Could it be TM▸ and crewe are WOS» based and need to get back easily? Can drivers run it through to hereford if its out of service?
So if it overnights at Hereford why does the service terminate at Malvern? Am I missing something?
Unless it has changed recently, at the start of year the crews were being driven out from or back to Bristol in a taxi in the middle of the night. Could be that it's since switched to Worcester staff, now that they are all 125-trained.
It goes to Hereford because there is space to stable it there and a suitable power supply to keep the batteries charged - runs empty because
FGW▸ and London Midland, probably rightly, believe there's no demand west of Malvern at that time of night. In the mornings it leaves Hereford before 5am, so unlikely to be much trade then either.
I think the reason it can't overnight at Worcester at the moment is that the sidings are full of London Midland
DMUs▸ , plus the Cotswold halts train Turbo, but FGW said at both the public meetings in Charlbury this year that they are looking at improving stabling facilities at Worcester anyway, which would presumably allow
HSTs▸ to spend the night there and cut out the cost of all those taxis.