Late running GWR services that run non-stop between Bristol and Reading or London

[Class 33]

I usually have a curious look at the live departures board from Bristol Temple Meads on the National Rail website most days to see what's going on and how the trains are running. And I'm always very envious when I spot late running services that miss out the usual stops of Bath, Chippenham and Swindon(and maybe Didcot Parkway for those services that stop there), and run non-stop to Reading and London Paddington only, or even non-stop all the way to London Paddington.

I wish any of the Bristol-London services that I get on are like this, and get treated to a superb non-stop run between Bristol and Reading or even London. But I'm not really a regular traveller on these services nowadays. I maybe do only about 3 or 4(maybe slightly more) return train journeys between Bristol and London per year now. So can't see this ever happening for me!

On a related note, the only time in recent years I have done Bristol-Reading non-stop via the Bath and Chippenham route is on just two occasions - once back in 2008 and I think the other was back in 2011 when due to engineering works, some West of England services that usually ran via the Newbury route were calling at Bristol Temple Meads and running non-stop to Reading. I really enjoyed those services. Lovely non-stop runs between Bristol and Reading, instead of stopping every 10-15 minutes at Bath, Chippenham and Swindon. But these such services seem incredibly rare. Not seen any such services since about 2011. Any chance there will be more services like this coming up over the coming months?

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

They’ll be running non stop Reading to Taunton through Swindon, Chippenham, Bath, Bristol in just over a week from now from Monday 9th July to Thursday 12th July inclusive as the Newbury line is closed, and again the following three weeks (so most of July). Theyll generally be going either via Bristol Parkway and Temple Meads non stop, Bath and Temple Meads non stop, or via Melksham stopping at Swindon and Westbury (and Castle Cary)

 

[Class 33]

They’ll be running non stop Reading to Taunton through Swindon, Chippenham, Bath, Bristol in just over a week from now from Monday 9th July to Thursday 12th July inclusive as the Newbury line is closed, and again the following three weeks (so most of July). Theyll generally be going either via Bristol Parkway and Temple Meads non stop, Bath and Temple Meads non stop, or via Melksham stopping at Swindon and Westbury (and Castle Cary)

Ah right. A shame these diverted services won't actually call at Bristol Temple Meads though, like they have done before in some previous years. Though I generally look out for interesting diverted services on weekends(like those mentioned services I was on back in 2008 and 2011) rather than weekdays, as weekdays are not so convienent for me(have to book the required days off work especially and then might not be able to get those particular days off). Oh well!

I'm doing a London-Bristol journey next Monday. Unusual thing to say, but I hope it's late and runs non-stop to Bristol or at least non-stop from Reading! But I expect highly likely, it will be ON TIME and call via the usual stops as usual. Oh well!

Bring on the new January 2019 timetables when there will be scheduled non-stop services between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington. Providing those new timetables don't get put back to May 2019.

 

[SwindonBert]

I don't think you'll be surprised to hear, seeing my username, that I rather hope the trains from Bristol TM to Paddington don't skip Swindon et al as can see this causing confusion & a number of passengers being shocked as they see their station go flying past the window.
When the additional service calls at just BPW I can see some fun & games

As for weekend diversions via Swindon I've seen some unexpected calling patterns, best run I've had from Plymouth is only calling at Exeter SD on the way, missing Taunton

 

[Class 33]

I don't think you'll be surprised to hear, seeing my username, that I rather hope the trains from Bristol TM to Paddington don't skip Swindon et al as can see this causing confusion & a number of passengers being shocked as they see their station go flying past the window.
When the additional service calls at just BPW I can see some fun & games

Yes but there shouldn't ever be instances of this happening. As there would have to be a clear loud PA announcement at the previous station(i.e. Bristol, Reading, London) that due to the late running of the service, the service will now be running non-stop to whatever station(i.e Bristol, Reading, London).

It does make sense that services that are running very late do skip stations to make up some time and don't cause delays to the proceeding service, especially if the next available similar service is just minutes away. For instance, the last time I noticed this happening was last Friday. The 1200 Bristol TM-London Paddington was heavily delayed, and didn't depart until 1227. And ran non-stop to Reading, missing out Bath Spa, Chippenham and Swindon. Whilst the 1230 Bristol-London Paddington was on time and departed Bristol just a few minutes later. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/basic/BRI/2018/06/29/1200

 

[Class 33]

I have this week noticed there is a 1049 Penzance-London Baddington service, which enroute departs Bristol Temple Meads at 1502 and runs non-stop to Reading. I'm envious I'm not able to get a journey on it to experience a superb non-stop run between Bristol and Reading again! A shame there aren't any of these such services running at weekends when it would be more convenient for me(and other people who want to get a journey on services like this, but is not convenient for them on weekdays) to get a journey to London and return. Usually diverted services due to engineering works run on weekends not weekdays.

Engineering work coming up in Westbury from Saturday 22nd December through to Tuesday 1st January. Maybe that be a chance that there could be such services like I'm hoping for, on weekends!

 

[Class 33]

Noticed today through checking RealTimeTrains that the late running 1530 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington departed very late at 1609 and ran non-stop to London Paddington. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C40024/2018/08/03 Now, this is the sort of service I REALLY want to get on! Lucky devils the passengers who were on that train!

 

[CC 72100]

Noticed today through checking RealTimeTrains that the late running 1530 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington departed very late at 1609 and ran non-stop to London Paddington. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C40024/2018/08/03 Now, this is the sort of service I REALLY want to get on! Lucky devils the passengers who were on that train!

What, arriving in Paddington 24 minutes late? Not really that lucky!

Interesting that from Swindon onwards, the journey time isn't *that* impressive and probably only 2 minutes quicker than a normal service with a clear run; in fact the HST behind on 1A24 managed RDG - PAD quicker from a standing start than the IET.

 

[Class 33]

What, arriving in Paddington 24 minutes late? Not really that lucky!

Interesting that from Swindon onwards, the journey time isn't *that* impressive and probably only 2 minutes quicker than a normal service with a clear run; in fact the HST behind on 1A24 managed RDG - PAD quicker from a standing start than the IET.

Well, I'd be well happy if I was on that train. It's an ambition of mine for a number of years to do a non-stop train journey between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington. I don't think I'll ever be lucky enough to get such a journey though! These such journeys happening seem to be like gold dust!

Yes I can see that arriving in Paddington 24 minutes late might be annoying for some people, if they've got an important meeting or they might miss their booked connecting onward train journey or whatever.

 

[CC 72100]

I see your point. Some of the diverted trains because of the Newbury blockade have been pretty interesting, including one which was non-stop Exeter - Swindon (can't remember whether it was via Bath or Bristol Pwy)

 

[JN114]

Interesting that from Swindon onwards, the journey time isn't *that* impressive and probably only 2 minutes quicker than a normal service with a clear run; in fact the HST behind on 1A24 managed RDG - PAD quicker from a standing start than the IET.

It followed another HST that called at Didcot. Running non-stop Bristol to Paddington doesn’t usually achieve much, but that’s the decision the controller responsible made yesterday.

 

[CC 72100]

It followed another HST that called at Didcot. Running non-stop Bristol to Paddington doesn’t usually achieve much, but that’s the decision the controller responsible made yesterday.

Aye - should have clarified, my post wasn't a cheap and poor dig at IETs as such, more so an illustration of how tightly congested things are from Didcot onwards and why more trains don't run non-stop. Maybe it didn't achieve much from a passenger perspective, but who knows, could have had crew on it that a 25L arrival v. a 40L arrival meant that their next working was on time after PNB requirements as opposed to a late start in the evening peak, where as you likely know all too well, even a 5 minute late start can chaos double figures' worth of reactionary delays.

 

[Charlie M.]

Non stops Parkway-London return at peak in the next timetable.

 

[Class 33]

Non stops Parkway-London return at peak in the next timetable.

Well that's good. But I thought the new timetable(now not expected till May 2019) there would be 4 services per hour between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington. With 1(or it 2?) services per hour(off-peak and peak) running non-stop via(but not calling at) Bristol Parkway? I can't wait for these services to FINALLY(I think sometime in 2016 was the original estimate!) begin. I plan to do a journey to up to London and back on the inaugural day of service.

 

[jimm]

None of the new services that will start with the big GWR timetable shake-up are going to run non-stop from Paddington to Temple Meads.

They will run - whether 2tph off-peak to/from Bristol Temple Meads or 1tph in the peaks to/from South Wales - non-stop between Paddington and Bristol Parkway, where all services will call.

I have no idea where you got the idea it was going to be Temple Meads-Paddington non-stop, as GWR announced the service pattern I have stated above at the time the current franchise began in 2015.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Not quite Bristol to London but last night I boarded the very heavily delayed 1954 Temple Meads to Cardiff service (didn't leave until 2101) which ran non-stop to Cardiff. Don't think I've ever got on a service that has run non-stop through Newport but it was certainly a novelty! And a pair of refurbished 150s too!

 

[Mag_seven]

I travelled from Plymouth to Swindon yesterday on a service that ran non-stop Exeter SD to Swindon - quite a novelty.

 

[Class 33]

Not quite Bristol to London but last night I boarded the very heavily delayed 1954 Temple Meads to Cardiff service (didn't leave until 2101) which ran non-stop to Cardiff. Don't think I've ever got on a service that has run non-stop through Newport but it was certainly a novelty! And a pair of refurbished 150s too!

Indeed quite a novelty. A superb non-stop run from Bristol Temple Meads-Cardiff Central! Although I see from checking Realtimetrains that despite running non-stop, the journey time still took 53 minutes(6 minutes longer than the scheduled on time journey time), though would have been running shortly behind some other services. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47996/2018/08/04/advanced Still a nice journey though. And very envious I haven't been on a service like this!

 

[Kite159]

Indeed quite a novelty. A superb non-stop run from Bristol Temple Meads-Cardiff Central! Although I see from checking Realtimetrains that despite running non-stop, the journey time still took 53 minutes(6 minutes longer than the scheduled on time journey time), though would have been running shortly behind some other services. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47996/2018/08/04/advanced Still a nice journey though. And very envious I haven't been on a service like this!

Especially since it was a pair of 150s

 

[ValleyLines142]

Indeed quite a novelty. A superb non-stop run from Bristol Temple Meads-Cardiff Central! Although I see from checking Realtimetrains that despite running non-stop, the journey time still took 53 minutes(6 minutes longer than the scheduled on time journey time), though would have been running shortly behind some other services. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47996/2018/08/04/advanced Still a nice journey though. And very envious I haven't been on a service like this!

Indeed.

We did have to wait on Narroways Hill Junction for a while as we had to let 1B88 cross in front first. Just as well really as the following service from Portsmouth (1F32) was axed at Temple Meads.