IETs to Bedwyn initially delayed - now running from May 2019

[whole diary]

[Thatcham Crossing]

As we are now in May (and that was the month that was suggested as the start date for IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)'s on the Bedwyn's) is there any update?

[grahame]

As we are now in May (and that was the month that was suggested as the start date for IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)'s on the Bedwyn's) is there any update?

From Steve Smith and Bill Wells at the Bedwyn Trains passenger group (at the end of last week):

We have just heard from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) that, following the corrections to the cameras for driver only operation, from the May timetable change they will start to operate the new IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) trains out of the siding at Bedwyn. This will replace the majority of the old Turbo trains – a few will be retained to form the half hourly connecting service.
 
Please note that from May 4th to May 6th (the May bank holiday weekend) Pewsey, Kintbury, Hungerford and Bedwyn will be served by a bus replacement service. This is to allow for a bridge replacement between Kintbury and Newbury. Please check online for times. Trains will run from Newbury to Reading but on a revised timetable. Pewsey will be served by a bus to Swindon.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Thanks Graham, good news.

I should've checked the Bedwyn Groups web-page, but having now done so it doesn't look like it's been updated for some time in any case.

[grahame]

Final days of Turbos on the Bedwyns?

They seemed to be buzzing back and forth through Reading all day on Wednesday ... makes you realise just what a good / significant service that is with (?) three trains in the cycle,



There have been some short formation IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) this week ... is that catching up on / getting ahead on maintenance for next week, when three further IET diagrams are needed for the South West (replacing the final HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)) and another three for the Bedwyns?   Or do we expect some short forms and / or some 16x trains still running on the Bedwyns?    Could there be the odd HST standing in for failed IETs prior to 1st June?

[Thatcham Crossing]

Over on the RailUK forums the word is that there will be no turbos at all from next week on any of the 1Kxx services.
It will all be 5-car 800's aside from:

1K04/1K11 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-NBY^» (Newbury - next trains)-PAD will be a 9-car 800 (currently a 4-car 387). This used to be a (very empty, mostly)
HST^▸ (High Speed Train) until the 387's started.
1K27 NBY-PAD which will remain as a 4-car 387 (it comes to NBY as a 2Kxx from RDG^‡(resolve))

There will be a few Turbos I think still on RDG-NBY-BDW starting/terminating services (which are all 2Kxx)

Let's see what actually happens.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Let's see what actually happens.....

Sunday morning (new timetable day) and just watched 1K46 (down PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-NBY^» (Newbury - next trains)) and 1K49 (up BDW-PAD) on the Newbury Railcam.

1K46 was a 3-car 16x and 1K49 a 5-car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train).

[grahame]

A report from Bedwyn Trains - on board the 10:54 first public IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) working to Paddington - on time and no problems. Noting that tomorrow (today now) will be more of a test. Low key yesterday, but a local 'event' planned for later this week, so it should get some of the positive press exposure it deserves.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Summary of my observations from the Newbury Railcam of this morning's operations.....

2K27 0753 NBY^» (Newbury - next trains)-RDG^‡(resolve) was a 5-car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)! (suspect Midgham and Aldermaston didn't expect that)
1K02 0707 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-BDW was a 5-car IET (noted that it arrived 3E at RDG, as you would expect given 125 vs.90 timings)
2K29 0755 BDW-RDG was a 3-car 16x
2K34 0811 RDG-NBY was a 4-car 387
2K36 0834 RDG-BDW was a 5-car IET
1K09 0841 BDW-PAD was a 5-car IET
1K04 0806 PAD-NBY was a 9-car IET (becomes 1K11 NBY-PAD). Last week this was a 4-car 387.

So all the 1Kxx's that I saw above were IET's, and a few others besides (including a Newbury-Reading stopper!)

[IndustryInsider]

Sets 009, 032 and 034 are the three covering the daily diagrams today.

[grahame]

Sets 009, 032 and 034 are the three covering the daily diagrams today.

And interestingly (as far as I can see) no IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) short forms reported. Good.

[SandTEngineer]

I watched a 5-car set run past the Newbury RAILCAM earlier today and it set me thinking.  Is that a good use of resources running to a place like Bedwyn.  I wonder how busy the services will actually be in the daytime?

[Lee]

I watched a 5-car set run past the Newbury RAILCAM earlier today and it set me thinking.  Is that a good use of resources running to a place like Bedwyn.  I wonder how busy the services will actually be in the daytime?

You know my view on the subject - Time to get Western Pathfinder's tin hat out again!

It must be fate - Send them to Portsmouth-Cardiff instead! 

[ducks...]

[IndustryInsider]

And interestingly (as far as I can see) no IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) short forms reported. Good.

There has been the odd 5-car vice 9/10 car, not listed on journeycheck, though nowhere near as many as a certain crystal ball was predicting and hoping for.  More of the Oxford<>Paddington services have gone over to IETs today as well, including the notorious 17:18 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) which has been on many a list of overcrowded trains over the years.  It is a 9-car and if it runs with first class at the front it might cause a few dwell problems at Maidenhead until platforms are extended.  Obviously it will need a guard to stop at places like Goring and Cholsey as well.

I watched a 5-car set run past the Newbury RAILCAM earlier today and it set me thinking.  Is that a good use of resources running to a place like Bedwyn.  I wonder how busy the services will actually be in the daytime?

Probably not that busy, but that's no different to many other daytime trains of course.  I am confident custom will build up from places like Hungerford and Thatcham as the IET offers a better product than the Turbo it is replacing.

[grahame]

I understand that the last Bedwyn service of the day was capped at Reading, with additional station calls added into the final Cardiff train from Paddington which was diverted via the Berks and Hants ... reports of what could be the first train direct from Kintbury to South Wales ... unless members know better!

23:30 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 02:26
23:30 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 02:26 will call additionally at Newbury, Kintbury, Hungerford and Bedwyn.
This is due to the train making extra stops because a train was cancelled.

00:06 Bedwyn to London Paddington due 01:18
21/05/19 00:06 Bedwyn to London Paddington due 01:18 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Reading.
It will no longer call at Bedwyn and Newbury.
This is due to a shortage of on train staff.
Further Information
Road transport will operate from Bedwyn and Newbury to Reading but this will be later than the advertised time of the train that it is replacing.

[Thatcham Crossing]

I understand that the last Bedwyn service of the day was capped at Reading, with additional station calls added into the final Cardiff train from Paddington which was diverted via the Berks and Hants

23:30 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 02:26 will call additionally at Newbury, Kintbury, Hungerford and Bedwyn

I wonder what happened if you wanted to get to the intermediate stations to Newbury? - I suspect the answer was probably wait for the last Newbury stopper from Reading at 0020, which isn't ideal!