ATW/Keolis Amey Wales stock shortages

Here are four photos of 150285 from yesterday: https://imgur.com/a/pGEXdS6

- There are plug sockets with USB points on every seat row (1 3-pin plug and 2 x USB for every two seats, apart from the few single seats near the toilet, which have one per seat)

- The seats on this unit appear to either have been deep cleaned or replaced with spare ATW seats. And the grab rails by the doors have been repainted too.

- The inside of the carriage hasn't, there's still the old ATW Castle motive at the end, and some patching up at various points inside the carriage.

- The inside includes lots of old ATW stickers with ATW covered up, so it's not a complete refresh.

- The window in the toilet has been removed.

- The external door opening buttons have been replaced and are now similar to a touch screen device, rather than a physical button. And there is a new beeping audio warning when the doors open and close.

- No sign of any automated audio announcements.

- The outside of the train looks as though it's been re-vinyled in a (spare) ATW livery. There's no sign of the old logo or the horizontal lines on it.

Lot's of people on the train I was on didn't even notice anything new, one or two clocked the toilet. When I was sat in the other carriage, some said I think this has had a refureb after commenting on the strong smell of glue/adhesive.

 

That sounds to me like the spec is the same as the other 35 sets had in the C6 programme, but with PRM mods added. Not really surprising as the contract was let in ATW’s time and materials would have been procured for that contract. I would expect the PRM work to be limited to what needs to be done and will be quicker than the C6s as the time consuming element is the bodywork corrosion repair - which has been done.

 

IIRC 150284 & 285 were the only 150's running around last summer that had not had their C6 overhaul, so it looks like those units had the C6 overhaul, PRM and corrosion work done all at once, hence why they were away for so many months.

 

Many thanks!

 

Thanks for the info.

I imagine the unit must be fitted with automated announcements, maybe the volume was turned down (this happened/happens on several GWR 150s too). Likely to be the same set up as the ex-ATW 158s though and voiced by Ruth, as she has all the phrases and relevant stations recorded.

 

The first time I hear "PIS Ruth" coming from a 150 itself, not one playing back a 158 it's on the back of's PA signal through the couplers, is going to be pretty special

 

Hi. Having travelled on this unit (CYS->TNP) recently, can confirm automated announcements.

No Cymraeg yet, just English

 

Isn't that a violation of the Welsh Language Act 1993?

 

That act only applies to the public sector no? 'Keolis Amey Wales Cymru Limited' could argue they are a private company.

 

Please can we not start another Welsh language debate. It never ends well.

 

No it isn’t.

Seconded.

 

I would suspect (although I've not been on 285 yet to confirm it) that they've simply used all the same recordings and everything else from the existing system on 158s - they already have all the Valleys stations and codes even though they never work those routes. If that's the case Welsh will need adding to both fleets later.

 

Thanks and welcome, please don't use abbreviations without first saying what they mean. Cathays to Tonypandy!

 

never...? or rarely...?

 

Never now - if that makes sense? They have done in the past, but not for many years. None of the Valleys traincrew sign them any more, and in any case at 23m long they'd be barred North of Radyr.

 

Ah OK. I know they sometimes do Ebbw Vale, just not the "Valley Lines" network...?

 

Correct.

Within TfW, basically everything that passes through Queen Street is Valleys - and everything else is Mainline (even Ebbw Vale and Maesteg which are of course also at the end of Valleys are considered Mainline. Bridgend - Cardiff - Aberdare/Merthyr services are a bit of both - worked by Mainline crews West of Cardiff Central and Valleys crews East of there). The train crews for the two systems are kept entirely separate, and those who work the Valleys don't sign 158s.

 

At the start of the 2000s until the middle of the decade, 158s had booked work to Barry Island, Penarth, Coryton, Radyr and a daily working to Rhymney.

 

Cheers, I was trying to remember how long ago that was.

 

Thanks for the info both

 

An interesting article in February's Modern Railways, out digitally today, says that all TfW Pacers will get promotional vinyl wraps by April this year and will also be fitted with power sockets by 1st January 2020, which is pointed out by the reporter is obviously when they are due to be withdrawn. Why on earth are they bothering with power sockets? What a waste of money.
A TfW spokesman is still insistent in the article that all Pacers will be gone by the end of December this year. We shall see.
No mention of TfW getting Northern Pacers in the article.

 

I think someone’s getting mixed up with Pacers (Class 142/143) and the Sprinters 150/153.

Pacers are going, there’s a whole host of reasons why they’re both knackered and non PRM compliant. The 150s and 153s are less knackered and economically convertable.

 

Pacers of all types are knackered, but there's no guarantee the way things are looking at the moment that TfW will have enough trains by the end of the year to replace them all.

 

284 was sitting outside at Crewe Arriva traincare earlier painted and coupled together. Couldn't see inside it but presume it's finished and ready for release.

 

This has been discussed so many times in this thread. It doesn’t sound as though there’s anything new in that article apart from a bizarre suggestion that pacers (142/143s) are going to be retrofitted with plug sockets, which I’ll metaphorically bet my house that they won’t and the author has got their facts mixed up.

 

Thanks get a pic...?

 

Afraid not, it was a bit far back for a photo. It's just in standard atw like the rest so looks no different except a bit cleaner.

 

No worries! Interesting how they've been painted back into ATW livery not TfW, but apparently they'll be wrapped into TfW

 

There’s no cross wires in the article at all. The pacers ARE getting a vinyl wrap. 150s and everything else will be getting painted, not wrapped. The vinyl wrap on the pacers will be done almost overnight. It took them 3 days to do 175107 so a pacer will be quick enough. The plug sockets are a contractual requirement by 1/1/20, they just have to be done. The painting of the rest of the units will be done in part in Liverpool, Chester drivers are signing the depot there as part of the Liverpool route learning so anyone can take a unit in. I can’t recall the depot, think it’s Allerton.

 

Class 175s will be repainted at Alstom in Widnes.