Thanks for this. I'd read GWR's disruption pdf for the week at some stage but hadn't absorbed what Bristol's train service would be.

At the other end, the departure from Bradford was disrupted too - Forster Square to Shipley bustituted, so, an opportunity to walk across to Bradford's second station. On the way, a view of the plinth that supported Exchange station (a well-known fragment of lettering still clings on to a lintel there, photo below).

On the positive side the replacement is integrated with the city's bus station. Yesterday's train services there were complicated by engineering works somewhere, and also a broken down train was disrupting services from Manchester, which was probably awkward for people coming to Bradford for a significant football match.

In the event, the service that *was* running to time was the flow from Blackpool to York, which runs via Accrington and clear of the broken down train, 3 carriages cheerfully and cooperatively full and standing, which isn't too shabby given that its route was pretty much out of use (but fortunately not lifted or singled) for twenty years or so before becoming a core part of transpennine services. We joined it and emitting copious diesel noises, up it climbed the sinuous steep curves to Pudsey and, rather quieter, down it sailed to Leeds, ran through the station, and stopped at the extreme west end (footbridge and concourse are at the east). Off the train, a hike to the concourse and a bite to eat before heading through the barrier with 15 minutes contingency which as it happens we needed.

The Bristol train was displayed as on platform 12a, but the first member of staff I asked didn't know which end of the station that was. (It turned out to be the east end of the station...) Once waiting on 12A, two DMUs arrived, occupied the platforms there and stood roaring loudly at each hand, while 'Do not move' flags were attached to their cabs. No chance of hearing announcements but on walking back to check, sure enough the 5 car Crosscountry train, concealed around the curve to the west end of platform 12 (with carriage 'A' at the far end of that train). Another walk/gallop and we caught it with a minute to spare, looking forward to something to drink once we were aboard (you can guess what happened then...)

Mark

 
On Saturday the line was closed between Bath Spa and Chippenham.   Trains ran from London Paddington to Chippenham and back.   Bath Spa was also served from Paddington via Swindon, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads before reversing for the last leg.  Today the closure extends to include Chippenham and the single line to Melksham.

 
A return trip to Bradford - courtesy of advance standard Crosscountry class tickets upgraded to first for the wriggle room that offers during a three and a half hour leg of the journey.

On the return journey, we were very glad to leave the five carriage Crosscountry service at Bristol because there was a heavy passenger flow in full flight there, the crosscountry train did the usual Bristol thing of running clean through the station to the country end (its apparently done to manage congestion on the platform but created quite a bit of its own - many of said heavy passenger flow pursued  the train and a lot started boarding at Coach 'A' oblivious to the four people who were getting off, with the train manager heroically trying to sort things. After ten minutes or so everyone did get aboard though but I hate to think what it was like on the train.

After which, the last part of the journey to Bath took an hour, with a train cancellation, unexplained engineering works that weren't being well represented on realtimetrains, which was simply getting things wrong, or by staff at the station - the entire network apart from Leeds and Bradford feeling understaffed, probably because they were lost in the crowds - and a platform change from 11 to 0 and back to 11 which, with luggage, was 'Unhelpful'. We finally flew through the barriers at Bath as the crush before the barriers had built up enough that staff there opened them to clear things a bit.

I'm presuming that Bathampton Junction was closed in one direction for engineering works and wouldn't be surprised if some at Bristol heading for Bath, boarded the IEPs heading for Paddington via Parkway and ended up travelling back via Swindon.

Mark