New timetables - Transport for Wales - from 15th December 2024

[whole diary]

[grahame]

A major rail timetable change will see train times change significantly in December, allowing for increased services at some stations, later services from Cardiff Central and Swansea, trains leaving at the same time past each hour and more new trains.

The changes are possible because of the enhanced capabilities of the brand-new Class 197 train fleet which has been replacing older trains over the last two years. 

It has been described as the “most significant mainline timetable change in a generation” and has taken four years to develop.

It's a Press release from Transport for Wales so you would expect it to go big on the improvements

Some key changes within the new timetable include:

Significantly more stops at Pontyclun, Llanharan and Pencoed – increase in total daily services from 38 per day to 59. A 55% increase.

Increase in Swanline services during peak hours to 1 train per hour (Baglan, Briton Ferry, Skewen and Llansamlet).

Two extra Milford Haven services and a more evenly spaced service to Fishguard Harbour which removes a six-hour gap without trains during the middle of the day.

The last train from Cardiff to Maesteg via Bridgend is now later - at 11:24pm.

Later last train from Swansea to Cardiff leaving at 11:30pm Monday to Friday.

More consistent departures with more trains leaving at the same time past each hour. 

Maesteg services towards Cardiff will now run through to Ebbw Vale, rather than Cheltenham Spa.

Cheltenham Spa services will start and end at Cardiff Central.

Instigation of the changes brought about by the Strategic Timetable Review on the Cambrian and Heart of Wales lines.

Introduction of brand new Class 756 trains on the Core Valley Lines (starting November) and dedicated active travel trains with extra bike spaces, a full refit and a dedicated livery for the Heart of Wales line.

Some changes to the calling pattern on certain services between Cardiff and Manchester Piccadilly, to speed up some trains and deliver a standard pattern in the timetable.

Some local services between West Wales and Cardiff will now use Platform 0 at Cardiff Central.

The North Wales Branches will continue to have 100% of journeys on new fleet and the North Wales Mainline with over 80% of journeys on new fleet. Overall, over 87% of journeys will be on new fleet for North Wales services from December 2024 timetable. 

IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) - some good changes there:
* Clockfaces and more on the Swanline which has needed gaps filled
* Later last trains

some making a mountain out of a molehill:
* How many people remain on the train from Maesteg when it arrives in Cardiff, and want to go onwards towards Ebbw Vale?
* Why is an arrival at Platform 0 in Cardiff an improvement

and some places where brave words are put on reductions
* Instigation of the changes brought about by the Strategic Timetable Review

Noting changes at Fishguard Harbour.  How far will arrivals from Dublin via  Rosslare be able to get?

[Mark A]

Not that this involves the heaviest passenger flow: at Swansea, the early service from Paddington and GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) stations to Bristol is timed to run a minute or so later into Swansea - and the Swansea to Shrewsbury departure around 9:10 has been retimed to leave ten minutes earlier. This means that the London train's timed to arrive a minute after the Shrewsbury train leaves. (There are connections into the HoW^‡(resolve) service from, say Cardiff - and also Newport courtesy of a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service from Birmingham.)

Thinking of the train from Paddington, on its arrival at Swansea the next train from Swansea to Shrewsbury is 4 hours later - for many stations on the HoW line, earliest arrival if travelling from any distance from many origin points is off at Newport and travel via Craven Arms which itself carries a time penalty.

Mark

[anthony215]

Still pathetic that we don't have a full clockface swanline service like was promised in December 2023

[welsh1980]

Swanline still not being hourly all day is disappointing however its still a much improved service in the morning and evening peaks.  Particularly going in Cardiff direction in the morning.

I have noticed the Carmarthen-Cardiff services that have been cut during the week appear to be running on a Saturday. This is very sensible knowing how busy services are heading towards Cardiff on a Saturday.

With Swansea-Manchester meant to be 5 carriages on most services from the timetable change in a few weeks are TFW confident that they are finally able to deliver this? According to the FAQ^▸ (Frequently Asked Questions)'s on the website it sounds like they are.

Also after looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) it seems the arrival from Manchester loses 3 carriages at Swansea with the 2 car going to West Wales and the 3 car just sits in Swansea for an hour until the next 2 car comes from West Wales.  The 0945 arrival at Swansea (from Crewe in this instance) then sits there until the next departure to Manchester at 1054.    It appears that the few trains that still go from West Wales to Cardiff the hours they dont go to Manchester will 2 cars throughout which could see 2 cars on some busy Cardiff-Milford services.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Some changes to the calling pattern on certain services between Cardiff and Manchester Piccadilly, to speed up some trains and deliver a standard pattern in the timetable.

And cut big swathes through the local service for the Marcher stations, but they're in England so they don't count.

I try not to be too reactionary about TfW's attitude to the stops between Hereford and Shrewsbury, but they really could make more of an attempt to at least pretend to care. Two morning stops are being dropped from Church Stretton in this attempt to "deliver a standard pattern", which means no departures between 0937 and 1104. There are several more of these 1.5-hour gaps through the day, and southbound to Hereford too.

[Hafren]

With Swansea-Manchester meant to be 5 carriages on most services from the timetable change in a few weeks are TFW confident that they are finally able to deliver this? According to the FAQ^▸ (Frequently Asked Questions)'s on the website it sounds like they are.

Also after looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) it seems the arrival from Manchester loses 3 carriages at Swansea with the 2 car going to West Wales and the 3 car just sits in Swansea for an hour until the next 2 car comes from West Wales.  The 0945 arrival at Swansea (from Crewe in this instance) then sits there until the next departure to Manchester at 1054.    It appears that the few trains that still go from West Wales to Cardiff the hours they dont go to Manchester will 2 cars throughout which could see 2 cars on some busy Cardiff-Milford services.

I hope the all-day couple/uncouple arrangement works out in practice. A Sprinter covering something would snarl it up!

I wonder if there's any scope to swap the arrangement so the 3 car portion goes past Swansea and then ends up on Cardiffs in between. With most other routes in theory going up to an appropriate new baseline train length (CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains)-HHD 3 car, CDF-MAN 5 car etc) the off-hour Cardiff-West journeys are a bit of an anomoly being stuck with 2 cars. Swapping the arrangement would mean more 3 car (with Standard Plus) diagrams in total, as some will be locked into West Wales cycles at any one time. I can see why the extras aren't attaching/detaching at Swansea - it would otherwise involve having two sets couple/uncouple movements going on at the same time each hour, and either very tight movements or having overlapping layovers, none of which is good for resilience. Maybe once things have settled down the 'extras' could have a separate routine of attaching/detaching a 2 car set at CMN to make 4 cars.

Several 153 subs today, it seems, and a 150 on at least one Ebbw Vale diagram, which was doing the stepping-up thing that suggests availability is tight. So I am a bit concerned about how there will suddenly be an increase in availability! Especially with 150s starting to be withdrawn now AIUI^▸ (as I understand it). 756s are starting to appear; only 1 diagram on today, as far as I could see, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were a dramatic increase in the next few weeks. That would help to cascade some 150s to the Valleys routes currently operated with 153s, which would then help to cover the SWML^▸ (South Western Mail Line) locals etc until 197 availability improves. Most of the Pembrokes seem to be 197s atm, for example, so they could be released if covered by 153s per previous plans.

[welsh1980]

With Swansea-Manchester meant to be 5 carriages on most services from the timetable change in a few weeks are TFW confident that they are finally able to deliver this? According to the FAQ^▸ (Frequently Asked Questions)'s on the website it sounds like they are.

Also after looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) it seems the arrival from Manchester loses 3 carriages at Swansea with the 2 car going to West Wales and the 3 car just sits in Swansea for an hour until the next 2 car comes from West Wales.  The 0945 arrival at Swansea (from Crewe in this instance) then sits there until the next departure to Manchester at 1054.    It appears that the few trains that still go from West Wales to Cardiff the hours they dont go to Manchester will 2 cars throughout which could see 2 cars on some busy Cardiff-Milford services.

I hope the all-day couple/uncouple arrangement works out in practice. A Sprinter covering something would snarl it up!

I wonder if there's any scope to swap the arrangement so the 3 car portion goes past Swansea and then ends up on Cardiffs in between. With most other routes in theory going up to an appropriate new baseline train length (CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains)-HHD 3 car, CDF-MAN 5 car etc) the off-hour Cardiff-West journeys are a bit of an anomoly being stuck with 2 cars. Swapping the arrangement would mean more 3 car (with Standard Plus) diagrams in total, as some will be locked into West Wales cycles at any one time. I can see why the extras aren't attaching/detaching at Swansea - it would otherwise involve having two sets couple/uncouple movements going on at the same time each hour, and either very tight movements or having overlapping layovers, none of which is good for resilience. Maybe once things have settled down the 'extras' could have a separate routine of attaching/detaching a 2 car set at CMN to make 4 cars.

Several 153 subs today, it seems, and a 150 on at least one Ebbw Vale diagram, which was doing the stepping-up thing that suggests availability is tight. So I am a bit concerned about how there will suddenly be an increase in availability! Especially with 150s starting to be withdrawn now AIUI^▸ (as I understand it). 756s are starting to appear; only 1 diagram on today, as far as I could see, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were a dramatic increase in the next few weeks. That would help to cascade some 150s to the Valleys routes currently operated with 153s, which would then help to cover the SWML^▸ (South Western Mail Line) locals etc until 197 availability improves. Most of the Pembrokes seem to be 197s atm, for example, so they could be released if covered by 153s per previous plans.

I would hope that all diagrams involved in the Manchester-West Wales-Cardiff-West Wales-Manchester workings would be prioritised for 197s.  If a Sprinter does happen to end up on a working in an emergency I would guess it would have to work as a 2 car Sprinter throughout the diagram with no split (unless another Sprinter could be found).

It would have been better if the 3 car had continued to West Wales and the 2 car sat in Swansea for an hour however i guess there isnt enough capacity with the 3 cars to do that.   About 4 of the 'Cambrian' 197s have now entered service and hopefully the remaining 3 cars (currently 2 outstanding) will be in service soon but even with with the extra units they still seem to struggle.

Im unsure which working on the Maesteg and Ebbw Vale lines are booked Sprinters or booked 197s. I know the Newport-Ebbw Vales are Sprinters and often seem to be a single 153 (good use of stock when they are short as I think officially they are booked 2 cars) but there are quite a few 150s and pairs of 153s that turn up on Maesteg and Ebbw Vale which makes me wonder if some are booked as such.

Personally I think post Dec TT change if they are short of 197s it would be better for Ebbw Vale-Maesteg and Swanline-Pembroke Dock to be subbed for Sprinters before anything else.  With the new trains on the Valleys there should be more spare 150s around to hopefully cover and keep the 197s where they need to be. 

Also I understand the 5th MK4 diagram is supposed to start with the new timetable (0530 Swansea to Manchester etc) so that should free up another 197.  Whether it actually happens is another thing. 

[welsh1980]

The new timetable has been in place about 6 weeks now.  So some thoughts.

I am liking the new Swanline timetable, its just a shame it isnt hourly all day. But its much more convenient now with more options for days out rather than going to either Neath or Port Talbot or a quick visit to town rather than go by car.  It also seems to be slightly better timed and having 197s for the most part helps them keep to time.

MK4 availability seems to have been quite poor since the timetable change (more so than before) which means 197s covering them which puts even more pressure on the 197s.  However when they have been short of 197s it seems Sprinters have been used on the routes which least need a 197 i.e. Maesteg/Ebbw Vale/Cheltenham/Swanline/Pembroke Dock.  And on the odd occasion one has ventured onto diagrams which include visits to Manchester it has been kept West of Cardiff and swapped.  A couple of 158s and I think a pair of 153s have covered for MK4's but its very very rare now.  I guess with 158's been very low also (due to 2 being out following the incident in Mid Wales) they are mainly kept for the Cambrian. 

5 cars on the Swansea-Manchester's has been very hit and miss. A lot of time they are infact 4 cars which leads me to believe availability of the 3 cars is worse than the 2 cars. 

Trains between Cardiff-Swansea departing close together has both positive and negative points. Ive caught the Swanline a couple of times when its followed both the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and TFW fast service.  Being so close after both of these has meant the Swanline has been very quiet (despite calling at Pontyclun etc and all Swanline stops) which is good for a passengers in terms of getting a seat and personal space.  Indeed only yesterday the catering person asked me would i like to sit in Standard Plus (which I understand is no longer happening) as it was empty and the service very lightly loaded.  The smaller stops do get plenty of use but the trains seem very quiet overall.   Yesterday however the Swanline departed Cardiff on time from platform 0, however it was held at a signal just past Canton depot whilst the late running Milford Haven passed us. Sensible decision due to the amount of stops the Swanline would make however I was surprised it wasnt just held at Cardiff but perhaps departing on time then held at a signal is better than a late departure.  2 TFW trains leaving more or less the same time then nothing from TFW for over an hour.  So there could be a better pace of trains. 

Anyone got any idea how the HOWL line is doing? Ive not used it since the timetable change.  I did see the evening departure at Swansea a few weeks ago and it looked like each carriage (2 x 153s) had no more than about 12 people.