Poor performance of GWR Worcester - Great Malvern services

[Parallel]

I'm sure this has been going on for years, but currently it's rare to see a day where one GWR service isn't terminated short at Worcester Shrub Hill, instead of running through as advertised to Great Malvern.

The West services currently have about a 20 minute turn around time at Malvern, but are still cancelled at Worcester even when they are running with only a small delay.

Are there any reasons for why cancellations are so high for this part of the journey? I imagine the single track lines through Foregate Street limit flexibility. Do they more or less just run through to Malvern for operational convenience, so they don't have to reverse back to Shrub Hill and then after waiting, go to Foregate Street before heading south again. I guess being the final leg of a long journey probably doesn't help either as delays can spiral out of control too.

But if it's an issue, why not just terminate the West ones at one of the Worcester stations with connections for onward journeys towards Malvern and Hereford?

 

[gordonthemoron]

are there (m)any other services between Shrubhill and Foregate street?

 

[JN114]

Very long block sections; can't run late without impacting the London Midland services over the single lines West of Malvern. Anything more than 10-15 late wil see the train terminate shrub hill, shunt out the way (usually into Long Siding) then shuffle round to Foregate Street right time.

 

[jimm]

Block sections and the track layout through Foregate Street and over the river are issues but there's also access to the turnback siding at Malvern Wells for services due to turn round there, which may be occupied by an LM train, another GWR service, etc.

Hopefully reinstatement of the Henwick turnback, due to be available for use from December this year, will assist matters - at least allowing delayed trains to reach Foregate Street (thus making connections to/from LM services easier) and then get out of the way without blocking up the platform at Foregate Street.

 

[Parallel]

are there (m)any other services between Shrubhill and Foregate street?

Generally 2 - 3 an hour (off peak) including the Bristol - Malvern services that run as 1tp2h