The first Great Western Railway electric-only train runs to and from South Wales

[whole diary]

[Lee]

From Rail Advent:

The first Great Western Railway electric-only train runs to and from South Wales

Train operator Great Western Railway has operated the first electric-only train to and from South Wales.

The 12 carriage Class 387 train ran from Swindon to Cardiff on the test run, and is the first time an Electrostar has travelled to Wales after the Severn Tunnel was electrified last year.

With over 700 seats, the 12-car trains can be run in addition to the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) trains when demand is required for major events such as the Six Nations Rugby Championship.

IETs ran for the first time into Wales last year, with the fleet switching to diesel to pass through the Severn Tunnel.

Running electric only trains to events at the Principality Stadium will help the operator with its plans to reduce the carbon emissions from its fleet of trains.

Further class 387s are due to take place before introducing the trains into passenger service.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “This is a long-term ambition, to help provide additional capacity when ‘big-ticket’ items in the city require it. The pandemic has obviously slowed the need for such services, but we have been working closely with our colleagues at Network Rail to be able to fulfil this ambition. Our IET fleet has always been capable of coping with the majority of demand on the Cardiff to London corridor for these events – the benefit of using 387s is that we can provide more seats without having to reduce IET services elsewhere to provide them.”

Interim Head of Western Alliance John Lanchester said: “This a real coup for Great Western Railway and Network Rail and it demonstrates how we’ve worked collaboratively to make sure we’re ready to operate electric-only trains into Wales.”

Network Rail’s Wales and Border route director Bill Kelly said: “Delivering electrification through the Severn Tunnel last year was a huge achievement for Network Rail and has resulted in thousands of extra seats, more frequent services and quicker and greener journeys for passengers as they travel to and from South Wales. It is great to see GWR has moved another step closer in providing an additional, all-electric passenger service for large-scale events in Cardiff off the back of our electrification work.”

[TaplowGreen]

If it's genuinely "in addition to" rather than "instead of" the current post event service the extra capacity is very welcome.

Probably an idea to install a few more toilets thought if they are going to use them for major events at the Principality stadium!

[stuving]

What a bizarre piece of reporting. Why pick on "electric-only" as being the key feature of 387s, and claim it helps to "reduce carbon emissions? It's not as if an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) running London-Cardiff and back is going to use a load of diesel. Surely it's more important that 387s are (1) suburban stock or (2) not cracked.

Indeed, it's odd that nothing was said about their potential short-term value filling in for absent IETs. And surely his statement that "our IET fleet has always been capable of coping with the majority of demand on the Cardiff to London corridor for these events" is open to challenge, for taking a minimalist view of what the demand would be if they ran more trains. And was it really in 2020 that IETs first ran to Cardiff, despite the tunnel being non-electric?

[broadgage]

"Electric only" was no doubt to differentiate between IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) and Electrostars. There has been an effort to re-brand IETs as being electric. I have been criticised for referring to IETs as DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit).

[IndustryInsider]

"Electric only" was no doubt to differentiate between IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) and Electrostars. There has been an effort to re-brand IETs as being electric.

I agree with the first sentence.  I’m interested to know what evidence you have for the second?

[FarWestJohn]

I thought IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) were electro diesels.

[JayMac]

I thought IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) were electro diesels.

They are. This story though is about the wholly electric Class 387 Electrostar.

[Clan Line]

I have been criticised for referring to IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) as DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit).

You are quite right.................if there is a noisy Diesel engine throbbing away under my feet - it's a DMU ! Some DMUs (159s) are more pleasant to travel in than others (IETs).

[IndustryInsider]

I have been criticised for referring to IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) as DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit).

You are quite right.................if there is a noisy Diesel engine throbbing away under my feet - it's a DMU ! Some DMUs (159s) are more pleasant to travel in than others (IETs).

We've had this discussion before.  You can indeed call them DMU's at a bit of a stretch - just like you could describe HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s as DMU's - but we all know Broadgage did it to make them sound inferior...and at every opportunity. 

[broadgage]

I have been criticised for referring to IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) as DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit).

You are quite right.................if there is a noisy Diesel engine throbbing away under my feet - it's a DMU ! Some DMUs (159s) are more pleasant to travel in than others (IETs).

We've had this discussion before.  You can indeed call them DMU's at a bit of a stretch - just like you could describe HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s as DMU's - but we all know Broadgage did it to make them sound inferior...and at every opportunity. 

They ARE inferior ! and not just in my view, but are generally regarded as being a backward step for long distance services if compared to the previously used HSTs.
Often too short, this being worsened by the cracks, but still a backward step before the cracks.
Hard and uncomfortable seats, generally criticised and not just by me.
No buffets, and often no catering.
No gangway between units. Trolley in the other unit if provided at all.
Inadequate facilities for cycles, not my view I do not cycle, but look at remarks elsewhere on these forums.
Poor luggage space for long distance services to holiday destinations. Surfboards prohibited, on services to a place popular for surfing.
Noise and vibration, poor ride quality.

I fully appreciate that you are more positive than me about these units, but can you really claim that 5 car to Cornwall is better than 8 ?
Or that the seats are more comfortable ?
Or that the sometimes trolley is better than a buffet ?
Or that cycle accommodation is an improvement ?
Or that noise, vibration and ride quality are better than on an HST ?

Again I appreciate that views differ, and that for example some people like the seats, but can you really claim that taking into account train length, catering, luggage/cycle space and comfort in general, that these units are NOT in fact inferior.

[TaplowGreen]

The Broadgage IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) cut/paste strikes again! 

The point about GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) advertising extra services to a surfing event (Boardmasters) on which surfboards are prohibited is a fair one though, and is almost beyond parody.

[Lee]

The point about GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) advertising extra services to a surfing event (Boardmasters) on which surfboards are prohibited is a fair one though, and is almost beyond parody.

Not on this forum it isn't!

[Electric train]

I thought IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) were electro diesels.

Yes they are, from Wikipedia
"An electro-diesel locomotive (also referred to as a dual-mode or bi-mode locomotive) is a type of locomotive that can be powered either from an electricity supply (like an electric locomotive) or by using the onboard diesel engine (like a diesel-electric locomotive)".

I have been criticised for referring to IETs as DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit).

You are quite right.................if there is a noisy Diesel engine throbbing away under my feet - it's a DMU ! Some DMUs (159s) are more pleasant to travel in than others (IETs).

We've had this discussion before.  You can indeed call them DMU's at a bit of a stretch - just like you could describe HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s as DMU's - but we all know Broadgage did it to make them sound inferior...and at every opportunity. 

They ARE inferior ! and not just in my view, but are generally regarded as being a backward step for long distance services if compared to the previously used HSTs.
Often too short, this being worsened by the cracks, but still a backward step before the cracks.
Hard and uncomfortable seats, generally criticised and not just by me.
No buffets, and often no catering.
No gangway between units. Trolley in the other unit if provided at all.
Inadequate facilities for cycles, not my view I do not cycle, but look at remarks elsewhere on these forums.
Poor luggage space for long distance services to holiday destinations. Surfboards prohibited, on services to a place popular for surfing.
Noise and vibration, poor ride quality.

I fully appreciate that you are more positive than me about these units, but can you really claim that 5 car to Cornwall is better than 8 ?
Or that the seats are more comfortable ?
Or that the sometimes trolley is better than a buffet ?
Or that cycle accommodation is an improvement ?
Or that noise, vibration and ride quality are better than on an HST ?

Again I appreciate that views differ, and that for example some people like the seats, but can you really claim that taking into account train length, catering, luggage/cycle space and comfort in general, that these units are NOT in fact inferior.

I can remember the arguments 40 years ago that HST's and Mk3 coaches were a retrograde step over the classic locomotive hauled and Mk2^▸ (Mark 2 coach).

The main downside of the class 800's and the same can be said for the class 700's and 387's are the seats, they are DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) spec and not the ToC.

The GW^▸ (Great Western) has finally got long over due electrification the difference that has made at Paddington and other stations in terms of noise and pollution is immense

[IndustryInsider]

The Broadgage IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) cut/paste strikes again! 

My fault for leaving the door ajar this time!

[Timmer]

The point about GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) advertising extra services to a surfing event (Boardmasters) on which surfboards are prohibited is a fair one though, and is almost beyond parody.

Not on this forum it isn't!

I see GWR are advertising using the Famous Five again. I thought Enid Blyton had been ‘cancelled’.