West of England line current service provision

[pompeyfan]

What’s the service level like today on the WoE?

 

[Class800]

SWR website says lines closed between Andover and Salisbury. Improvement from yesterday when it was closed as far west as Gillingham Dorset. Not clear yet if the 2 hourly service remains west of Salisbury or if back to hourly

 

[berneyarms]

What’s the service level like today on the WoE?

Looking at Realtime Trains, the following appears to be the plan:

GWR - Hourly service between Cardiff Central and Salisbury; Hourly service between Romsey and Portsmouth Harbour; Brighton services operating to/from Fratton or Portsmouth Harbour

SWR - Hourly service between Exeter St. Davids and Salisbury; Hourly service between Andover and London Waterloo (First train ex-Andover at 08:35); Bristol and Yeovil Pen Mill services operating to/from Salisbury; Romsey and Chandler's Ford service cancelled

 

[Class800]

Now it seems it's back to Andover to Basingstoke shuttles

 

[Kite159]

Now it seems it's back to Andover to Basingstoke shuttles

Looks like it's connects with the Waterloo - Portsmouth via Winchester services both ways at Basingstoke.

I assume it will run a couple trains to/from London later on for the evening peak?

 

[ricoblade]

I'm due to go to Salisbury on Monday from Waterloo, do you think services will be back to normal by then?

 

[Class800]

Personally, no - but we won't know for several days

 

[ricoblade]

Personally, no - but we won't know for several days

Thanks - I see now the disruption warning has gone out to COP Monday. Anyone know what the situation is with Waterloo to Salisbury (I don't know the route)?

 

[Mollman]

Thanks - I see now the disruption warning has gone out to COP Monday. Anyone know what the situation is with Waterloo to Salisbury (I don't know the route)?

This is what National Rail Enquires says:

Major disruption through Salisbury until at least the end of the day on Monday 8 November​

Live updates


Incident created31/10/2021 19:04Last updated02/11/2021 12:57Route affected
DownloadMapof route affected
Great Western Railway between Cardiff Central / Bristol Parkway / Bristol Temple Meads and Portsmouth Harbour / Brighton
South Western Railway between London Waterloo and Yeovil Junction / Exeter St Davids; between Bristol Temple Meads / Yeovil Pen Mill / Castle Cary and Salisbury and also between Salisbury and Southampton Central

TOC(s) affectedGreat Western Railway;South Western Railway;Description
On Sunday 31 October, the emergency services responded to an incident at Fisherton Tunnel near Salisbury station. The incident involved a Great Western Railway train service from Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads and a South Western Railway train service from London Waterloo to Honiton.
To see the latest travel advice from each train company, please click on the below links:

• General Advice
• Great Western Railway
• South Western Railway

Most of the lines through Salisbury are currently blocked, and will remain closed until at least the end of the day on Monday 8 November.
Customers are advised not to travel on this part of the network.
South Western Railway customer advice:
A 2 hourly train service will operate between Exeter St Davids and Gillingham.
Shuttle services are in operation between Basingstoke and Andover and also Salisbury and Exeter St David's starting at the following times:

• Salisbury to Exeter St Davids at 47 minutes past the hour
• Exeter St Davids to Salisbury at 25 minutes past the hour
• Basingstoke to Andover at 07 minutes past the hour
• Andover to Basingstoke at 38 minutes past the hour

If you decide to travel on this route, your journey will take longer than planned, and part of your journey may be made by replacement transport. You can also use your ticket, at no extra cost, on the following services:

• Great Western Railway on any reasonable route
• London Underground on any reasonable route
• CrossCountry between Reading and Southampton Central
• XelaBus routes X6 and X7 between Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford
• Stagecoach routes 4 and 9 between Exeter and Honiton

If you have tickets dated between 31 October and 4 November, they can be used up until 6 November.
If you have paid for you own taxi to travel due to this disruption, then this can be claimed back from South Western Railway's Customer Services team here.
Great Western Railway customer advice:
Great Western Railway have replacement road transport in place running between Salisbury and Romsey. Coaches are departing Salisbury for Romsey at 40 minutes past the hour and departing Romsey for Salisbury at 40 minutes past the hour. The journey time by road between Salisbury and Romsey is approximately 45-50 minutes.
You may use your ticket on the following operators services:

• Southern between Southampton Central / London Victoria and Brighton
• CrossCountry between Reading and Southampton Central
• South Western Railway between Basingstoke and Fareham / Portsmouth
• London Underground on the Circle Line

 

[cogload]

I'm due to go to Salisbury on Monday from Waterloo, do you think services will be back to normal by then?

No.

 

[Class800]

Thanks - I see now the disruption warning has gone out to COP Monday. Anyone know what the situation is with Waterloo to Salisbury (I don't know the route)?

Currently you have to take the Portsmouth train to Basingstoke, change for a shuttle train to Andover, then get a replacement bus to Salisbury. Or GWR acceptance is in place, so could could conceivably go from Paddington to Westbury by train, then by train to Salisbury - may be quicker.

 

[ricoblade]

Currently you have to take the Portsmouth train to Basingstoke, change for a shuttle train to Andover, then get a replacement bus to Salisbury. Or GWR acceptance is in place, so could could conceivably go from Paddington to Westbury by train, then by train to Salisbury - may be quicker.

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for, the information on the NR and SWT sites (posted above) does not give this information.

 

[Class800]

It does say GWR via any reasonable route - but you'd have to know the area a bit to come up with the Westbury idea (but do check timetables as calling pattern not the best at Westbury out of Paddington).

At my local station Cranbrook where I have just arrived home the 'wrong' way from London (i.e. via Paddington and Exeter st Davids), there is a poster up saying to only travel beyond Salisbury if essential - and if not, to go via Exeter st Davids and the GWR Paddington line. Until at least 6 November, Exeter line to London route Honiton tickets are being accepted via route Taunton - the Taunton route usually being a lot more expensive.

The poster also warns that buses between Andover and Salisbury are 'limited' - SWR currently says it will pay taxi fares if passengers stuck - could be some needed on that section, it's 18 miles Andover to Salisbury.

 

[moley]

BBC’s Paul Clifton has tweeted:

Salisbury rail crash: @NetworkRailWssx says removing the damaged trains will take at least another four days, and the line will not reopen before 15 November.

 

[Class800]

It will be interesting to see how the situation evolves, and whether the current route acceptance will continue for that long. It should do really, as otherwise it will put pressure on bus capacity in the Salisbury area

 

[21C101]

It would be better to run an Exeter to Westbury service via Yeovil Junction and a Yeovil Junction to Salisbury shuttle to be honest.

 

[Class800]

It would be better to run an Exeter to Westbury service via Yeovil Junction and a Yeovil Junction to Salisbury shuttle to be honest.

Ideally yes, but not likely to be seen as an operational option. Westbury calls on SWR Exeter services are occasionally found during engineering works with a reversal at Westbury station. But the preference is very much the GWR via Exeter St Davids route to Paddington.

The Westbury solution would likely require additional Westbury calls on GWR west country to Paddington services which may not be popular or agreed by GWR, and may cause pathing issues

 

[21C101]

Ideally yes, but not likely to be seen as an operational option. Westbury calls on SWR Exeter services are occasionally found during engineering works with a reversal at Westbury station. But the preference is very much the GWR via Exeter St Davids route to Paddington.

The Westbury solution would likely require additional Westbury calls on GWR west country to Paddington services which may not be popular or agreed by GWR, and may cause pathing issues

Via Exeter isn't much help from Axminster or Crewkerne alas.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

What’s the service level like today on the WoE?

WoE running normally - hourly Pad to Plymouth fast with 2-hourly Pad to Exeter slow.

 

[Class800]

Via Exeter isn't much help from Axminster or Crewkerne alas.

I know - it's a bit of a double back. For these stations, you would have to look at the replacement bus option although SWR say it is limited, or alternatively there is the option of Paddington - Westbury - Salisbury - Axminster/Crewkerne using existing services, although you need to note the limitations of Westbury calls on the Paddington services - not everything calls at Westbury.

WoE running normally - hourly Pad to Plymouth fast with 2-hourly Pad to Exeter slow.

That's not the West of England line. The term refers to the line between Basingstoke and Exeter St Davids via Salisbury.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

That's not the West of England line. The term refers to the line between Basingstoke and Exeter St Davids via Salisbury.

It appears the West of England line is used to reflect both service groups, both GWR and SWR use it.

 

[adc82140]

Another option for Salisbury would be train Paddington to Pewsey, then X5 bus to Salisbury. Or even train Paddington to Swindon, then X5 (although that's a bit of a long slog on the bus)

Is there ticket acceptance in place on Salisbury Reds?

 

[Kite159]

Any idea what the service level will be like on Sunday?

I assume it will be a hourly Basingstoke - Andover shuttle which connects with the trains to/from Weymouth or Portsmouth (via Winchester) or will SWR run extra EMU shuttles in the paths where the rough 2 hourly DMUs would have been (on the divert via Staines) to try and spread the passenger loadings for Basingstoke & Andover?

(Just trying to think if it would be worth driving to Andover tomorrow afternoon to avoid use of the replacement buses)

 

[Kremlin Stooge]

It does say GWR via any reasonable route - but you'd have to know the area a bit to come up with the Westbury idea (but do check timetables as calling pattern not the best at Westbury out of Paddington).

Another option for Salisbury would be train Paddington to Pewsey, then X5 bus to Salisbury. Or even train Paddington to Swindon, then X5 (although that's a bit of a long slog on the bus)

Is there ticket acceptance in place on Salisbury Reds?

Although it might be stretching the definition of a ‘reasonable route’, regular connections to Westbury - and onward to Salisbury - can be made by changing at Swindon onto the Westbury via Melksham DMU. Indeed, for passengers who are encumbered by luggage, or who use some form of mobility assistance, changing at Chippenham would give a same platform interchange rather than using the subway at Swindon.

 

[pompeyfan]

A friend has just told me that it’s very likely there will be no Andover shuttles to preserve mileage (whatever that means). Is Micheldver or Winchester an option?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

A friend has just told me that it’s very likely there will be no Andover shuttles to preserve mileage (whatever that means). Is Micheldver or Winchester an option?

Mileage required before needing an exam at Salisbury.

 

[jackot]

Supposedly, the Manchester to Bournemouth XC trains are due to be diverted between Basingstoke and Southampton Central because of engineering works on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th, and RTT says this is via the closed line (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G46039/2021-11-13/detailed) which doesn’t open until the 15th according to GWR. What does this mean? I have spoken to Cross Country themselves, who have said to still book and travel, so will these have to be cancelled. Maybe I am missing something…

Winchester
Saturday 13 - Sunday 14 November. Sunday 21 November
Saturday.
Trains will not call at Winchester and Southampton Airport Parkway. Journey times will be extended by approximately 45 minutes.

 

[route101]

Supposedly, the Manchester to Bournemouth XC trains are due to be diverted between Basingstoke and Southampton Central because of engineering works on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th, and RTT says this is via the closed line (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G46039/2021-11-13/detailed) which doesn’t open until the 15th according to GWR. What does this mean? I have spoken to Cross Country themselves, who have said to still book and travel, so will these have to be cancelled. Maybe I am missing something…

Are they going via Guildford? That would entail a longer time.

 

[jackot]

Are they going via Guildford? That would entail a longer time.

That’s what I imagined, but they are still calling at Basingstoke at the moment, so maybe that will change and they will go via Guildford

 

[yorkie]

Supposedly, the Manchester to Bournemouth XC trains are due to be diverted between Basingstoke and Southampton Central because of engineering works on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th, and RTT says this is via the closed line (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G46039/2021-11-13/detailed) which doesn’t open until the 15th according to GWR. What does this mean? I have spoken to Cross Country themselves, who have said to still book and travel, so will these have to be cancelled. Maybe I am missing something…

They will organise something, so don't worry; if you are delayed by 30+ minutes as a result you will be eligible for delay compensation.