Recent Public Posts
Re: Wiltshire and nearby estimates of station usage from April 23 to March 24 Posted by grahame at 16:24, 21st November 2024 |
Melksham decreasing?
...and it's the only one to do so.Sorry - just seen "analysis to follow".
Not unexpected - in fact better than it might have been.
The service is cancelled far too often if they're short of crew, or short of trains, or doing engineering work somewhere and sending expresses through Melksham, or (as has happened today) sending trains our way because of an incident at Limpley Stoke. And people can't travel on cancelled trains. Most avoid the rail replacement buses if they can, and that's even if they run them. And this got worse in the 23/24 year over the 22/23 year. Beware, it's an even worse prognosis for the 24/25 year. Do not expect to see better ORR stats for Melksham until they publish in November 2026. Once someone is let down badly, they take a lot of convincing to get back onto the "same" service. And cancellation of even a single train when the next one isn't for 2 hours is a bad let down whereas a single cancellation on a 2-per-hour or 3-per-our service is a let down, but not a bad one for most people.
The good news is that people travel on trains and not on statistics so if we can persuade whoever's running the trains and making timetable and on the day decisions to be aware of what best serves the community, and actually run it, improvements could come once Westbury re-opens.
Equipment Failure and Snow closure of EXD - Barnstaple and Okehampton 21112024 Posted by RailCornwall at 16:11, 21st November 2024 |
Last updated
21 Nov 2024 at 15:17
Train operators affected
Great Western Railway
Route(s) affected
Between Exeter Central / Exeter St Davids and Okehampton
Description
A points failure at Crediton means lines between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple are blocked. Services between Exeter Central / Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple will be cancelled.
Additionally, heavy snow between Crediton and Okehampton means the line is closed. Services between Exeter Central / Exeter St Davids and Okehampton will be cancelled.
Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Re: Wiltshire and nearby estimates of station usage from April 23 to March 24 Posted by matth1j at 16:00, 21st November 2024 |
Melksham decreasing?
...and it's the only one to do so.Sorry - just seen "analysis to follow".
Re: Wiltshire and nearby estimates of station usage from April 23 to March 24 Posted by matth1j at 15:51, 21st November 2024 |
Melksham decreasing?
Re: 21st November 2024 - publication date for rail usage stats Posted by grahame at 15:35, 21st November 2024 |
I have downloaded the data and put up a table including all the stations in GWR land for the last 4 years at
https://www.greatwesternrailway.info/statnav.html
Re: Wiltshire and nearby estimates of station usage from April 23 to March 24 Posted by grahame at 15:34, 21st November 2024 |
Dilton Marsh stands out in particular, to me.
The effect of providing a better service.
Re: Wiltshire and nearby estimates of station usage from April 23 to March 24 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 14:58, 21st November 2024 |
Dilton Marsh stands out in particular, to me.
Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury Posted by grahame at 12:49, 21st November 2024 |
11:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 14:52
11:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 14:52 will be diverted between Bath Spa and Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 11 minutes late.
This is due to a lorry colliding with a bridge.
11:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 14:52 will be diverted between Bath Spa and Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Bradford-On-Avon.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 11 minutes late.
This is due to a lorry colliding with a bridge.
Pity no Chippenham or Melksham stop on this one, though I appreciate it would have been well early for the normal train.
Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury Posted by grahame at 12:45, 21st November 2024 |
12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a lorry colliding with a bridge.
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a lorry colliding with a bridge.
THANK YOU for the extra Melksham and Chippenham calls in the 10:23 Portsmouth to Cardiff - or rather 12:12 Westbury to Cardiff. Makes sense.
10:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 13:48 was started from Westbury and will be diverted between Trowbridge and Bath Spa.
It will no longer call at Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea, Fratton, Cosham, Fareham, Southampton Central, Romsey, Salisbury, Warminster and Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.
It is being delayed between Trowbridge and Bath Spa and is now expected to be 20 minutes late.
It will no longer call at Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea, Fratton, Cosham, Fareham, Southampton Central, Romsey, Salisbury, Warminster and Bradford-On-Avon but will call additionally at Melksham and Chippenham.
It is being delayed between Trowbridge and Bath Spa and is now expected to be 20 minutes late.
Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury Posted by grahame at 12:38, 21st November 2024 |
Due to a lorry colliding with a bridge between Bath Spa and Freshford the line is blocked. Disruption is expected until 12:45 21/11.
Train services between Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury via Bath Spa may be delayed.
Customer Advice
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We're sorry for the delay to your journey.
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A vehicle has struck a railway bridge in the Limpley Stoke area between Bath Spa and Freshford. Network Rail have specialist staff on their way to the bridge to inspect it for any damage. Until this has been done we are unable to run trains over the bridge.
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To help you complete your journey you may use your ticket on CrossCountry services between Reading and Southampton Central and South Western Railway services between Basingstoke and Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour, and their services between Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour.
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If you are travelling from South Wales, Bristol or Bath towards the South Coast please take a Great Western Railway service to Reading and change their for CrossCountry services to the South. You can then change again at Basingstoke for South Western Railway services towards Fareham and Portsmouth stations.
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If you are travelling from the South Coast towards Bath, Bristol or South Wales you may use CrossCountry services between Southampton Central and Reading and South Western Railway services from Portsmouth stations to London Waterloo, changing at Basingstoke for services to Reading. Change at Reading for services to Bath, Bristol and South Wales.
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We will update this message with more information when we have it.
Train services between Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury via Bath Spa may be delayed.
Customer Advice
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We're sorry for the delay to your journey.
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A vehicle has struck a railway bridge in the Limpley Stoke area between Bath Spa and Freshford. Network Rail have specialist staff on their way to the bridge to inspect it for any damage. Until this has been done we are unable to run trains over the bridge.
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To help you complete your journey you may use your ticket on CrossCountry services between Reading and Southampton Central and South Western Railway services between Basingstoke and Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour, and their services between Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour.
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If you are travelling from South Wales, Bristol or Bath towards the South Coast please take a Great Western Railway service to Reading and change their for CrossCountry services to the South. You can then change again at Basingstoke for South Western Railway services towards Fareham and Portsmouth stations.
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If you are travelling from the South Coast towards Bath, Bristol or South Wales you may use CrossCountry services between Southampton Central and Reading and South Western Railway services from Portsmouth stations to London Waterloo, changing at Basingstoke for services to Reading. Change at Reading for services to Bath, Bristol and South Wales.
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We will update this message with more information when we have it.
Err ... not disruption until 12:45, but until 13:57 - see previous post declaring a cancellation on the TransWilts. And yet ... again ... trains cancelled due to issues elsewhere ...
Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury Posted by grahame at 12:35, 21st November 2024 |
12:17 Westbury to Swindon due 12:59
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a lorry colliding with a bridge.
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57
13:15 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 will be cancelled.
This is due to a lorry colliding with a bridge.
Re: De-icer and empty trains to tackle snow disruption, North West England - November 2024 Posted by Electric train at 12:32, 21st November 2024 |
From the days when British Rail EMU's and diesel electric locomotives had DC traction motors which had air vents for forced air cooling
11 February 1991. British Rail's Director of Operations, Terry Worrall, was asked to comment in BBC radio 4 "Today" programme, interviewer Jim Naughtie, on the adverse effects of the unusually heavy 1991 snowfall on railway services that winter. Terry Worrall explained that "we are having particular problems with the type of snow, which is rare in the UK" Jim Naughtie replied "Oh, I see, it was the wrong kind of snow," to which Worrall replied, "No, it was a different kind of snow".
Re: Ferries across waterways - whether by vehicle, foot or both (merged posts) Posted by grahame at 10:43, 21st November 2024 |
Thanks for posting that, Chris. I had ... wondered ... whether I should but thought I was probably the only one interested. RONG! ..
I wonder that they have enough ships left in the fleet - sort of TOC on water limitations, frugality and late delivery of complex new vehicles. New Glen Sannox ... when?
It appears to have been delivered today for entry into service in January - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cew1wxx0d0jo
The long-delayed ship at the centre of Scotland's ferries saga has been handed over by the Ferguson shipyard, exactly seven years after it was launched.
MV Glen Sannox, destined for CalMac's Arran route, is the first new large vessel for the west coast ferry fleet in nearly a decade.
The ferry operator will now conduct several weeks of crew familiarisation trials before the ship carries its first passengers in January.
MV Glen Sannox, destined for CalMac's Arran route, is the first new large vessel for the west coast ferry fleet in nearly a decade.
The ferry operator will now conduct several weeks of crew familiarisation trials before the ship carries its first passengers in January.
Wiltshire and nearby estimates of station usage from April 23 to March 24 Posted by grahame at 10:39, 21st November 2024 |
Newly published data - all Wiltshire stations plus some close neighbours
April 22 to March 23 | April 23 to March 24 | Station |
5468478 | 6118136 | Bath Spa |
2588034 | 2831130 | Swindon |
1621562 | 1812122 | Salisbury |
1444888 | 1578070 | Chippenham |
734772 | 840926 | Trowbridge |
518998 | 535644 | Westbury |
426702 | 486806 | Bradford-on-Avon |
295484 | 331932 | Warminster |
207090 | 254698 | Frome |
151630 | 170286 | Tisbury |
81534 | 93570 | Bedwyn |
64424 | 63350 | Melksham |
28230 | 30004 | Dean |
23402 | 24136 | Avoncliff |
12076 | 19300 | Dilton Marsh |
Analysis to follow
MOVED: 0635 Salisbury - Worcester Foregate Str thru Melksham keeps running late Posted by grahame at 10:25, 21st November 2024 |
This topic has been moved to TransWilts line.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=29317.0
Re: 0635 Salisbury - Worcester Foregate Str thru Melksham keeps running late Posted by grahame at 10:24, 21st November 2024 |
Would this thread perhaps be better off within the "Transwilts Line" section?
Sorry - it probably would, I'm not that familiar with the forum and its sections. Or next time I post regarding this trip, I start a new thread in that section?Helpful suggestion - I will move it there.
General note - please post / start threads where you feel is sensible and don't worry about perfect placement - there's no such thing and we can always move stuff around if appropriate
Re: 0635 Salisbury - Worcester Foregate Str thru Melksham keeps running late Posted by matth1j at 10:19, 21st November 2024 |
Would this thread perhaps be better off within the "Transwilts Line" section?
Sorry - it probably would, I'm not that familiar with the forum and its sections. Or next time I post regarding this trip, I start a new thread in that section?Re: 0635 Salisbury - Worcester Foregate Str thru Melksham keeps running late Posted by TaplowGreen at 10:15, 21st November 2024 |
Would this thread perhaps be better off within the "Transwilts Line" section?
Re: 21st November 2024 - publication date for rail usage stats Posted by grahame at 09:43, 21st November 2024 |
Summary / report at https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/lvscie3h/station-usage-2023-24-statistical-release.pdf
In Great Britain, 2,585 stations were served by mainline rail services as at 31 March 2024, including seven new stations which opened during the year.
A total of 1,610 million passenger journeys were made between April 2023 and March 2024. This is an increase of 16% from the 1,380 million journeys made in the previous year (April 2022 to March 2023).
Most and least used stations
The most used station in the latest year was London Liverpool Street with an estimated 94.5 million entries and exits. It was also the most used station in the previous year (April 2022 to March 2023), after the opening of the central section of the Elizabeth line which led to a large increase in its entries and exits. London Paddington, which also has Elizabeth line services, was the second busiest station. London Waterloo, which had been the busiest station in 17 of the previous 18 years prior to the Elizabeth line opening, was fourth busiest.
Birmingham New Street was the busiest station outside of London with 33.3 million entries and exits.
Of stations that were open during the year, Denton in Greater Manchester was the least used with 54 entries and exits.
A total of 1,610 million passenger journeys were made between April 2023 and March 2024. This is an increase of 16% from the 1,380 million journeys made in the previous year (April 2022 to March 2023).
Most and least used stations
The most used station in the latest year was London Liverpool Street with an estimated 94.5 million entries and exits. It was also the most used station in the previous year (April 2022 to March 2023), after the opening of the central section of the Elizabeth line which led to a large increase in its entries and exits. London Paddington, which also has Elizabeth line services, was the second busiest station. London Waterloo, which had been the busiest station in 17 of the previous 18 years prior to the Elizabeth line opening, was fourth busiest.
Birmingham New Street was the busiest station outside of London with 33.3 million entries and exits.
Of stations that were open during the year, Denton in Greater Manchester was the least used with 54 entries and exits.
Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury Posted by grahame at 09:30, 21st November 2024 |
05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07
05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07 is being delayed at Swindon.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.
05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07 is being delayed at Swindon.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.
13 minutes late from Swindon, 9 minutes late from Chippenham, 2 minutes late from Salisbury to Southampton.
Re: De-icer and empty trains to tackle snow disruption, North West England - November 2024 Posted by ray951 at 08:52, 21st November 2024 |
Talking of snow, but in the South West:
Due to heavy snow between Crediton and Okehampton the line is blocked. Disruption is expected until 10:45 21/11.
Impact:
Train services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton via Crediton will be cancelled.
Customer Advice:
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We are sorry for the disruption to your journey this morning.
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Heavy snow fall in the area between Crediton and Okehampton means we are currently unable to run trains along the line to Okehampton.
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You are advised not to attempt to travel along this route at this time. The snow is also affecting the roads in the area and we are currently unable to provide replacement road transport.
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We will update this message with more information when we have it.
Re: 0635 Salisbury - Worcester Foregate Str thru Melksham keeps running late Posted by matth1j at 08:47, 21st November 2024 |
Lucky again this morning. Well, lucky it wasn't any worse...
Woke up early so decided to catch the 0632 Southampton service from Melksham, to get to Bristol via Trowbridge. Looked to be running fine when I left the house, but by the time I got to Melksham, it was delayed, meaning I'd miss the train I was planning on catching at Trowbridge.
Initially I thought I'd wait anyway, and catch the next train at Trowbridge. But I checked it, and it was also showing as 'delayed'.
So I kept walking and caught the 271 bus from Market Place, ending up in Bath in time to catch the Weston-super-Mare service I would have caught at Chippenham if I'd gone for the usual 0721 Melksham train. Although the 0721 was badly delayed; would have ended up hanging around until the 0802 (only slightly delayed). Hence some relief at not choosing the worst option
(The Weston-super-Mare service was only running 6 mins late.)
Re: lies, damned lines and ontimetrains Posted by Timmer at 07:16, 21st November 2024 |
With the star over Melksham,we can be sure that it is indicating the beaded wise man from the east has arrived.
Only one question remains...where/who are the other two?
Ones in Swindon and the other in Nailsea, though the one in Nailsea doesn’t have a beard Only one question remains...where/who are the other two?
I’ll get my coat.
Re: North Cotswold Line delays and cancellations - 2024 Posted by Worcester_Passenger at 07:16, 21st November 2024 |
Wednesday November 20
The 'halts' train, 2E14 17:04 Didcot Parkway to Moreton-in-Marsh, and return, 2E16 18:51 Evesham to Oxford, cancelled "cancelled due to a problem with the traction equipment (MD)", according to RTT.
1W41 20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern cancelled throughout "due to an issue with the train crew (TH)".
Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury Posted by TaplowGreen at 06:58, 21st November 2024 |
05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07
05:11 Gloucester to Southampton Central due 08:07 is being delayed at Swindon.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.
Re: De-icer and empty trains to tackle snow disruption, North West England - November 2024 Posted by Electric train at 06:37, 21st November 2024 |
Snow and ice cause a number of problem,
- Points and switches freezing - this is counteracted by the use of electric point heaters, these have control systems that monitor cold and 'hot' rail and the humidity, in some locations in the UK there are driven snow sensors; most of these control units report back to Route / Regional monitoring system.
Conductor rail ice - the use of de-icing trains, basically the same units as the RHTT but with a different deployment head and the use of a de-icer fluid, "ghost trains" which are EMU's run by the TOCs on behalf of NR are run normally at night but can also be during the day; there are some locations with electric conrail heating typically at platforms and certain signals.
OLE - with freezing rain ice can build up on the contact wire which can damage pan heads, in the UK we don't have OLE heating systems unlike parts of Europe, the exception is HS1, NR will run "ghost trains" if the likely hood of ice on the OLE contact wire is a risk. Also heavy snow can build up on insulators and cause a flashover.
Lineside equipment - driven snow and snow drifts can get into electrical / signalling equipment causing shorts often only found as the snow thaws
Staff - it is just a general challenge for Operations, reactive and maintenance teams to get into work and get out to lineside equipment and for train crew get to booking on points
Re: 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury Posted by grahame at 06:09, 21st November 2024 |
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Salisbury and Warminster.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
06:35 Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street due 09:47 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Westbury.
It will no longer call at Salisbury and Warminster.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.