All Arriva Trains Wales 175s taken out of service (28/02)

[Gareth Marston]

Cambrian to BHM International services running as scheduled tomorrow except trains not calling at Borth. Bus replacement will run Machynlleth- Borth- Aberystwyth.

Borth station damaged as a result of recent weather not sure of exact details.

 

[a22book]

According to twitter all trains have been repaired "All necessary repairs have now completed and the trains have been released back into service 1/2"

 

[Gareth Marston]

All lines operating as normal apart from heart of Wales and Conwy valley.

 

[pemma]

All lines operating as normal apart from heart of Wales and Conwy valley.

From tomorrow.

Also I notice they are saying the WAG Express will run but 'business class' will not be available i.e. it'll be operated by a 158 or 175.

 

[PHILIPE]

On another Forum, the defect on the Marches has been located and mention made of Maindee Jcn but not confirmed.

 

[PHILIPE]

According to twitter all trains have been repaired "All necessary repairs have now completed and the trains have been released back into service 1/2"

I think the Tweet is somewhat misleading. There are 15 x 175s (12 in traffic), 3 x 158s and the Cardiff WAG Set that are still stopped and likely to be several days at least before everything will be back in traffic. Be interesting to see what is short formed tomorrow. This has been posted on another Forum

 

[YorkshireBear]

Maindee junction west was the culprit. Finally found and fixed this afternoon by all accounts.

 

[KenW]

For which Chester to Manchester rail tickets weren't being accepted. If you arrived at Altrincham with a rail ticket to Manchester you would have been told to get on the replacement bus to Stockport and then catch any train to Manchester.



Given the service is a local stopping service between Chester and Warrington and there's little time advantage of using 319s over 150s on Chat Moss I'd be surprised if a 150 couldn't have arrived at Piccadilly on time if it left Chester on time.

For several months a 150 replaced a 158 on a North Wales diagram (0851 Man Picc - Ludo / 1144 return / 1451 Picc - Ludo was part of it) when the 175 fleet was affected by corrosion repairs and it was on time on the occasions that I saw it.

 

[Eccles1983]

If the suggestion is that Northern 150s (spare because of strike action) should go to ATW for a day, who is going to move them?

Couple them to the units going from Newton Heath to Chester via bank quay that happens at around 0440hrs every day.

Northern drivers do sign that entire route.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Assuming it's the Marches curve at Maindee that was the problem, quite a number of 150/158s as well as 175s must have run over it, plus the WAG.
It will be interesting to see what the overall damage is to trains.
It will cost NR a tidy sum I expect.

 

[Parallel]

Assuming it's the Marches curve at Maindee that was the problem, quite a number of 150/158s as well as 175s must have run over it, plus the WAG.
It will be interesting to see what the overall damage is to trains.
It will cost NR a tidy sum I expect.

I'm not sure of when the fault at the junction happened, but there is a chance some 142s, 143s and 153s may have ran over it too (The former on the Saturdays only Abergavenny service)

 

[PHILIPE]

I'm not sure of when the fault at the junction happened, but there is a chance some 142s, 143s and 153s may have ran over it too (The former on the Saturdays only Abergavenny service)

Those that had recently worked worked over the route have been checked and 3 x 158s were found

 

[PHILIPE]

For several months a 150 replaced a 158 on a North Wales diagram (0851 Man Picc - Ludo / 1144 return / 1451 Picc - Ludo was part of it) when the 175 fleet was affected by corrosion repairs and it was on time on the occasions that I saw it.

It's been booked for a 158 for several years now.

 

[PHILIPE]

There are 5 x 175s at Carmarthen rarin' to go in the morning, 3 of which ran down ECS ex Canton this evening. A 175 could even be spared for the Ebbw Vales today.

 

[Parallel]

There are 5 x 175s at Carmarthen rarin' to go in the morning, 3 of which ran down ECS ex Canton this evening. A 175 could even be spared for the Ebbw Vales today.

Valley lines first class?

 

[a22book]

Facebook message from ncrug

Trains tomorrow...
Result! A response from the ATW Regional Manager received 8pm this evening, shared below with his permission. When asked if tomorrow's trains will be normal length or short-formed, he responded they hope to have normal. Might be standing room only, but trains there will be.

Mark,
Many thanks for your email,
These last few days have been the most challenging I have encountered in 40 years within the industry, indeed we had issues with our long distance services (175 units) this was I understand caused by track infrastructure. This effected a large amount of our fleet, which over the last few days our fleet department have been working additional hours changing wheel sets, reversing wheels, using wheel lathes etc, this has taken place at all our depots and indeed outsourced, to ensure our trains are safe for our customers, and returned to traffic as soon as possible.
Along with Network rail we had to check almost every piece of track these units ran upon, only place they didn’t go was Cambrian lines but as you are aware some of our 158s that were in other diagrams were also affected. We couldn’t run what trains we had available until we found the track fault. I can confirm this has now been located.
To add more pressure on our staff we had in South Wales the worst snow many can remember, this also closed the railway for some time to all communities. Also because of the track issue, this closed the Cardiff Shrewsbury route and access to Cardiff and our maintenance depot.

The very last thing I wish to see is the cancelation of any rail service. The Chester Manchester route is one of the most important to us at Arriva Trains Wales and I can confirm it was with a heavy heart we had to cancel services, simply because we had no units.
I have asked our Station Manager to take up the issue of communication, as the Customer screens should have been giving information.

On the positive note, I can confirm as of this evening we are running a full service tomorrow Monday 05th March with exception of the Conwy Valley line, Heart of Wales line and a Holyhead service at 0425 in the morning.

Hope this is of assistance

 

[Bovverboy]

KenW said: ↑
For several months a 150 replaced a 158 on a North Wales diagram (0851 Man Picc - Ludo / 1144 return / 1451 Picc - Ludo was part of it) when the 175 fleet was affected by corrosion repairs and it was on time on the occasions that I saw it.

It's been booked for a 158 for several years now.

I believe the duty (as far as I have been able to track it) comprises the following.
0339 Crewe Carriage Sidings - Shrewsbury ECS (possibly rear unit of a four-car set)
0520 Shrewsbury - Chester then attaches to front of 0514 Holyhead - Manchester Piccadilly (0712 ex-Chester)
0850 Manchester Piccadilly - Holyhead/Chester (rear unit), detaches at Chester to form
1002 Chester - Llandudno
1112 Llandudno - Llandudno Junction
1128 Llandudno Junction - Llandudno
1144 Llandudno - Manchester Airport
1436 Manchester Airport - Llandudno
1705 Llandudno - Manchester Piccadilly
1950 Manchester Piccadilly - Chester, I can't tell for sure what happens to it after that.
(I have ignored shunt movements).

It can occasionally be a 150, even now, although I haven't seen one just lately. (I'm not trying to be funny, but I haven't seen many ATWs at all just lately). However, there have been periods within the last few years when it has often been a 150 on the above. On 31 August 2016 I myself travelled from Warrington Bank Quay to Earlestown on the 150 which was leading the 0712 ex-Chester. Thoughtlessly, I didn't record the stock number!
The mid-afternoon extension to/from Manchester Airport has been introduced relatively recently.

 

[Bovverboy]

If the suggestion is that Northern 150s (spare because of strike action) should go to ATW for a day, who is going to move them?

Victoria-based drivers could have brought them from Newton Heath to Piccadilly, ATW crews could have taken them from there.
Northern will have had 150s spare both yesterday and today, it's been Sunday today.

 

[Bovverboy]

There has been a two-hourly service between Shrewsbury and Manchester Piccadilly for most of today. The following journeys appear to have operated.
Northbound: 0955, 1350, 1540, 1754, 1942, 2048 Shrewsbury - Picc; 1228 Crewe - Picc.
Southbound: 1124, 1330, 1530, 1730, 1930 Picc - Shrewsbury; 2135, 2235 Picc - Crewe.
The only one of the above I caught sight of was the 1730 ex-Picc, it was operated by 175008.
Nothing appears to have operated between Shrewsbury and Newport, over the HOWL, west of Carmarthen, or between Chester and Manchester (ATW journeys). Services over the Cambrian line, and in the South Wales valleys, seem to have been very much reduced.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Facebook message from ncrug

Trains tomorrow...
Result! A response from the ATW Regional Manager received 8pm this evening, shared below with his permission.

Many thanks for your email, I have asked our Station Manager to take up the issue of communication, as the Customer screens should have been giving information

Hope this is of assistance

I think that this emboldened extract above from part of the Facebook message referred to is acceptance that matters need improvement in terms of communication.

On the Manchester Metrolink system which too suffered a very recent series of unfortunate spates of operational mis-haps, the very same matter of poor operational company communication during those times was also noted, from information on the SkyScraper City website.

 

[craigybagel]

I believe the duty (as far as I have been able to track it) comprises the following.
0339 Crewe Carriage Sidings - Shrewsbury ECS (possibly rear unit of a four-car set)

5 car. Front unit is a 153 for the Heart of Wales, middle is a 150 for the 0600 to visit Wrexham which then spends the day on Bidstons

Victoria-based drivers could have brought them from Newton Heath to Piccadilly, ATW crews could have taken them from there.
Northern will have had 150s spare both yesterday and today, it's been Sunday today.

It was looked into - but fell through.

 

[PHILIPE]

Valley lines first class?

175s have a booked working to Ebbw Vale each evening

 

[Mag_seven]

Valley lines first class?

Class 175's don't have first class accommodation do they?

 

[krus_aragon]

Class 175's don't have first class accommodation do they?

It's all first class by comparison to a pacer (or 150 for Ebbw Vale)

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's all first class by comparison to a pacer (or 150 for Ebbw Vale)

It's all better than the First Class on most of the South East commuter operations.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Class 175's don't have first class accommodation do they?

One reason why my good lady wife and I do not travel as often as we like from Wilmslow to both Hereford and to Ludlow to visit, whereas on the Class 185 TPE services from Manchester Airport to both York and to Durham, that facility does exist.

 

[PaulHarding150]

The fault has been found, trains and track repaired. All units back into use according to the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-43286915

A defect on the railway line between Cardiff and Chester which caused an entire fleet of trains to be taken out of service has been fixed.

A chip was found on an Arriva Trains Wales train wheel on 27 February, andfurther checks found "significant damage" to all 27 long-distance trains.

Services from south Wales to Manchester and north Wales were cancelled or reduced as a result.

The fault has since been found and repaired.

In a statement, Bill Kelly, chief operating officer for Network Rail Wales and Borders and Simon Hughes, Arriva Trains Wales engineering director, said their teams had worked "around the clock since Wednesday" to identify the fault.

The statement read: "Our efforts were hampered by extremely challenging weather conditions that meant the defect was very difficult to locate, however once identified, the defect was repaired within the hour and we are now able to operate trains on the Marches line and have now resumed a normal service.

"We would like to thank our customers for their patience whilst we worked hard to maximise service operations during these very difficult weather conditions."

Network Rail said it was continuing to investigate the cause of the fault which was found on the line at Maindee, Newport.

 

[mervyn72]

Are there any photos of the damaged wheels floating around or are they censored...?

 

[PHILIPE]

The fault has been found, trains and track repaired. All units back into use according to the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-43286915

Media reporting isn't always correct. There are still some units not yet back in traffic but it seems arrangements to get them fixed are progressing rapidly.

 

[StuartH]

0745 Llandudno to Manchester airport cancelled this morning which is normally a 3 car 175, so not entirely back to normal.