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

[whole diary]

[Rhydgaled]

Regarding Fishguard, the big problem with Fishguard & Goodwick is 'mind the gap'. Somebody has carelessly slung the track away from the platform, except for at the Cardiff end of the platform, which might only be enough to open one door of the train. If it isn't going to be open by September, then I think they should wait and save the station building.

The earlier disscussions on here have led me to believe the diagrams for the Fishguard service result in one unit being available for most of the day, that could plug the 5hr gap in theroy.

[Jez]

I noticed today that one of the swanlines the 11.10 I think it was, was very late and quite close to the 125 at Neath, maybe 5 mins between them. It was also a pacer on a swanline, so not just saturdays that happens now. I guess the 150 that would normally run that diagram is better placed on Pembroke or HOW during the summer peak.

There was a 3 car formation on the 0808 Cardiff-Swansea-HOW service at least once this week. I wonder where the extra units are coming from to make what is often a 1 car a 3 car train!

[Hafren]

There was a 3 car formation on the 0808 Cardiff-Swansea-HOW service at least once this week. I wonder where the extra units are coming from to make what is often a 1 car a 3 car train!

That seems to have happened quite a lot in the last week or two. A 3 car formation is not really needed on the HoW^‡(resolve) on a weekday; perhaps part of it is detached at Swansea to add to a Pembroke train later on. There's also been an idle unit sitting at Swansea around 7.30 most days (I think every day) - usually a 153, but on one occasion a Pacer, and on one occasion a 150, a 153 and a Pacer lined up in the platform. I assume that unit joins either the 7.50 or the 10.00ish. The 6.42 from Cardiff is a single Pacer now, so nothing to split at Carmarthen, unless it's added at Swansea or just stabled at Carmarthen overnight. I don't remember any of this happening last year; the 6.42 was 2 Pacers from July and the third diagram was I think just a 153. It seems a lot of effort is being made to strengthen on weekdays since high season began this year.

[anthony215]

Strange normally the 06:42 Cardiff - Pembroke dock service is either 2 class 153's or a class 150 & 153

`

[phile]

06 42 Cardiff (ex Hereford Low Summer)  to Pembroke Dock booked 2 x 153 Low Summer, 1 X Pacer High Summer.  No need to differentiate between 142s and 143s as thet are regarded as 1 Fleet for operational purposes.
The HOW mentioned is booked 2 X 153 High Summer so I suspect that a 150 was substituting for a 153.

[Jez]

That seems to have happened quite a lot in the last week or two. A 3 car formation is not really needed on the HoW^‡(resolve) on a weekday; perhaps part of it is detached at Swansea to add to a Pembroke train later on. There's also been an idle unit sitting at Swansea around 7.30 most days (I think every day) - usually a 153, but on one occasion a Pacer, and on one occasion a 150, a 153 and a Pacer lined up in the platform. I assume that unit joins either the 7.50 or the 10.00ish. The 6.42 from Cardiff is a single Pacer now, so nothing to split at Carmarthen, unless it's added at Swansea or just stabled at Carmarthen overnight. I don't remember any of this happening last year; the 6.42 was 2 Pacers from July and the third diagram was I think just a 153. It seems a lot of effort is being made to strengthen on weekdays since high season began this year.

Ive been told the 0808 was 3 car all the way to Shrewsbury and 3 cars also formed the 14xx back down the HOW arriving into swansea around 1800.

Im using the 0745 Swansea- Manchester one day this week - is it back to being 3 cars again now?

[Jez]

The daytime Swanline was a 150 today as was everything I saw on Maesteg.  Also the 1455 from Swansea-Manchester was a 2 car 175 not the usual 158. Dont recall seeing any 158's on Manchester or Maesteg today. Perhaps the 175s are all available now?

[Hafren]

I've only used the 7.45 a couple of times this week, but it seems to be more reliably 3-car now.

The 8.09 CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains)-SHR^» (Shrewsbury - next trains) seems to have been 3x153 on a couple of occasions, including Friday, but that's based on seeing it from a train going the other way, so not entirely reliable! If that's right, it's not as if a 150 is just substituting for a 153; could it just be that an extra 153 needs to go to Shrewsbury that night...?

Today it was a single 153 - is this as booked for Saturdays? I'd have thought Saturday would be the day 2 cars are must useful.

Has the cessation of half price travel (I assume it went ahead!) for Carmarthenshire pass holders had an effect on loadings...? It always seemed to generate a fair proportion of the HoW^‡(resolve) traffic.

[anthony215]

I have noticed that the fishguard times are on the naional rail website

However someone has pointed this out on uk railforums, the afternnon swanline which was supposed to have been re-timed to leave at 15:30 still shows as departing at 15:14 and aparantly runs non stop between Llansamlet & Gowerton with no call at Swansea

[Jez]

I travelled back from Manchester on the 12.30 on Friday, very fast journey missing out Church Stretton and Craven Arms, arrived into Newport just after 15.20. The train then sat in Newport until 15.38 and arrived into Cardiff around 15.52 and then sat there until 16.04. I got back to Neath around 16.48. Its a shame the last part of the journey takes so long, it seems the new timetable is for the benefit of passengers travelling to stations before Cardiff. I know some earlier trains leaving Manchester at 11.30 and earlier dont have the long waits at Newport and Cardiff but it just made the jouney suddenly seem longer after flying down the marches line to Newport.

I noticed a 158 (refurbished) was on one of the swanlines yesterday??

[anthony215]

There is a possibility that a class 158 could apear on the 09:55 Fishguard Hbr - Carmarthen service on 12th september when the  new services will be officially launched

[Rhydgaled]

There is a possibility that a class 158 could apear on the 09:55 Fishguard Hbr - Carmarthen service on 12th september when the  new services will be officially launched

What makes you think that? That working is what we thought would split off the 06:42 and then go onto Pembroke Dock services afterwards isn't it? The 13:30 boat train is the one that needs a 158 I think.

[anthony215]

There is a possibility that a class 158 could apear on the 09:55 Fishguard Hbr - Carmarthen service on 12th september when the  new services will be officially launched

What makes you think that? That working is what we thought would split off the 06:42 and then go onto Pembroke Dock services afterwards isn't it? The 13:30 boat train is the one that needs a 158 I think.

Well since the  class 158's are in WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about) livery, what better unit to show off to the press when services are officailly launched although you could be right and it could be a class 150

[Rhydgaled]

There is a possibility that a class 158 could apear on the 09:55 Fishguard Hbr - Carmarthen service on 12th september when the  new services will be officially launched

What makes you think that? That working is what we thought would split off the 06:42 and then go onto Pembroke Dock services afterwards isn't it? The 13:30 boat train is the one that needs a 158 I think.

Well since the  class 158's are in WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about) livery, what better unit to show off to the press when services are officailly launched although you could be right and it could be a class 150

A few 158s are in WAG livery yes, and one of them would be a good unit to use for a press-launch, but service wise the direct train to Manchester is nearer to being the first of the new trains (it's not actualy the 1st of course) I seem to remember and unlike the Pembroke Dock service is the sort of run you'd expect something like a 158 (or more likely a 175 in this area) on. Is there even going to be a press launch? I haven't heard of any fanfare anouncing the timetable.

[Chris from Nailsea]

It's perhaps been a while since I made my plaintive plea, chaps - but please, could you just use 'reply', rather than 'reply with quote', whenever possible?

Thanks, Chris.