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Which trains are operating the Bristol-Oxford services this weekend?

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Class 33

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I've just noticed there are almost no services running into and out of London Paddington this weekend due to engineering work in the Reading area. I've noticed there are Bristol Temple Meads-Oxford services running this weekend only too. Out of interest which trains will be used on these services? HST's? I've noticed these services have slow journey times between Chippenham and Swindon of approx 35 minutes.
 
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Class 33

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Thought so, just checking. But why the slow journey times between Chippenham and Swindon?
 

PHILIPE

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Strange. I've just looked up a sample of Sundays and they are taking the usual time according to RTT
 

Class 33

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Well Saturdays are showing as 35 minutes. Chippenham xx:25, Swindon xx:00
 

PHILIPE

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Well Saturdays are showing as 35 minutes. Chippenham xx:25, Swindon xx:00

No. They are taking the normal time but sitting at Swindon for approx 20 minutes which would probably be for timetabling purposes and to get them onto a pattern.
 

richw

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No. They are taking the normal time but sitting at Swindon for approx 20 minutes which would probably be for timetabling purposes and to get them onto a pattern.

Are there rail replacement coaches to connect to or from?

Tonight’s up sleeper is Penzance to Oxford as well.
 

Kite159

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Are there rail replacement coaches to connect to or from?

Tonight’s up sleeper is Penzance to Oxford as well.
Buses from Swindon & Didcot, I would imagine, connections to Marylebone services at Oxford for those heading to London.
 

PHILIPE

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Buses from Swindon to Reading. They are shown on RTT as well as the trains. The Sleeper was HST worked last night, the normal stock running empty at 17+00 to position it at the London end before the blockade
 

Class 33

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No. They are taking the normal time but sitting at Swindon for approx 20 minutes which would probably be for timetabling purposes and to get them onto a pattern.

I see. Still a bit weird though sat at Swindon for approx 20 minutes.

Buses from Swindon & Didcot, I would imagine, connections to Marylebone services at Oxford for those heading to London.

If I was going to London on the train today. The best way(other than one of the few direct South West Trains services to London Waterloo) would be to get a service to Oxford. And then a Chiltern Railway service to London Marylebone. Though I notice when you put in Bristol-London on the train booking websites, it comes up with a crazy long itinerary. Bristol-Westbury, change for a service to Theale, then change for a rail replacement bus service to Slough, then a train service to London Paddington. Journey time about 3 hours 2 mins or 3 hours 35 minutes! I can't see anyone bothering with that sort of journey! And will probably go on the coach instead! Coaches will be very busy today. Have National Express put additional coaches on? Doesn't appear to be after a quick check on the National Express website!
 

PHILIPE

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I see. Still a bit weird though sat at Swindon for approx 20 minutes.



If I was going to London on the train today. The best way(other than one of the few direct South West Trains services to London Waterloo) would be to get a service to Oxford. And then a Chiltern Railway service to London Marylebone. Though I notice when you put in Bristol-London on the train booking websites, it comes up with a crazy long itinerary. Bristol-Westbury, change for a service to Theale, then change for a rail replacement bus service to Slough, then a train service to London Paddington. Journey time about 3 hours 2 mins or 3 hours 35 minutes! I can't see anyone bothering with that sort of journey! And will probably go on the coach instead! Coaches will be very busy today. Have National Express put additional coaches on? Doesn't appear to be after a quick check on the National Express website!

It seems, no criticism of you, that you may not appreciate the full implications of timing and pathing that trains have to be robustly pathed and cannot just run willy nilly. There is only one platform available northbound at Oxford and this is having to accommodate XC northbound services and Cotswold Line services which are starting at Didcot Parkway and which are able to run in their normal paths, this resulting in the Bristol and Swansea trains having to be held back at Swindon. The trains are having to leave Bristol at the normal times due again to pathing between other services and without having to upset and impact on other routes.

Travelling via Oxford IS the recommended route and Chiltern are providing additional seating on their services. This routing has already been well documented on the Forum.
 

Class 33

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It seems, no criticism of you, that you may not appreciate the full implications of timing and pathing that trains have to be robustly pathed and cannot just run willy nilly. There is only one platform available northbound at Oxford and this is having to accommodate XC northbound services and Cotswold Line services which are starting at Didcot Parkway and which are able to run in their normal paths, this resulting in the Bristol and Swansea trains having to be held back at Swindon. The trains are having to leave Bristol at the normal times due again to pathing between other services and without having to upset and impact on other routes.

Travelling via Oxford IS the recommended route and Chiltern are providing additional seating on their services. This routing has already been well documented on the Forum.

Yes I know before you posted that, that it would be something to do with pathing between Bristol and Bath and between Didcot Parkway and Oxford. It's OK.

As for travelling via Oxford being the recommended route between Bristol and London. Well on the GWR website this unfortunately does not come up as the suggested itinerary, it comes up with the itinerary I posted above. However have just done a quick search on the Trainline and it comes up with the via Oxford route, and no mention atall of the via Westbury-Theale-Slough-London Paddington route. So GWR is at fault there for having the via Oxford route programmed into their booking engines.
 

PHILIPE

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Yes I know before you posted that, that it would be something to do with pathing between Bristol and Bath and between Didcot Parkway and Oxford. It's OK.

As for travelling via Oxford being the recommended route between Bristol and London. Well on the GWR website this unfortunately does not come up as the suggested itinerary, it comes up with the itinerary I posted above. However have just done a quick search on the Trainline and it comes up with the via Oxford route, and no mention atall of the via Westbury-Theale-Slough-London Paddington route. So GWR is at fault there for having the via Oxford route programmed into their booking engines.

The routing depends, well on NRE Website, if you ask for Paddington or London (All stations). the letter sending you to |Marylebone
 

D1009

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Tonight’s up sleeper is Penzance to Oxford as well.
Friday night's "sleeper" was actually worked by an HST. The sleeper stock was worked up to London earlier on Friday to be in position to work Sunday night's down service, which is retimed to 0101 Mon to run after the blockade.
 

PHILIPE

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Friday night's "sleeper" was actually worked by an HST. The sleeper stock was worked up to London earlier on Friday to be in position to work Sunday night's down service, which is retimed to 0101 Mon to run after the blockade.

Beaten to it. See #Post10 although, fair play, I didn't actually mention 1C99 tonight.
 

Class 33

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I notice last nights 2253 and 2353 Oxford-Bristol Temple Meads services were running non-stop to Bristol. A superb non-stop run instead of the usual stopping every 10-15 minutes between Swindon and Temple Meads! That's a rarity! And man, I wish I'd have got a journey on one of those services! But of course, couldn't book them in advance as it was due to unplanned emergency engineering works.
 
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