Just not if its GW▸ !
On a rather nice and new looking First Transpenine express train from liverpool to manchester!
Have to say it LOOK like a turbo in colour - but is so much better!
May look like a turbo but its a class 185 which was recently introduced on the Transpenine route. GW inherited a number of the stock that the 185s has replaced in the form of 2 car 158s and 1 three car 158.
Just shows what new rolling stock can do for a
TOC▸ if
DaFT» specify the requirement for new rolling stock in the franchise agreement. There is no requirement for
FGW▸ to provide any new rolling stock during the life of the current GW franchise
Yeah - I knew it was a 185 (I've started looking at the numbers on the front) but I didnt want to sound like a trainspotter (which mymother accused me of being today!)
think you already are .....next thing you will be off to Exeter to ride a 142, and you will then never knock a turbo again!!!
Nope!!!!!!!
As I said to dearest mommy
I only know what I need to know to make sure my journey is as stress free as possible
So for FGW I am only really concerned with
HST▸ /165/166/180 - I know how to recognise the difference and I know the impact on my journey of each and which to avoid and wait for the next train.
I know arriva and I know my route which runs 175's - preferable - 158s - if they must and then today when they pulled 150s from the cardiff routes to run milford haven to manchester!
When I got on a 150 at ludlow and then quizzed the
TM‡ as to why 150s were running (wasnt sure where/what they were for other than they werent normal for cardiff - manchester) and got told "unit failures"
So on the way home I went Liverpool - oxford road and picked up the train there rather than going liverpool - crewe - got home an hour later but did get on at the start so had choice of seats rather than the crewe rugby scrum.
Incidentally it was a 175 so no need to worry but the earlier train which is the one I would have got had I gone to crewe was a 150 (I would have waited 90 minutes at crewe for something decent rather than 35 for the 150) and the next one was a bus!