Weekend trains serving city axed

Some Saturday trains through Bath were cut from last weekend.

South Western Railway updated passengers on Twitter to say that the Bristol to Salisbury service would be axed on Saturdays from October 9.

The stopping service between Salisbury and London Waterloo will also terminate at Basingstoke.

In the tweet, SWR Help said this was “due to Covid disrupting [their] driver training programme”.

The full post said: “We’re sorry but due to Covid disrupting our driver training programme, from Saturday we will no longer be running Saturday services between Bristol and Salisbury, and the stopping service from Salisbury to London Waterloo will terminate at Basingstoke.”

No detail was given on when the service would resume, but the Salisbury Journal reported it could be cut until “at least December”.

The news follows a decision to cut the Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo service, which stops at Oldfield Park in Bath.

From December, passengers travelling to London will need to catch the Great Western Railway service from Bath Spa or travel to Salisbury for the SWR train to Waterloo. But as of October 9, getting the stopper from Salisbury to London Waterloo is no longer possible on Saturdays.

Many people commented underneath the tweet to give their views.

One user wrote: “Is this a permanent change or do you have plans to reinstate at some point?

Your Saturday services were popular with folk making a day trip to Bath – particularly around Xmas.”

Another asked why it was still possible to book a Saturday ticket for this service on the SWR website. The operator responded to say that GWR trains would still be running on this route and were available to book.

In September, it emerged that Oldfield Park, Bradford-on-avon and Trowbridge will no longer be served by the SWR train to London Waterloo.

The change will take effect this December as part of the operator’s 2022 timetable consultation.

Tessa Edgecombe, from Bradford-on-avon, contacted the Department for Transport to ask why the service would be cut.

Its response, seen by Bath Live, explained that demand for leisure travel on the main Exeter route required more trains.