There is a set requirement of non-ETCS units needed each day. If any of them are stopped with long term faults, I think 197101 and 197110 are two examples, they are being covered by ETCS units to make up the numbers.
Those ETCS units are supposed to be maintained by Machynlleth depot when in service. Chester don't have the capacity to maintain all of them.
Its down to maintenance capacity while balancing enough to cover the service.
None. With the exception of Birmingham-Holyhead as they tie in with the Cambrian routes.
What will happen in reality may be different, in the same way we see 158s on routes they aren't planned to be on.
Correct. All covered by 197s. The only planned sprinters are Newport-Ebbw Vale, which will likely become 197s in the future.
So once 231s cascaded to their planned routes it should free up 5 197s.
To be fair, of the main routes nearly all South Wales-Manchester services are now 5 car. Chester-Manchester are now 3 car but more capacity to 4-5 car is needed here which is where the units from the South will be needed.
Last edited:
)
