:36
09:52 Westbury to Swindon due 10:36 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to train crew being delayed.

Sundays are said to be a problem - but this is a Saturday.   

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:05
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:18
18:35 Westbury to Swindon due 19:17
19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:29

19:44 Swindon to Westbury due 20:29 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21

18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be starting late from Westbury and is expected to be 5 minutes late.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34
08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:25

08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

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 shortage of train crew.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34 will be cancelled.

This is due to a fault on this train.

08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:25

08:44 Swindon to Westbury due 09:25 will be cancelled.

This is due to a fault on this train.

Trains now running normally at Westbury
Following a safety inspection of the track at Westbury some lines are now open.
Train services running through this station are now running normally.

Cancellations to services at Westbury
Due to a safety inspection of the track at Westbury some lines are blocked.
Train services running through this station may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

09:52 Westbury to Swindon due 10:36
09:52 Westbury to Swindon due 10:36 will be cancelled.
This is due to a safety inspection of the track.

11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:48
11:05 Swindon to Westbury due 11:48 will be cancelled.
This is due to a safety inspection of the track.

Due to a safety inspection of the track at Westbury some lines are blocked.
Train services running through this station may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
Due to a safety inspection of the track near Westbury, services maybe diverted between Bristol Temple Meads - Melksham, cancelled or altered.
-

We're sorry for the delay to your journey.
-
We will update this message with more information when we have it.
Further Information
Customers are requested to check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for replacement road transport at the designated stop. Customers are advised that 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.
-
Rail replacement has been ordered to operate from Westbury, calling at Pewsey, Hungerford and Reading. No ETA for arrival.
-
If you require further information please speak to our staff at the station or on the train, use the Customer Help Point, message us on X @GWRHelp or call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 484 950.

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

Real Time Trains shows the 17:50 running - as 5O09 (empty coaching stock). Are we sure that's a track safety inspection as nothing else seems to be disrupted, or is its really a shortage of train managers?

This service was cancelled between Gloucester and Westbury due to late arrival of crew from an inbound service (YJ).

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Gloucester, Stonehouse, Stroud, Kemble, Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.

This is due to a safety inspection of the track.

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 will be starting late from Westbury.
This is due to a fault on a train in front of this one.

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 is being delayed between Chippenham and Melksham and is now expected to be 8 minutes late.
This is due to a fault on a train in front of this one.

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34

Facilities on the 07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34.
Toilet facilities are not available.

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

30/07/25 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 shortage of train crew.

Err ... what sort of repairs are needed to a train that can number into Westbury from the South West, but then not carry on North East to Melksham and Chippenham?

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

06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill.
It will no longer call at Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a shortage of station staff.

Err ... what sort of repairs are needed to a train that can lumber into Westbury from the South West, but then not carry on North East to Melksham and Chippenham?

11:27 Weymouth to Chippenham due 13:29

11:27 Weymouth to Chippenham due 13:29 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

13:47 Chippenham to Weymouth due 15:45

13:47 Chippenham to Weymouth due 15:45 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time

10:41 Westbury to Swindon due 11:23

Facilities on the 10:41 Westbury to Swindon due 11:23.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 3.

19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00
19:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 22:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09

Facilities on the 05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:09.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

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

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

Facilities on the 06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2.

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:23/07/2025 05:04

18:10 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:34

18:10 Castle Cary to Swindon due 19:34 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Further Information

A replacement coach operated by ZJ travel will run in place of this train service between Westbury and Chippenham where onward rail connections are available for Swindon. Customers are requested to check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for replacement road transport at the designated stop. Customers are advised that 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.

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

Passengers at Swindon please board the 1955 Bristol Temple Meads service and change at Chippenham where a replacement coach operated by ZJ travel will run in place of this train service as far as Westbury.
Customers are requested to check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for replacement road transport at the designated stop. Customers are advised that 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.

Also my husband who wrote post did not mention
Our day started at 9 and ended at midnight
We are pensioners
Yet both our sympathies went to young families with tearful children
Half term next week
The Weymouth Sat trip be children’s dream
Train trip …Just make sure end of day a different scenario could occur

I took that train one day last year. On the way the train was delayed heavily and absolutely rammed. Standing room only all the way to Weymouth on one of the hottest day of the year. On the last train home the carriages lost power so crawled back all the way home really slowly with no air con. Didn't get home til gone midnight. Not much fun with a child. I vowed never to chance the train again

Our train to Weymouth got terminated half way and we were left on a platform in the middle of nowhere that had no facilities for about 5 hours in the blazing sun. Just told to wait for the next train. We had 4 children under 8 at the time. Vowed never to get the train there again. By the time we got there we had to come home again!

Congratulations to whoever gave train drivers a massive salary increase - the result of which is that they no longer wish to work weekends (hence a shortage of staff)