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

[whole diary]

[Jez]

I took a trip on the district line yesterday, I went from Cardiff-Llanelli. Its a pity this line doesnt get used very much for passenger services, it would be suitable for an extra hourly service between Carmarthen-Cardiff just calling at Pembrey, Llanelli, Port Talbot and Bridgend. Would take the pressure off the Manchesters around Port Talbot/Bridgend as they are often busy around there esp if they are 2 cars. Its a shame there is a restriction on speed on the line as you done really benefit much from saving the time it would take to go via Neath and Swansea.

I think what would have been the 1455 off Swansea but obviously went via the district yesterday was a 158. Most of the others were 175s I think.

Also yesterday the train i caught back from Cardiff (1542 to Milford Haven) appaeared to be formed of the ex 1033 Holyhead-Cardiff train which was a 175. Im sure the 1542 is meant to be a through service from Manchester departing at 1230 so not sure what happened yesterday, whether the Manchester was terminated in Cardiff and replaced?

I have noticed a good proportion of times the 1601 Cardiff-Fishguard has been a 150 when i believe its now booked as a 158.

[IndustryInsider]

Does anyone know how the new station at Fishguard is doing?  Are the additional trains being used enough?

[Rhydgaled]

I took a trip on the district line yesterday, I went from Cardiff-Llanelli. Its a pity this line doesnt get used very much for passenger services, it would be suitable for an extra hourly service between Carmarthen-Cardiff just calling at Pembrey, Llanelli, Port Talbot and Bridgend. Would take the pressure off the Manchesters around Port Talbot/Bridgend as they are often busy around there esp if they are 2 cars. Its a shame there is a restriction on speed on the line as you done really benefit much from saving the time it would take to go via Neath and Swansea.

I want an hourly Carmarthen - Cardiff district line express service too but I would not have it call at Pembrey & Burry Port, and despite the speed restrictions it would still be about 15minutes quicker than via Swansea! In the long run you could do so work to lift some of the speed restrictions and journey times would be slashed.

I managed to see the 158 on the 06:30 ex-Manchester going over the viaduct I was after so that's good.

[anthony215]

I managed to see the 158 on the 06:30 ex-Manchester going over the viaduct I was after so that's good.

Got a link to the photo/video?

Anyway I too would like to see a regular hourly service running via the Swansea district line and a station built near Morriston which can act as a park & ride hub taking pressure off the M4 and with good bus links to Morriston Hospital etc.

[Jez]

I noticed the 1310 ex Swansea Swanline was a pair of 150s today. Did this form the 0436 ex Swansea HOW/09xx ex Shrewsbury HOW or did they just attach another set to it at Swansea?

What formed the 1710 swanline today?

[Rhydgaled]

The 17:53 (or thereabouts) off Shrewsbury to Manchester was a 150 + 153 again yesterday (Sunday). That's twice now, is that as booked? South Wales - Manchester should be a regional express service, so if any services on the route are booked for anything less than a 175 or 158, can somebody please yell the following in somebody with power's ear at ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))): "Sixteen - Mark - 2 - Coaches - Idle!" It might even be more than 16 mark2s they have, but I'll err on the safe side.

I managed to see the 158 on the 06:30 ex-Manchester going over the viaduct I was after so that's good.

Got a link to the photo/video?

Anyway I too would like to see a regular hourly service running via the Swansea district line and a station built near Morriston which can act as a park & ride hub taking pressure off the M4 and with good bus links to Morriston Hospital etc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76103602@N03/8091801127/in/photostream There you go. The photos with trains in them are up there too (you just prompted me to do a major image=upload spree) but they're rather fuzzy due to being taken while recording video. You'll have to wait rather a long time for me to edit my next 'production' to see the results of the videoing.

Also, can you make Carmarthen - Cardiff 1hr 10-15mins with a stop at Morriston? If not, rail still won't be competitive for services to England unless somebody reduces the motorway speed limit.

[grahame]

Also, can you make Carmarthen - Cardiff 1hr 10-15mins with a stop at Morriston? If not, rail still won't be competitive for services to England unless somebody reduces the motorway speed limit.

I think you may be commenting on a suggestion based on a fallacy there.

The AA says 1 hour and 19 minutes by car ... but rail can be competitive for many people even if it's somewhat slower than the car; we're in an age where it seems that the majority are making other use of quality time while travelling, and it's not recommended that you text, sleep or send emails while driving so that 79 minutes is wasted, versus 99 minutes by train that is used.  And car drivers have to find somewhere to park when they get to Cardiff, whereas no-one (apart from the driver) has that issue with the train - and (s)he'll find a reserved space waiting! 

On the other hand ... the car driver can leave at any time.   If I were to go to Carmarthen station now, I would have to wait for over 2 hours for the next train - at 02:44

[Rhydgaled]

grahame, I appreciate that the 1hr 19mins car journey time from Cardiff to Carmarthen is likely to be increased by having to find somewhere to park and traffic in the city centre, such that the journey time of around 1hr 23mins possible by train using the existing infrastructure of the Swansea District Line would likely be competitive with the road journey time.

However, note that when I stated the journey time of 1hr 10-15mins as an asperation was I refering to journeys from Carmarthen/Pembrokeshire to England. That would involve a change of train, and the car driver would not have to contend with Cardiff traffic. The fact is the current route via Swansea is too slow even for journeys to Cardiff to be time-competitive.

I believe time is an important factor because, as you say, the car driver can leave at any time. Rail needs to have some advantages over private motorised transport to counter the flexibility of the private car.

[phile]

I managed to see the 158 on the 06:30 ex-Manchester going over the viaduct I was after so that's good.

Got a link to the photo/video?

Anyway I too would like to see a regular hourly service running via the Swansea district line and a station built near Morriston which can act as a park & ride hub taking pressure off the M4 and with good bus links to Morriston Hospital etc.

No new service will run unless it would be viable.   This would only transfer passengers from one train to another going in a similar direction so would be a dead duck from the start

[phile]

13 23 Milford Haven to manchester booked 2 Car 175.  However in the Summer was 150+153 due to nothing else available.   Might be surprising for a Sunday bit witk irregular services and sets scattered over the place and not being able to move them around.

[Jez]

The 17:53 (or thereabouts) off Shrewsbury to Manchester was a 150 + 153 again yesterday (Sunday). That's twice now, is that as booked? South Wales - Manchester should be a regional express service, so if any services on the route are booked for anything less than a 175 or 158, can somebody please yell the following in somebody with power's ear at ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))): "Sixteen - Mark - 2 - Coaches - Idle!" It might even be more than 16 mark2s they have, but I'll err on the safe side

150s do turn up now and again on the Milford/Carmarthen/Cardiff - Manchester/Holyhead services. Not as much as they did when 175002 was out being repaired. But with most 158s and 175 booked (apart from those assigned for maintenance) then they have to replace them with something if a 175/158 is out. And a 150 is the next best thing. I dont agree with them for long distance, they dont have sufficient storage for luggage for a start but its better than a pacer!

In terms of Car Vs Train, i much prefer taking the train than driving when going long distance. Even a journey of around 40-45 minutes to Cardiff. The train is more relaxing (usually!), cheaper and you dont have to worry about city centre traffic and finding a parking space, not to mention the price they charge for parking in Cardiff. The train wins all round IMO^▸ (in my opinion).

[Jez]

Today one of the swaline diagrams was a 158 - the one that ends up going from Swansea-Abergavenny at 1510. So we had more comfortable seats, power sockets and a generally nicer train on a local stopping service of little over an hour whilst the majority of long distance Manchester services were run by not so nice a train (IMO^▸ (in my opinion)) for a longer journey.....

[TonyK]

Does anyone know how the new station at Fishguard is doing?  Are the additional trains being used enough?

According to the Fishguard Trains website, it's not seen massive numbers yet.

[grahame]

Does anyone know how the new station at Fishguard is doing?  Are the additional trains being used enough?

According to the Fishguard Trains website, it's not seen massive numbers yet.

Yyyyes - but the latest post / comment that I can spot on that page is coming up for 4 months old - any more recent reports?  This is the timing phase where it's critical, if the service that's been gained and retained, to keep the interest up.

[phile]

Diagram queries are regularly posted on this thread.   Interesting articles in "Todays Railways, UK^▸ (United Kingdom)" December edition describing ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) Diagrams in great depth by route and also an article on the operations of the Company.      I notice these queries and report seem to have dried up recently.