GWR daily cancellations

[The exile]

Those “shorter services” are the ones doing the donkey work over the shorter distances. Without them there’d be even more people crammed into the Pompeys. They also serve what have become very important stations in their own right. As a local commuting start point, Oldfield Park appears now far busier than Bath Soa, fior example.

 

[sh24]

Somewhat surprised to see the Up Midnight still in Paddington at 08:30 this morning. It seems that something broke as there was an 0Z99 inbound to Paddington. That plus 2 closed platforms at Reading, a broken down train and an ill staff member (accordingly the various PA's), another fun GWR morning.

..and now I can see a full line block at Lavington. Yay.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Would it not make more sense to cancel or withdraw the shorter services between Bristol and Westbury / Salisbury to allow the Cardiff to Portsmouth services to be correctly operated?

So if you withdraw these services then stations such as Freshford, Avoncliff, Dilton Marsh have no train service…

 

[vicbury]

So if you withdraw these services then stations such as Freshford, Avoncliff, Dilton Marsh have no train service…

Oh really? I thought they were served by the Weymouth services. No easy fix then!

 

[The exile]

Oh really? I thought they were served by the Weymouth services. No easy fix then!

Dilton Marsh can’t be. The shorter runs also provide the main service to stations such as Keynsham and Oldfield Park which are far from being little wayside halts.

 

[800001]

Somewhat surprised to see the Up Midnight still in Paddington at 08:30 this morning. It seems that something broke as there was an 0Z99 inbound to Paddington. That plus 2 closed platforms at Reading, a broken down train and an ill staff member (accordingly the various PA's), another fun GWR morning.

..and now I can see a full line block at Lavington. Yay.

What is the Up midnight in normal speak?

 

[MasterPhillips]

What is the Up midnight in normal speak?

I assume it Means the Penzance to Paddington sleeper service. Left Paddington towards Reading depot around 90 minutes late this morning.

 

[800001]

I assume it Means the Penzance to Paddington sleeper service. Left Paddington towards Reading depot around 90 minutes late this morning.

Ah! Seems strange to call it Up midnight, as neither sleeper leaves at Midnight, one at 21:45 and one at 23:45.
So much easier if people actually put exactly what it is, not things that make no sense.

 

[43096]

Ah! Seems strange to call it Up midnight, as neither sleeper leaves at Midnight, one at 21:45 and one at 23:45.
So much easier if people actually put exactly what it is, not things that make no sense.

Not that strange really. "Down Midnight" and "Up Midnight" are terms that have been in use for years and ought to be pretty obvious to work out in the context of GWR.

 

[Towers]

Ah! Seems strange to call it Up midnight, as neither sleeper leaves at Midnight, one at 21:45 and one at 23:45.
So much easier if people actually put exactly what it is, not things that make no sense.

Perhaps GWR are planning a rebrand, good bye “Night Riviera”, hello “Up (at?) Midnight”!

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Ah! Seems strange to call it Up midnight, as neither sleeper leaves at Midnight, one at 21:45 and one at 23:45.
So much easier if people actually put exactly what it is, not things that make no sense.

it’s an enthusiast nickname from days of class 50s when it was roughly midnight from both of Plymuff and Paddington.

 

[800001]

Not that strange really. "Down Midnight" and "Up Midnight" are terms that have been in use for years and ought to be pretty obvious to work out in the context of GWR.

Been an enthusiast for over 30 years, not once have I heard either of the sleepers called that.
All they had to write was down sleeper and would of been clear!

Just because you might find it ‘pretty obvious’ does not mean that others on here do! Hence my question.

 

[aar0]

It looks like all services between Cardiff and Portsmouth are 2 or 3 cars this morning, instead of 4 or 5.

The 0828 was 5, though two 165/6 rather than 158/9

 

[sh24]

Been an enthusiast for over 30 years, not once have I heard either of the sleepers called that.
All they had to write was down sleeper and would of been clear!

Just because you might find it ‘pretty obvious’ does not mean that others on here do! Hence my question.

I’ve been in and out of the railways for 30 years and it’s always been the Up and Down Midnight, or more recently the Beds.

 

[800001]

I’ve been in and out of the railways for 30 years and it’s always been the Up and Down Midnight, or more recently the Beds.

Well that’s all well and good for you knowing it! I didn’t and am sure a lot of the people didn’t as well. It wouldn’t have been too much trouble for the poster to of said down sleeper.

Anyway, this is deviating away from the thread………

 

[embers25]

I’ve been in and out of the railways for 30 years and it’s always been the Up and Down Midnight, or more recently the Beds.

As a VERY regular user of this train I've never heard 'Midnight' used. 'Beds' yes because that makes sense...it may have been years ago but not now.

 

[Snow1964]

Multiple cancellations in Bristol area today.

including overrunning engineering work, and signalling problems between Weston Super Mare and Severn Beach, also cancellations between Bristol and Bath Spa

 

[Nick Ashwell]

Multiple cancellations in Bristol area today.

including overrunning engineering work, and signalling problems between Weston Super Mare and Severn Beach, also cancellations between Bristol and Bath Spa

I'm stuck in this, the lack of information really doesn't help.

Train staff are doing their very best but even they don't have a clue as unfortunately no one has told them anything

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I'm stuck in this, the lack of information really doesn't help.

Train staff are doing their very best but even they don't have a clue as unfortunately no one has told them anything

Unfortunately lack of information with overrunning engineering works is something which hasn’t improved with time and still behest on getting information from the engineers on the ground who are often over optimistic of when they will hand back the engineering possession.

I’ve attached a link to a documentary about Network South East in the early 1990s and it starts with a section about overrunning engineering works and is very good at showing what actually goes on and yet how the information is poor - nothing has really changed.

“Old, Dirty and Late” very much worth a viewing….

 

[aar0]

Chaos currently at Cardiff Central, everyone on their phones is reading all lines blocked, Severn Tunnel closed after a train hit something at Severn Tunnel junction. Tannoy says just some delays and the next Paddington train cancelled… I’ve gambled on a pint round the corner.

 

[800001]

Chaos currently at Cardiff Central, everyone on their phones is reading all lines blocked, Severn Tunnel closed after a train hit something at Severn Tunnel junction. Tannoy says just some delays and the next Paddington train cancelled… I’ve gambled on a pint round the corner.

A 158 passing through tunnel has experienced a broken window, believed to of been caused by a lose pipe coming off the train.

Some trains are examining the tunnel now for any obstructions.

 

[Nick Ashwell]

Just seen a GWR 80x diverting at Chepstow, so hopefully won't be too major for the Paddington trains

 

[father_jack]

Just seen a GWR 80x diverting at Chepstow, so hopefully won't be too major for the Paddington trains

Problem with a train in the Severn Tunnel, reason ascertained and normal working resumed.

 

[aar0]

Normal… with residual delays. Don’t think any GWR heading west has entered Cardiff since 5pm.

 

[brad465]

Today was a very bad day for cancellations, most especially for anyone trying to travel from any intermediate station between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads.

 

[GoneSouth]

Today was a very bad day for cancellations, most especially for anyone trying to travel from any intermediate station between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads.

Weather related? Staff related?

Either way sounds fairly standard these days.

 

[Horizon22]

Today was a very bad day for cancellations, most especially for anyone trying to travel from any intermediate station between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads.

It's a (wet) Sunday. Go figure!

I would honestly advise anyone relying on GWR on a Sunday between the staffing & resourcing issues and the NR Western infrastructure performance.

 

[sp503]

A bad day for the North Downs Line. 2V40 (0836 from Redhill) was cancelled, and so was the following 1V41 (0900 from Gatwick). And the next one 1V42 departed Redhill 20 minutes late. This means that the first train from Redhill to Reading after 1V39 (0817 today) departed at 1004. Nearly two hours of vacuum towards Reading.

Looks like GWR pulled a Turbo unit from the Basingstoke services to save the North Downs Line, as cancellations are also seen on the Reading Basingstoke line after 1030.

 

[Snow1964]

Today (Monday) it is Bristol-Bath-Westbury that is seeing lots of cancellations, at least 10 trains cancelled on this section so far.

 

[dk1]

Lots of delayed and worried passengers at Liverpool Street today who have missed their booked trains due to the GWR weather related problems. Told those I saw not to worry and to just jump aboard as word had got out about the disruption that way.