South Wales local services - Pembroke, Fishguard, Swanline, etc.

[whole diary]

[Jez]

I think its tomorrow in most places because they have today as an "INSET" day! 

[phile]

Without giving away my age, they didn't have such things when I was at school !!!

[JayMac]

It always surprises me that teachers need five In Service Training (INSET) days per academic year. On top of 13 weeks off for Summer, Christmas, Easter and half-terms. Can they not do their INSET during those periods?

[bobm]

Without giving away my age, they didn't have such things when I was at school !!!

They didn't when I was.  Didn't have GCSEs either!

[welshman]

They used to be called "Baker days" because Kenneth Baker was the Education Minister when they were introduced.  As I recall, the teachers wanted a pay rise and they couldn't have one so they had these in term training days instead so they didn't have to use their holidays.

[JayMac]

Ahh, yes. I remember teachers striking over this, and other pay related issues, in the late 1980's when I was at secondary school.

We had BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West outside my school one afternoon and I was asked by the reporter what I thought of the strike. I replied with, "It's stupid." I did go on to explain why I thought it was stupid, but a 15 year old's further analysis of the situation (I don't remember what points I made) was not deemed worthy of broadcast.

That evening I appeared on BBC Point's West for all of 2 seconds saying, "It's stupid."

[anthony215]

Pyle station is currently being fitted with information screens although not actually on the platforms but above the walkways at the eastern end of the station.

Still about time too Pyle should have been fitted years ago.

[phile]

I travelled on 175002 today, first time since its been back i think. It was on the 1514 Cardiff-Swansea (which then went on to form the 17.10 Swansea-Holyhead.

I picked up a copy of the new timetables for West Wales and Maesteg to Cardiff and South Wales to North Wales and Manchester from the station today, they arent on display yet (at least not at Port Talbot), I had to ask for them.

One thing I noticed was on Saturdays the HOW service leaving Cardiff around 08xx still has Swanline stops on a Saturday whilst during the week they have moved to the Milford Haven service. More and more ive noticed the Saturday timetable being very different to the weekday one when at one time they were very simular.

Does anyone know whether the daytime Swanline diagram on weekdays that starts with the 0914 from Cardiff-Swansea, will be formed of a 175 all day. Or will they just swap the set at Cardiff for a 175 at 13.14 so its moved to Swansea in time for the 1510 service to Chester? I guess it depends if that 175 is coming off another service, possibly a North Wales-South Wales one? I guess the weekday 1710 from Swansea will return to being a 153 or 150. Today the 175 was fairly busy on the Cardiff-Swansea run and i imagine it would be even busier on the journey from Swansea-Cardiff.  So it would feel like a step back in some ways if its to be a 153 again.  I know on Saturdays its often been a 150 or even a 153+153 on occasions, but a good proportion of the time its a single 153 and very busy.

The 175 will go down to Swansea on the 13 14 ex Cardiff to work the 15 10 to Chester.  It will work the former WAG2 (07 51 from Holyhead) which becomes an ordinary train and starting from Llandudno and which currently works the 18 21 Cardiff to Holyhead nut which will become the Loco Hayled WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about) express.   Just a swap, in effect, one for one.   The 150 off the 09 14 Cardiff & return will just sit at Canton from linchtime until it's Rhymney working later.



Edited to fix quote. bignosemac.

[animationmilo]

They should use the 150 from the 09:14 on the 17:10. Would be better than the 153. Unless heart of wales every morning is 150.

[phile]

It can't work the 17 10 Swansea to Cardiff AND 17 01 Cardiff to Rhymney.   Off the 09 14, it retuns to Cardiff on 11 10 Swanline.

[phile]

I meant to say yesterday, also, that the 17 40 Cardiff to Milford ahven will become a 3 Car 175 in lieu of a 2 Car.   This service is noted for severe overcrowding.   I t will replace a 2 Car for the day, of course, going up on the 08 04 Fishguard Hbr.   I know this will disappoint a number of people but the Daytime Fishguard Boat reverts back to a 150 again but a 158 on the 14 35 Gloucester to Fisguard Hbr.

[Jez]

Thanks for the info phile on what is happening re the 1314/1510 Swanline.

I know you have said in the past sometimes 158s cover 175 diagrams if sets are in the wrong place, but i noticed there were 2 158s on Manchester-West Wales diagrams today. The 1555 and 1855 from Swansea were both 158s. The 1855 regularly used to be a 158 when 175002 was out being repaired. I know the 1855 doesnt actually go to Manchester but it is the end of a Manchester-Milford diagram from earlier in the day.

Also its worth noting the 0809 Cardiff-Swansea-Shrewsbury was a 150 this morning, most of the time recently its been a 153. Again prob covering esp as the Cardiff Bay line appears to still be a 153 at the moment.

I do agree that the 1710 needs to be at least 2 car and if it does revert back to a 153 it will be a step back to some degree but Arriva cant really do much if all other sets are booked for other journeys.

I caught a glimpse of the screens at Pyle as i was passing through on a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) train this afternoon. I could see they were at the end of the platform.

[phile]

Re 13 14 and 15 10 Swanline just scroll up to post a couple of days ago. 175 and going through to Chester

[Rhydgaled]

Why can't they put appropriate rolling stock on the Fishguard boat train all year round, why only weekdays in the summer timetable (surely if they can provide a 158 on summer weekdays then they should be able to source one all the time, unless one fails)?

On Friday at Shrewsbury a terminiating train was announced as coming from Llandrindod, is there a short-working in the timetable or was the HOWL closed at some intermediate point?

[phile]

When you look at it the mid-day Fishguard journey is only little over 2 hours from Cardiff so it's not really long haul.   There has been an overhaul of some 158 Diagrams due to alterations on the North Wales coast which has knock-on effect.