From The BBC


Is playing music on public transport "Chipping away at Society"? ... I can recall a member of this forum and a well respected campaigner playing a violin - or was it a viola - at the opening of Ashley Down, public pianos at a number of stations, and flash mob performances that seem to enhance people's experiences ...

 

There are ... times ... I wish I had provided an "amazed" button answer as well as a "like" button. If you have understood correctly (and I have no reason to doubt it) it looks to be rather backward step in terms of providing a reliable service, doesn't it?

Has the new timetable change sorted out the lunchtime problem where a crew arriving off the semi-fast London to Exeter service do a round trip to Swindon ... notorious for being cancelled, turned at Chippenham or delayed if anything goes wrong (does it ever?) between London and Reading,  delaying the Exeter.

 
I understand that Gloucester drivers have had Melksham work removed with the change of timetable. Along with Bristol drivers losing Weymouth, it would appear Westbury depot are too thin to cover all the gaps.

 
Now here's something you don't see in the UK these days - pretty unusual elsewhere too and I have posted them in "History" rather that heritage things you can see and enjoy.

This from Poland on the line from Lithuania - the sole rail link (if you can call it that with the change in gauge between the two countries).  "Rail Baltica" will link from Poland across Lithuania and Latvia and on to Tallinn in Estonia and I suspect that in the process the old signalling communications will be replaced.

 
On Tuesday we caught this train ...



On Thursday we ate breakfast at this station ...



If it's Friday it must be ...



... catching the 06:01 train.

Experiences overtake the time to write them all up.

 

Personally and I’m not alone, I can’t see why Go-Op or indeed any Train Operator should have
to be saddled with the cost of upgrading these footpath level crossings.
The route from Thingley Jn to Bradford Jn is routinely used intensively for planned and emergency diversion of a wide variety of trains and identified safety concerns requiring upgrades and  installation of Red/Green lights to inform users should be installed at the Infrastructure owner’s (currently Network Rail) expense with possible financial assistance from
outside bodies such as County Councils.

 

20:06 Westbury to Swindon due 21:21
An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 20:06 Westbury to Swindon due 21:21.

Additional Information
Four people carriers from Bath Taxis. Before getting in any taxi vehicle please check with the driver that they are working on behalf of GWR, the driver should not ask for payment.

 
(Source of phrase, for anyone who missed it:
https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=11010.msg361826#msg361826 )

 
Thanks for that. It's wonderful how much specialist knowledge you get here! 

And you may regret including that link - you'll get some more dumb questions from this end!

 
It's a phrase that resonated. So much railway land redeveloped for retail, and just occasionally, provision made for a new line through the site.

Galashiels is to some extent a case of "Where there have never been trains, there will be trains", mind, to misquote John Betjeman.

Mark

https://postimg.cc/62Lg43tB

 

And now cancelled throughout ... no real difference on the TransWilts section where it was cancelled anyway!

 
Red/Green crossing lights will need to be installed presumably?

 
........and it's fallen over again.....

Cancellations to services between Slough and London Paddington

Due to urgent repairs to the railway between Slough and London Paddington some lines towards London Paddington are closed.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected until 16:15 29/05.

 
With Asda being our main shop I was surprised to learn that there was a crossing behind it. But having looked at Google satellite view I now know where that gravel path down the side of the car park goes
https://maps.app.goo.gl/TdaBdE7KTedn9QMN7

 

There is concern at the safety at the level for crossings behind  Asda, behind Beanacre Church and the electric substation, and on the path from Shurnhold field to Beanacre.   With the extra trains running, and those level walkways classified as having significant pedestrian use, the ORR has specified improvement works.   They may be minor in some ways, but those updgrades would cost rather more than my "pocket money".

The northerly and the southerly of those two crossings have already has significant extra barriers put in quite recently, and the fact that it's almost impossible to work out where the public path actually goes across the fields away from them gives lie to "significant pedestrian use". The middle of the three *is* used rather more and hasn't been upgraded - perhaps it does need some attention.  Caveat - I am not a safety expert.

 
I'm not up to speed on the details, but "...minor infrastructure upgrades..." - is that accurate?

 
Yes, that's a logical interpretation. 

2405/2418 are the distant signals (yellow or green only). 
2406/2425 are the section signals. 
2407/2416 are the signals protecting the junctions (and when a train has passed them it is clear of the section)
The two black boxes between Hanborough and 2418 are the axle counter sections (neither is associated directly with 2418)

I find it a little easier to intepret on SignalMaps than OTT:  https://signalmaps.co.uk/#cherval1:1658  You can also see when Ascott has requested a slot for the up direction - the 'AW2406 Release' lights up white.

 
OK, that makes sense - thanks.

I'd been looking at the map at https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/oxford#T_WVCTJN, which has what looked like intermediate signals.

 

It is a "joke" ... a humeourless joke ... today. Goodness knows what has been cancelled and what has been re-instated and what ends up running in the end.    It  may feel OK to the folks who run the trains to chop and change during the day depending on staff availability - after all, a driver coming in to work at X O'clock doesn't need to know where he's going to be until a few minutes before.   However, for passengers (customers) rather more planning is needed, especially on services which are infrequent in the first place.  Perhaps more thought should be given to customers and the effect on them of all these "will-it, won't-it" flip-flops.

 
Just looking at options for my usual commute home Bristol-Melksham (on the National Rail website) and of 9 options between 13:00 and 19:25, 4 are currently showing as "This service is cancelled". 2 cancellations are for the Chippenham-Melksham leg, 2 for Trowbridge-Melksham.

 
There were delays from about 15:45-16:15 at Oxford after a freight was stopped for examination after reports of smoke coming from an axle.



To add to Witham Bobby's post.  There are no intermediate signals, other than the colour light distant signals for the signals that protect the junctions at either end.  There is an intermediate axle counter section which splits the single line section into two parts, but that hasn't got any signals associated with it.

It's a bit different between Ascott and Moreton-In-Marsh as there are intermediate signals - for the level crossing at Bruern - and again between Moreton and Evesham for Blockley and Chipping Campden L/C's.  But these are only to protect the crossings, so trains can't go beyond the section signal of a given box until the train in front is within station limits of the signal box ahead.

 
From Brian Mathew's Facebook feed ... icky connection today and I have lost the link ...

Edit - link should be https://www.facebook.com/BrianMathewMP/posts/pfbid04TXxn5pQXNCDEczt3dUwCNa2jjidhCLhMu27SxLY77NgUxprQYxyyhGVNH8HJQRhl

 

I don't think there are any intermediate signals on the Wolvercote - Ascott-under-Wychwood single line.  So, heading downwards, a second train cannot leave Wolvercote until a preceding one has cleared Ascott-under-Wychwood and the section is clear

 

 
The 16:23 from Westbury and the 17:35 from Swindon now re-instated.

However

 
Meanwhile, a technical question about signalling on our line.

Yesterday (Wed May 28), I was on the 15:52 back from Paddington. We left Oxford +48, but then sat at Wolvercote for 13 minutes. Looking at OpenTrainTimes, this seemed to be waiting for the halts train, in front of us, to get out of the single track section at Charlbury. We also sat at Ascott, waiting for it to reach Moreton.

Now, looking at OpenTrainTimes, there appear to be intermediate signals on the Wolvercote - Charlbury section. My question is this : why could we not have followed the halts train through the suingle track section? We would still have had to wait at Ascott, but at least we'd have got passengers to Hanborough and Charlbury.

As it was, we got to Charlbury +64 and to Moreton +75.

 
Wednesday May 28

The Wednesday of the half-term holiday, with lots of day-out traffic to London.

Alas, GWR seem to have suffered from a perfect storm. I have never know such a wide range of explanations for delays. I suffered from

• track circuit failure in the Swindon area
• failed train blocking a platform at Shrub Hill
• unspecified delay south of Oxford
• unspecified delay after Slough
• overhead wire problems between Paddington and Reading
• waiting for a driver
• following a stopping train
• following a different stopping train

Final scores for yesterday are not a pretty sight, and will have put off some of that day-out traffic from using the train.

1P20 08:18 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington : arriving stock blocked by 1W11 (+50), departed +36, further delayed after Oxford, arrived +71.
1P22 08:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington (11:27) : started from Worcester Foregate Street, delayed after Reading, arrived +28.
1P24 09:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington (12:23) : delayed after Reading, arrived +19
1P30 13:16 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington (15:22) : departed +28, arrived +28.
1P04 13:18 Hereford to Paddington (16:24) : held Norton for 1W02 (+12), delayed before Oxford (+53), arrived Reading +53 and cancelled thereafter.
1P34 15:18 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington (17:29) : cancelled throughout.
1P05 15:18 Hereford to London Paddington (18:29) : started from Worcester Shrub Hill
1P38 16:32 Great Malvern to London Paddington (19:29) : started from Worcester Foregate Street
1P39 17:26 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington (19:52) : departed +22, saved 10 at Moreton.
1P42 19:02 Great Malvern to London Paddington (21:26) : started from Worcester Shrub Hill, arrived +15.
1P44 19:45 Great Malvern to London Paddington (22:24) : started from Shrub Hill

1W11 05:53 London Paddington to Great Malvern (08:38) : held Moreton (+12), spent 26 at Shrub Hill (blocking 1P20), arrived Worcester Foregate Street +22 and cancelled thereafter.
1W15 07:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern (10:14) : departed +23, arrived +16.
1W17 08:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (11:14) : held Wolvercote for 1P20 (+16), arrived +22.
1W21 10:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill (13:01) : departed +23, delayed before Reading (+42), arrived +38.
1W02 11:52 London Paddington to Hereford (14:44) : delayed before Reading (+34), arrived Shrub Hill +39, Worcester Foregate Street +56 and cancelled thereafter.
1W25 12:52 London Paddington to Foregate Street (15:00) : delayed before Reading (+42), arrived Oxford +46 and cancelled thereafter.
1W27 13:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern (16:15) : delayed before Reading (+13) and at Shrub Hill (+21), arrived Worcester Foregate Street +20 and cancelled thereafter.
1W29 14:53 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (17:04) : delayed before Oxford (+40), arrived +36.
1W31 15:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (18:26) : departed +14, held Reading (awaiting driver, +42), held Wolvercote (behind halts train, +62) and Ascott (same, +73), saved 13 at Evesham. Arrived Worcester Shrub Hill +63 and cancelled thereafter.
1W33 16:58 Paddington  to Great Malvern (19:25) : started from Reading, held Oxford (+35), arrived Worcester Shrub Hill +29 and cancelled thereafter.
1W03 17:34 London Paddington to Hereford (20:25) : held Evesham (+32), arrived +31.
1W34 17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (20:11) : started from Oxford
1W36 18:57 London Paddington to Great Malvern (21:18) : delayed before Reading (+23), arrived +25.
1W41 20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (23:13) : cancelled after Worcester Shrub Hill (train crew)

 
Green Signals have released a 45 minute interview with Lord Peter Hendy looking at the future. He has some interesting points to make, especially with regard to the role of the MD of SWT

https://youtu.be/dYcb9tV0Glw?si=GVc0dcgIV7eZCOzg

 
Depressing ... and it feels it's getting even worse again.

Gap at Melksham ...
12:32 to 18:53 northbound
13:39 to 20:38 southbound
... and that's for a town of around 25,000 where an appropriate service would be running hourly each way; the timetable is thinner (just one every 2 hours) and the sort of thing being offered today has six hour gaps. Sadly, this is not unusual - it's ongoing.   The trains MAY end up being re-instated later but that's cold comfort to people who need to have their days planned. 

Things WILL go wrong occasionally ... but this is an ongoing problem and it is NOT occasional. It's difficult to see anything being done to provide a reliable service ... words are spoken, actions being taken explained and promised and there are even good patches for a while with it running a bit better, but it falls over again. Sad.

 
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00
14:18 Westbury to Swindon due 15:00 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59
15:15 Swindon to Westbury due 15:59 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06
17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 will be terminated at Swindon.
It will no longer call at Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.