From

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/great-british-railways

Chiltern Railways' services and Great Western Railway's services will transfer into public ownership on 20 September 2026 and 13 December 2026, respectively.

Govia Thameslink Railways’ services will be next to transfer on 31 May 2026, followed by Chiltern Railways’ services on 20 September 2026 and Great Western Railway’s services on 13 December 2026.

I'm suspecting that all these impacts are happening on the west side of this bridge. Driving that road this morning and thinking 'Bridge strike location coming up', the impression was that the associated signage isn't brilliant. No indication before the turn off the A36, then an advisory on the height restriction 3/4 mile ahead - said notice among others and in a busy part of the road immediately after the turn off the A36... and then nothing apart from a couple of 'Give way' signs before the bend in the road before the at that point invisible bridge itself, it being approached via and concealed by the left hand bend immediately before it. The signage has plenty of opportunity to hide in foliage / be inconspicuous in bright sunlight. None of which is an acceptable reason for driving into the bridge of course, even the road alignment is screaming 'Drive at a speed that allows you to stop within the distance you can see to be clear'.

Mark

The 12:17 from Westbury to Swindon ran and is now sat in the bay at Swindon awaiting its next working.

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Westbury via Melksham
Following a road vehicle colliding with a bridge earlier today between Bath Spa and Trowbridge the line towards Bath Spa has now reopened. Disruption is expected until 17:30 08/05.
Train services between Swindon and Westbury via Melksham have been cancelled.
Customer Advice
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What has happened?
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A vehicle had struck a bridge in the Freshford area between Bath Spa and Trowbridge.
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What are we doing about it?
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Trains are currently only running from Trowbridge to Chippenham via Melksham.
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Trains that would normally run along that route have been diverted along the route through Melksham, which means we had to suspend our timetabled services between Swindon and Westbury, in both directions for a time. These services will shortly be running again.
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What are your options?
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We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today, these are the current options available to you:
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Replacement transport in the form of a taxi will transport passengers from Melksham to Chippenham for the 16:39 service.
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Where possible the diverted trains will make additional stops at Melksham and Chippenham, these will be advertised in journey planners once confirmed.
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You can use your ticket, at no extra cost, on the local Faresaver bus route X34 between Chippenham (Bus Station, Bay 6), Melksham (McDonalds, a 10 minute walk from the station), Trowbridge (Trinity Church, a short walk from the station). Just show your train ticket to the bus driver. You can find bus times at www.faresaver.co.uk/current-timetables/
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Consider postponing your journey until our service returns to normal.
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For more information:
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Use the National Rail Enquiries real-time journey planner to check if a journey by rail is currently possible. If you are at a station please check the live departure boards or speak to a member of station staff.
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Let us help you:
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If you're already travelling when disruption happens, we'll get you where you need to go. If you miss the last train of the day due to cancellation or because another train was delayed, we wont leave you stranded.
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If you require help, further information or would like to provide feedback, to help us improve in the future:
Speak to staff at the station or on the train. Use the Customer Help Point on the platform.
Message us on X @GWRHelp, Facebook Messenger @gwruk, Instagram @gwruk or WhatsApp 07890 608043. Our team is available daily between 06:00 and 23:00 Monday to Friday and 07:00 to 23:00 Saturday and Sunday.
Call our Customer Support team on 03457 000 125, who are available between 08:00 and 20:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00 to 17:00 Saturday and Sunday, or National Rail Enquiries on 03457 484 950, who are available 24 hours a day.
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Delay Repay:
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If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can apply for Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
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Last Updated:08/05/2026 16:09

The 12:17 from Westbury to Swindon ran and is now sat in the bay at Swindon awaiting its next working.

It is Limpley Stoke.

Awaiting a bridge examiner.

Well, AI is mistaken in those dates dates quoted.

Core term expired 22 June 2025; contract end date not until 25 June 2028.

According to the TSSA Union's website....

Chiltern Railways and Great Western Railways services are then expected to follow, with the Secretary of State of Transport due to make final decisions on when exactly this will happen in due course.

All passenger services operating under contracts with the department are expected to return to public ownership by the end of 2027 and will eventually be integrated into Great British Railways.

12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58
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 road vehicle colliding with a bridge.

It would appear that the company who hosts the server had been unable to collect their monthly fee ... don't know why, perhaps a glitch somewhere;

Glasd they provided an answer to the meaning of "delayed" - train not moving yet towards destination & until it does, we are unable to work out an estimate of the amount of delay....just still getting later basically.

The timing for Great Western Railway (GWR) returning to public ownership is based on the government's phased nationalization schedule under the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024. 

While specific dates for later transitions can occasionally shift based on the exact end of franchise periods, the December 13, 2026 date aligns with the expected expiration of GWR's current contract.

Why this date?
* Contract Expiry: The government is bringing operators back into public hands as their existing private contracts expire to avoid paying compensation to the private firms. GWR's current agreement with the Department for Transport (DfT) is scheduled to conclude in late 2026. 
* The Three-Month Rollout: Since the 2024 Act, the government has been nationalizing roughly one operator every quarter. For example, South Western Railway transitioned in 2025, and West Midlands Trains followed in early 2026. 
* Autumn 2026 Window: Official projections and timelines from the DfT and major news trackers (such as The Guardian's nationalization tracker) place GWR in the "Autumn 2026" bracket, specifically targeting mid-December to coincide with the winter timetable change—a standard point for major administrative shifts in the rail industry. 

The final operator, CrossCountry, is currently projected to be the last to transition in late 2027.

That's the western end of Rotterdam Centraal, as seen by somebody still half asleep, or from a camera with a hazy memory.

On a train that could do with a visit to the carriage wash?

GW returns to public ownership on 13th December, announced this morning.

Some of our regulars from Melksham are aware that if they want to get to London earlier than the 10:02 but not pay £££ for the 08:02, they should split at Chippenham,  and use part of their saving for a coffee at the Hungry Hare.