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Having seen a few Cardiff-Portsmouths running as five coach trains this week and noting the following from the FGW live updates page; is the plan to run most/all trains on this route as five car trains this week presumably using stock from not running longer early morning/late afternoon services in the Bristol area because of people being off work this week?

15:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 18:46
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5 between Portsmouth Harbour and Bristol Temple Meads.
Last Updated: 30/12/2010 16:18

16:26 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 19:54
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5.
Last Updated: 30/12/2010 16:23

17:26 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 20:54
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5 between Bristol Temple Meads and Portsmouth Harbour.
Last Updated: 30/12/2010 16:23

18:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 21:47
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5 between Portsmouth Harbour and Bristol Temple Meads.
Last Updated: 30/12/2010 16:21

20:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 23:58
This train will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5 between Portsmouth Harbour and Westbury.
Last Updated: 30/12/2010 16:24

Three consists I saw today were made up of a FGW 3 car Class 158 and an ATW Class 150.

I believe the 15:23 regularly runs as a 5 car, to cope with rush hour traffic between Salisbury and Bristol.  This service is also marked in the timetable as "Reservations Recommended".

On a slight aside how much does the 75mph top end of the 150 affect timings, or put another way do the 158's ever need to do the full 90 on the route. There can't be many sections where this is achievable.

I may be reading too much into comments on other threads but have FGW finally taken some interest in the route?

Between Cardiff-Bristol-Bath. After that there can't be many places that allow a driver to get the most out of the 158. Possibly between Warminster-Salisbury?

They are all timed as 75 DMU

correct they are all timed at 75 mph,what is gained on the 75mph plus sections is mostly lost by the 158 taking longer to accelerate compared to 150.

Shall be travelling on a Cardiff to Portmouth service tomorrow between Westbury and Southampton Central, departing Westbury at 1100, then returning on the 1654 from Southampton, anyone got any idea on if any of these service are likely to be a 5-car, and also does anyone expect it to be busy enough so I might not get a seat?  :P

Thanks in advanced!

Can't comment on the likely consists - that'll be luck of the draw I fear!

Same goes for seats. Too late to buy a walk-up ticket online and book a seat - I've just checked.

I would expect loadings to be fairly heavy with leisure passengers either returning home after new year or off shopping, but I think it unlikely you'll have to stand all the way.

I always find Sundays before a bank holiday are always much quieter than a usual Sunday so you should be OK.

Having now vented my spleen on NR elsewhere I can get back to what I was intending to comment on.

So thanks DM for the reminder about the acceleration difference, and the 75MPH timing, silly of me to forget. I assume the Sectional Timings are therefore a compromise to accommodate any possible type of rolling stock that may be called upon to operate the timetable.

Anyway the reason for posting. There have been a couple of comments recently on various threads that made me curious, although I may be putting 2 and 2 together and getting 1300.

The first question was regarding Graham^s comment about the crowding on Portsmouth/Cardiff services on Dec 27th. The route clearly continues to see growth in PAX numbers and as witnessed on the 27th any small perturbations in service can have quite dramatic consequences. Are there official mechanisms in place in the franchise that would compel FGW/DfT to get together to address a capacity shortfall, or do FGW just get on with things as best they can and approach DfT adhoc when they need approval to hire in additional stock. I was thinking a trigger point at a %full knowing that they were approaching the leaving people on the platform point again as in 2007, or missing stops altogether. Unless something is done then it^s a deckchair shuffling exercise.

There has been quite a bit of stock movement into the area recently what with Arriva 150^s, 142^s the LHCS and the SWT stuff, quite a few units over and above what was originally envisaged when the franchise was let, which has allowed bolstering of the peak Westbury/Bristol route as well as others. What were once 2 cars are now 3 or even 4.

I also noticed the comment in ^Across the West^ regarding LM to retain 150^s and FGW to get extra 153^s in lieu. This would seem to make sense as they may be slightly more flexible in strengthening current 3 cars to 4. Having seen a number of 158/153 combo^s recently would it be in FGW thoughts to enhance a number of units permanently on the corridor to 4 car this way. Hence the reason I asked about the 75MPH limit as that^s all the 153^s would allow if this were done.

Also my earlier comment regarding FGW taking more of an interest was a little bit early after noting in the recent RUS that they are starting a working group to look at the corridor.

More back on topic I was informed the 5 cars were temporary whilst Reading was closed.

Were more people travelling on the Cardiff-Portsmouth line because Reading was closed? It certainly was extra busy on this line over the Christmas/New Year period but I put that down to visiting relatives and the sales more than Reading being closed.

If I remember correctly, 153 units are not allowed past Southampton due to curveture of local stations between Southampton and Fareham!

I may be wrong though!

Correct, Southampton to Pompey and Brighton are banned routes for 153s, even though as 155s they were allowed.
Something to do with the water tank for the toilet I think.

Timmer

It was a passing comment from the guard a few days later when the extra carriages had been taken off. Added just as a precaution I would guess, as you say the services would have been pretty full anyway without a few diversion PAX thrown in for good measure.

TD/ReWind, now you come to mention it that has been stated before on here, my memory is getting shocking, even so attaching for the Southampton/Westbury to Cardiff stretch at peak times wouldn't do any harm.

Problem with 153 shunts at Southampton is either finding a Fratton man who signs 153s ::) or using a Westbury driver. Not very productive for a driver is it?
And with the 5 coach comment, not really possible between Bristol and Cardiff due to being over length at Filton, and possibly platform 4 at Severn Tunnel. (New platforms since 198x regulations.)

On the assumption that FGW are fairly content with the change to the cascade, if the rumour is in fact true anyway, I'm sure they have done the sums on how they want to utilise them. I take it it doesn't change the overall number of coaches, and they could always just use them as 155s again I suppose, there have been a few 153 pairings running around recently. So watch this space then. :-\

Without trawling all the relevant threads is there likely to be a date when FGW will have a settled fleet in the area, after giving all the borrowed stuff back? I was under the impression that this would happen as the cascade progressed, but can't remember when this was to be completed. It can only be in FGWs interest to reduce the rental bill on others stock compared with the arrangements likely to be in place for the long term lease from a ROSCO.

Not possible due to toilet tank modifications, I've checked my books.  :'(
I have an idea for 153s which will given to management when back in work Wednesday, but it's dependant on unit cascade.

I was under the impression that the ladders on the small end cab of the 153s fouled the tunnel under Southampton!

Apologies TD I should have been a bit more specific with the 155 comment, and should have added a couple of these.  :P :P It was only due to the fact I'd seen 153 pairs around Bristol and if what was rumoured elsewhere that 2 car 150's weren't being cascaded it really wouldn't make much difference if the equivalent number of 153's turned up, albeit they were limited to the Bristol side of Southampton. There must be several 150 diagrams that a 2 x 153 could happily do. Whether that happens I suppose depends on whether FGW think they would be better off with the flexibility that the single cars would provide, and I'm not forgetting Melksham here either. All speculation of course until it actually happens.

If I'd remembered the 153 limitations in the first place I wouldn't have gone to the lengths I did wondering if a 153 cascade would 'allow' a complete 4 car Portsmouth/Cardiff enhancement, that will have to await shuffling the 158's again I would guess. AFAIK this requires another 2 off 158/7 to give the required number of vehicles, and I don't see those appearing from outside FGW, and to take them from other services would clearly reduce the standard there.

Mmmmm what about those 2 sad examples someone mentioned the other day that Arriva seem not to care about very much. I'm sure they would be far happier going to the seaside at Portsmouth.  ;D ;D