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

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

It's treated as a siding I think, so would have been a shunt move to get it there whilst not in passenger use.  As 'phile' says such a short manoeuvre, within station limits, might not appear in RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website).

[Rhydgaled]

What's the matter with shunting to and from that face.

Nothing, it is just that the potential for passenger use of that platform face when both platforms 1 & 2 are occupied is something I've wondered about a few times since catching a glimse of a unit pulling in there while a steam excursion was occupying one of the normal platforms (at the time I had assumed there were passengers on the unit). I take it from your answer that passenger use in either direction is not permitted.

I also wondered, having seen the Pacer there on Saturday, whether there was anything stopping a unit running ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from there to a distant destination without having to go via platform 1 or 2 first, and thanks to your comment: "It could run ECS to Swansea from there as it could run as an empty movement." I now know that there's nothing to prevent that. So thanks for the answer.

[Rhydgaled]

Anyone know why BOTH FirstGW Pembroke Dock trains were canceled in both directions today? And whether bus replacements were provided (there doesn't appear to have been a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) replacement, meaning huge gaps in service at PMD).

I wondered whether they had pinched the sets to provide the rugby extra services between Port Talbot Parkway and Cardiff but (not knowing the exact time of kick-off) I believe the first eastbound from Pembroke Dock (passing Llanelli arround noon) might have been rather useful in getting fans to the match.

[Timmer]

Anyone know why BOTH FirstGW Pembroke Dock trains were canceled in both directions today? And whether bus replacements were provided (there doesn't appear to have been a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) replacement, meaning huge gaps in service at PMD).

I wondered whether they had pinched the sets to provide the rugby extra services between Port Talbot Parkway and Cardiff but (not knowing the exact time of kick-off) I believe the first eastbound from Pembroke Dock (passing Llanelli arround noon) might have been rather useful in getting fans to the match.

Reason quoted on journeycheck was as a result of yesterday's major disruption at Paddington.

[Rhydgaled]

Reason quoted on journeycheck was as a result of yesterday's major disruption at Paddington.

I saw that, for the afternoon service, it said 'earlier signalling problems' but didn't think that made any sense and I couldn't find journey check information for the morning service (RealTime trains says 'unknown cause').

Assuming that the cause for both part-cancelations was indeed yesterday's problems, then I can think of a way that could cause cancelation of the morning service (perhaps not enough sets ended up at SWA^» (Swansea - next trains) last night). However, I can't understand why the 08:45 was able to leave PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) right-time and yet be unable to continue to Pembroke Dock, unless certain sets are banned (like the fact that a certain type of bogie is required for 3rd rail routes).

[Adelante_CCT]

I'm assuming if Swansea didn't have enough sets, then had the 08:45 continued to Pembroke, there wouldn't have been stock for the 12:28 to Paddington and this was probably quite popular with Swansea fans heading to Stamford Bridge for 17:30 and the Wales fans heading to Millennium for 14:30

[Rhydgaled]

I'm assuming if Swansea didn't have enough sets, then had the 08:45 continued to Pembroke, there wouldn't have been stock for the 12:28 to Paddington and this was probably quite popular with Swansea fans heading to Stamford Bridge for 17:30 and the Wales fans heading to Millennium for 14:30

Thanks, sounds like it is possible that it was purely due to signalling problems, so hopefully next time match day conincides with a summer Saturday the IC125 services to/from Pembroke Dock will run.

[Rhydgaled]

Can anyone tell me what was going on yesterday? Several ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former Train Operating Company)) services (including the 10:56 Carmarthen to Pembroke Dock) were cancelled west of Carmarthen due to 'operational issues' or something uninformative like that. Thus, the unit off the 09:56 Fishguard (150250 on this occasion) was sat in platform 2 for ages (was still there when I left at about 12:45).

Things got even stranger just before 12:30 though, the 11:41 Tenby to Swansea was due through and 158828 pulled into platform 1. I was a little supprised to see a 158 covering for a 150 diagram, but I've seen it before so thought nothing of it at first but then 150253 pulled into the platform as well! The only other train due was the Pembroke Coast Express (08:45 from Paddington, due into platform 1 at 12:42 once the Swansea-bound train had left). There were quite a few passengers waiting on the platform, so I thought one of the units might have been counjoured up from somewhere to strengthen the service, but the 150 then departed leaving the 158 in the platform and no free plaform for the express, which couldn't have been diverted into platform 2 because 150250 was of course still sat there. There were also quite a few passengers waiting to board the 158, I wonder if they thought it was the Pembroke Coast Express? The 158 finally departed at about 12:42, clearing the platform for the IC125 but probably delaying it slightly.

Real Time Trains doesn't show anything other than the Tenby-Swansea and PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-Pembroke Dock services having come through Carmarthen at that time, so what was the 158 doing there? The doors were openned and it looked like a trolley was waiting to board, and I think I overheard a member of staff asking passengers if they were going to Fishguard. Could the 158 have been the boat train to Fishguard, which isn't scheduled to call at Carmarthen, but if so why were so many waiting to get on it (since no Fishguard services are scheduled to leave Carmarthen until about 17:30!)? Real Time Trains doesn't show the boat train calling at Carmarthen, but does say that it was 17 late at Whitland but only 2 late at Llanelli.

[phile]

Difficult to try and answer, but it appears that a couple of failures early in the day and the shortage of drivers just about threw everything all over the place resulting in diagrams becoming displaced.

[Oxonhutch]

A curious little fact I have just come across in the June 1941 issue of the Railway Magazine (p. 244) regarding the railway at Fishguard. Apparently the last mile of the railway to the port was jointly owned by the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and the Great Southern Railway of Ireland through the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbour Company. I never knew that even tiny bit of the British mainland system had an Irish owner.

I wonder if or when this arrangement was untangled.

[grahame]

I wonder if or when this arrangement was untangled.

Has it even been totally?  Fishguard Harbour station is I think still operated by Stena and as I understand it is the only station on the national network where you can (legally) smoke on the platform.