Cancellations to services between Chippenham and Trowbridge via Melksham
Due to a shortage of train crew between Westbury and Swindon disruption is expected until 20:30 11/07.
Train services between Chippenham and Trowbridge via Melksham have been cancelled.

Customer Advice
Owing to a shortage of train crew several afternoon / evening journeys on the Westbury - Swindon - Westbury (via Melksham) route have been cancelled.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause to your intended journey on this route today.

Taxis will operate in place of the cancelled train services between Chippenham and Westbury in both directions, calling at Melksham and Trowbridge. This road transport is intended to connect at Chippenham out of the next Swindon to Chippenham train service (normally a service to Bristol Temple Meads) following the cancelled Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham service. From Westbury they will connect at Chippenham into train services towards Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington.

Buses are not too bad to the hospital on a Sunday.   The 1/1A/1B and 12 combine to give three buses an hour.

Edit to add.  For the return the 12 has the advantage it stops outside the railway station after Fleming Way - but only runs hourly at 33 mins past the hour from the hospital.

New summer bus service for Ironbridge tourists


The bus will take people to a number of sites around the Ironbridge Gorge - Image © Getty Images

A new summer bus service aims to help people get to popular tourist attractions in the Ironbridge Gorge.

The bus will run every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday until 13 September and passengers can hop on and off throughout the day for £2.

It will call at The Wrekin, Wellington town centre, Madeley High Street, Ironbridge Wharfage, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Jackfield Tile Museum and other attractions.

Telford and Wrekin said Ironbridge Gorge Park and Ride at Jiggers Bank car park would also be available throughout the summer.

The council said its "Wrekin Connect" bus was being run as a trial service and it wanted to hear people's feedback.

It said it hoped the service would allow people "to enjoy a full day out exploring the area without the need to use their car".

Ollie Vickers, the councillor responsible for transport, said the bus was a "simple and affordable way to travel".

The council has produced a full timetable and route map.

Historical iron bridge documents to go on display


The three documents tell the story of the construction on the famous bridge in Ironbridge - Image © National Trust

A collection of records telling the story of the world's first large-scale iron bridge are due to go on display.

The National Trust, which now runs the Ironbridge Gorge museums in Shropshire, said the records had recently been recognised for their significance by Unesco.

It said the construction of the iron bridge there "marked a turning point in engineering and construction, demonstrating the potential of cast iron on an unprecedented scale".

The three documents are Abraham Darby III's original cost estimate, a ledger showing a list of his business activities and a personal share certificate which belonged to him.

Last month the documents were added to Unesco UK Memory of the World Register, which recognises "documentary heritage of outstanding national and regional importance".

They will go on display for two weeks from 15 July to mark this.

The bridge, completed in 1779, gave its name to the town of Ironbridge and the surrounding gorge, which the National Trust said was "widely regarded as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution".

Local ironmaster Abraham Darby III was commissioned to build the bridge to a design by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard.

As well providing an important river crossing, the bridge was used to "demonstrate the capabilities of his company and the versatility of cast iron for architectural use" the National Trust said.

(BBC article continues, with further details of opening times, etc.)

The message again - don't rely on the railway in anything other than Spring-like conditions, or as Graham suggests,  during holiday periods or major sporting (especially football) events.

Not quite sure about the auto-added info to the TG code above!!!!

This is a tragic human event - I wonder whether "Across the West - General rail topics" is really the most appropriate place for its discussion?

Moderators - could it perhaps be moved to a more suitable location?

1W21 1053 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill cancelled due to an issue with the train crew (TG).

1W25 1252 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street cancelled between Oxford and Worcester Foregate Street due to unknown cause (ZW).

1P26 1316 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington cancelled between Worcester Shrub Hill and Oxford due to unknown cause (ZW).

1W29 1453 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street cancelled due to unknown cause (ZW).

1P30 1518 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington cancelled between Worcester Foregate Street and Oxford due to late arrival of an inbound service (YI).

1P32 1518 Hereford to London Paddington diverted via Swindon

2E14 1704 Didcot Parkway to Evesham cancelled between Oxford and Evesham due to unknown cause (ZW).

1P36 1726 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington cancelled due to the train operator's request (TB).

1W03 1734 London Paddington to Hereford cancelled due to the planned train being replaced with a slower train (MS).

2E16 1851 Evesham to Oxford cancelled due to unknown cause (ZW).

1P46 2200 Hereford to London Paddington cancelled due to late arrival of an inbound service (YI).

Oh dear ... we are told not to mention BBQs.  So perhaps I should not mention a football match in Miami tonight?

There is a sad pattern ... "severe weather", big match, public holidays ... where GWR are simply unable to provide the service that they are contracted to provide or the public really need if they are to rely on trains.  I am not looking to attach any blame there - just stating a fact we can see from the stats.  98% achieved on a "normal" week - a fair weather railway, but then it goes pear-shaped.    But then once the immediate situation is resolved, we move on / persuaded to the "yes it's better" and the underlying things that caused the problems are just glossed over / forgotten - except by the disappointed customers who are put off / have been suppressed from using the railway.

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.

I would imagine last night's match in New York may have had more than a little influence on crew availability today......football matches where beer is involved have previously been cited by those in the know as a contributory factor!

That's not to say of course that said match, given the late kick off was not preceded by food prepared outdoors over charcoal on a type of grill?