XC - Are you Running 2 coach Trains to Cardiff on Sat 8 June?

D6975 · 7 Jun 2019

A 12 car 158 has worked a passenger service. It wasn't a revenue earning service but a staff only charter. It was something to do with the introduction of the 158s IIRC.

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Wilts Wanderer · 7 Jun 2019

The limit isn’t the number of coaches, it’s the number of cabs. So a 12-car 158 consisting of 4x 3-car units (with centre cars) would still only be 8 cabs. With 15x stock I believe the absolute limit is 10 cabs but anything over 7-8 risks electrical difficulties.

Bevan Price · 7 Jun 2019

Bletchleyite said:
And yet EMT does reshuffle its fleet on Aintree Races days to use a long Meridian set on the Liverpool-Norwich, so XC are just lazy. To be fair, XC are just lazy anyway; not a great TOC at all.

No Meridians for Aintree any more - just a pair of 158s as usual in at least 2018 & 2019. (And that combination provides more standard class seats than a 7 car Meridian)

Minilad · 8 Jun 2019

Considering the last XC departure from Cardiff tonight is 2050 and I doubt very much the "concert" will be over by then what would be the point of strengthening anything?

Bletchleyite · 8 Jun 2019

Bevan Price said:
No Meridians for Aintree any more - just a pair of 158s as usual in at least 2018 & 2019. (And that combination provides more standard class seats than a 7 car Meridian)

Don't they declassify on that route when they've done it in the past?

class 9 · 8 Jun 2019

Wilts Wanderer said:
The limit isn’t the number of coaches, it’s the number of cabs. So a 12-car 158 consisting of 4x 3-car units (with centre cars) would still only be 8 cabs. With 15x stock I believe the absolute limit is 10 cabs but anything over 7-8 risks electrical difficulties.

Things may have changed, but when I did 15x/14x traction training in 1992, it was max 12 vehicles for 15x trains and max 8 for 14x vehicles, it’s to do with voltage drop from leading to rearmost cabs.

185143 · 8 Jun 2019

Bletchleyite said:
Don't they declassify on that route when they've done it in the past?

Yes.

I don't recall them actively announcing it, but the TM had no issue with my Wayfarer between Stockport and Warrington

Sprinter107 · 8 Jun 2019

Wilts Wanderer said:
The limit isn’t the number of coaches, it’s the number of cabs. So a 12-car 158 consisting of 4x 3-car units (with centre cars) would still only be 8 cabs. With 15x stock I believe the absolute limit is 10 cabs but anything over 7-8 risks electrical difficulties.

I worked a 12 car 150 on a Cardiff to Birmingham train. 4 X 150 3 car.

Sprinter107 · 9 Jun 2019

Just checked my notes and it was May 2006, an 18.08 Cardiff to Birmingham New Street extra, 150018 + 150008 + 150003 + 150017

trolleyman · 9 Jun 2019

90% of those crammed in probably only got on at Newport anyway

Sprinter107 · 10 Jun 2019

trolleyman said:
90% of those crammed in probably only got on at Newport anyway

No. Train left Cardiff full and was still quite full upon arrival at New Street. We pick up and set down at Newport, Gloucester and Cheltenham

Envoy · 10 Jun 2019

If demand is so high for the XC service from Cardiff to the Midlands, then surely it should have priority boarding with those going to Gloucester and beyond getting priority followed by those for stops between Newport & Gloucester. Cardiff > Newport bound passengers should surely not be allowed to board if people heading for the Midlands then are unable to board.

krus_aragon · 10 Jun 2019

Envoy said:
If demand is so high for the XC service from Cardiff to the Midlands, then surely it should have priority boarding with those going to Gloucester and beyond getting priority followed by those for stops between Newport & Gloucester. Cardiff > Newport bound passengers should surely not be allowed to board if people heading for the Midlands then are unable to board.

I get the impression that's exactly what they do at Cardiff Central with their event day queueing-by-destination system.

Hadders · 10 Jun 2019

krus_aragon said:
I get the impression that's exactly what they do at Cardiff Central with their event day queueing-by-destination system.

That’s my experience too having been to a number of events in Cardiff.

Envoy · 10 Jun 2019

Yes, I think they learnt their lesson a few years ago when they let people for any destination board the XC service only to find that people heading beyond Cheltenham could not board and had to catch a later service - which left them stranded at night in Cheltenham. Don't know what the situation is at busy times on non-event days?

SoccerHQ · 10 Jun 2019

Envoy said:
Transport for Wales only run trains on this route as far as Cheltenham - and they are going to fully stretched with their other routes as well. If people are coming from places north of Cheltenham - as surely they will, then using the present 2 & 3 coach 170’s is going to result in trains being rammed. They can barely cope with normal demand and goodness knows what will happen when they pick up additional passengers from the forthcoming Worcester Parkway? XC HST’s do operate into south Wales when diversions take place and there is 1 daily XC Voyager into and out of Cardiff - going to Manchester via Bristol Temple Meads - which is pretty useless for south Wales passengers as they can get to Manchester quicker via the shorter Marches Route. Still, it does shift commuters into Bristol.

I note that the TOC’s which seem to have the greatest dissatisfaction are Northern, XC and the former Arriva Trains Wales. I note that they are all/were operated by Arriva.

If I wasn't in a rush (given it was Spice Girls they wouldn't be on stage to the early evening anyway) I'd have just caught the XC down to Bristol Parkway and changed to CC from there. Not much of a time difference at all really if you everything is on time.

I agree if you want to go to any tourist hotspot on a weekend XC on 2/3 car routes is one to avoid at all costs.

XC - Are you Running 2 coach Trains to Cardiff on Sat 8 June?

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