165/166s on this route

[whole diary]

[grahame]

But for the benefit of the longer distance travellers, wouldn't it have been better to allocate the cut-down HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) to this line?

A bold YES from me.

Hasn't it been said on here several times that the HSTs are not cleared to run beyond St Denys ?

There are two types of bogies utilised on the HST Mk3 carriages. LSL^‡(resolve) (long swing link) and SSL^▸ (Short Swing Link bogies (125)) (short swing link) and HST sets  ....

Also I think the SSL carriages can't go via Hamble - have to go via Hedge End ??

[martyjon]

But for the benefit of the longer distance travellers, wouldn't it have been better to allocate the cut-down HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) to this line?

A bold YES from me.

Hasn't it been said on here several times that the HSTs are not cleared to run beyond St Denys ?

There are two types of bogies utilised on the HST Mk3 carriages. LSL^‡(resolve) (long swing link) and SSL^▸ (Short Swing Link bogies (125)) (short swing link) and HST sets  ....

Also I think the SSL carriages can't go via Hamble - have to go via Hedge End ??

Might be so.

[JayMac]

It's not just LSL^‡(resolve) bogied Mk3s that are the problem for HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) operating Cardiff-Portsmouth.

The Class 43 power cars are banned between St Denys and Fareham. Clearance issues on the Hamble Viaduct.  

The HST footex that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ran in the past (Swansea to Fratton), along with a Cotswold Line Promotion Group railtour from Hereford to Portsmouth, both in 2011, ran via Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh and Hedge End.

Taking that route wouldn't be practical in daily service as it misses out Southampton Central. Nor would it be practical to call at Southampton then Eastleigh and reverse for Fareham via Botley. That would lengthen the journey time and require a complete timetable recast, where paths between St Denys and Eastleigh would have to be found.

For those reasons, and ensuring you have sets with SSL^▸ (Short Swing Link bogies (125)) bogies only for third rail running, means it has never been a serious consideration to run HSTs on Cardiff-Portsmouth services.

[Adrian]

I noticed there was a 5 coach 166 + 165 on the 0830 Cardiff to Portsmouth today.  Are more diagrams going over to turbos since the start of the new timetable?

[Reading General]

It's not just LSL^‡(resolve) bogied Mk3s that are the problem for HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) operating Cardiff-Portsmouth.

The Class 43 power cars are banned between St Denys and Fareham. Clearance issues on the Hamble Viaduct.  

Learn something everyday. I saw the HST as a go anywhere train. Can't be many places they can't go though.

[jamestheredengine]

Clearance issues on the Hamble Viaduct.

Surprising that it didn't get singled in the BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) era.

[Clan Line]

I noticed there was a 5 coach 166 + 165 on the 0830 Cardiff to Portsmouth today.  Are more diagrams going over to turbos since the start of the new timetable?

I was going to say have a look at the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System). Then I saw this load of visual diarrhoea !! Just how is my "granny" or a foreign tourist meant to understand this lot ??

[grahame]

I noticed there was a 5 coach 166 + 165 on the 0830 Cardiff to Portsmouth today.  Are more diagrams going over to turbos since the start of the new timetable?

I was going to say have a look at the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System). Then I saw this load of visual diarrhoea !! Just how is my "granny" or a foreign tourist meant to understand this lot ??

That's the staff CIS view ... plenty of choices available ... top 5 samples from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) / Iris Tiger, bottom 2 from http://www.mrug.org.uk/wmn.html















One or two of these are scrolling displays - so above does not capture all the data available.

[Clan Line]

I think you missed one Grahame - the one that told you what size shoes the driver was wearing 

I have seen the platform CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at Warminster displaying exactly what I showed above - it does not help passengers, it just confuses them.

To return to the original point, not many 5 car trains to be seen still - one 4 car though,  2 X ?

[grahame]

I think you missed one Grahame - the one that told you what size shoes the driver was wearing 

I have seen the platform CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at Warminster displaying exactly what I showed above - it does not help passengers, it just confuses them.

To return to the original point, not many 5 car trains to be seen still - one 4 car though,  2 X ?

It was quoted as D - E - D - E so probably 2 x 2 car 165 units.  Any, yes, I too have seen a variety of the displays on CIS screens including Staff view which is personally wonderful in telling me so much, but really not clever for passengers who think of stations by real names and haven't a clue where the train was "latest report Thingley Junction"

I was amused at the "most liked" ranking of 153 on this thread about 165 and 166. How quickly we move on. The guy at Transport for Wales on Saturday last was proud of his five extra trains coming into the timetable at the start of this week ... further enquiry brought out the fact that the five extras that took them up to 132 trains were the 153 added to the fleet.

[153] 165/166s on this route

[Adrian]

And today 0730, 0830, 0930 CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains) to PMH all short formed, and 0800 CDF to PGN too.  Somebody at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) definitely had it in for the S Wales to Bristol commuters this morning.

[IndustryInsider]

Any Turbos released as a result of increasing use of IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) from Monday will need to be Ride Height Modified, and also possible fitted with door controls for the TM^‡(resolve)’s, so it might be a week or two until they come on stream.

Practically everything on the Cardiff<>Portsmouth axis should be a 5-car by December I’m told.

[Clan Line]

https://www.modern-railways.com/2020/04/22/west-of-england-capacity-boost-in-new-gwr-deal/

Hadn't seen this one before.   5 car, through corridor, 4 abreast (comfy) seats in a 165/6 hybrid ??

Actually, on that subject, I have noticed a 4 car 158 in regular use on this line recently - 80% of the best solution - perhaps.

[IndustryInsider]

Lengthened using a Class 365 carriage I believe and given battery technology to become bi-modes.  Very much at the development stage mind you, and, with experiences elsewhere, by no means certain to prove easy to do!