Great Western Coffee Shop

Not sure if everyone knows, but from  14th December 2009  First Great Western  will be introducing the second loco hauled diagram on their Cardiff - Bristol - Taunton route. As well as extending a number of these trains to Paington & Plymouth, the following  peak time services will be worked by a loco hauled train:

07:29 Taunton - Weston Super Mare - Bristol TM - Bristol Parkway
08:00 Cardiff -Bristol TM - Taunton - Paington
17:00 Cardiff - Bristol TM - Taunton
17:21 Bristol TM - Cardiff

Each of the loco hauled services will be operating with at least 5 carriages so particulary with the 08:00 service from Cardiff this should help with overcrowding, especially between Cardiff & Bristol. Thsi should help to free up at least 3 - 4 dmu's some of which are being sent down to the Exeter area to cover for some of the class 142 pacers which are being sent back up to manchester

Heard a rumour that Virgin Thunderbird 57s are heading this way to haul the services. Anyone confirm? (or deny!)

I'd love to travel behind a 'zombie' along the sea wall in daylight.

From another forum I've found details of the full diagram this 2nd loco hauled set is due to run. No conformation that this is definite, although Journey Planners are showing the services from 14th December:

Bristol TM 0619
Cardiff 0720

Cardiff 0800
Bristol TM 0855
Taunton 1002
Exeter SD 1035
Paignton 1127

Paignton 1247
Exeter SD 1333
Taunton 1409
Bristol TM 1517
Cardiff 1629

Cardiff 1700
Bristol TM 1753
Taunton 1908

Taunton 1917
Bristol TM 2045

Interestingly enough, its only Exeter depot crew that sign and are competent to work the loco haul trains, and its only exeter depot crew ( west ) that sign south of Taunton ( i.e. Taunton - Paignton )

I would have thought Bristol crew would of been trained on these loco-haul trains and the route to at least Exeter.

Lets hope there is no mass plague forecast at Exeter or..........eeek...................................!!!!!!!!!   ;) :D :-X

4 carriages maximum.

ok i was told 5, and i aint sure about the virgin class 57's being brought in as arriva need to have 4 to allow them to work on the Holyhead - Cardiff loco hauled service, of which there is supposed to be another diagram starting in december so at least 3 locomotives are going to be needed per day and i dont think DBS have any more class 67's to spare, but i have heard that DRS/Colas rail class 47's being used. as FGW need more locomotives to help provide cover for the unreliable class 57's that are used on the sleeper services between London & Penzance

This diagram will also cover the heavily overcrowded 175x from Bristol Temple Meads southbound, as well as the 0800 Cardiff to Bristol. Bristol bound commuters on both lines will now have the opportunity of loco haulage in both directions, as well as an extra carriage. 

Worth noting that the loco hauled sets only have 224 seats.

yeah they are hiring in virgin thunderbird 57s not sure which ones yet as they are going to be run by first GBRf

but im also looking forward to there arrival shame its not 37s hauling the coaches

Anybody thought of phoning Mark up, i'm sure he'd be happy to oblige...