Hi all, forgive me if this has been posted elsewhere already, but does anyone know if the Bath Christmas Market has any excursion trains this year? If so what are the diagrams looking like? You get a good mix on there from what I remember, thanks.
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Bath Christmas Market Trains
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Snow1964
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The Bath Christmas market opens today (Thursday 26th) until Sunday 14th December (just 2 weeks, 4 days)
Today, a considerable number of trains to Bath Spa are just 2 or 3 car (clearly no strengthening is happening)
No specials today or tomorrow
Saturday sees number of Bristol-Westbury extras (and few Swindon-Bristol extras), some probably worked by IETs although no first class. At 1650 there is an IET extra to Cheltenham via Swindon
Saturday has locomotives hauled :
from Paddington arriving 11:14, returns 17:50
from Ulverston arriving 12:03, returns 15:55
Sunday has a couple of extras between Bristol and Bath in morning, and token number of Bristol - Swindon extras in evening. No long distance extras.
Tuesday has loco hauled extra from Rugby arrives 13:17 departs 16:30
Following Saturday (6th) has repeat of extra local trains
Today, a considerable number of trains to Bath Spa are just 2 or 3 car (clearly no strengthening is happening)
No specials today or tomorrow
Saturday sees number of Bristol-Westbury extras (and few Swindon-Bristol extras), some probably worked by IETs although no first class. At 1650 there is an IET extra to Cheltenham via Swindon
Saturday has locomotives hauled :
from Paddington arriving 11:14, returns 17:50
from Ulverston arriving 12:03, returns 15:55
Sunday has a couple of extras between Bristol and Bath in morning, and token number of Bristol - Swindon extras in evening. No long distance extras.
Tuesday has loco hauled extra from Rugby arrives 13:17 departs 16:30
Following Saturday (6th) has repeat of extra local trains
Thankyou for that info
Mitchell Hurd
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I believe most of the Bristol to London Paddington services have been cleverly timed to leave at xx:25 and xx:55 to enable the longer dwells at Bath Spa.
Snow1964
Established Member
Although busy Bath markets are now on there are some questionable allocations today via Bath.
eg 1F07 Cardiff-Portsmouth just 2cars Bristol-Portsmouth
2V64 Weymouth-Gloucester just a 2car 165 (a 3.5 hour journey in a short suburban configuration DMU)
various Bristol-Salisbury trains (which act as park and ride from other intermediate stations just 2car). Although this is probably more a reflection of lack of serviceable stock on GWR that haven't got anything to strengthen services.
Anyone at Bath station today at about 13:57 should see a 175 delivery to Laira pass through.
eg 1F07 Cardiff-Portsmouth just 2cars Bristol-Portsmouth
2V64 Weymouth-Gloucester just a 2car 165 (a 3.5 hour journey in a short suburban configuration DMU)
various Bristol-Salisbury trains (which act as park and ride from other intermediate stations just 2car). Although this is probably more a reflection of lack of serviceable stock on GWR that haven't got anything to strengthen services.
Anyone at Bath station today at about 13:57 should see a 175 delivery to Laira pass through.
Ulverston to Bath has to be one of the more exotic services seen on mainline rail recently
brad465
Veteran Member
Would I be right in thinking this service is a Christmas market special? I certainly don't recognise it otherwise:
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Realtime Trains | 1K00 0846 Cheltenham Spa to Bristol Temple Meads | 29/11/2025
Real-time train running information for 1K00 0846 departure from Cheltenham Spa to Bristol Temple Meads on 29/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
That routing looks odd, so it definitely has to be a special service put on for the Christmas Market.Would I be right in thinking this service is a Christmas market special? I certainly don't recognise it otherwise:
Realtime Trains | 1K00 0846 Cheltenham Spa to Bristol Temple Meads | 29/11/2025
Real-time train running information for 1K00 0846 departure from Cheltenham Spa to Bristol Temple Meads on 29/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
deltic
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What is so special about Bath Christmas market that it generates additional trains, is it any different to all the Christmas markets that have sprouted up all over the place?
Kite159
Veteran Member
Would I be right in thinking this service is a Christmas market special? I certainly don't recognise it otherwise:
Realtime Trains | 1K00 0846 Cheltenham Spa to Bristol Temple Meads | 29/11/2025
Real-time train running information for 1K00 0846 departure from Cheltenham Spa to Bristol Temple Meads on 29/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
Booked service that
"SO - 24/05/2025 to 13/12/2025"
brad465
Veteran Member
Probably the prestige of the city, I was Uni in Bath and it certainly seemed to fit in with the heritage somehow, even though I personally don't rate Christmas markets. It's not just trains, the A36 near Twerton has dedicated coach parking during the markets as well.
Interesting, either way certainly going to be useful at the moment.
Wychwood93
Member
I was on the 1F18 1223 from Pompey - shown on RTT as a 4-car when it was actually a 2-car 158. I joined at Southampton and it was full and standing and remained so, certainly to Salisbury where our group of retired staff alighted and headed to Wetherspoons which was an intention rather than a consequence! The female guard did an excellent job with suitable apologies and suggestions. Look at the dwell times from the attached RTT output - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P08392/2025-11-28/detailed#allox_id=0 - ignore the alleged four car formation, it was a two. We were about 20 minutes, a pint down, come Salisbury!
It’s certainly run earlier in the autumn, so not just for the market.
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Even without the Market, Bath is a massive draw at weekends with serious overcrowding problems. With it, the crowds are even greater.
Snow1964
Established Member
Some of the extras were cancelled.
A quick look at Real time trains shows lots of trains in red (running late), and taking long while to churn at Bath, eg this one showing as 6.5 minutes stations stop even though it was 28min late arriving (and 33min late departing)
Realtime Trains | 1F18 1209 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central | 30/11/2025
Real-time train running information for 1F18 1209 departure from Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central on 30/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Kite159
Veteran Member
This is where I suspect the guards much prefer working 165/166s over the 158s, solely due to having their own area at the rear of the train to do station duties from, without trying to force their way into a wedged out vestibule area of a 158 where in some cases I would imagine would be nearly impossible to reach the back cab area.
I guess it attracts more long distance visitors than say, Barnsley Christmas Market does…?
Although I guess cups of luke warm mulled wine will be significantly cheaper in Barnsley!
WelshBluebird
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Today had some considerable dwell times due to the markets. A friend was on the midday train from Temple Meads which was delayed by almost half hour because of the crowds.
For some reason you get a lot of people from south Wales over too so the Portsmouth Harbour services are particularly affected.
Bath is an easy day trip from London and I imagine combined with the Christmas Market makes it even more compelling for tourists who may otherwise stay in London.
Apparently there's more of a focus on small businesses in the Bath one too?
Yeah the bath one is very small business focused. I'd say that it 'feels' larger than a lot of others, and to almost be the main focus. Along with as mentioned the city's character lending itself to the season and adding to appeal.
50018_Reso
Member
Bath also has the added attraction of decent pubs and gets very busy when the Bath Rugby are in town - Sat 6th of Dec is the next home fixture so be especially extra busy.
I am from the North East and had a few days in Bristol travelled down to Bath on Saturday to see Xmas Market and was shocked to see the numbers of people who travelled by train on returning back to Bristol from Bath on the Saturday tea time there was two huge lines of people one line going towards London direction and the other one going towards Bristol and Cardiff and rail staff were allowing people on to platform just before trains were due in .I thought it was well run by railway staff with large numbers of people involved. I have never seen numbers like this in the North east of England since the 1950s when the trains from Newcastle to Whitley Bay used to attract huge numbers on hot summer days . I Think the Railway need a pat on the back for handling this so well
Add to that the fact that anyone who has tried before knows that on virtually any Saturday (let alone Market / Rugby days) the parking space you eventually find may well turn out to be further away from the City Centre than you started from! (Obviously doesn’t apply to those from further afield - yet!!!!)
50018_Reso
Member
As someone who used to have to cross Bath heading for Newton St. Looe will know that Bath is a nightmare at any time driving.
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