PHILIPE
Veteran Member
No knives and forks to be washed up tonight. 17 16 Cardiff to Holyhead formed 175 with Trolley Service.. 67013 spotted near Saltney heading towards Chester hauling Mark3 at lunchtime. (Yahoo Group Post)
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ATW to Rebrand Gerald Premier Service
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trainophile
Established Member
I'm being a bit thick here 
, but having done another dummy search, on 12th Jan Cardiff to Chester on the 1716, Standard Class Anytime Day Single is £61.50 ( 
hock: ), or there are a few Advances left at £17. Is the £25 to upgrade to Business Class in addition to the £61.50/£17? This makes a total price of £86.50, but a First Class Anytime Single is £85.40, or £61 for an Advance.
For a less than three hour journey it seems on the pricey side. Just about okay for a £17 Standard Advance + £25, but a bit eye-watering otherwise.
Edited to add... unless someone else is paying, which I suppose is the whole point of this debate.
, but having done another dummy search, on 12th Jan Cardiff to Chester on the 1716, Standard Class Anytime Day Single is £61.50 ( hock: ), or there are a few Advances left at £17. Is the £25 to upgrade to Business Class in addition to the £61.50/£17? This makes a total price of £86.50, but a First Class Anytime Single is £85.40, or £61 for an Advance.For a less than three hour journey it seems on the pricey side. Just about okay for a £17 Standard Advance + £25, but a bit eye-watering otherwise.
Edited to add... unless someone else is paying, which I suppose is the whole point of this debate.
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berneyarms
Established Member
This is what I don't get - why do they not use the spare set in this situation?
Is it not kept maintenance ready?
Henceforth, feel free to refer to me as 'the oracle'
I'm being a bit thick here
For a less than three hour journey it seems on the pricey side. Just about okay for a £17 Standard Advance + £25, but a bit eye-watering otherwise.
It's a little daft of them to sell an Advance First that costs more than a Standard advance and the price of the upgrade! I wonder if they will add some cheaper tiers of Advance First at any point, as they have just markedly reduced the price of the upgrade.
merlodlliw
Established Member
I always ask that question.
175 three car went through Gobowen 12 minutes late last evening in place of
"Gerald", from what I could see from the platform it was lightly loaded.
I work for Govt and get exactly the same rubbish. It's all about headlines and no common sense.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Again ditto. I'm told to take Standard even if the exactly corresponding First is cheaper. It means Ministers and MPs can say they've done something to the Daily Heil. Of course THEY can travel First Advance if it's cheaper than Standard Open..... all in it together my rear-end!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Because virtually all of the support staff have been chopped! Instead we have been given a godawful software tool to book through Hogg-Robbers - who use Trainline for train tickets. Cost effective to have senior managers wasting serious amounts of time booking train tickets? The system seems to think so......
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Do you look like Johnny VegasHenceforth, feel free to refer to me as 'the oracle'
.
merlodlliw
Established Member
I have also been told the upgrade pricing is both ways,forgot to ask if the Chef is on both runs.I mentioned this due the "Breakfast Rolls" in place of a cooked breakfast, I presume.
Gerald yesterday morning came to a stand a few times a passenger tells me,but should be back this evening, so I presume it was a 175 this morning as well.
Bob
Gerald yesterday morning came to a stand a few times a passenger tells me,but should be back this evening, so I presume it was a 175 this morning as well.
Bob
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Who spends "serious amounts of time" booking train tickets? Investigating splits to save a few quid is near enough never worth it when on company time.
Put your journey into the planner and accept the cheapest relevant option. I bet that takes little or no more time than trying to explain your requirements to a travel agent and going back and forth about it a few times.
Neil
SprinterMan
Established Member
This seems to be quite a common problem, I have no idea why the spare set does not see use when the main one breaks down. I assume that maybe it is not kept together as a set in canton, just as spare vehicles to be subbed into the set.
Adam
An absolutely excessive amount of time is spent by myself getting the best deal
But it's my own money, I don't have much of it, and I like travelling a lot so...merlodlliw
Established Member
This seems to be quite a common problem, I have no idea why the spare set does not see use when the main one breaks down. I assume that maybe it is not kept together as a set in canton, just as spare vehicles to be subbed into the set.
Adam
I have no idea how it works,from what I make of it.
1.Gerald starts at Holyhead plus also stables , the maintenance is in Cardiff.
so if a problem occurs, its back to Cardiff to sort, a kind of wrong way around.The politicians wanted this.
2.I presume the spare diner is now in the painters,I have to presume the spare three mark 3s are linked together with a DVT, I also presume if a failure occurs at Canton at say 4.30pm its too late for the spare set to be ready.
3.The Crewe set up makes more sense,stable and maintain overnight.
Does anybody want me to ask ATW any other question,my contact is in the North and responds within the day,hes a real rail man through & through
Bob
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ReeceEmmitt
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Currently sat on Gerald which is stationary at platform 2 Cardiff Central due to unspecified 'technical problems'. Fitters on way apparently. Grand.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Running about 20 behind tonight - parking brake fault was the cause of the delay.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Running about 20 behind tonight - parking brake fault was the cause of the delay.
Chester025
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Which loco's on it?
merlodlliw
Established Member
was the fault on the DVT or loco, the train appears beset with problems again this week, Like the new Manchester service, how long before Gerald has a travelling fitter.Lucky fitters this evening are just down the road.
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jones_bangor
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Maybe it would be better to move the servicing of Gerald to Holyhead (overnight).?
This might free it up for a daytime run too?
Seems to have a high failure rate out of Canton, and leave them with the 14x/150 trains.
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berneyarms
Established Member
Where there is ample amount of maintenance facilities of course?
SprinterMan
Established Member
In related news, the Anglesey - Cardiff flights have been renewed for another 4 years. This time, the contract is directly with Links Air, and Citywing is not being used as an intermediate. The move to renew the flights delights me, but may not please some of you :P
Does anyone know what is happening to Gerald in May 2015 yet? The recent catering reshuffle seems to reply it is staying but I have heard nothing so far.
Adam
Does anyone know what is happening to Gerald in May 2015 yet? The recent catering reshuffle seems to reply it is staying but I have heard nothing so far.
Adam
merlodlliw
Established Member
In related news, the Anglesey - Cardiff flights have been renewed for another 4 years. This time, the contract is directly with Links Air, and Citywing is not being used as an intermediate. The move to renew the flights delights me, but may not please some of you :P
Does anyone know what is happening to Gerald in May 2015 yet? The recent catering reshuffle seems to reply it is staying but I have heard nothing so far.
Adam
I am not surprised,it would have been PA suicide to withdraw the service from Welsh Governments owned Cardiff Airport.
It will be interesting to know how many £millions have been thrown at this carrier, plus the Anglesey Airport that WG pays for.
I would guess Gerald is safe until the stock from the rosco is up for renewal,Ill try and find out when this is.
It is interesting to note,Main Coast Line is having extra capacity in North Wales, from December, Fishguard line trails extended,Cambrian to go hourly,yet the busy Chester/Wrexham/Shrewsbury line is due to loose rail services from next May.
I thought we were in an austerity period. Also the link dated 11 th November, has to be wrong,
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Starting from Holyhead was always going to have problems, I recall when the service started using Class 57, after a short period of failures the class 57s were left on idle, engines left running Friday Night to Monday morning due to the problems with starting, it now seems the current push/pull is rapidly becoming just as problematic. Im guessing a 175 set must be kept on standby.
From next week we will soon learn if the Crewe stable push/pull is any more reliable, at least the stock will be used all day,and has full servicing facilities at Crewe.
Bob
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ReeceEmmitt
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I'm not sure really. I was in the first carriage behind the restaurant car and all the fuss seemed to be behind me - so loco I would hazard as guess at.
merlodlliw
Established Member
Thanks, I note the DVT and stock is reversed quite often.
I have requested a local AM to ask ATW what the problems are with Geralds reliability
From:@arrivatw.co.uk]
Sent: 06 December 2014 09:59
To: Isherwood, Mark (Assembly Member)
Subject: Re: Arriva Trains Wales' Gerald of Wales premier service
Dear Mark,
Thank you for your correspondence. I will pass your constituent's email on to
our Customer Relations team and ask them to investigate. I will ask them to
respond directly to the constituent and I will send you a copy of our response
for your information.
In the mean time, if you require anything else from us, please do not hesitate
to get in touch.
Regards,
On 6 Dec 2014, at 01:16, Isherwood, Mark (Assembly Member)
wrote:
Dear
I have received the following e-mail from a constituent and would therefore be grateful if you could give this your attention and provide a response
accordingly:
"The Welsh Government Flagship train "Gerald Of Wales" failed yet again, and
175 three car was drafted in to run in both directions yesterday Thursday. This begs the question why do ATW not use the spare set rotting away at Canton Dept,Cardiff, but can find a replacement 175 at short notice. The failure record of the Premier loco Haul service appears to be getting worse, October it failed four times, November twice. Its not like to train is overstretched, doing nothing in Cardiff between 10am and 5pm daily. this is the service ATW/WG want to replace the 0747 with. The major problem is the train starts at Holyhead which has no maintenance facilities, the nearest being DB works at Crewe where the new Loco haul service is stabled overnight".
Thank you.
Regards
Mark
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If the problem really is no maintenance at Holyhead, then bringing Gerald into the franchise (like the Fishguard, Cambrian and HOWL extras, I assume) ought to help. That would in theory allow interworking diagrams between Gerald and existing franchise services so that a different set ends up stabled at Holyhead each night. Would need a 3rd rake of 3x TSO + 1 buffet I suppose, so you can have 2 sets working and one spare, but there are already 3 67s and 3 DVTs (or are they going to be working the new N.Wales service too, rather than additional locos and DVTs*).
* In which case, isn't that Open Access stock working a franchise service?
* In which case, isn't that Open Access stock working a franchise service?
merlodlliw
Established Member
I am informed the new service will be different stock, 4X mark 3 standard,dvt & hired in loco, even when the stock's at Canton all day, it fails there as well as Holyhead, on Friday it failed in Cardiff Station, lucky Fitters are on site to sort the brake problem,not the same at Holyhead where no doubt it would have been replaced with a 175, which according to ATW dont have spare 175s
SprinterMan
Established Member
merlodlliw
Established Member
Why does it have to be wrong? Seems right to me :P
Adam
I presume you mean Wagair, well to me neither Valley or Cardiff Airports are of any use to us in North East Wales. This a take from another source
http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/2014...government-subsidy-as-bus-grants-are-slashed/
link
Arglwydd Golau
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That's true, but then again you're not far away from Liverpool and Manchester airports and you frequently mention the close links that north-east Wales has with these cities!
ReeceEmmitt
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Didn't have enough money for the breakfast this morning (and was too hungry to wait for the ten minute charade of trying to pay by card) so settled for the bacon roll. My last opportunity for the fry up (which I've always found quite pleasant as long as it sans beans) gone as I wont be getting the train again, at the earliest, until next week. Shame.
All on time this morning though, no problem. Well done Gezza.
All on time this morning though, no problem. Well done Gezza.
merlodlliw
Established Member
Thats true, but none fly to Cardiff,we do have very close links with both Liverpool and Manchester for work and leisure, thats were the majority in North East Wales fly from.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
ten minutes to pay by card, ATW conductors only take a minute or so,anyone know if the Chef is still on the Rhyl to Cardiff portion, or just on the evening run as far as Shrewsbury or Chester,then return same evening
ReeceEmmitt
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Yep - 10 minutes or so. Because it relies on a handheld chip and pin machine that has to connect to something (unlike, I assume, the ticket machine that the conductors use). FGW don't have the same problem and to be fair the lovely staff that work in the restaurant car couldn't be more apologetic about it all.
merlodlliw
Established Member
Its an old system, Ive seen people walk up a field to get a signal for payment,useless where I live, out of rage of all signals for mobiles,the local pub has such a hand held machine(Crown Llandegla) staff walk around the room for a signal. I must say you are very impressed with the staff,is the Polish Girl still on board, another failed a VT test, but passed the ATW with flying colours.
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