Transport for Wales Class 231 / 756 FLIRTs

[slowroad]

As a Welsh tax payer, no I wouldn't, they waste enough money as it is. I'll deal with the short formed trains, it's a small price to pay.
Don't worry, where I am everything is easily as lousy, if not mores, than what relatives get in England. Be careful what you wish for!

Ditto. I use TfW once or twice a year at most. That’s pretty typical.

 

[Cardiff123]

I can testify to the 7:40am from Bridgend to Rhymney via the VoG. It is a disgrace it is always 2 carriages. It is shockingly difficult to get off at Cadoxton! I end up standing before it gets to Llantwit simply to be in a better position to get off. To say there is a service 10 mins later is not valid as people have to get that train to get to work on time. Flexi time is not available to all!!!

What's worse is that there is a regular 4-car 150 diagram on the VoG now, but it's not timed to really hit any peak time service, aside from the 1739 from Central to Bridgend via Barry. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W19851/2025-02-12/detailed
And this service starts the day on the 0640 Bridgend to Rhymney!

I'd say if any service needs to be a regular double 150 diagram it's the 0740 Bridgend to Rhymney.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I can testify to the 7:40am from Bridgend to Rhymney via the VoG. It is a disgrace it is always 2 carriages. It is shockingly difficult to get off at Cadoxton! I end up standing before it gets to Llantwit simply to be in a better position to get off. To say there is a service 10 mins later is not valid as people have to get that train to get to work on time. Flexi time is not available to all!!!

It is valid really, I am afraid. There will always be trains not at the "convenient time" until the frequency is like the London Underground. But then that still gets overcrowded. I used to have to travel into London too early. It had to be early enough to arrive at Victoria Station before they closed the entrance to the Victoria underground due to expected overcrowding. That was a daily regular occurrence (on weekdays) and started as far back as 1987 and is still in force unless Covid has alleviated it !. We are just not prepared to invest in public transport in the UK.

The point is there is never a perfect train time and unfortunately everybody wants to get to work and from work at the same time. One of the solutions, as you say, would be flexible hours but that never seems common enough. It is an age old problem BUT made worse by the shortage of rolling stock on TfW - it is a waste of a path not having a train as long as the infrastructure should allow when the demand is there. It happens now as we come out of Covid even here through Croydon since the Covid cut backs. I wonder how much has been cut back because of Covid in the Cardiff area - or rather I wonder how much Covid is or could-be used as an excuse/reason ?.

I know the feeling having to vacate my seat at a station before the door areas fill up just so i can get off at my correct station. I just hope TfWs plans continue to fruition and it looks a lot more likely that TfW will get there than here in my part of London. Irony is of course that if it is good it will fill up - so much untapped demand.

 

[Cardiff123]

Deleted

 

[MikePJ]

I had a rummage through RealTimeTrains and it seems that 756007 (a three-car unit) went on various trial trips during the last week.

• Monday (10th Feb), RTT reports that 756007 ran from Barry Tourist Railway sidings to Aberdare in the late afternoon and went down to Stormstown and back before heading back to Barry again.
• Tuesday 11th the same unit ran from Barry to Canton in the morning before returning to Barry in the evening.
• Thursday 13th it did the same again.

Also, this run from Barry Tourist Railway to Caerphilly and back seems like a 756 test on the new wires, but there haven't been any others. Friday 7th had a series of paths booked from Canton-Caerphilly-Coryton-Caerphilly in the small hours, but they didn't run. I am starting to suspect that the energisation at the start of Feb might have been only carried out on the section towards Caerphilly, with there being some delay to energising Coryton.

 

[AdamWW]

Also, this run from Barry Tourist Railway to Caerphilly and back seems like a 756 test on the new wires, but there haven't been any others. Friday 7th had a series of paths booked from Canton-Caerphilly-Coryton-Caerphilly in the small hours, but they didn't run. I am starting to suspect that the energisation at the start of Feb might have been only carried out on the section towards Caerphilly, with there being some delay to energising Coryton.

I wonder....

Anyone know if (unlike, it seems, on the Coryton line) the bridge closures went ahead that weekend on the main line?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

No doubt its in this thread somewhere but are all the Flirts at Barry waiting to be commissioned?

 

[MikePJ]

That now means that half (12/24) of the 756s have now been in service!

Have been in service:
756102/104/105/106/107/108/111/112/114/115/116/117

Still to enter service:
756001/002/003/004/005/006/007/101/103/109/110/113

109 and 110 ran from Barry to Canton today: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V00279/2025-02-17/detailed#allox_id=0

007 has been on the Aberdare branch, presumably doing driver training.

 

[Envoy]

They really are dragging their feet in getting these trains into service. Loads are parked down at Barry and have been since the summer of 2023 - see photo:>

 

[John R]

They really are dragging their feet in getting these trains into service. Loads are parked down at Barry and have been since the summer of 2023 - see photo:>

View attachment 174862

I don’t think any of the electrification was finished in summer 2023, so that date is hardly relevant.

 

[Envoy]

I don’t think any of the electrification was finished in summer 2023, so that date is hardly relevant.

That is correct but it has been quite a while now since the central valley lines went live and we still only have around 50% of services on the Aberdare > Cardiff > Merthyr loop running with 756’s.
I realise that they have a lot of crew to train but it surely can’t be that difficult to convert from a 231 to a 756?

 

[chargesmith]

Oddly at least two 231s running on TAM lines this evening

That is correct but it has been quite a while now since the central valley lines went live and we still only have around 50% of services on the Aberdare > Cardiff > Merthyr loop running with 756’s.
I realise that they have a lot of crew to train but it surely can’t be that difficult to convert from a 231 to a 756?

I don't know exactly how the process works, but given you can't do any route training or proving runs on the TAM before the wires go live, and you need time to do the training in drivers rotas, and then you need Stadler to support you in bringing the stock in, I don't think it's an unreasonable timeframe. Also the 150s are still available so might as well run them into the ground even if newer trains are more desirable, so the new units don't reach maintenance milestones too quickly.

 

[Markdvdman]

I know someone who works for Pullman Rail and she says the cost o maintenance on the 150s is getting very expensive. Us tax payers are funding this - questions should be asked about this terrible roll out. What train broke down at Queen St today I wonder? Regardless the lack of paths is a huge issue with broken down trains!

 

[56xx]

I know someone who works for Pullman Rail and she says the cost o maintenance on the 150s is getting very expensive. Us tax payers are funding this - questions should be asked about this terrible roll out. What train broke down at Queen St today I wonder? Regardless the lack of paths is a huge issue with broken down trains!

It seems from RTT that a northbound 231 only made it as far as Heath High Level this morning and then another 231 didn't make Queen Street. Lots of delays and cancellations. Problem with electrical supply and the train all quoted suggesting a 756. Facebook post says a possible fire or exhaust problem.
The 150s seemed quite innocent in all of today's problems but it meant no trains to or from some of the Heads of the Valleys stations for nearly 3 hours

 

[Anonymous10]

I know someone who works for Pullman Rail and she says the cost o maintenance on the 150s is getting very expensive. Us tax payers are funding this - questions should be asked about this terrible roll out. What train broke down at Queen St today I wonder? Regardless the lack of paths is a huge issue with broken down trains!

231003 appears to be to blame incurring a 40 minute delay at heath junction.

 

[BillStampy]

231003 appears to be to blame incurring a 40 minute delay at heath junction.

Don't worry, as they always say, hit it with a hammer a few times and it should work again..

 

[43096]

Don't worry, as they always say, hit it with a hammer a few times and it should work again..

And if you can't fix it with a hammer, then you've got an electrical problem!

 

[Cardiff123]

Don't trains deteriorate in condition if stabled outside for long periods not in service?
Isn't out of service rolling stock supposed to be kept in "warm storage" for a reason?
18+ months sat in sidings in Barry, exposed to the sea air and the elements, is hardly "warm storage".

 

[MikePJ]

Warm storage doesn’t usually mean that the trains are in a nice warm shed, it means that they’re powered up regularly. They’ll have their engines run, and there may be a shore supply of electricity in the sidings. They do get shuffled between Barry and Canton, too.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

It seems from RTT that a northbound 231 only made it as far as Heath High Level this morning and then another 231 didn't make Queen Street. Lots of delays and cancellations. Problem with electrical supply and the train all quoted suggesting a 756. Facebook post says a possible fire or exhaust problem.
The 150s seemed quite innocent in all of today's problems but it meant no trains to or from some of the Heads of the Valleys stations for nearly 3 hours

Had a 756 upto Aberdare Monday morning and it was having problems with automated power changeovers. The driver was managing the issue manually but had to keep calling control to advise them of the issue and location before moving on again (thats what the conductor told us). Teething problems no doubt that will be ironed out and a bit of lateness allowed the driver to exploit all that power to make up a bit of time!

 

[StripeyNick]

756103 entering into service today

 

[tfw756rider]

756103 entering into service today

Thanks for letting us know!

That now means that as many 231s and 756s have been in service as 756s exist (24):

231001/002/003/004/005/006/007/008/009/010/011,
756102/103/104/105/106/107/108/111/112/114/115/116/117

It also means that 86 (58%) of Transport for Wales' overall 148 new trains have now been in service (62 197s, 11 231s and 13 756s).

 

[Peter Sarf]

Thanks for letting us know!

That now means that as many 231s and 756s have been in service as 756s exist (24):

231001/002/003/004/005/006/007/008/009/010/011,
756102/103/104/105/106/107/108/111/112/114/115/116/117

It also means that 86 (58%) of Transport for Wales' overall 148 new trains have now been in service (62 197s, 11 231s and 13 756s).

Soon the 398s will begin to show up as the major absentee. That will show how well the other fleets including Flirts are doing.

 

[AdamWW]

Thanks for letting us know!

That now means that as many 231s and 756s have been in service as 756s exist (24):

231001/002/003/004/005/006/007/008/009/010/011,
756102/103/104/105/106/107/108/111/112/114/115/116/117

It also means that 86 (58%) of Transport for Wales' overall 148 new trains have now been in service (62 197s, 11 231s and 13 756s).

TfW put this on Twitter recently:



(Image showing number of each type of train in serice and not yet in service: Class 197: 58/77, Class 231: 11/11, Class 756 11/24, Class 398 0/36 ("Testing and driver training has started").)

Looks as if it's a little out of date now.

 

[tfw756rider]

TfW put this on Twitter recently:

View attachment 174962

(Image showing number of each type of train in serice and not yet in service: Class 197: 58/77, Class 231: 11/11, Class 756 11/24, Class 398 0/36 ("Testing and driver training has started").)

Looks as if it's a little out of date now.

Thanks, I had heard of that but hadn't seen it until now; the numbers were already understated when they posted it. It was discussed in the 197 thread.

At least they now realise that they have 24 756s rather than 17 (they once got the number of 4-coach 756s and the total number of 756s mixed up on a statement on their website!)

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It also means that 86 (58%) of Transport for Wales' overall 148 new trains have now been in service (62 197s, 11 231s and 13 756s).

It's so poor, considering we're in 2025 and there are still signs up at Queen Street boasting that "by 2023, every train through this station will be brand new,"

 

[tfw756rider]

Soon the 398s will begin to show up as the major absentee. That will show how well the other fleets including Flirts are doing.

I wasn't sure whether or not to put "0 398s" but ended up not doing so.

It's so poor, considering we're in 2025 and there are still signs up at Queen Street boasting that "by 2023, every train through this station will be brand new,"

Why are those even still up? Surely they should either remove them or replace them with updated ones with 2026 or whatever.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Why are those even still up? Surely they should either remove them or replace them with updated ones with 2026 or whatever.

I don't think replacing them is a good idea. If the former promise turned out to mean nothing, there's a good chance regular users will not believe the updated one.

 

[AdamWW]

It's so poor, considering we're in 2025 and there are still signs up at Queen Street boasting that "by 2023, every train through this station will be brand new,"

Where are they? I looked and I can't see any now.

Thanks, I had heard of that but hadn't seen it until now; the numbers were already understated when they posted it. It was discussed in the 197 thread.

Ah. More inaccurate information from TfW. At least this one is pretty harmless (and not even in their favour).

 

[MikePJ]

Am I correct that we're currrently seeing 4 regular 756 diagrams - one on the Treherbert line and the other three on Merthyr-Cardiff-Aberdare? That certainly seems to be the service pattern today anyway.