21:35 Swindon to Westbury due 22:52

An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 21:35 Swindon to Westbury due 22:52.

 
Sunday June 29

1P41 09:58 Great Malvern to London Paddington (12:22) cancelled throughout.

My fault - I wanted to travel home from London on this one.
Stock running ECS to Shrub Hill.

... and I'd prefer Foregate St.

 
17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55
17:44 Swindon to Salisbury due 18:55 will be terminated at Westbury.

It will no longer call at Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

 
Scenario - you are looking to take over an organisation / setup and give it a new lease of life, and you want that new lease of life to be popular with your customers, especially when it comes to them reviewing what you've done in a couple of years.   Now - how can you make the *most* improvements?   The lower you can start, the biggest mess you have to clear up, the more improvements there are available for you to make and look good in the eyes of customers.

Should the existing workforce - the people who already run the organisation - be directly or indirectly in your pay, or wish to be employed or continue to have an active position in the future, they'll need to be very wary indeed about being critical of this rundown, won't they?   They'll even tell you there's no problem at the moment ...

---

The above are some highly generalised thoughts, but I just wonder how much they might be applied to some of the things we see going on in the rail sector at the moment - looking at who and how the remaining TOCs work, on what various contrators within the sysme do, and how associated organisions like the ORR, Transport Focus, the Community Rail Network and Partnerships - all majority funded by the organisation that is taking over the reins - might fit within those thoughts. Just a wonder - may there be a seed of truth in suggesting a linkage to the current appalling mess and a product which, certainly here in Melksham isn't fit for purpose at present?

 

I suspect you are correct!! 

It’s never going to be resolved for free.

 
I suspect the DfT hasn't agreed as it has no additional budget to pay for it....so blame HM Treasury.

 

I do, yes.

Dead in the water would be a stalemate between the unions and the operator.  If true, the fact it’s already gone beyond that is very encouraging, with perhaps only a bit of tinkering required.

[Modified to correct quotes]

 

Do you think so? 

If the DfT have indeed rejected the Sunday proposal then the whole agreement is dead in the water, it’ll go no further.

 

Similar to the 08:42 from London Paddington to Carmarthen.    Running empty to Swansea to pick up the return working, starting at Swansea, later today.

 
Until (relatively) recently: a loco + 7 carriages to meet a reliable demand from the travelling public.

Now: a multiple unit with the possibility that the provision is 2 carriages on that service - and a strong possibility that it is cancelled at short notice. Travelling public making other plans. Many miles of expensive rural inter-regional railway doing not very much at all.

Mark

 

Yes a bit more encouraging.....of course it was going to be so much easier with Labour in charge......

 

 
Instead of carrying a train full of people looking forward to a day on the beach, it will be carrying a train full of fresh air! Sad.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C27682/2025-06-29/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:91846/2025-06-29/detailed

 
Admittedly it’s only a small saving but if you had got your senior railcard added to your Oyster card, you would have saved a third on your trip from St Pancras to Paddington.

 

I guess that’s more positive than I was expecting at this stage if two of the three interested parties have hatched up and agreed on a plan.

 
Cancellations to services between Reading and Gatwick Airport

Due to a shortage of train crew between Reading and Gatwick Airport fewer trains are able to run on all lines.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 10 minutes. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
Apologies to customers, we don't have enough drivers and guards on shift today to run all our scheduled services on the North Downs Line between Reading and Gatwick Airport via Guildford.

 

As far as I am aware, Helen Godwin goes be she/her… Bristol Rail Campaign is reiterating the need for Pilning Station in a statement to her at the next meeting of the MCA.

 

............well there were some extras but......

17:35 Castle Cary to Reading due 18:46
17:35 Castle Cary to Reading due 18:46 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

19:42 Castle Cary to Reading due 20:54
19:42 Castle Cary to Reading due 20:54 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

 

Are these extra trains or just stop orders applied to existing services?

In other news, an agreement for solving the Sunday situation has been reached between the Unions and GWR, unfortunately the DfT have reportedly rejected the proposal. 

 

It looks rather as if there are a number of extra trains scheduled from Castle Cary this afternoon - perhaps the powers that be have decided to sacrifice the services they provide for their normal (loyal, regular) customer base for services for the people who come once a year?   With pre-planning and a need to provide a public service I can sorta-understand that.  To only announce wholesale decimation of certain other services on the actual morning strikes me a very bad planning and / or a showing of disregard to the people who want to use the service not only today but tomorrow, next week, and next month.

 
.....a quick look at JourneyCheck suggests that the GWR BBQs are being fired up across the region today!

(......or could it be attending Glastonbury, or getting in the queue early at Wimbledon causing today's mass cancellations?)

 
Melk to Melksham in a day and a half - by train mostly, with a single bus, walks of no more then 5 minutes from my starting point (hotel) and end point (home). The only pre-booked part with a reserved seat was the Eurostar train through the Channel Tunnel.  The only part where the train failed to be practical was the last leg to Melksham due to cancellations only declared (lack of staff) after I was actually on my way.

Hotel to Melk station - 8 minute walk
Melk - St Poelten, 07:11 to 07:27, local train on time.
St Poelten - Frankfurt Main, 07:46 to 13:36, German ICE, actual 08:05 to 14:05
Frankfurt - Brussels Midi, 14:27 to 17:35, German ICW actual 14:27 to 18:13
Brussels Midi - Doornik/Tournai, 18:14 to 19:16, regional train, actual 18:40 to 19:40
Tournai - Lille Flanders, 20:24 to 20:52, local ("international") train, on time
Walk to Hotel - less than 5 minutes. Overnight stop
Walk to Lille Europe station - 7 minutes.
Lille Europe - St Pancras International - 13:35 (CET) to 13:57 (BST), actual 13:35 to 14:00
St Pancras International - Paddington (Hammersmith Lines), actual 14:07 to 14:20
Walk to Paddington ("lawn") main concourse - 5 minutes
Paddington - Swindon, 14:32 to 15:28, GWR Cheltenham Express, actual 14:32 to 15:32
Swindon - Bath Spa, 15:24 to 15:47, GWR Weston-s-M Express, actual 15:36 to 15:59
Walk to Bath Bus Station - 5 minutes
Bath Bus Station - Melksham Market Place, 16:15 to 17:03, Faresaver route 271, actual 16:18 to 17:11
Walk home - 5 minutes - arrived by 17:20.

Not quite planned trains / routes all the way. From Brussels to Lille my connection was supposed to be via Kortrijk/Courtrai (love the places with 2 different names!) but that missed and I re-routed, and then the ongoing connection off that at Doornik/Tournai also failed and I ended up on the train a further hour later. So 61 minutes later than planned into Lille.  From London to Melksham, plan was to arrive into Melksham at 18:00 after a wait at Swindon for the infrequent onward service - however (overnight) GWR had cancelled the 17:35 and 19:44 from Swindon and though I was doing the whole thing "On principle" by train, waiting for the next train at 22:12 would have been perverse - I really didn't want to sit around for nearly 7 hours.  I should say that GWR had added a scheduled extra bus that would have got me (if running to new schedule) to Melksham Station at 18:33, home at 18:55.

Tickets / fares

* Interrail Pass, Melk to Lille. Using local trains Brussels to Lille to avoid the need for a reservation / supplement (with the hassle of potential late running and ending up arriving in Brussels after my inward train had left, or with a long wait there

* Eurostar Snap - £45 Lille to London. I would have preferred an earlier train in the day, but this is a late allocation seat-filler fare and you accept what you're given

* Oyster Card - £2.80 St Pancras to Paddington

* Super off peak single with senior railcard - £27.60 Paddington to Melksham, with ticket accepted (spoke with member of GWR staff ahead of time) to Bath Spa because of train cancellations

* Senior Bus Pass - Bath to Melksham - free to me at the point / time of use.

Conclusion - it can be done and I enjoy(ed) it - perhaps with the exception of when things were going very wrong around Brussels waiting for an unknown delayed arrival, then after a mad dash through the subway to an unknown delayed departure sitting in a stuck hot and crowded commuter train.  But it requires a certain acceptance of changes, knowledge and sorting out the challenge to actually get there.

We slate the British Railway system for failing to deliver the promised trains on time - but whilst the most significant disruption on the journey was in the UK, there WERE also significant delays in both Germany and Belgium, and the final bus ride - though just a few minutes late - was a reminder that traffic (and passenger volume) delays are not unique to the rails.

The Interrail pass does wonders. It's unfortunate that there is added complexity with reservations that pushed me onto local trains into France and the UK, and that as a UK resident I'm only allowed 2 days here - discriminatory in my view.  I COULD have used a 4 day pass for my Melksham to Melk journey (2 days) and then 2 days back, but other travel plans mean that I only have 1 UK day left and I am preserving that.

This is a journey log - not telling of the wonderful places seen and experiences along the way.

Would I do it again - yes / happy to do similar journeys, though not until next month. 

 
That looks like 5 out of the 7 round trips cancelled ... wasn't someone telling us just in the last 24 hours that there IS no crew shortage - just that not enough crew know the routes needed.   

I gave up on the train yesterday - the intent was Melk (in Austria) to Melksham.  Got as far as Bath Spa ...

 
08:06 Warminster to Swindon due 08:58
08:06 Warminster to Swindon due 08:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

09:08 Swindon to Westbury due 09:49
09:08 Swindon to Westbury due 09:49 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

10:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 12:57
10:38 Weymouth to Swindon due 12:57 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.

10:41 Westbury to Swindon due 11:24
10:41 Westbury to Swindon due 11:24 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

11:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 13:45
11:32 Swindon to Weymouth due 13:45 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
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 will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

14:05 Frome to Swindon due 14:58
14:05 Frome to Swindon due 14:58 will be cancelled.
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 started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23
20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16
21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

 
Here is the National library of Scotland link to the 1904 25" OS Map

https://maps.nls.uk/view/120901525

 
Blimey, my flabber is truly gasted.  I thought that no one would get that but once again  I'm reminded never to underestimate the collective knowledge of this forum.  I stumbled on it on a walk between Pershore and Evesham.
I thought that, despite it clearly leading to the farm entrance, it might have been linked with the adjacent gravel pits (now part of an expanding holiday chalet park).  The O.S map at 2.5 inches to the mile does rather make it look like it was linked to the Pershore to Evesham line.

 
A very sad event.

From the BBC:


Of note is that a fire and rescue crew from Temple Back (which is in central Bristol) was also dispatched to Bradford-on-Avon. Clearly the emergency services were doing all they could possibly do to rescue the swimmer.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

CfN. 

 
The press release is on the RMT website.
https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-to-ballot-gwr-gateline-staff-over-dangerous-lone-staffing/

Anyone car to spill *which* seven stations are referred to?

I presume that the suggestion is to flexstaff away from barriers into the stations as a whole? Or are they suggesting a loss of these staff?

 
.... and to confirm charged correctly with the linked D&C Railcard discount taken off.