Heritage Rail GWSR have cancelled all services this week owing to the heatwave.

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06

17:50 Gloucester to Salisbury due 20:06 was terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.
This is due to a fault on this train.

You can't get a Cross Country train from Plymouth to Essex and East Anglia. You are expected to change in London (Crossrail has made that easier); so for Plymouth trains, why go further than Birmingham which could be the hub for the north. Maybe on a Saturday there is a justification for Penzance-Scotland but I doubt it.

It's somewhat ironic that people are now investing in air conditioning, given it has a significant impact on climate change via its high energy demands, leading to "weather events" such as we are seeing now!

... if it likes it can go back up to the top of the clouds.

18:37 Westbury to Swindon due 19:21
20:12 Swindon to Westbury due 20:56

20:12 Swindon to Westbury due 20:56 will be cancelled.
This is due to train crew being delayed by service disruption.

Wonder what happens with the Bedford - Bletchley service in these circumstances.

That's four. 

Former Stukeleys councillor who helped shape village future killed in Bedford rail crash

A former Huntingdonshire district and parish councillor who helped shape the future of The Stukeleys has been named as the train driver killed in the Bedford rail crash.

Shaun Burton, 60, of Great Stukeley, died following Friday’s collision involving two East Midlands Railway services near Bedford, which left around 100 passengers injured.

Mr Burton was a familiar figure in Cambridgeshire public life, serving as an Independent Huntingdonshire District Councillor for The Stukeleys ward after first being elected in 2016. He was also elected to Great Stukeley Parish Council in 2018 and later served on The Stukeleys Parish Council before stepping down in 2024 because of work commitments.

His family paid tribute, saying: “We are devastated by his loss. Our thoughts are also with those affected by this incident.”

They have asked for privacy as they come to terms with their loss.

Away from politics, Mr Burton was a dedicated railwayman who joined East Midlands Railway in 2019 after a career in the bus and coach industry. He was well known among colleagues and passengers alike, particularly on services between Corby and London.

But locally he will also be remembered for the role he played in protecting the character of Great and Little Stukeley through the parish’s Neighbourhood Plan.As lead member for the project, Mr Burton helped steer years of consultation, examination and community engagement designed to ensure future growth respected the villages’ distinctive identity while accommodating development linked to nearby Alconbury Weald.

Writing in the adopted plan, he thanked residents and supporters who helped bring the project to fruition. The document eventually secured overwhelming backing in a local referendum in 2023, with 91.6 per cent voting in favour before it was formally adopted by Huntingdonshire District Council.

The plan set out a long-term vision to 2036 aimed at protecting and enhancing the parish’s natural and built environment while ensuring future development reflected the character and uniqueness of the villages.

Tributes have also been paid by colleagues across the railway industry.

Dave Calfe, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, described Mr Burton as a popular and dedicated railway professional.

He said: “We are all heartbroken by the death of Shaun Burton which leaves a hole in the lives of his family, friends, and colleagues, which will never be filled.”

Mr Calfe said Mr Burton had joined the railway later in life after working on buses and coaches and was “devoted to his colleagues” and “enormously popular” at his depot.

East Midlands Railway managing director Will Rogers said Mr Burton was a “dedicated railway professional” whose commitment and service touched colleagues and passengers alike.

He added: “Shaun was known for his quick-wit, kind, generous, and intelligent nature, and for always having a smile on his face.”

For many in The Stukeleys, however, Mr Burton will be remembered not only as a respected train driver and public servant, but as a family man and community champion who worked tirelessly to help safeguard the future of the villages he called home.

The western section of Dolphin Junction was completely replaced at Christmas.  There was talk of the eastern section (which is the bit these particular trains use) being replaced and upgraded from 40mph to 70mph…not sure when though.

Certain small and foolish persons ...

Quite a lot of freight loops will also be booked out for the same reason.  The loops at Milton, Wootton Bassett, Hullavington and Chipping Sodbury being five examples.