Rail passengers in Wiltshire are facing a morning of disruption after multiple Great Western Railway (GWR) routes were hit by broken down trains on Wednesday 14 January 2026, with knock-on delays expected to affect journeys until around midday and into the early afternoon. Services through key county stations including Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Westbury, Bedwyn and Great Bedwyn have been cancelled, diverted or heavily delayed, creating travel chaos for commuters, students and visitors trying to move across the West of England rail network.

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What Has Gone Wrong on the Wiltshire Rail Network

The immediate problems began shortly after dawn when a train broke down near Kintbury, east of Great Bedwyn, at around 06:30. The failure blocked all lines on the busy corridor between Westbury and Reading, a key artery for services linking the West Country and Wiltshire with London Paddington. With the route temporarily shut, National Rail and GWR reported that trains were being cancelled, revised or diverted, and local stopping services between Newbury and Bedwyn were suspended.

As engineers worked to clear the Kintbury obstruction, a separate issue compounded the disruption on a different part of the Wiltshire network. A freight or passenger train failure in the Melksham area forced the suspension of services between Swindon and Westbury via Trowbridge, effectively cutting one of the main north south spines that connects Swindon and Chippenham with Trowbridge, Westbury and destinations further south and west. For several hours, no trains were able to pass through Melksham, and passengers were told to expect a complete gap in rail services on that route.

By late morning the situation had improved slightly, with Network Rail confirming that lines at both Kintbury and Melksham had reopened. However, GWR warned that trains would continue to be subject to short notice cancellations, delays of up to around 15 minutes and revised stopping patterns as the service attempted to recover. Timetables for the rest of the morning and lunchtime period remained fragile, and passengers were urged to allow extra time and check for updated information before setting out.

Key Routes and Stations Most Affected

The greatest impact has been felt on two strategic corridors that run through Wiltshire and neighbouring Berkshire. The first is the Westbury to Reading line, used by intercity and regional trains running between London Paddington and destinations including Penzance, Plymouth, Paignton, Bristol Temple Meads, Frome, Westbury and Bedwyn. When the train failed at Kintbury early on Wednesday, this entire route was brought to a standstill, leaving long distance services facing diversions and some cancellations while local trains were suspended outright.

The second is the Swindon to Westbury route via Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge, a vital link for commuters who live in Wiltshire but work in Swindon, Bath or Bristol. The broken down train at Melksham meant that, for part of the morning, there were no direct trains between Swindon and Westbury on this line. Passengers at Chippenham and Swindon heading for Westbury or Trowbridge were advised to travel via Bath Spa instead, turning what is usually a relatively short journey into a longer, more complex detour.

Stations bearing the brunt of the disruption include Westbury, which sits at the junction of several key routes, and Bedwyn and Great Bedwyn, which lost their local service to Newbury for a period. Travellers using intermediate Wiltshire stations such as Melksham have been particularly affected, relying on hastily arranged road transport to bridge gaps in the rail network. While primary intercity corridors are being prioritised for diversion, smaller communities along the branch lines are experiencing significantly reduced connectivity this morning.

How Long Disruptions Are Expected to Last Today

According to the latest operational updates on Wednesday 14 January, disruption on the Westbury to Reading line following the Kintbury breakdown is expected to continue until around 13:00. Although the tracks have been reopened, trains remain out of their usual positions and some are operating to altered timetables. This imbalance can take several hours to correct, meaning passengers should prepare for residual delays and sporadic cancellations late into the lunchtime period.

On the Swindon to Westbury via Trowbridge route, GWR has indicated that disruption including the risk of cancellations, shorter trains and altered calling patterns is also likely to persist until at least midday or early afternoon. As the line only reopened late in the morning following the Melksham incident, recovery on this corridor is running slightly behind the Kintbury route and could spill into early afternoon peak services if congestion builds up.

Passengers planning mid to late afternoon journeys on affected lines are being cautiously reassured that a near normal service should be restored later in the day, but rail operators are stopping short of concrete guarantees. Travellers are being repeatedly reminded to check live departure boards and journey planners shortly before travel, as well as to allow extra time for connections onto onward trains, especially at Westbury, Reading and London Paddington where revised arrival times could knock through to subsequent legs of a trip.

Advice for Commuters, Tourists and Day Trippers

For those who have not yet started their journeys, the most important step is to check the latest live information. While the underlying faults at Kintbury and Melksham have been resolved, the pattern of knock on disruption remains fluid. Commuters heading to London, Bristol or Bath are being advised to travel earlier than usual if possible, or to consider delaying non essential trips until after the lunchtime recovery window, when services are expected to stabilise.

Where trains are cancelled or rerouted, GWR and National Rail are advising passengers to make use of alternative rail paths that remain open. One of the principal diversions being recommended is via Bath Spa. Customers at Westbury travelling to Chippenham or Swindon are advised to travel to Bath Spa on other available services and change there, while those at Swindon and Chippenham heading for Trowbridge or Westbury are similarly advised to route their journeys through Bath rather than attempting the direct Swindon Westbury line.

Tourists and leisure travellers visiting Wiltshire attractions or using the county as a gateway to the West Country are being urged to build additional flexibility into their schedules. Sightseeing plans, guided tours or time critical activities may need to be pushed back or rescheduled, and those with pre booked tickets or reservations are encouraged to inform hotels, tour operators or meeting hosts of potential delays. For many visitors, short notice bus replacements or taxi connections are becoming part of the day’s travel picture.

Alternative Transport and Detour Options

To help keep passengers moving, GWR has arranged road transport at key pinch points on the network, particularly at Melksham, where station access was cut off for part of the morning due to the block on the Swindon Westbury line. Replacement buses and coaches are being used to shuttle travellers to larger hubs such as Chippenham, Trowbridge or Westbury, where rail services are more frequent and diversions can be more easily accommodated.

On the Kintbury and Bedwyn corridor, road vehicles have also been requested to cover sections of the Newbury Bedwyn route where local trains were suspended. Although rail services are now restarting, replacement buses may continue to operate in parallel for a time, providing an additional layer of capacity while trains and crew return to their planned diagrams. Operators are cautioning that mixed rail and road journeys will almost certainly take longer than the advertised rail only timetable.

For some travellers, scheduled local bus networks across Wiltshire and Berkshire may offer a useful back up, particularly between market towns such as Devizes, Marlborough, Calne and Chippenham. Driving remains an option for those who have access to a car, but road conditions in parts of the region have been variable in recent days due to winter weather and earlier flooding incidents. Travellers choosing to drive to alternative railheads such as Swindon, Bath or Reading are being asked to leave additional time for congestion and parking.

Impact on Business Travel and Regional Connectivity

The breakdowns and resulting chaos come at a sensitive moment for the West of England’s rail network, which is already under pressure from recent severe weather, infrastructure works and the long term challenge of rebuilding passenger confidence. For businesses in Swindon, Bath, Bristol and the wider Wiltshire area, the disruption has immediate consequences, with staff arriving late, meetings rescheduled and supply chain movements slowed by delays to both people and freight services.

Regular commuters who rely on GWR services to reach offices in London, Bristol and Reading face not only today’s disruption but the cumulative stress of repeated incidents. Earlier in January, localised flooding and the aftermath of Storm Goretti affected large parts of the GWR network, including key links from Swindon to London and routes across the South West. For many season ticket holders, today’s events feel like part of a broader pattern of volatility rather than an isolated problem.

Regional tourism bodies are also monitoring the situation closely. Wiltshire’s historic towns, countryside and attractions depend heavily on reliable rail access for weekend visitors and short breaks from London and the Midlands. Continued reports of broken down trains, short notice cancellations and complex diversions can deter potential visitors from choosing rail, pushing them toward the car or even prompting them to look elsewhere for short holidays and day trips. Ensuring that today’s problems are understood as a contained and rapidly resolved incident will be important for maintaining the region’s appeal.

What GWR and Network Rail Are Doing to Fix and Prevent Problems

GWR and Network Rail have both confirmed that the breakdowns at Kintbury and Melksham are being fully investigated, with engineers seeking to establish the precise technical causes. Early indications suggest mechanical failure, but a detailed analysis of train systems, track conditions and signalling responses will follow. Until that work is complete, the focus on the ground is on clearing the immediate obstructions, returning stranded trains to depots or onward journeys and rebalancing the timetable.

In the longer term, the incidents highlight the ongoing vulnerability of busy mixed traffic routes where intercity, regional and freight trains share the same infrastructure. Even a single failure at a strategic choke point such as Kintbury or Melksham can have far reaching effects across multiple regions and service groups. Network Rail has been investing in renewed track, signalling and power systems across the Western route, but days like today underscore how much work is still required to deliver the consistently resilient service that passengers expect.

For its part, GWR is emphasising its commitment to better maintenance regimes and proactive checks on rolling stock to reduce the likelihood of in service failures. The operator is also under pressure to communicate more clearly and swiftly with passengers during periods of disruption, using station announcements, staff on platforms, social media channels and journey planning tools to provide up to the minute information. Early feedback from travellers this morning points to a mixed experience, with some praising staff efforts and others expressing frustration at confusing or incomplete advice.

Passenger Rights, Compensation and Next Steps

Passengers whose journeys have been delayed or disrupted today are being reminded that they may be entitled to compensation under GWR’s delay repay scheme. In most cases, claims can be made where a delay of 15 minutes or more has been experienced, with the level of compensation rising in line with the length of the delay. Travellers are advised to retain their tickets or booking confirmations and to make a clear note of the trains they attempted to travel on, including scheduled and actual departure times where possible.

Those who decide that the disruption makes their journey no longer worthwhile may also have options to use tickets at different times, on alternative services or even on a later date, depending on the type of ticket purchased. GWR typically relaxes some ticket restrictions during severe disruption to allow greater flexibility, although specific arrangements for Wednesday 14 January vary by route and fare type. Staff at stations and on board trains are being briefed to advise passengers on what they can and cannot do with their existing tickets.

Looking ahead, the rail industry in the West of England will face renewed scrutiny over its resilience planning and incident response. Travellers across Wiltshire and beyond will be watching closely to see whether the promised recovery by early afternoon materialises, and whether further unplanned disruption emerges in the coming days. For now, anyone intending to travel on GWR services through Wiltshire on 14 January is strongly encouraged to keep checking live updates, travel as early as they reasonably can and be prepared for journeys that take longer and follow more indirect routes than usual.