Does anyone know what the Agenda for this 6/3/26 meeting is and who the Speakers are and on what topics as I can’t find these details on the TWSW Website.

Thanks for your post, AMLAG.

I defer to my colleague grahame to reply on this one.

The Passenger Voice in Policy and Decision Making
Come ii you’re interested in better journey experiences, easier planning, I was just shaping the policies which affect the network and access you have to opportunity.
For the last 25 years, TWSW has uniquely brought the voices of all groups in the region together with those who run and design the services and network. If you want to be part of this, book and come along.

The Balvano train disaster occurred on the night between 2–3 March 1944 in Balvano, Basilicata, when 517 people in a steam-hauled, coal-burning freight train (mostly stowaways) died of carbon monoxide poisoning during a protracted stall in a tunnel. It was the deadliest railway accident in Italian history and one of the worst railway disasters ever.

Faulty lock gates 'threaten future' of historic ship


The Matthew is a reconstruction of the ship John Cabot used to sail to America in 1497

The trust which operates a reconstruction of a historic ship says faulty lock gates are affecting its commercial viability and could destroy the ship itself.

The Matthew has been a fixture of Bristol's harbour since 1997, regularly running trips along the Avon Gorge.  However, The Matthew of Bristol Trust said a "lack of proactive investment in essential harbour infrastructure" by Bristol City Council had "contributed to the failure of the lock gates" and had resulted in £25,000 in lost revenue for the trust.

The council said it understood the reduced operation of the lock gate impacted vessels, but said "all available options and arrangements were considered" beforehand. It added that a dive survey is due to take place this month which will give clarity on the extent of additional repairs needed.

Chair of The Matthew of Bristol Trust Richard Sandwell accused the council of adopting a "fix it when it breaks" approach. "Last season we had to cancel trips," he said. "We had people on board and we couldn't get out because the swing bridge failed. If the dock gates fail when we are between them, and the water level drops, then the ship would be ripped apart and people's lives would be at risk."

Work to repair the harbour lock gates began in June 2025, which the trust said had required a prolonged closure of one of the gates, and had caused "significant disruption to harbour operations".  It said despite efforts to keep going by running tours of the Floating Harbour, it made a profit of just £30 last year. The trust added that its financial reserves have already depleted by £120,000 since the Covid pandemic, as money has been used to pay back a pandemic loan.

"The council says we get a free mooring so we should be grateful," Sandwell said. "We can't guarantee our sailing schedule because the council can't guarantee the gates opening, and our insurers won't insure us for other people's failings."

Vice-chair of the trust Mark Boulton added that it was "committed" to ensuring The Matthew "continues to educate, inspire, and contribute to Bristol for many years to come".

Chair of the council's harbour committee, councillor Andrew Brown, said: "Despite the limited access during the urgent repair works, which were completed in mid-November, the harbour authority has continuously met its statutory duties. We're acutely aware of the importance of reinstating normal operations of the lock for the summer but ability to do so will be dependent on the results of the survey and the extent of the repairs required."

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

17:35 also showing as Delayed currently; need to be home on time so catching 16:47 Warminster from Bristol to Bath then getting 1715 bus to Melksham.

I would be interested to know what the problem was with the Melksham ticket.

Was it invalid due to conditions such as time of day or route, or an advance ticket being used on the wrong train?  In this case the industry has some responsibility due to the complexity of the ticketing system.  It may be that purchasing a single to Westbury and catching a London train from there would solve the problem.

If it is a totally invalid ticket then the TOC has no responibility.

Thanks for posing that question, Bob.

Yes, we do have something of a tradition of 'doing things differently in North Somerset'. 

I can't recall the exact details, but I think I didn't need to tap out on my arrival at the Bristol Hospital, but I did have to at the Weston super Mare Hospital.

Starts Sunday 24 May 2026 to Sunday 24 May 2026
Route(s) affected
Between Warminster and Swindon and between Swindon and Westbury and also between Westbury and Bristol temple Meads
Description
Engineering work is taking place until 09:00 between Bradford-on-Avon and Warminster, closing some lines.
The 08:06 Warminster to Swindon trains will not run and will be part replaced by an earlier rail replacement bus departing at 07:45 from Warminster, calling at Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Trowbridge and Melksham to Chippenham. Rail connections available between Chippenham and Swindon.
The 09:08 Swindon to Westbury will start from Chippenham. No connection from Swindon into this train. However there will be road transport at 09:45 from Chippenham dropping off only at Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury. Earlier rail connections from Swindon to Chippenham to connect into this replacement bus.
The 08:39 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads will depart 09:06 and will operate later than normal throughout.

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:58 will be starting late from Swindon.
This is due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge.