Cardiff-Holyhead

[whole diary]

[Jez]

I was reading on another forum that one of the Cardiff-Holyhead daytime services is now regularly a 150?    I thought all diagrams on the 2 hourly Cardiff-Holyheads were now booked as 175's, with 158's standing in as they do on the Manchester-Milford services occasionally. I know one early Chester services ends up in Maesteg which might be a 150 so maybe this forms a service back during the day?? 150 doesnt seem a suitable unit to run such a long distance service- 5 hours Cardiff-Holyhead!

Also considering the depot for 175's is Chester not that many 175's seem to run services FROM Chester station. 158's seem to be used for swapping with the Cambrian line - plus 150's or 153s on some of the local services. Obviously services are operated by other TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) other than ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC)) too.

Im guessing the reason the last West Wales services up to the Welsh marches line ends up in Chester rather than Manchester in order to terminate the service there.

[JayMac]

150 doesnt seem a suitable unit to run such a long distance service- 5 hours Cardiff-Holyhead!

Regularly happens Bristol-Penzance!! Often a 150/1 as well with 3+2 seating.

[Jez]

150 doesnt seem a suitable unit to run such a long distance service- 5 hours Cardiff-Holyhead!

Regularly happens Bristol-Penzance!! Often a 150/1 as well with 3+2 seating.

I didnt realise Bristol TM^‡(resolve) ran a regular service to Penzance - apart from Crosscountry services or FGW^▸ (First Great Western) high speed 125 services which I think go via Westbury rather than Bristol. Isnt FGW local service from Bristol as far as Exeter St Davids?

[JayMac]

0524 and 0626 off Temple Meads arriving 1017 and 1124 Mon-Fri. Similarly timed services on Saturdays. 0745 and 0828 on Sundays arriving 1230 and 1325.

[ReWind]

Not forgetting the occassional Brighton to Great Malvern 150 service!  Especially at weekends I notice!!

Not a pleasent journey from experience!!

[Jez]

0524 and 0626 off Temple Meads arriving 1017 and 1124 Mon-Fri. Similarly timed services on Saturdays. 0745 and 0828 on Sundays arriving 1230 and 1325.

ah right, im not familiar with services from BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) that early! Thanks.

I think the Brighton service should be a 3 car 158.

I think the Cardiff-Paignton service at 0800/1700 is 2 x 150s as well.

[devon_metro]

I think the Cardiff-Paignton service at 0800/1700 is 2 x 150s as well.

Meant to be 150+153

[Louis94]

I think the Cardiff-Paignton service at 0800/1700 is 2 x 150s as well.

Meant to be 150+153

Service is now booked 2 x 150, to become a 158/9 sometime in the near future.

[matt473]

Just a guess but it might have something to do with getting 150s to/from Canton to work on Blaenau Ffestiniog line or the Wrexham to Shotton (I think that's right) service. Only 175s get serviced in Chester if I remember rightly

[anthony215]

The Cardiff - Holyhead services should be worked by a class 175/158. Class 150's are normally used on at weekends  and the last trains in the evenings mostlye to get the class 150's to/from canton. otherwise the only reason why would be if there is no class 158/175 available.

i  have seen a class 150 make an appearance on the Milford Haven - Manchester service a few ti,es recently although most days  only class 175's seem to be used.

[Jez]

I think the Cardiff-Paignton service at 0800/1700 is 2 x 150s as well.

Meant to be 150+153

Service is now booked 2 x 150, to become a 158/9 sometime in the near future.

2 x 150s or a 150 and 153 together is good in terms of capacity however they arent that great for longer journeys. 153 isnt too bad I guess as they get used on Heart of Wales by ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) which is a 4 hour journey.

[Jez]

Just a guess but it might have something to do with getting 150s to/from Canton to work on Blaenau Ffestiniog line or the Wrexham to Shotton (I think that's right) service. Only 175s get serviced in Chester if I remember rightly

Yes, I think a mix of 150s and 153s are used on the North Wales Local Services (Wrexham etc) plus the Crewe-Chester and Shrewsbury to Crewe local services. it does make sense to use some 150s on a service to transport them from Canton to the North but my question was about a regular daytime service being a 150 at the moment?

Seems silly that the 175's are serviced at Chester when most of them seem to pass through Cardiff daily on the Milford/Carmarthen/Cardiff to Manchester services, plus Cardiff-Holyhead.
Id say more than half the fleet are used on the South Wales-North Wales/Manchester services compaired to those used on Manchester-Llandudno.

The Cardiff - Holyhead services should be worked by a class 175/158. Class 150's are normally used on at weekends  and the last trains in the evenings mostlye to get the class 150's to/from canton. otherwise the only reason why would be if there is no class 158/175 available.

i  have seen a class 150 make an appearance on the Milford Haven - Manchester service a few ti,es recently although most days  only class 175's seem to be used.

I thought all Holyheads are 175's now apart from low availability when 158's stand in on the Holyhead/Manchester services from South Wales.

Ive seen quite a few 158's on the Milford/Manchester service during weekdays, normally its weekends, but I guess some 175's are out for refurbishment.   Thats what I was wondering about whether its every day a 150 runs a particular Cardiff-Holyhead service.

[Lee]

From the Daily Post:

^3.5m to fund extra daily express train from Holyhead to Cardiff

Faster rail services between North and South Wales are to be increased to two return trips a day ^ but Wrexham will miss out.

Arriva Trains Wales plans to lease more rolling stock for extra services from Holyhead to Cardiff, funded by ^3.5m Welsh Assembly Government support.

The trains will stop at Bangor and Llandudno Junction then Chester and Crewe, by-passing Wrexham. The present express, Y Gerallt Gymro, also goes via Crewe.

By leasing trains up-front for seven years, instead of annually, the Assembly Government will save the tax payer ^350,000. Arriva Trains Wales has secured timetable slots for the second service and it will now develop a process to obtain the rolling stock. The start date will then be unveiled.

Deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said: ^The North-South express rail link plays a vital role in not only linking North and South Wales but also rural and urban communities.

^Plans will now be developed to increase the service and provide an alternative transport option to people rather than the car. This is part of our commitment to encourage sustainable transport and improve links between the north and south of the country.

^m delighted not only are we planning to increase the frequency of this service ^ a route that has already been enjoyed by thousands of commuters, shoppers and tourists ^ but also secured a saving to the tax payer by being smarter in the way we negotiate our contracts.^

But North Wales Lib Dem AM Eleanor Burnham questioned whether the service was truly ^express^ when it stopped at stations in England, and still failed to be routed through Wrexham.

^If this is an express service then I^m a kangaroo,^ she said. ^People are having to travel to Bangor to catch these trains, which then stop at Chester, Crewe and Shrewsbury. It should avoid stopping in England rather than along the North Wales coast.^

Wrexham Council leader Aled Roberts said the authority had campaigned for the present express to stop in the town.

He added: ^Despite numerous requests for a timetable regarding the dualling of the track to Wrexham and the re-routing in the meantime there has been no action by WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about).

^This announcement needs to be reversed ^ it is diabolical the people of Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire are being treated in this way."

An Arriva Trains Wales spokesperson said: ^We are pleased to be working with the Welsh Assembly Government to deliver a second North-South service.^

[JayMac]

(North Wales Lib Dem AM Eleanor Burnham said:)
"If this is an express service then I^m a kangaroo..."
<snip>
Wrexham Council leader Aled Roberts said the authority had campaigned for the present express to stop in the town.

That quote from AM Eleanor Burnham made me laff out loud*. I don't profess to be an expert on the calling pattern that the WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about) Express should have, but I agree that a service funded by Welsh taxpayers should call at one of the largest towns within its remit. That would mean either a reverse at Chester or the construction of a new curve at Shotton. But then, even if the easier option of a reverse at Chester was considered, that's hardly going to speed up the service.

*Reminded me of Ian Hislop's quote on the steps of the High Court after losing a libel case brought by Sonia Sutcliffe, wife of the Yorkshire Ripper:

"If that's justice, I'm a banana!"

[anthony215]

hopefully this will be able to reverse at chester if the rumour about class 67 & DVT^‡(resolve)'s being used are true. Shame the service wasnt operated by Wrexham & shropshire