Unless someone else is paying GWR don't invest in the southwest.

Probably best not to let TG see that.

Oops - too late! 

The Inter City - Paddington to Cardiff? (Or was it actually the Inter-City?)

A bit of honesty here. The train is well used, it needs to be frequent to be used more but it's never been over crowded and often runs, like now with plenty of free seats. But throwing false bits of info into the mix is never a good option to take to increase service levels. (and this is coming from some who has used the service not an arm chair critic).

As chair or MTUG, totally agree your sentiment. Capacity - as noted - was an issue in 2017 / into the first half of 2018, on the 17:35 (as it was) from Swindon. It was cured once GWR retired their class 153 trains which were used for many services until then. Not been an issue since except on very rare occasions when disruption elsewhere decants loads of long distance passengers onto our train. From time to time I walk through the train taking a rough count and it's averaging just over 100 passengers using that service on the single line sections that's not duplicated by other passenger trains. In the early days there was also a capacity on the summer / weekend train that extends to Weymouth for day trips; that's a hard one to predict but we have muted publicity. Plenty of seats Swindon to Westbury, gets full and standing and sometimes very full south of Yeovil.

Covid and changing work patterns hit us bad, probably because so many of our passengers were daily commuters into jobs that can be done remotely or indeed automatically. It has built back up, but the peak is no longer as sharp as it was, as work hours have become much more flexible; on the busiest section of the line, you'll find the 15:29 and 19:00 from Chippenham carrying far more passengers that the 18:00 (was 17:50) which is good for load balancing.

There was absolutely no intent to mislead readers into thinking we have a capacity issue on any individual train these days - sorry if it read like that. Issues holding back growth remain frequency, reliability, and the customer experience in particular at Melksham Station.

Huge THANK YOU for using the service; please continue to do so, and let us know of any other issues. You would also be very very welcome to be more actively involved.

Or B9 and B10, possibly?

Learner drivers still forced to wait months to book tests

Learner drivers have to wait an average 20 weeks, or around five months, before booking a practical test, according to new figures, despite attempts to reduce delays.

The data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for August is only a marginal improvement from 20.2 weeks in July.  The average wait time between booking and sitting a test is unchanged at 11.1 weeks.

The DVSA initially had a target of reducing the average waiting time to seven weeks by the end of last year. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander pushed the target back to summer 2026, but subsequently admitted even that would not be possible.

The DVSA made a number of changes to its practical driving test booking system earlier this year.  Only the learner driver themself is now able to book their driving test, blocking an instructor or third parties from booking using the learner's details.

There is also a geographical restriction which means a learner can only book a test at their three local test centres, rather than one at the other side of the country if they found a test available.  The number of times a would-be driver can swap a test date has also been restricted.

(BBC article continues)

Part of me has a twinge of jealousy - but just a twinge.  I am happy for the people who live and want to travel along the corridor, and I am delighted at the example being set.

It shows me that innovative changes can be made at a timetable recast - and could be done in the recast that SWR (rather than SER) are preparing for December 2027 - it sets a precedent for improvements, such as joining up the Bristol -> Salisbury service to the Salisbury -> Waterloo service

It acknowledged that services from residential areas into the centre of London to different termini throughout the day are a useful / wanted / required service, and with that is a reminder that Paddington is not Waterloo and that services from Bath and Westbury to both termini will be servicing different markets rather than competing with each other

It confirms the need for two trains an hour - or four or six per hours in the inner suburbs - for a Metro service suitable for daily lives in the areas

Based on previous experience, there may be teething troubles and I really hope that SER have the stock, staff and track capacity to deliver at least 90% of the trains they promise - but then with the frequency timetabled, if a train is cancelled there will be another one along at a maximum of 30 minutes later.   What a contrast to my home station where a cancellation leaves the next one not along until 120 minutes later, and because that's likely to be the same train or crew it's liable to be cancelled too.    Give us the 30 minute service and we'll fill the trains, especially with the 80% uplift in new house numbers that's planned

Indeed, I have long felt it sensible to keep a reserve of food, water, fuel and other supplies.
We are vulnerable not only to extreme weather, but also to industrial disputes, wars, coups and revolutions overseas, and other emergencies.

Cancellations to services between Oxford and Hereford via Worcester Shrub Hill

Due to vandalism of railway equipment at Evesham trains have to run at reduced speed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Train services between Oxford and Hereford via Worcester Shrub Hill and Great Malvern may be cancelled, delayed or revised.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
Network Rail advises that the signalling in the Evesham area has been affected due to vandalism.
-
What are we doing about it?
-
We are working with Network Rail to be able to return to running our normal timetable as soon as possible.

-
What are your options?
-
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today, these are the current options available to you:
-
Option 1: If there are other rail companies or local public transport operators who may be able to help you make your journey, we will provide details here.
-
Option 2: Replacement transport provided by us such as a buses, coaches or taxis, have not been requested at this time. We will continue to monitor the need for this as the situation develops and provide updates here.
-
Option 3: If your train is cancelled, you may travel on either of the two services before, or two services after, your original train. If these are peak services or less flexible, you can still travel with your original ticket, at no extra cost.
-
Option 4: Consider postponing your journey until our service returns to normal.

Thanks, Graham - doing the weekend splits enabled me to spot a mistake I made, so I've since corrected the figures in my posts above... (basically the weekday gap between last and this year is a bit higher in the favour of last year, and the all week gap is also a bit higher, but in favour of this year).

The weekend stats are hugely significant, thank you.   They rather confirm our decision to promote both train and bus days out at weekends this summer.    We have still been somewhat muted on the promotion of the direct trains from Melksham to Weymouth and back on Saturdays; with the trains being just 3 carriages all the way these says, rather than 5 south of Westbury, it would have been all too easy to load not only full-and-standing but beyond that to crush south of Yeovil Pen Mill.  As it was, on both occasions I went the down train was certainly not carrying fresh air when it got to Dorset.

Separate stats for weekdays/weekends give:

Weekdays:
Summer 2026 - 94.30% 91.92% of services ran
Summer 2025 - 94.78% of services ran

Weekends:
Summer 2026 - 91.94% of services ran
Summer 2025 - 68.72% of services ran

So, a slight drop in 2026 for weekdays (-0.48% -2.86%), but a huge rise at weekends (+23.22%).

The government has given permission for a new guided busway route between Cambourne and Cambridge by making the necessary Transport and Works Act (TWA) order, awarding legal authority to proceed with the scheme.