I'd point that question at Hopwood if I were you, after all it's his trains that are being cancelled and his customers inconvenienced.  Given that, I'm sure he's all over those responsible and should be able to address your points.

 

Oops - and sadly that's not what they have done with the evening trains after all


So "disruption until 20:00" is the operational description.  Anyone who hopes to head from Melksham to Cheltenham Spa (agreed not a huge flow) at 20:25 won't get there until - what - 11 p.m. or later?  [Edit - looked it up - 23:31!]

 

 
"Short" runs this evening too - the 17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury and the 20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa both missing out Melksham.  Makes sense to be reversing TransWilts trains at Bathampton - remembering that 2 out of 3 passengers along the single line on a normal day are going through (not from or too Melksham) and so this is the best solution for them.

I have to ask ... why does it take so LONG to get a failed locomotive out of the way?  Is it part of a more general set of things that seem for whatever reason to take fare longer to sort out when things go wrong?  No backup plans?  No spares/staff around?  Extra Health and safety requirements? Everyone a specialist?

 
20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:57
20:14 Swindon to Westbury due 20:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

 

At least there is a replacement bus in place (scheduled to arrive Westbury 40 minutes after the train, but better than telling people to wait hours) ... not a clever day today. 

 

Thanks for that, Bob ....

 
The problem is with the freight loco itself and fitters are having difficulty isolating components on it before it can be moved.    A rescue loco is on site ready to move it once that becomes possible.

 

 

Although the siding is not easily accessible from the Melksham line

 

Guessing on what's wrong with the train - but there IS a siding still at Thingley Junction.

 

 

Just knock the faulty vehicle out of the train and drop it onto the North Loop to await attention from C&W.  Nothing booked to run over that today.  Oh.  Wait.

I know, I know.  If only

 

Without inside information, we can only guess.  JourneyCheck was telling us about problems until the end of the day, and I speculate that a skate might be needed to get something with wheel problems out of the way.   With lack of bypass loops and sidings, perhaps they are waiting for the more important lines between Chippenham and Swindon, and between Trowbridge and Westbury to become clear after service? 

 

According to Traksy, 6A16 is still somewhere between Bradford Junctions and Melksham, at 1040

 


Too late to do anything about it today, but a proper integrated transport system should offer an alternative when you look up your train and try to book.  Rather that cancelled and a note that the next train is 151 minutes later, if the 09:52 id cancelled what not suggest that people catch the 09:55 bus from the top of the Trowbridge station approach - 10:29 in Melksham Town Centre and about 10:33 at the top of the Melksham Station Approach?   The fact that the bus goes past Melksham Station Approach and does not actually stop there is another issue ...

 

Looks like it ...

 
Has 6A16 (Whatley Quarry to Oxford) sat down?

 

No suggested alternative ... late notice cancellation.  There may be operational reasons but it's the very late changes without an (it could be automatic) passenger-focused advise line are highly damaging to customer morale.

 

Agreed at Swindon but the toilets are on the same island platform and I reckon, even at the speed I walk, you could get to the lavatory and back in the time allowed.

 

At least they've given is two hour's notice this time rather than cancelling it at 18:08 as they did on Easter Monday.   One of those "don't ask" days.

Interesting that it's the 17:50 to Salisbury that's cancelled rather than the 18:10 to Westbury, on a service with a far more frequent service where a gap might be less missed.

 
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a fault on this train

 
Hold it!


Opportunities if the train is running to time, you have ...
1 minute (no chance!) at Westbury
7 minutes at Swindon (*)
9 minutes at Gloucester (*)
17 minutes at Worcester Shrub Hill
* - Train calls at platform away from station building

 

Here's the proof, and comparison to other services:



Because of the very thin service, any cancellation is serious.

 

This train has run 89 times in the last six months, in which there have been 130 weekdays.  28 of those days it was cancelled because of planned engineering, 2 because it was Christmas / Boxing Day.   So 100 "should" have run. 11% cancellation rate - a very high percentage for a weekday.

 

It's in "Oh no - not AGAIN" territory ...  known as being a risky train. I will look at putting some numbers on it some time.

 

Cancelled as the guard for those services is booked to arrive at Westbury on the 1C77 10:35 Paddington to Exeter St Davids service which is currently being diverted via Swindon. Not the first time that problems or delays with 1C77 see the Swindon services cancelled.

For the record, the points failure at Westbury yesterday caused the cancellation of the 2M28 15:15 Swindon to Westbury and 2M21 16:23 Westbury to Swindon services. The unit stayed in the bay platform at Swindon and became the 17:35 departure to Westbury.

 
Only 2 trains in GWR area cancelled through lack of crew ... guess where

 

 
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 was terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to train crew being delayed by service disruption.

 
and some additional information.

 
14:22 Frome to Swindon due 15:34
14:22 Frome to Swindon due 15:34 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.

15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38
15:44 Swindon to Frome due 16:38 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34
16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Frome.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

 

 
The lineside fire related disruption bit Bath rugby going home time, a bit of a queue outside the station and at least one bus driver being generous to people travelling back to places that suddenly had no train service. The bus station wasn't quite coping with the volume of people some of which were displaced from the trains and some *waves at the bus to Wells* definitely weren't.

Mark

 

 

Agreed re: engineering works, a proper "timetable" could be put in place and advertised.

 

It needs to be used carefully and is far more relevant during planned engineering works.   Today's disruption turned out to be over almost before it began, with a handful of long distance expresses running via Swindon rather than Newbury, and as far as I can tell the biggest service disruption was a four hour gap each way on trains between Westbury an Swindon.

 

Unless these IETs stop at roughly the same time as timetabled services however (and I doubt they'd be advertised given the necessarily ad hoc nature), wouldn't they largely find an empty platform at Melksham due to people having drifted off/not expected to find a train stopping at a given time?

I suppose some hardy souls may hang around in the hope of something stopping!

 

Typical "because of a problem on another line we're cancelling the trains on your line".

Hopefully, we have a better solution for the future ...only yesterday, I was photographing the new Stop boards for IETs at Melksham, and a train manager was telling me how they've had a circular around telling staff that the long distance trains can stop here.  Ideal for the sort of thing we have going on today? If the none-stop Taunton to Reading services run via Bristol and Bath, the semi-fast can run via Westbury and serve Trowbridge and Melksham in addition to Castle Cary and Westbury.  But it will take a bit of getting used to - oy, anyone in GWR reading this 

 
Cancellations to services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham
Due to a safety inspection of the track at Pewsey the line towards Reading is closed. Disruption is expected until 13:00 25/04.
Train services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham have been cancelled.
Customer Advice
Due to a safety inspection of the track, all train services between Westbury, Melksham and Swindon are cancelled.

Customers travelling between Westbury, Trowbridge, Chippenham and Swindon are advised to change at Bath Spa.

Melksham is not being served by trains for the time being. Road transport is being organised.

((A section of track between Westbury and Pewsey is being examined for a possible defect. As a precaution we are not currently running trains along this stretch. This affects services to London Paddington from Devon and Cornwall. Where possible trains will divert, taking an alternative, slightly longer route. Where this is not possible, train services may be terminated at short notice.))

 
Journey check looking good today - flagging up just two cancellations across the whole GWR area.   Guess where


OK - so I notice a day when we are the only cancellations ... but this is not a unique occurrence!

 
A driver was allocated to it and they arrived on time from Fratton on 2V52.

Doesn’t mean the RTT code is wrong (short notice illness etc.), but codes on RTT are unofficial and on JourneyCheck are ‘official’…but with a pinch of salt!

 

Interesting to note that Real Time Trains shows an on time arrival at Westbury and reports

So which is it - perhaps the fault on the train was that there was no-one to drive it  .

P.S. There is routinely a crew change at Westbury on this service

 

 

..and here they are

 

 
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

 
A week is a long time in politics ... a quarter hour is a long time in a train service. 20:02, 20:10 and 20:14

 
I ended up getting home last night at around 21:15 when I had planned to be home around 19:30 (very last minute cancellation ) and then - plan B - at around 20:45 (another very last minute cancellation). 

I made a thought out but quick decision in Trowbridge to take a taxi that was sitting on the rank; there are NOT always taxis there, and I've had to wait up to 90 minutes during the evening before.  I spoke to both the help point gentleman and a lady at GWR, and both told me that the final train could not be guaranteed but at the time of speaking it was still showing as running.  That would have got me home at 22:00 if it ran. 

Having had two trains cancelled in succession on my, in both instances at or after the time they were due to leave, and seeing a taxi available - pragmatic decision.  There was no fall back bus via Bath as it was a Bank Holiday bus service, and I was disinclined to take up the GWR suggestion to wait over an hour to see if that final train ran, and if it didn't then set about finding a taxi.

"Small beer" perhaps in yesterday's chaos across the GWR area, but cancellations - especially ones that are very late in the day, and advise which is not customer supportive (saving them money over customer's time / comfort / peace of mind) really don't help promote the railway.   And cancellations because of a faulty train, and because of a lack of available crew, are not the sort of reasons that well up mounds of sympathy in the same way that a passenger being taken ill on a train does.

 


The 17:50 from Gloucester via Melksham was cancelled at 18:05 (the train sitting in the platform with passengers in it waiting to go - so I did not get into Melksham at 19:09 as per plan "A"

I took the 18:10 from Gloucester which also runs via Trowbridge to Westbury (via Bristol, this one) with the intent of changing into the 20:12 from Trowbridge back to Melksham - however that was cancelled at very late notice (about 5 past so I did not get to Melksham at 20:21 which was plan "B"

The help point told me that I should wait for the 21:22 train which would bring ne into Melksham at 21:32 - plan C.   As far as he knew it would run but he couldn't promise anything.   He suggested I call GWR if I wanted to be more certain.  I did, but they were unable to give me any re-assurance.  They told me to wait and see if it ran - and if it was cancelled, I should then take a taxis and try and claim for it.    They were unable to explain why they only told the public that they had no staff for the 20:12 a couple of minutes before it was due ...

 


What, if anything, would delay / repay get me on an FOSW for a delay of 72 minutes (projected). No, I probably won't bother - pragmatism over principle!

 
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury via Swindon:


Very late cancellation - hasn't made it to JourneyCheck.

 

 

Oh dear ...  From Swindon to London, there's an 08:00 bus (change Reading) and an 09:40 train ... first train to Westbury now 2 hours after that. Passenger volumes are of course very different, but it's also a reminder of just how serious cancelling even one train on an infrequent service is.

Nearly 4 hours to wait for public transport home to Melksham now if you miss the 17:44 (and on a Sunday, the evening buses from Bath don't run so even those of us in "the know" would struggle)

 
Over running engineering works have also done for the first service from Swindon to London Paddington (starts Didcot Parkway) and first westbound service to Bristol and Exeter St Davids (starts Bristol Temple Meads).

 
Oh goodie - 4 out of 14 (28% cancellation rate) not calling at Melksham on what's probably going to be the first really busy Sunday of the year. Just taken a look at the two morning cancellations and there's nothing helpful there about buses or taxis - just an offer to give you your money back ...

 

08:06 Warminster to Swindon due 09:02
08:06 Warminster to Swindon due 09:02 was terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.

09:08 Swindon to Westbury due 09:49
09:08 Swindon to Westbury due 09:49 will be cancelled.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.

 




Stay-at-home Sunday for me then ... on an 8 out of 15 FOSW ticket and Sundays have the advantage of the early start being allowed, but I'me replanning for this to be a day of rest.   Yes, I know that evening round trip might get re-instated but there's no comfortable "Plan B" for Sunday evenings

 

At around 08:45, re-instated, I notice.

Damage already done - day planned and planned without a return to Melksham on those trains, comment made in public at https://www.passenger.chat/t30162.html and onto Facebook.

 

 

 

Happy with that ... and if it weren't school holidays that would be very welcome indeed beyond Swindon

 
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.

 

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?

 

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.

 
I see Melksham now has IET stop boards on the platform.

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

 

 

 

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.

 
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.

 

and now - not surprised ...


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

 

 

 

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)

 

 
Someone's got acorns for brains.

 

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. 

 
Luckily, the Wiltshire Metro will sort all this lot out.
https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2025/04/plans-discussed-for-a-metro-system-for-bath-and-wiltshire.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be diverted between Trowbridge and Chippenham.
It will no longer call at Melksham.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 9 minutes late.
This is due to a safety inspection of the track.

 

No - "Plan B" was to stay over.  Today was planned at January sale time - but then in February I got an invite for tomorrow that I could not refuse and I was going to be pretty tired.  Plan B was "if return train cancelled, stay over" and button pressed to implement that.  I have emergency supplies anyway.

 

... and I have checked in to stay in Lambeth ...

 
Both now reinstated.

 

Looks like it's reinstated...along with several others!

Is that the plan "B"?  Take anything from JourneyCheck more than a few hours in advance with a huge pinch of salt? 

 

There goes my train home ... advance ticket on the 21:31 off Paddington .... it always pays to have a plan "B" ... think I have one somewhere  ...

 
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

 
It does - as a part cancellation.

 
In a way, if a service is even announced as cancelled (or part-run), for a portion of passengers it *is* cancelled - it ought to go into the cancellation stats whatever happens subsequently. If it doesn't, the industry's running for its own benefit rather than for its customers.

Mark

 

Have just seen this. Yes this is definitely an issue which needs resolving. I have often gone to an unmanned station and been confronted with a screen just saying the service I am aiming to catch is cancelled. It has often meant that I have had to cancel a trip I was intending to make, or if possible to very hurriedly find another way of making the trip (for me this has often been to cycle very quickly from Oldfield Park to Bath Spa). It is exceptionally annoying to find that the service did run after all (at Oldfield Park it has often been that the train was running but late and was missing out our station). Screens, announcements and websites need to have much more information given in these circumstances.

 

21:50 Chippenham to Westbury due 22:16
21:50 Chippenham to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

 

 

How it should work (timing wise) - 17:53 from Taunton to Bristol, 18:30 on to Chippenham and 19:00 to Melksham arrived 1 minute down at 19:09 - 76 minute journey.