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

[whole diary]

[Jez]

I think a 175 is on one of the daytime swanlines today - noticed a few 158's passing on Manchester services too.

On ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) facebook page it said that there would be a very limited service on Boxing Day but not sure what these services were as thought there were none?

[devon_metro]

Today isn't boxing day

[anthony215]

A number of swanlines were cancelled today and a lot of the milford haven - manchester services were being split at cardiff with passengers swapping units at cardiff central

nearly all the services to milford  haven today that i saw were class 158's.

caos on the 16:04 Cardiff - Milford haven which left at 16:20 delaying the  16:18 cardiff - maesteg both of which were jammed to the rafters because of a 30 minute delay on the london - swansea service which  seemed to managed to make up a bit of time only to get stuck at the signals outside cardiff central because of the 2 local services mentioned above blocking platforms 3 & 4.

no idea what time the london - swansea train eventually left but some passengers should have been told to stay on the platform to wait for it as a number of passengers traveling to local stations were unable to get on the trains.

[Jez]

Today isn't boxing day

I know today isnt Boxing Day, im talking about the facebook page saying there was a very limited service ON Boxing Day.

[Jez]

I think the 10.55 Cardiff-Fishguard is also a 158 today - isnt that usually a 150?

[matt473]

I think the 10.55 Cardiff-Fishguard is also a 158 today - isnt that usually a 150?

Unofficially, I thought anything can be used as whatever is spare at Canton is used on the service.

[anthony215]

Yesterday a class 175 came ino platform 4 to work the 10:55 to fishguard then at 10:50 a class 150 also pulls in  and passengers were instead put on that with the 175 supposed to being put on the 11:05 to Milford Haven

[Jez]

I wonder if the Manchester-Milford Haven service could work being split long term? I guess what would form the xx50 to Manchester off Cardiff instead forms the xx04 back to Carmarthen/Milford Haven whilst in the other directions the Manchester's termimate at cardiff around xx55 and form the xx40 back so a longer turnaround.

I doubt this will happen long term tho as its handy having direct services from West Wales to places like Shrewsbury and Crewe.

[anthony215]

An idea  if the milford Haven - Manchester services were split would be to increase the cardiff - holyhead service to hourly and interwork with the cardiff - manchester service.

 This mean's that trains arriving into cardiff at xx55 from manchester would work the xx20 service to holyhead

[matt473]

Cardiff to Holyhead does not need an hourly service. It's time that as opposed to giving a select few places a high frequency service that stock gets used to provide a suitable service where none currently exists. Maybe a short Shrewsbury to Cardiff run may be of use but no more Holyheads. Few people actually wish to travel between North and South Wales, majority of them seek to travel to nearer places such as Manchester, Bristol etc.

[Jez]

I agree that the Holyhead service doesnt need to be hourly. Its not one of the most used services in my experience (could be wrong tho), Cardiff-Portsmouth and Cardiff-Manchester always seem far more busy.

Travelled on the 12.06 from Neath-Cardiff today - it was a 2 car 175 and was a little cosy to say the least. Was a 2 car so may have been short formed as im sure ive travelled on a 3 car on this particular service in the past. The train manager had to announce over the tannoy for people to move their bags from seats as passengers were standing. As a result no catering facilities on this train most likely because of passengers standing.  It terminated in Cardiff as planned but no announcement about whether passengers could continue their journey to Hereford and beyond.

Return journey was the 15.50 FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service but noticed the 15.20 Holyhead was still sitting on platform 2 when we left at 15.50. It was announced as delayed on departure boards but no-one had seemed to board the train. It was a 2 car 175.  On Platform 1 the 15.40 Manchester service was a 158 and departed around 5 mins late. Also the 1556 Taunton service had been cancelled.

The service from Milford Haven terminated on platform 2 behind the Holyhead train at around 1545. It then reversed around the same time as the FGW Swansea service left. I wonder why it bothered as couldnt it have departed for Milford from Platform 1 since the Taunton that would have gone from that platform was cancelled? Is it not possible for service to depart to the West of Cardif from platform 1/2?

[Jez]

At Swansea station today, platform 3 was being used for both the Pembroke Dock and Carmarthen services behind it. Some passengers seemed confused about which train to get onto especially since the display screens at the end of the platform didnt seem to be working.

Both the 1205 and 1605 were 153's today. Im guess until Summer it is sufficient for a single 153 to run all 3 of the Pembroke Dock diagrams?

A 153 was on one of the swanline diagrams as usual today while I think the other was a 150.

The 1555 Cardiff service I travelled back to Neath on was fairly heavily used today - no-one standing and some empty seats but all double seats were taken at Swansea - and it was a 3 car 175. I think most of the Cardiff-Milfords have been a 175 these past few days with the Cardiff-Manchester having some 158 on that section of the route, im guessing its easier to swap these with Holyhead/Maesteg/Cheltenham if they on that side of the route. I think it reverts back to usual tomorrow tho was Milford-Manchester through trains. 

I have noticed tho that despite all other West Wales trains terminating at Cardiff Central the 2000 off Swansea is still going to Chester.

[Hafren]

Trains from the west need to go into Platform 4 at CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains) (not sure if they can be signalled directly into 3) if they're to be turned back in service. If they go into 1 or 2 and then reverse, they'll be leaving the platform as a shunting move as there aren't AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) proper signals at the west end.

Sometimes arrivals from Maesteg go straight into 4 when they're not going to Cheltenham, in order to form a CDF-MST straight away.

Pembroke Dock trains are usually lightly loaded in winter, especially going down when they leave a few minutes after the Manchester-Carmarthen service. In the old days, pre December 05, a 153 was sometimes the only train in the hour between SWA^» (Swansea - next trains) and CMN - having seen the loadings on some of the daytime 175s I wouldn't want to see that now, but in the current setup a 153 will normally be 5 minutes (down) or half an hour (up) behind another service, so not a problem at this time of year.

I'm not sure what usually forms the 1155, but the 1055 is usually a 2 car and can be nasty on busy days, such as Fridays before bank holidays and the like. It's also bad on some Saturdays when FGW^▸ (First Great Western) retimes to run via the Berks & Hants or whatever, when HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) end up leaving behind the Manchesters.

I wonder if the boxing day notice had anything to do with the strike. Before Christmas there were posters saying that there would be no trains on the Valley Lines on 27th, or something along those lines.

My impression is that the Fishguard service is usually a 150, effectively operated in marginal time off a Valleys diagram. I think there was last year (not sure currently) a Treherbert service that ran fast to Radyr, allowing it to depart from the main line platforms and run via the City Line. On a few occasions during 2009 I saw a pair of 150s split (presumably shunted in off an earlier 4 car arrival from Treherbert) to form the Fishguard service.

I think when there's no Holyhead service the xx:20 path should be used at least as far as Abergavenny or Hereford, in order to relieve the Manchester service and to provide an hourly service at Pontypool. Running it to Shrewsbury or even Crewe would also help provide connectional opportunities.

[Jez]

I think the Swanline's terminate on platform 2 at CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains) tho - although they have nearly an hour turnaround time i believe.

The 1144 from Neath-Swansea (and onwards to Carmarthen) was 5 mins late today, when it got to Swansea it had already passed its supposed departure time so left around 11.05 which was when the Pembs train should have gone. Was funny cos the conductor of the 175 was talking to the driver/guard of the 153 when they were despatching the 175 out of the station - so the train despatcher shouted to the guard to get on the train (they all laughed about it tho!). I dont know what time the Pembs train left as I left the station then, but im guessing a good 3-4 mins behind the 175.  There was also a trolley on the 153. I dont have much experience of the route myself but ive not seen one on there, mind you it was a pacer once when I used it and they wouldnt carry a trolley I doubt!

Another thing I noticed today, but im not sure if its correct, is the 175's to Carmarthen seem to be calling at Kidwelly and Ferryside (not Gowerton tho except peak) - im sure the Pembs used to stop at these stations as they are a stopping service and behind the "fast" train??

1155 SWA^» (Swansea - next trains)-MAN is usually a 3 car - but with the diagrams all over the place it was a 2 car that particular day. I seem to remember pre Dec 05 there was only and ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) from Swansea-Cardiff every 2 hours which included Swanline - plus a few extra's eg. there was a daily service to Penzance which left Neath around 12.33 ahead of the 125. Considering the Manchester trains are very heavily used at times I wonder how they managed before with mainly just 125's and 2 hour ATW Stoppers.

Fishguard is almost always a 150 when ive seen it too.

Im not sure if Cwmbran and Hereford need a half hourly service? Apart from once or twice there has never been that much overcrowding between Cardiff-Hereford on that service although they are always well used. Its mainly Swansea-Cardiff section of the route that ive seen overcrowding e.g rugby Saturdays or busy periods on weekdays/saturdays in general. Before the new Cardiff-Holyhead 16xx service they used to have an extra train to Abergavenny at 1608, this wasnt the Holyhead hour, so I guess they only needed the extra capacity for the Cwmbran-Abergavenny line during that time. I think it used to be an extention of the daily fishguard to Cardiff service, or the unit that ran the fishguard was used even if it wasnt advertised as one through service.

[Hafren]

Kidwelly and Ferryside stops appear to be a standard feature on the Manchester-Carmarthens in the new timetable. I think it's already been done like that for a year or two in the up direction. I would guess it's to keep the Pembrokes on time. The xx:05 is stuck behind the xx:00 but needs to reach Tenby in time to cross the up train; the Gowerton single line is one section and I think the headway is actually 6 minutes - so the xx:05 has an extra minute between Swansea and Gowerton. Then there's the absolute block sections between Llanelli and Carmarthen, although stopping the xx:00 at Kidwelly and Ferryside must cancel out the benefit of making the xx:05 faster behind it, but at least it makes things a bit smoother for  the xx:05.

Coming back, the up train can't leave Tenby until a few minutes after the down has arrived, but must reach Swansea in time to connect with the xx:28 Paddington, and still have at least a bit of recovery time. Removing Kidwelly and Ferryside is probably to create some slack to help with these constraints. It looks like dwell times have gone up in the last couple of years, e.g. a proper allowance for request stops between Whitland and Tenby (which are quite busy for halts) where it looks like there used to be a 0 allowance (with stops absorbed later by recovery time) - that part of the journey is a couple of minutes longer now as a result, which seems to help with timekeeping as previously time was often lost on that stretch; dwell times at Whitland and Llanelli also seem to have gone up at some point in the last few years.

Up terminators go into Platform 1/2 and are then let out by shunt signals to Cardiff West (or wherever). If they need to turn back in a few minutes they would have to go straight into one of the higher numbered platforms. Also I have a feeling that passenger-carrying trains can't be signalled into Platform 0, hence it only being used by services that start there.

How busy are the Manchesters in the hours when there's nothing for an hour before? That might be a good guide as to whether or not a half-hourly service would be useful. I would expect there to be some call for a more regular half-hourly pattern to provide a local service over the more populated stretch aroudn Cwmbran and Avergavenny, but then there are perhaps certain other routes with more pressing needs. I would guess that when a 2-car goes to Manchester it can be busy, but a 3 car is probably not too bad. On Saturdays I believe that 16:xx to Abergavenny still exists as an extension of the 15:10 Swanline.