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Cotswold Line

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shaun

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Hi.

I've booked a journey on the Cotswold line this coming weekend, as i've only used it once a long time ago. I've heard horror stories of HSTs being replaced with Turbos at the last minute in the past. I have a choice of the 1721 or 1821 Paddington - Worcester on Saturday, what are the chances either one of these being turbotised going by experience?

Thanks in advance!
 
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TEW

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1721 is more likely to be ran by a Turbo but it is very rare nowadays that an HST is replaced by a Turbo. There are no advance tickets on the Cotswold Line anyway so if the 1721 was a Turbo you could just take the 1821 instead.
 

jimm

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The odds of a Turbo substitution on a weekend service are slim, especially at that time of the day with heavy passenger loadings, because the HST fleet isn't as stretched to the limit as it is on weekdays. On weekdays in the event of an HST shortage, the 15.51 and 17.50 are the likeliest candidates for substitution (happened to the 17.50 Thursday and Friday last week). The 15.51 will be a 180 on Fridays for the summer period as the HST is being borrowed to work a Fridays-only extra to Exeter.
 

Techniquest

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Agreed with the others, you'll be unlucky to get a Turbo vice HST on those services and that such subs are unusual now. Haven't had such a thing happen to me for workings booked HST for years now, although obviously it still happens.
 

cm39275

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I not sure what rolling stock is booked to work these services, but there is currently a rumour. That this weekend some diagrams which were booked for a 165/166 over the Cotswolds, are being changed so that the service will be worked by 180's.
 

shaun

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Thanks all. i'll probably head for the 1721, but if a 165 turns up go to the pub and wait for the 1821.


I not sure what rolling stock is booked to work these services, but there is currently a rumour. That this weekend some diagrams which were booked for a 165/166 over the Cotswolds, are being changed so that the service will be worked by 180's.

I think the idea is for the 180s to eventually replace 165/166s on all longer-distance services, which would include Cotswold trains. Would be good if they could do a few peak Gatwicks as well, but they're not really required i guess. Didn't there used to be a few through Oxford - Gatwick services in the 90s (excluding the XC ones)?
 

TEW

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Everything past Moreton-in-Marsh on weekdays apart from the morning stopping service will be a 180 or HST. 180s will also be working some London-Oxford services, a mix of fast, semi-fast and stopping services. They won't be working Reading-Gatwick services and at the moment no weekend use is planned.
 

cm39275

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Everything past Moreton-in-Marsh on weekdays apart from the morning stopping service will be a 180 or HST. 180s will also be working some London-Oxford services, a mix of fast, semi-fast and stopping services. They won't be working Reading-Gatwick services and at the moment no weekend use is planned.

I’m afraid what I have herd there are plans for them to operate some service over the weekends as majority of services on weekends are operated by the 165/166's and a rumour which has been circulating around staff at oxford depot is that there seems to be a couple off driver diagrams floating about for this coming weekend that include a 180 vice 165/166. Whether or not this rumour is true I don’t know as I’m haven’t seen any driver diagrams as I’m not based in the drivers depot at Oxford.
 
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TEW

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Originally the rumours where that there would be no use of 180s at Weekends, there aren't any ECS paths for 180s out of Old Oak Common either at weekends at the moment. The main problem is that most the Cotswold services are 5 or 6 carriages between London and Oxford at the weekend and replacing a 5 or 6 carriage turbo with a 180 will be a significant reduction in capacity.
 
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Slightly off topic but do the 180s fit fully into the platforms on the Cotwolds Line or is there need for Selective Door Operation as per on the HSTs?
 

TEW

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SDO is used at some stations, less than the HSTs though. Different system as well, it is, or at least it used to be, controlled by the driver.
 

W-on-Sea

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Even before you get on the Cotswolds line, the 180s use SDO at Culham and Radley (3 carriages in each case, I think).
 
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