A bit OTT but the central waiting room at Chippenham was flippin cold yesterday evening while waiting for the 1735 Swindon-Westbury. I can understand the heating having trouble keeping it warm in sub-zero temperatures, but the blowers weren't even blowing - something was broken. I reported it to the staff on the main exit barrier (across the bridge) who said they would investigate.

 

In amongst all the other - chaos - on GWR this is minor

 

 
I suspect the 16.23 to Swindon, a 2 car 158, was rather cozy as it would have had passengers off 13.55 Paignton to London. This train terminated at Westbury because of the track issue between Westbury and Pewsey. See:
https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=31378.msg370461#new

Transwilts to the rescue!

 
I guess that drivers are able to volunteer to do that - as long as their mileage claim to the TOC isn't fraudulent - but the way you posed the question Mark A - it read as though you thought there was a duty on the driver if you so asked? There definitely isn't.

 
Yes, near-midnight Yorkshire taxi person on a railway contract working on a dirty night took me to the door rather than to the... awkwardly situated station some distance from the village.

Mark

 
On the Chippenham-Melksham route they've been kind enough to drop me off at the bottom of Westlands Lane a couple of times (home is in Whitley). Once I was the only passenger so it potentially saved them about 2 x 1.5-2 miles of driving, but there was a couple of us on the most recent occasion.

 

I would agree with that.  And in this case he had to do a drop off and perhaps a pick up too.   They are averse to letting you off early - "you're driving past the end of my street - can I get off here?" either - but then so are buses, and have you ever asked a train not due to call at Dilton Marsh to make a stop there, even if the local train that should call is cancelled?

 

 

Errr......your ticket is to the *station* - not your 'preferred destination'. Taxi drivers are usually required to meter to the station & won't be paid any additional mileage incurred - so don't be surprised if your taxi will only go to the station. This is definitely the case when carrying more than 1 passenger - each passenger can not insist that they are dropped at their 'preferred destination' - but at the station concerned.

 
Here is a summary of yesterday:



1 planned cancellation because (?) it was a public holiday
2 cancellations described as "staff shortage"
6 cancellations described as "fault on this train"
9 services ran

50% cancellation rate

Of note from personal experience

* the 13 minute delay to the 07:21 (2M81) was due to 6M50 (Westbury to Bescot) which passed through Melksham at 07:09 (35 minutes early - it was due at 07:43) but then got held on the single line approaching Thingley, blocking 2M81 on the line approaching Bradford Junction.   At the time the train was due, the display on the platform at Melksham said:


* I was returning to Melksham on 2M30, and arrived into Chippehnam from Bristol (separate story) at 17:34.  I knew to go over to the gateline and ask staff for help.   The announcement system was advising people that the train was cancelled and "The next fastest train will be the 19:00 to Salisbury" - correct advice, but not telling people who didn't want to wait for nearly an hour and a half that they could seek further assistance if they did not want to wait for the train.


Capacity was also limited between Bristol and Bath yesterday afternoon, with single line working on one line while a safety check was made.  Altenate London <-> Bristol trains routed via Bristol Parkway, and just one an hour not 3 running from Westbury to Bristol. One has to wonder as a passenger why one of the trains stuck at Westbury could not have been used in place of the faulty one on the Swindon service.  My taxi driver from Chippehnam was metering his run, and GWR will be invoiced just shy of £45 - not a cheap ride at Bank Holiday rates!

Final thought - why when a train is cancelled does it say "Calling at" on the boards - the whole point is that it is NOT calling at and really it should say "not calling as planned at" should it not?

 

No - that is a taxi dropping three occupants at the station.   On the cusp of a delay-repay claim - 15 minutes late. The taxi was also charged with picking any passenger from Melksham to Trowbridge, so there was logic in him going there. Fuller reports to follow - a very interesting "state of the nation" set of learning journeys!

 
Is that a taxi dropping its sole occupant down at the station rather than at their preferred destination?

Mark

 
A ... wonderful day ...



... four bus journeys, and supposed to be four journeys by train but one turned into this ...

.

 
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58
21:16 Westbury to Swindon due 21:58 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12
22:31 Swindon to Westbury due 23:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

 
and


No alternative offered

 
 18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21

Additional information added just after 15:50.

 
18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

20:12 Swindon to Westbury due 20:56
20:12 Swindon to Westbury due 20:56 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

 

 

Thank you. Let's hope it's much much much much quieter than this year.

Lisa and I celebrating the New Year tonight - firstly because we like to be ahead of the game, and secondly because I want to be up early on 1st January to catch the first train of the year!

 
Here's another new topic I've primed, ready.  CfN.