End date for Castles - initially a Rumour Mill thread

[whole diary]

[RichardB]

This has just been posted on Twitter

https://twitter.com/stpeterslayout/status/1596125590733611009

[Mark A]

So, stock that argueably should not have been repurposed in the first place now to be withdrawn with no provision for replacement. This from a railway whose services are already often capacity-constrained at a time when passenger flows are in a state of flux and the industry is struggling both to (at times) meet demand and (at all times) return to a financial surplus.

In the medium term, does this mean chaotic provision of 5 carriage IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) on Paddington services, short formed Cardiff - Portsmouth services, a greater chance of underprovision of services on the line into Cornwall, or all three? This doesn't feel healthy at all.

Mark

[Mark A]

Another observation via Twitter, this time in relation to Bedminster and a forthcoming development there that will increase footfall.

Mark

https://twitter.com/TheMurkyDepths/status/1596158551650861056

[TaplowGreen]

So, stock that argueably should not have been repurposed in the first place now to be withdrawn with no provision for replacement. This from a railway whose services are already often capacity-constrained at a time when passenger flows are in a state of flux and the industry is struggling both to (at times) meet demand and (at all times) return to a financial surplus.

In the medium term, does this mean chaotic provision of 5 carriage IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) on Paddington services, short formed Cardiff - Portsmouth services, a greater chance of underprovision of services on the line into Cornwall, or all three? This doesn't feel healthy at all.

Mark

Probably a combination of all three.

[eXPassenger]

So, stock that argueably should not have been repurposed in the first place now to be withdrawn with no provision for replacement. This from a railway whose services are already often capacity-constrained at a time when passenger flows are in a state of flux and the industry is struggling both to (at times) meet demand and (at all times) return to a financial surplus.

In the medium term, does this mean chaotic provision of 5 carriage IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) on Paddington services, short formed Cardiff - Portsmouth services, a greater chance of underprovision of services on the line into Cornwall, or all three? This doesn't feel healthy at all.

Mark

I mentioned above that elsewhere there are reports that the Cardiff-Portsmouth service wil be reduced to 3 carriages.

[PhilWakely]

The decision to withdraw the fleet has been made both to reduce cost and reduce carbon emissions across the routes the fleet had served.
<snip>
The diagrams that the fleet operate will be covered by redeploying our Intercity Express Trains (IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)) and remaining diesel fleet.

I am sure I read somewhere a while back that the Class 802 IETs were actually more polluting than the IC125 when running in diesel mode ?

[grahame]

My initial post in this thread was made in "The Rumour Mill", with a note that if confirmed it would be moved to our more public boards.  Well - it has been confirmed, and indeed there is much more data now and I will be moving the thread

[REVUpminster]

So, stock that argueably should not have been repurposed in the first place now to be withdrawn with no provision for replacement. This from a railway whose services are already often capacity-constrained at a time when passenger flows are in a state of flux and the industry is struggling both to (at times) meet demand and (at all times) return to a financial surplus.

In the medium term, does this mean chaotic provision of 5 carriage IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) on Paddington services, short formed Cardiff - Portsmouth services, a greater chance of underprovision of services on the line into Cornwall, or all three? This doesn't feel healthy at all.

Mark

The Castle class was a stop gap to allow other stock (150s/158s) to replace 143s that had to go. As more 9 car 800s will be able to go to Penzance and stable with the new sidings, there will be some extra 5 car 800s available. Platform 2 extension at St David's will also allow more 5 car trains to be used.

IF only they could get the 20 769s working a lot of problems would disappear overnight.

[broadgage]

We keep hearing, in various threads, that there are extra/surplus/spare IETS. Yet short formed IETS are still a regular feature.

[grahame]

We keep hearing, in various threads, that there are extra/surplus/spare IETS. Yet short formed IETS are still a regular feature.

Yes, ironic, isn't it?  Mind you, lots of today's orange flashes on the top of these pages are changes between 9 and 10 car formations, so they are not always significant short-forms

Plans were by now for there to be four trains per hour London to Bristol, with "superfast"s running via Bristol Parkway twice an hour.  With a cycle time of 210 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes per journey to include servicing and turn around time) that is 5 diagrams that were planned but are not happening and I do not really expect to see starting next May either.  Weren't there also superfasts from South Wales?  So there are your units.

There will be differences between the numbers of IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) built for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) use, currently at GWR depots, in operational condition at those depots, and actually contracted to be operating on any particular day from those depots.  This is natural as units are being maintained or awaiting attention, and in some cases that will be away from the depot. A table of those numbers would be most interesting.

[ChrisB]

Plans were by now for there to be four trains per hour London to Bristol, with "superfast"s running via Bristol Parkway twice an hour.  With a cycle time of 210 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes per journey to include servicing and turn around time) that is 5 diagrams that were planned but are not happening and I do not really expect to see starting next May either.  Weren't there also superfasts from South Wales?  So there are your units

With the advent of Grand Union from Wales, they'll never happen now. Well, not in the 5 hours that GU are.

[paul7575]

Plans were by now for there to be four trains per hour London to Bristol, with "superfast"s running via Bristol Parkway twice an hour.  With a cycle time of 210 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes per journey to include servicing and turn around time) that is 5 diagrams that were planned but are not happening and I do not really expect to see starting next May either. 

Weren't there also superfasts from South Wales?  So there are your units.

From what I remember of the proposed timetable during peak times some of the “super fast” services became Cardiff services, but running in the same paths east of Bristol Parkway.  So Bristol didn’t get 4 tph all day, some hours it would only be 3.

I’m sure there’s a summary route map showing it, but no idea where to find it though.  Was it a 2018 or 19 consultation?

Paul

[TonyK]

This should surely make Filton Bank the next stretch of line for electrification?

[IndustryInsider]

This should surely make Filton Bank the next stretch of line for electrification?

Four electrified tracks, now!