Weymouth Wizard

The "Weymouth Wizard" is a named summer service operated by Great Western Railway between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth, Dorset. The special service was named when GWR started running a single Saturday summer Class 43 HST (High Speed Train) service between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth. GWR collaborated with The Heart of Wessex Line to promote rail travel along the popular route. The special service began in 2014 and returned in 2015 and due to its success returned for 2016.

Service

The HST left Bristol Temple Meads at 08:16 and arrived in Weymouth at 11:45. The train then waited in the Weymouth sidings until its return journey at 17:28, arriving back in Bristol at 20:54. Its presence in the siding led to some complaints from adjacent residents, as the engines were initially left running in the absence of any 'shore' power supply. Due to engineering works in August 2015 between Westbury and Bath Spa via Bradford-on-Avon, the service was diverted via Swindon, meaning passengers did not have to use a replacement bus service. Its calling stations were;

• Bristol Temple Meads
• Swindon (August 2015 only)
• Chippenham (August 2015 only)
• Trowbridge
• Westbury
• Frome
• Castle Cary
• Yeovil Pen Mill
• Maiden Newton
• Dorchester West
• Weymouth