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

[whole diary]

[anthony215]

Hopefully things should start to become a bit better for ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) now that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have started to receive  some class 150's from London Midland.

 I hope now that there are no more delays which should mean the end of ATW having to hire 2 class 150's a day to FGW.

This should give ATW a bit of relief as they wont have to stretch their fleet as much.

As for the class 175's they all should have been 3 carriages and as fr more DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s i hope we either get some more class 150/153/158's as more routes in scotland, north west england are electrified although Northern , east midlands trains etc are more likely to be ahead of us in the quew for more units.

More than likely we could be lucky  after 2015 if they do wire the thames branches that FGW may have a couple of extra class 165/166's spare so providing they can be cleared to work some routes maybe ATW could get a couple.

[Jez]

On a Saturday the daytime swanline has been a pacer for several weeks so I think that is now booked. A couple of times ive seen the daytime fishguard as a pacer on a Saturday so up to 5 pacers in the Swansea/West Wales area if all 3 Pembrokes as pacers too.

That was good of the conductor to sort out the seating problem. I can understand passengers frustrations especially travelling with young children, however the last few times ive booked an advance ticket to Manchester (and ive used the 0745 off Swansea) they have given me the ticket which tells me im booked onto the specific train but no seat reservations?!  How many of the Manchesters are booked 2 and 3 cars? I think they all need to be 3 car, they are quite busy between Llanelli and Cardiff, and also during some parts of the day can be busy further up the marches as well.

Noticed there seem to be extra units on HOW as well as its high summer. e.g Yesterday the 0808 from Cardiff-Swansea-Shrewsbury, when I saw it at Neath it was 2 x 153s.  Also seen quite a few 150s go onto HOW.

I didnt know 153s were able to go to Maesteg or some valley lines? Perhaps ive just never seen them used on that line so I assumed they werent.

Is the 121 still on Cardiff Bay? On a Saturday especially during the summer months id think they would need more capacity than that on Cardiff Bay - a pacer or at least a 153?

[anthony215]

the class 121 seems to cope ok now that it is back operational.

A class 153 can only do the cardiff bay, coryton & city lines services. Something to do with the steps on them making them out of gauage same with the class 158's & 175's.

 Although 175's have been cleared to work services on the rhymney line. (There was a photo in 1 of the railway magazines  at Cardiff queen St where ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) trialled 1 on the rhymney branch not long after they arrived in south wales.)

as for a class 143 to Fishguard i bet that must have been fun traveling at speed over the district Line

[Rhydgaled]

i hope we either get some more class 150/153/158's as more routes in scotland, north west england are electrified although Northern , east midlands trains etc are more likely to be ahead of us in the quew for more units.

More than likely we could be lucky  after 2015 if they do wire the thames branches that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may have a couple of extra class 165/166's spare so providing they can be cleared to work some routes maybe ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) could get a couple.

Some say an extra unit is required to enable the extra Fishguard services, I guess this will be one of the 2 150s released when FGW stop borrowing them. Seeing as 150s can turn up on pretty much any ATW service (the Cambrian and LHCS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Coaching Stock) services being the exceptions) when they are short on units I think we will have enough suburban units to be going on with once FGW hand back the 2 150s until Pacer deadline in 2020, which hopefully will bring electrification of the ValleyLines and new EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit). For now, I think ATW should be using more LHCS (to put on busy 175 routes) or WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about) trying to get more 153s or 158s, or perhaps some 156s or 155s as part of the electrification cascades.

as for a class 143 to Fishguard i bet that must have been fun traveling at speed over the district Line

I think the service goes faster from Whitland to Clarbeston Road, is it a 75mph linespeed along there? Swansea District Line only 55mph max I think, not sure though might only be 50.

[anthony215]

If they are going run a 67 & dvt on cardiff - Holyhead express services why not make more use of them and maybe have a full 2 hourly limited stop Cardiff - Holyhead service which should free up a few class 175's to increase capacity on the Llandudno - Manchester & Milford Haven - Manchester services.

[Hafren]

I think the service goes faster from Whitland to Clarbeston Road, is it a 75mph linespeed along there? Swansea District Line only 55mph max I think, not sure though might only be 50.

The main line is 75mph (with various short slower stretches) from around Cockett to just past Clarbeston Road. The District Line is 50mph, making it slower, in terms of top speed, than the main line; its main advantage is the better pathing there are no single line sections and few other trains to slow things down.

[phile]

Class 153s also work to Barry Island and Ebbw Vale  (Saturdays) and have been to Penarth.   They can also work to Rhymney and I believe one went early 2006 after a new Valley Timetable caused chaos before settling down (working vice 4 cars) .   They can work to Maesteg and been on many occasions.

[anthony215]

I guess the rhymney route is slightly more generous gauge compared to the taff vale lines north of radyr

[phile]

Yes Anthony you are correct.       Similar to 158s which are not permitted North of Radyr but the Rhymney Line OK.    Around 2004/05 they had diagrammed working to Rhymney.   They do not go now due to revised diagramming sice the big timetable change in December 2005 and their transfer away on introduction of 175s af on Manchester to West Wales services after their release from TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) on receipt of 185s.
Out of interest, 175s can be seen on Maesteg to Cheltenhams and occasionally Ebbw Vale also.

[anthony215]

There used to be a daily diagram for a  3 carriage class 175 from Cheltenham i think it was the 17:45 Cheltenham Spa - Maesteg service.

 Not sure if this has been changed as you dont see them regulary.

[phile]

The 3 car 175 diagram which went to Maesteg was and still is is the 12 39 through train from Holyhead

[Jez]

Looks like tonight the 1655 Manchester was late getting into Swansea and didnt depart until around 1714, this has resulted in the 17.10 Swanline departing after the 1728 FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service, I assume to make sure the 2 faster services to Manchester and London arent delayed further. But people in Swanline stations suffer with the train over 20 mins late!

[Jez]

And it looks like the delayed Swanline was a 158 (refurbished) and a 153 on the back. I wonder if the delay was something seperate to the delayed Manchester service and they had to send a 158 to rescue a 153?!

[anthony215]

or the 158 rescuing the class 153?

I do know that the timings on the 17:10 Swansea - Cardiff swanline services are very tight, there have been complaints about it delaying the London service following behind, that  is 1 reason i believe why the 17:10 from swansea no longers makes a stop at pontyclun.


Anyway i have noticed that if the swanline is going to be delayed and not depart on time then it will be held and follow a few minutes after the london train has  departed from swansea. Not sure what anyone planning on catching it to connect with the london train will say. ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) are supposed to be fitting information screens to most of their stations (About time too) this will be a good thing as the lack of information is what puts some people off traveling by train from Pyle as they worry the train might be delayed/cancelled,  The 09:10 departure from Swansea is 1 such example of this.

[anthony215]

Here are the times for  fishguard hbr services which should hopefully start with the timetable change on 11/12th sepetmber 2011.

Departures from Fishguard Hbr:

01:50 -  Swansea

06:53 - Claberston Road (For connections to Carmarthen, Swansea)

08:04 - Manchester Piccadilly

09:53 - Carmarthen

13:30 -  Cheltenham Spa (Via Swansea District Line)

19:00 -  Clarbeston Rd

20:50 - Carmarthen

Arrivals at Fishguard Hbr:

01:27 - From Swansea

06:45 - From Carmarthen

07:59  - From Clarbeston Rd

09:47 - From Whitland/Swansea (Should be formed from 1 of the units which works the 06:42 Cardiff Central - Swansea - Carmarthen - Pembroke Dock.)

13:26 - From Cardiff Central

18:34 - From Cardiff Central & Swansea

20:30  -From Clarbeston Rd

Overall a nice improvement  in the number of trains although i hope once more units start to become available that 1 will be used to plus that large gap in between trains in the afternoon.

Once the services starts hopefully money can be found to put a temporary sufface on the platform at Fishguard & Goodwick station so that it can be used by passengers.

Let us hope that this trial service will be a sucess