Reading to Salisbury extra stops

[m00036]

With there being a number of GWR cancellations today on the Reading to Basingstoke line, the SWR Sunday only fast service to Salisbury made additional stops at Reading Green Park, Mortimer and Bramley on the 18:12 and 19:12 departures today (these two departures were already non-scheduled, possibly diverted due to planned SWR engineering works)?

It’s unusual in many ways, not least:
1) A Reading to Basingstoke service not calling at Reading West
2) Reading Green Park had a six carriage platform put in but this might be the first time a greater than three carriage (5) service called at the station, along with the first non-GWR service. Does this pave the way for half hourly services on Sunday along this line?

I was watching at Green Park and have some videos but here are just a few pictures:

 

[Kite159]

I'm pretty sure it's not the first time SWR have called at those intermediate stations on Sundays when GWR has multiple cancellations due to their current Sunday working issues.

As for the lack of a call at Reading West, I'm pretty sure in the previous timetable there used to be a peak time GWR service which omitted Reading West due to timetable conflicts with a train to/from Newbury.

(As for the extra SWR services from Reading this evening, that is solely down to the engineering works between Basingstoke & Woking as it opens up more journey options for customers wishing to avoid the chaos of the replacement buses at Guildford)

 

[JN114]

SWR have been helping GWR out with additional calls when requested between Reading and Basingstoke for a few months now; including at least one occasion (indeed the initial occurrence that kicked off this new-found collaboration) where one of the GWR 2Jxx circuits was covered for a couple of round trips by an SWR unit and crew due to GWR’s own unit shortages.

I haven’t paid enough attention to formations when it has happened, but it could very well be the first 5 car. Mortimer and Bramley can only accommodate 3 though; not sure how that would work on an SWR service, if their SDO can handle it or not.

 

[Kite159]

SWR have been helping GWR out with additional calls when requested between Reading and Basingstoke for a few months now; including at least one occasion (indeed the initial occurrence that kicked off this new-found collaboration) where one of the GWR 2Jxx circuits was covered for a couple of round trips by an SWR unit and crew due to GWR’s own unit shortages.

I haven’t paid enough attention to formations when it has happened, but it could very well be the first 5 car. can only accommodate 3 though; not sure how that would work on an SWR service, if their SDO can handle it or not.

The units can handle the SDOs at Mortimer and Bramley if formed of 4/5 coaches. No difference to the SDOs needed at Feniton/Tisbury/Whimple which also have 3 coach platforms.

Although Mortimer towards Reading is a pain due to the station building obstructing the view of the station entrance