Well would you believe it??

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

Well, from May FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are keeping three 180's, gaining 5 150's from ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former Train Operating Company)) (told you so shazz!) and some 158's are to be made up into 3 car sets! only taken two years but it seems as though Mr Haines is the best thing since sliced bread for FGW! The three 180's are for two Cotswold diagrams, whether they are going into store until May I don't know, obviously the (much needed) 3 car 158's will go onto Cardiff Pompey services and the 5 150's will replace some 2 car 158 diagrams probably on Cardiff-Taunton and Weymouth services.
Came from a good source of info, a reliable one.

Yes I am very much beginning to believe it Vacman!

Surprised no one else who received their copy of March's Modern Railways today hasn't posted about the report on page 72 that confirms what Vacman reported to us a couple of weeks back.

FGW will get five of the nine 150/2s that are with ATW that came from Central. Industry sources suggest that this is possible because ATW didn't secure funding for all nine sets.

This will allow some of the current 2-car 158 fleet to be disbanded to create five 3-car 158s as they go through Wabtec for refurbishing.  This is such great news for the Cardiff-Portsmouth line and good to see that FGW are putting their money where their mouth is as this will cost them money.

It also reports that the 142s on the Devon metro are doing better than first thought, better even than the 143s! putting this down to them running as permanent 4 car sets. I have a feeling that some of the fleet of 142s could be hanging around for quite sometime to come. If they are doing that well then FGW should keep some and do a proper refurb job. Before I get any strong response from our Devon coffee shop members, I'm not suggesting they stay on permanantly on the Devon metro though.

[devon_metro]

Reliability has been second to none considering most of them came out of storage! All praise goes to the staff at Exeter TMD^▸ (Traction Maintenance Depot)!

A refurb would be nice although a number of them might be going back which would remove the ability to have so many 4 cat sets - i'd be interested in seeing this modern railways article!

[Conner]

Have a missed something or is it not possible to create 5 3-car units without leaving an extra half a unit unused.
I thought they would disband 5 158's to create 10 3-car 158's.

[r james]

I am really surprised that it has been confirmed about the 150s to FGW^▸ (First Great Western).  How on earth did ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former Train Operating Company)) end up with them in the first place,if they haven't got the money to secure them??

Maybe the Welsh assembly will 'find' the money to keep them???  Or is this now a signed deal for FGW? 

What will ATW do now for the 6 car trainsets as promised for valley services in the peak???

[Btline]

What about the 180s?

[Timmer]

Have a missed something or is it not possible to create 5 3-car units without leaving an extra half a unit unused.
I thought they would disband 5 158's to create 10 3-car 158's.

You haven't missed something the article does indeed say to create 5 3-car units which would leave half a unit unused. Surely they must mean 6 3-car units? Along with the proper three car unit that they currently have would make 7 units which I believe is enough to cover the diagrams on the Cardiff-Pompey line apart from the additional units added to the peak time services. Lee will correct me if im wrong on this.

[DanielP]

There are restrictions on the Valley Lines that prevents longer coaches from being used which is why we need 150s.

I'm in two minds about this: from a Welsh travel point of view, the reallocation of the 150s is a disaster and a farce. Where else could a project enable platform extensions to 6 coaches, yet manage to loose the stock to run it!!!!!

Having said that, the Cardiff- Portsmouth route should be a major cross country route, with appropriate stock (like the Salisbury-Exeter line): three coach trains are barely adequate and two coach trains are a farce.

ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former Train Operating Company)) have also benefitted from 150s transferred from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) which should never have left in the first place.

To be honest, I feel like banging my head against a brick wall. It is just embarassing that TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are fighting over 30yr old units when new trains should be ordered. Meanwhile, the DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) comes out with all sorts of old cobblers that ends up being changed around at the last min anyway!!! 

Daniel

[Conner]

Have a missed something or is it not possible to create 5 3-car units without leaving an extra half a unit unused.
I thought they would disband 5 158's to create 10 3-car 158's.

You haven't missed something the article does indeed say to create 5 3-car units which would leave half a unit unused. Surely they must mean 6 3-car units? Along with the proper three car unit that they currently have would make 7 units which I believe is enough to cover the diagrams on the Cardiff-Pompey line apart from the additional units added to the peak time services. Lee will correct me if im wrong on this.

That means we will gain 2 units('lose' 3 158's gain 5 150's). So there will be more stock for cross bristol commuter routes.

[Timmer]

That means we will gain 2 units('lose' 3 158's gain 5 150's). So there will be more stock for cross bristol commuter routes.

Looks that way. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) look good and it really will be better by the spring. All we need now is for FGW to announce that they will be operating a loco and coaches service to Weymouth during the summer and it will be just like the good old days again and everyone will love FGW 

[Lee]

That means we will gain 2 units('lose' 3 158's gain 5 150's). So there will be more stock for cross bristol commuter routes.

Looks that way. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) look good and it really will be better by the spring. All we need now is for FGW to announce that they will be operating a loco and coaches service to Weymouth during the summer and it will be just like the good old days again and everyone will love FGW 

Not quite everyone, I suspect. Take a certain town in West Wiltshire, for example....

[grahame]

That means we will gain 2 units('lose' 3 158's gain 5 150's). So there will be more stock for cross bristol commuter routes.

Looks that way. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) look good and it really will be better by the spring. All we need now is for FGW to announce that they will be operating a loco and coaches service to Weymouth during the summer and it will be just like the good old days again and everyone will love FGW 

Not quite everyone, I suspect. Take a certain town in West Wiltshire, for example....

There's also the question of Frome and Trowbridge to Swindon, but I think that can be answered with the same solution that solves that West Wiltshire town's issues.   But I would actually be more suprised to see a loco-hauled Weymouth service this summer than I would be so see the TransWilts issue solved at long last!

[Lee]

On the other hand, if all the various proposals are put in place, then FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could put themselves in a position to claim acheivement of the following :

- More 3-coach Portsmouth-Cardiff services.
- An appropriate (or close to appropriate) service for Melksham/TransWilts.
- Extra services for Frome.
- Extra Severn Beach Line services.
- Extra capacity for Devon Metro services.
- Extra capacity elsewhere through revised HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) diagrams/services.
- Retention of some Adelantes.
- Widespread fleet refresh.

Sounds like a "good news" story to me.

So, how about an official announcement confirming all of the above, FGW?

[r james]

I would say that if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are to take some of the 150s away, then it is only fair that ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former Train Operating Company)) receive some of the London Midland and London Overground 150s when the time comes in 2009, and FGW receive a smaller number to previously planned??.

The 3 car sprinters with London Midland would be ideal for ATW. 

[vacman]

I would say that if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are to take some of the 150s away, then it is only fair that ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former Train Operating Company)) receive some of the London Midland and London Overground 150s when the time comes in 2009, and FGW receive a smaller number to previously planned??.

The 3 car sprinters with London Midland would be ideal for ATW. 

Well, I'll say "I told you so" when it's all confirmed, it seems as though Andrew Haines is taking his job seriously, I'm sure we will still get the complement of 150/1's from LO and LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise), as for the 142's, I think many people who dissed them (the 142's that is)(me included in that one!!) should eat their words really, Devon services are more reliable than previous, more capacity and maybe now FGW should consider a refurb for them! I know the guys at Exeter depot always do the best they can with the limited resources they have at Exeter depot and this has paid dividends really.

[Lee]

I would say that if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are to take some of the 150s away, then it is only fair that ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former Train Operating Company)) receive some of the London Midland and London Overground 150s when the time comes in 2009, and FGW receive a smaller number to previously planned??.

The 3 car sprinters with London Midland would be ideal for ATW. 

Well, I'll say "I told you so" when it's all confirmed, it seems as though Andrew Haines is taking his job seriously, I'm sure we will still get the complement of 150/1's from LO and LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise), as for the 142's, I think many people who dissed them (me included in that one!!) should eat their words really, Devon services are more reliable than previous, more capacity and maybe now FGW should consider a refurb for them! I know the guys at Exeter depot always do the best they can with the limited resources they have at Exeter depot and this has paid dividends really.

I'm not denying that this will be very good news if true, but it must form part of a wider package if FGW's problems are to be truly resolved.

Only then can their critics made to "eat their words."