Class 180s return to the Cotswolds

[whole diary]

[grahame]

The Cotswold Line appears to have been completely re-turbo-ised in the last few days.

Are there a lot of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) stuck west of Exeter Newton Abbott?

[dog box]

from what i can acertain not sure of unit numbers...  one set has had a bit of an engine fire, another is still being fixed after a fatality, with another presumably on exam, also with such a small class the spares situation is always challenging

[Worcester_Passenger]

Not well this morning:

05:48 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street due 08:17
This train will be terminated at Oxford.
This train will no longer call at Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-In-Marsh, Honeybourne, Evesham, Pershore, Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.
This is due to a train fault.
Message Received :03/12/2012 06:16

08:26 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington due 11:00
This train will be started from Oxford.
This train will no longer call at Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Pershore, Evesham, Honeybourne, Moreton-In-Marsh, Kingham, Charlbury and Hanborough.
This is due to a train fault.

[Andy W]

Hi anyone (II perhaps) know anything about this?

http://www.theqssgroup.co.uk/casestudies/cstemplate1.asp?CaseStudyID=13

At the momnet are First paying the ROSCO^» (Rolling Stock Owning Company - about) for the lease of these units?

First must be saving a fortune given the money they save in track access charges by "Turbostution"

[Richard Fairhurst]

The 175s never actually got to Euston: the service had been dropped by then. I don't recall the details of how the GWT/NWT order chopped and changed into what we have now

Found this in an old uk.railway thread posted by someone who works for FGW^▸ (First Great Western):

The SRA^» (Strategic Rail Authority - about) set this [half-hourly Bristol/Cardiff service] as a condition of First Group taking over the original Management buy out team. To meet this obligation First Group transferred its order for the first few 180s from FNW to FGW. (There would have been pathing difficulties on WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) in any case)

[IndustryInsider]

Hi anyone (II perhaps) know anything about this?

http://www.theqssgroup.co.uk/casestudies/cstemplate1.asp?CaseStudyID=13

At the momnet are First paying the ROSCO^» (Rolling Stock Owning Company - about) for the lease of these units?

First must be saving a fortune given the money they save in track access charges by "Turbostution"

I think that's old news from when First originally handed them back to the ROSCO back in 2007-9.  The five Class 180s currently with the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) franchise are all sub-leased from East Coast trains as far as I know (they then lease them off of the owning ROSCO).  Not sure about track access charges, but I'd have thought that if a service is planned to be a 180, then that charge is levied rather than it being reduced/refunded if a Turbo is used at short notice. 

A better day for 180 availability today with three diagrams covered, though the part cancellation of the 05:48 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-WOF and 08:26 WOF-PAD is becoming all too common and badly inconveniences passengers on that very busy return train, not to mention those waiting for the main commuting train from Honeybourne/Evesham/Pershore to Worcester.

[Southern Stag]

Apparently 4 180s went out in to service this morning, although 1 did fail early this morning. Today was the first time I've seen the 1221 Paddington-Great Malvern formed of the booked Class 180, I understand that's usually the first diagram to go.

[Worcester_Passenger]

But it didn't last...

17:32 Oxford to Great Malvern due 19:24
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5.
This is due to train crew having been unavailable earlier.
Message Received :04/12/2012 17:13

Though I don't understand the logic of the explanation - could anyone enlighten me?

[Ollie]

But it didn't last...

17:32 Oxford to Great Malvern due 19:24
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5.
This is due to train crew having been unavailable earlier.
Message Received :04/12/2012 17:13

Though I don't understand the logic of the explanation - could anyone enlighten me?

Usually means do not have a driver or guard/train manager that "signs" the 180s.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Apparently 4 180s went out in to service this morning, although 1 did fail early this morning

Noticed a 180 moving slowly into the depot as I passed Old Oak Common at about 9.55 this morning.

[Southern Stag]

But it didn't last...

17:32 Oxford to Great Malvern due 19:24
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 5.
This is due to train crew having been unavailable earlier.
Message Received :04/12/2012 17:13

Though I don't understand the logic of the explanation - could anyone enlighten me?

That's the one diagram uncovered today. The first train of that diagram this morning, 0702 Oxford-London Paddington started at Didcot Parkway due to a member of train crew being unavailable, so presumably it's referring all the way back to that.

[ray951]

Has there been a change to the 180 diagrams with the new December timetable?
Just that I note that the 15:22 Great Malvern to Oxford that then formed the 17:06 Oxford ^ Paddington, after a layover at Oxford, now continues to Didcot.
So assuming that the 15:22 is still operated by an 180 then presumably the 17:06 will go back to a 165/166, which makes a lot of sense, not that 180^s have been seen very often on this service anyway

[Southern Stag]

There has been an alteration to the diagrams at Oxford at that time. 2Y94, 1522 Great Malvern-Didcot Parkway forms 2E95, 1715 Didcot Parkway-Great Malvern. 1D43, 1450 London Paddington-Oxford after a layover in Oxford Carriage Sidings now forms 2P74, 1706 Oxford-London Paddington. The services have effectively swapped round with inbound services now forming different outbound services, but all are still booked 180s. The diagram for the 1706 Oxford-London Paddington is now one which has been a 180 much more reliably so far.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Starting the eveninbg stopper from Didcot instead of Oxford will be popular to quite a number of Cotswold Line residents that work at Didcot as they will no longer have to change at Oxford, that is if they can get away from work to make the 17.15 departure.

[ray951]

Thanks for the update, didn't get off too a good start today as the 17:06 was a 165 today and the 17:32 Oxford to Great Malvern (which I assume is the 17:15 off Didcot) was only a 2 car 165;-)

There has been an alteration to the diagrams at Oxford at that time. 2Y94, 1522 Great Malvern-Didcot Parkway forms 2E95, 1715 Didcot Parkway-Great Malvern. 1D43, 1450 London Paddington-Oxford after a layover in Oxford Carriage Sidings now forms 2P74, 1706 Oxford-London Paddington. The services have effectively swapped round with inbound services now forming different outbound services, but all are still booked 180s. The diagram for the 1706 Oxford-London Paddington is now one which has been a 180 much more reliably so far.