Lots of train failures/short formed trains

[whole diary]

[IanL]

In recent weeks (not just the snow affected week) I have noticed an increasing number of short-formed trains or revised services due to train failure (reason given on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website). I have seen the Adelantes back on the Cotswold line for the first time in ages after getting used to the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) which finally started being used on some services a year after they were originally scheduled.

This week though I have on two consecutive occasions on a usually very busy train had an 8-car HST replaced by a 3-car 165/166 Turbo.  Last night it was the 1551 from Paddington which was standing only into oxford and due to the large number of waiting passengers waiting to board it was standing only from oxford as well.

This morning due to a train failure a 3-car turbo was sent up the Cotswold line early to form the first offpeak train back to Paddington.

Are the HSTs showing problems or is it just that we are on the end of a long cascade of rolling stock when something breaks elsewhere?

[devon_metro]

THere is a booked adelante run across the Cotswolds.

[dog box]

Probably a lot to do now with the fact that staff west of didcot now no longer sign 180s....The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet is pretty reliable given the fact most sets travel about 20000 miles a month

[IndustryInsider]

Probably a lot to do now with the fact that staff west of didcot now no longer sign 180s....The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet is pretty reliable given the fact most sets travel about 20000 miles a month

Not sure where you're getting that from, dog box - over 40 drivers at Oxford still sign 180's as do all the Worcester conductors and most of the Reading ones.

Anyway, back to IanL's points, yes - there does seem to be more turbos creeping in to the service. You can understand alterations due to bad weather, but having checked today it looks like the 13:21 Paddington-Gt. Malvern and return working at 17:00 Gt. Malvern-Paddington are now set to be 'turbo-tutioned' from now until the end of the timetable. Not so much of a problem with capacity on that one compared with the 15:51 ex Paddington and certain other services, but the standard of accommodation leaves a lot to be desired - especially the 1st Class.

At a rough headcount the following applies to down trains leaving Oxford on weekdays:

5 x Turbos
2 x Adelantes
9 x HST's

That's a significant shift away from HST's compared to a year ago. Is it down to lack of availability/reliability of the HST's or the operational flexibility offered by Adelantes/Turbos? I suspect both play a part, but it's mostly the latter.

[willc]

Have to say I tend more to the broken HST^▸ (High Speed Train) theory. We simply weren't seeing Turbos on Cotswold Line trains, other than the booked duties until the past week or two - unless something had gone seriously wrong somewhere, or, like last September when HST availability dropped suddenly (was it about then that the wagon door side-swiped two sets?). Even when an HST failed to appear, it was usually replaced by a 180.

The 15.51 requires a full HST - even a 180 isn't adequate to meet demand - the problem is that since December and the pushing back of the former 8.37 from Worcester by 30 minutes to serve Malvern as well, the set that is on this diagram forms the 15.51, and if there is a problem with HSTs/180s at Old Oak in the morning, then the 5.42 to Malvern is, as ever, at the back of the queue for stock, which in recent days seems to mean it gets a 166.

Today and Monday, control had arranged for a 165 to be available at Oxford for the 166 to couple on to, so the 10.31 to London had sufficient capacity but no-one seems to have thought to take the same approach with the (far busier) 15.51.

This is the kind of stuff that gets FGW^▸ (First Great Western) a bad name. And I've said it before and I'll say it again but what is going to happen when the 180s go? The remaining trio seem to be working pretty much flat out at the moment and one HST can't run on three diagrams.

And when is the Turbo refresh happening? The 166 today was grubby from floor to ceiling and cold due to a malfunctioning door closing system on the corridor connection which just kept trying to trigger the door, but only managed to shut it once in a blue moon. Most of the 165s I've been on recently seem to have at least one window per coach that simply will not stay shut, which is just lovely in the current weather conditions, etc, etc

[super tm]

Have to say I tend more to the broken HST^▸ (High Speed Train) theory. We simply weren't seeing Turbos on Cotswold Line trains, other than the booked duties until the past week or two - unless something had gone seriously wrong somewhere, or, like last September when HST availability dropped suddenly (was it about then that the wagon door side-swiped two sets?). Even when an HST failed to appear, it was usually replaced by a 180.

The 15.51 requires a full HST - even a 180 isn't adequate to meet demand - the problem is that since December and the pushing back of the former 8.37 from Worcester by 30 minutes to serve Malvern as well, the set that is on this diagram forms the 15.51, and if there is a problem with HSTs/180s at Old Oak in the morning, then the 5.42 to Malvern is, as ever, at the back of the queue for stock, which in recent days seems to mean it gets a 166.

Today and Monday, control had arranged for a 165 to be available at Oxford for the 166 to couple on to, so the 10.31 to London had sufficient capacity but no-one seems to have thought to take the same approach with the (far busier) 15.51.

This is the kind of stuff that gets FGW^▸ (First Great Western) a bad name. And I've said it before and I'll say it again but what is going to happen when the 180s go? The remaining trio seem to be working pretty much flat out at the moment and one HST can't run on three diagrams.

And when is the Turbo refresh happening? The 166 today was grubby from floor to ceiling and cold due to a malfunctioning door closing system on the corridor connection which just kept trying to trigger the door, but only managed to shut it once in a blue moon. Most of the 165s I've been on recently seem to have at least one window per coach that simply will not stay shut, which is just lovely in the current weather conditions, etc, etc

Just to let you know that the 0542 to Great Malvern is now booked 166 until timtable change in May. After that  dont know.  Runs as a 3 car to Gt Mal and back to Oxford where another 3 cars are added for the rest of the way to London.

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) this is in readyness for the withdrawl of the 180 at the end of March and the fact that the extra HST is not ready. Apparantly they are definitely going.  Also there have been problems recently with getting drivers with the necessary traction knowledge as so few are now running on FGW.

[IanL]

While most of my experience is from the Cotswold line, looking at the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) pages this morning it details 25 revisions (mostly shortforming) from across the region due to train failures. It has been like this for a few weeks now.

[tramway]

It^s also been an issue on Portsmouth/Cardiff for a while with quite frequent 150 ^ tution, with the 15.22 off Portsmouth yesterday being another example. Is there a continuing problem with the 158/9^s at the moment does anyone know.

And how^s about this one, a service last Friday afternoon from Cardiff, with both Severn bridges closed due to the ice, and a single car 153 is allocated, things are really getting bad if that^s all there is left. 

I was going to post a few days ago about this, so thanks IanL for prompting me.

[IndustryInsider]

Just to let you know that the 0542 to Great Malvern is now booked 166 until timtable change in May. After that  dont know.  Runs as a 3 car to Gt Mal and back to Oxford where another 3 cars are added for the rest of the way to London.

So that's two trains each way now a turbo vice a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) then. For several months. Not very impressive at all I'm afraid. Not only that but these turbos being used must mean some LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) services are being shortened as a result as there is very little spare turbo capacity in the peak hours?

[BBM]

Not only that but these turbos being used must mean some LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) services are being shortened as a result as there is very little spare turbo capacity in the peak hours?

This morning the 07:03 fast and 07:08 slow Turbos from Twyford to Paddington didn't turn up. Not cancelled - that word wasn't used either on visual displays or by Digital Doris - the two trains just disappeared into thin air. But presumably they were cancelled, and presumably due to shortage of stock?

[devon_metro]

The 0703 ran 30 late throughout, due to a train fault.
The 0708 was fast between Reading and London Paddington, having left Reading 26 minutes late, due to a train fault.

[BBM]

The 0703 ran 30 late throughout, due to a train fault.
The 0708 was fast between Reading and London Paddington, having left Reading 26 minutes late, due to a train fault.

Thanks for the info - I only wish that someone from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) had the courtesy to tell us this morning!

[Btline]

This is the kind of stuff that gets FGW^▸ (First Great Western) a bad name. And I've said it before and I'll say it again but what is going to happen when the 180s go? The remaining trio seem to be working pretty much flat out at the moment and one HST^▸ (High Speed Train) can't run on three diagrams.

And when is the Turbo refresh happening? The 166 today was grubby from floor to ceiling and cold due to a malfunctioning door closing system on the corridor connection which just kept trying to trigger the door, but only managed to shut it once in a blue moon. Most of the 165s I've been on recently seem to have at least one window per coach that simply will not stay shut, which is just lovely in the current weather conditions, etc, etc

I'll second all this.

I thought the Turbo refurb happened a few years ago with the dynamic lines.

[dog box]

industry insider.....No Bristol or Exeter Drivers/Guards now sign  180s, approx only 50% of PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) Staff sign the things. you are right in who do still retain the knowledge.. and the core routes of the depots you mention are Pad / Oxford and the cotswold line. so its no wonder this is where the 180s ply there trade

[IndustryInsider]

industry insider.....No Bristol or Exeter Drivers/Guards now sign  180s, approx only 50% of PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) Staff sign the things. you are right in who do still retain the knowledge.. and the core routes of the depots you mention are Pad / Oxford and the cotswold line. so its no wonder this is where the 180s ply there trade

Fair enough. As the topic seemed to be concerning the Cotswold Line, I thought I'd clarify the situation as to the knowledge still being strong on that route, but as you say, on other routes it is fast disappearing.