20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06

20:06 Westbury to Cheltenham Spa due 22:06 will be terminated at Gloucester.
It will no longer call at Cheltenham Spa.
This is due to the emergency services dealing with an incident.

I will follow up here to let members know the answers.

I did see some previous correspondents reference to the new timetable for Dilton Marsh. [redcated] may be a bit closer to it. I’ll have a look and get back to you by Monday.

Future Cumbria rail landslides 'may not be detected' says inquiry


Network Rail has been told to take urgent steps to mitigate future risks

Equipment to keep the rail network safe from landslides may not be able to properly detect the risk of future slope failures, an investigation has found.

A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) inquiry into the derailment of an Avanti West Coast train at Shap, in Cumbria, on 3 November found lineside monitoring equipment used by Network Rail may miss other potential incidents.

There have been a number of landslides in Cumbria near the rail network with one on Thursday which caused disruption.

Network Rail said it will continue to work closely with the RAIB as part of its investigation and it is new technology to monitor conditions.

RAIB has told the organisation, infrastructure managers and companies supplying or monitoring relevant equipment to take urgent steps to consider and mitigate risks.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "We have one of the safest railways in the world and the safety of passengers and our colleagues remains our first priority. With extreme weather conditions becoming more frequent for all infrastructure managers, Network Rail is increasingly using new technology to monitor and report on the conditions of our embankments and cuttings, assessing areas for further development."


The Glasgow to London train derailment left four out of 87 people on board with minor injuries

The RAIB report said: "Lineside monitoring equipment used on Network Rail-managed infrastructure may not be able to detect the failure of slopes in some circumstances. As a result, this equipment may not provide data as expected to support safety decision-making, particularly during extreme weather conditions."

Network Rail said they fully support the RAIB's report and will work with their "supply chain to put the RAIB's safety advice into practice, strengthening the performance of sensor equipment where necessary."

"Over the next four years across the North West, Network Rail has already committed to investing £30m on earthworks and £68m on drainage to ensure our railway stays safely on the move during adverse weather," a Network Rail spokesperson added.

The Glasgow to London train derailment in November left four out of 87 people on board with minor injuries, North West Ambulance Service said.

Network Rail, which looks after the track, said the precise cause of the 11-carriage train's derailment was still being investigated but operations director Sam MacDougall said early indications suggested the train had hit a landslip.

Immediately after the derailment, passengers were taken to the nearby Shap Wells Hotel before being transferred to two coaches - one heading to London and the other to Scotland.

13:18 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:24 will be started from Great Malvern.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Last Updated:19/12/2025 12:18

I suspect if a member of crew can operate a number of routes including the TransWilts and there are two services which need operating, the TransWilts will be the one to fall away.   

Nothing to do with passenger numbers but for operational reasons.  [snip]

Whether it is passenger numbers or operational constraints, the end result is the same for travellers but I suspect it is the latter that leads to cancellations when there is a crew shortage.  More importantly we need to keep pressing for sufficient crew and in the short term the need to arrange and publicise alternative road replacement when services are cancelled.

I very much doubt that the DfT (or even GWR when presenting to DfT) singles out any particular line of service, unless the MP(s) in question take the DfT to task) - so overall at drivers depot level, yours are likely the least used of services that Westbury drivers drive. So you catch the short straw to disadvantage the fewest customers at drivers depot level.

One of the items that GWR consider when short-staffed is which services should we run, and which are our most popular services of those that will be affected in the time-slots that we are short?

I suspect that your services carry the fewest of trains in those time periods, and thus cancelling yours is affecting the fewest number of overall travellers wanting to travel at those times.

Staffing levels are down to the DfT....as is recruitment over & above the 'agreed' number of operatives.

So you have crew taking  time of year - possibly using up annual leave if the leave year end equates to the calendar year-end, and no change of 'borrowing' drivers from another depot as they are unlikely to have the route knowledge.

So yes, long-term & short-term, its the DfT

Yes, ditched many moons ago now.

DfT?

Well Done, GWR.  What's the excuse for still not having enough staff for this train over 10% of the time?