CAF class 197 Civity for TfW: News and updates on introduction.

[L401CJF]

Noted the 1150ish Chester to Bangor was a 197 today. Think it was 197021.

 

[Anonymous10]

197002 is currently parked in one of Carmarthen's two recently refurbished Sidings being used for training runs during the week.

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but is it because of the weather trains can't run on the Blaunau branch line and Chester to Liverpool? Or is it a shortage of trains. If its the latter then why can't 197s be used given they are only working Manchester to North Wales? I could understand if it was still Sprinters booked for these routes. Is there something else going on ?

For Blaenau, yes it's snow. Chester Liverpool is conditions over the many bridges and 175 shortage.

 

[Sheridan]

For Blaenau, yes it's snow. Chester Liverpool is conditions over the many bridges and 175 shortage.

Blaenau is shut for the next week, which surely must be to ease the 175 shortage rather than down to weather.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Blaenau is shut for the next week, which surely must be to ease the 175 shortage rather than down to weather.

Is a RRB to operate? If not the route will be without any public transport at all now the T19 has gone. Reasonable in snow but not once the road is clear again.

 

[Sheridan]

Is a RRB to operate? If not the route will be without any public transport at all now the T19 has gone. Reasonable in snow but not once the road is clear again.

RRB to operate from Monday. Friday’s closure was definitely down to snow, Saturday and Sunday have been fudged between the two reasons, but Monday there will be a RRB.

 

[175001]

The Irony is that the RRB will probably be ran by Llew Jones, who have recently pulled the T19 service bus between Llandudno and Blaenau....

 

[Jez]

Does anyone know which Swanline services will be booked for 197s from the May TT change? Will it just be the two afternoon Swanline that end up going to Chester, leaving Swansea at 1505 and Llanelli at 1638 (which would make sense as the depot is in Chester so the sets would end the day there). Will any of the others or can we expect 150s and 153s again?

 

[Rhydgaled]

Yes they look the same don't they. I've done them on the 397s, very nice, they make the basic version in the Nova 1s look naff especially with the blue fabric vice classy cream leather.

Oh, I thought the same seats (Fainsa Sophia in standard and (possibly) Fainsa MD in first) but with different coverings were used across the IEP, 802, 197 and Nova fleets. Do the Nova 2 and Nova 3 actually have different seats beyond the choice of leather vs fabric covering?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oh, I thought the same seats (Fainsa Sophia in standard and (possibly) Fainsa MD in first) but with different coverings were used across the IEP, 802, 197 and Nova fleets. Do the Nova 2 and Nova 3 actually have different seats beyond the choice of leather vs fabric covering?

397 and Mk5 have the exact same seats so far as I noticed.

802s have the same frame but a thinner cushion in 1st and only fabric in both classes.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Oh, I thought the same seats (Fainsa Sophia in standard and (possibly) Fainsa MD in first) but with different coverings were used across the IEP, 802, 197 and Nova fleets. Do the Nova 2 and Nova 3 actually have different seats beyond the choice of leather vs fabric covering?

397 and Mk5 have the exact same seats so far as I noticed.

802s have the same frame but a thinner cushion in 1st and only fabric in both classes.

If you look at the shape of the 1st class headrest on 397/MK5a it extends forward slightly so as to give small wings.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Geoff & Jen have reviewed the 197s (mostly very positively).

 

[anthony263]

Does anyone know which Swanline services will be booked for 197s from the May TT change? Will it just be the two afternoon Swanline that end up going to Chester, leaving Swansea at 1505 and Llanelli at 1638 (which would make sense as the depot is in Chester so the sets would end the day there). Will any of the others or can we expect 150s and 153s again?

Quite possibly them maybe even the ones that just shuttle between Cardiff abd Swansea off peak

 

[Jez]

Quite possibly them maybe even the ones that just shuttle between Cardiff abd Swansea off peak

I hope so. It would be great if Swanline had decent trains rather than 153s that haven't got a chance of keeping to time.

 

[anthony263]

I hope so. It would be great if Swanline had decent trains rather than 153s that haven't got a chance of keeping to time.

Especially post December 2023 with reduced journey times

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I hope so. It would be great if Swanline had decent trains rather than 153s that haven't got a chance of keeping to time.

Unlike the HoWL, that is what they're getting eventually.

 

[william.martin]

Geoff & Jen have reviewed the 197s (mostly very positively).

I hope Geoff does a 196 one.

 

[1874]

I don’t know if it will happen or not, or if it’s happened previously but tomorrow’s 08.05 Holyhead to Cardiff is down for 197010.

 

[Jez]

I don’t know if it will happen or not, or if it’s happened previously but tomorrow’s 08.05 Holyhead to Cardiff is down for 197010.

The ECS movement between Cardiff Central and Canton Sidings is also listed for 197010 so lets hope the plan is for it to work all the way to Cardiff and not get swapped at Chester or Shrewsbury!

It also looks like 1523 Cardiff-Holyhead is booked for the same 197!

 

[L401CJF]

It's showing a number of allocations today for 197010, ECS moves between Holyhead and Chester aswell as a full Cardiff service so can't quite tell what it's doing. I'm unsure if they've done their pre service ASDO/ auto announcer/ risk assessment for the route yet.

For Chester - Manchester Airport this was conducted for a few nights as ECS movements stopping at all stops ensuring everything was setup and working as expected etc. I believe they did some of this 4 car 197 pre service testing between Crewe and Manchester last week according to internal media.

A notice has recently gone up stating they can be expected between Chester and Shrewsbury as early as this month. I'm not sure how far along they are with crew training for Shrewsbury/Crewe/Cardiff depots though.

 

[Sebastian O]

Geoff & Jen have reviewed the 197s (mostly very positively).

Without getting into the why’s and warefores, who is Jen?

 

[SuperLuke2334]

It's showing a number of allocations today for 197010, ECS moves between Holyhead and Chester aswell as a full Cardiff service so can't quite tell what it's doing. I'm unsure if they've done their pre service ASDO/ auto announcer/ risk assessment for the route yet.

For Chester - Manchester Airport this was conducted for a few nights as ECS movements stopping at all stops ensuring everything was setup and working as expected etc. I believe they did some of this 4 car 197 pre service testing between Crewe and Manchester last week according to internal media.

A notice has recently gone up stating they can be expected between Chester and Shrewsbury as early as this month. I'm not sure how far along they are with crew training for Shrewsbury/Crewe/Cardiff depots though.

They did do proving runs along the route only a couple of weeks ago, but whether it's signed off I don't know.

 

[L401CJF]

197010 showing going as far as Chester then a 150 going south from there.

 

[Jez]

Without getting into the why’s and warefores, who is Jen?

A train enthusiast. She did the very first trip on a 197 back in November and did a you tube video

197010 showing going as far as Chester then a 150 going south from there.

Had a feeling that would happen! Imagine doing that journey and being told to move to a 150! Feels like it's taking forever to roll out these 197s.

 

[Sheridan]

A train enthusiast. She did the very first trip on a 197 back in November and did a you tube video


Had a feeling that would happen! Imagine doing that journey and being told to move to a 150! Feels like it's taking forever to roll out these 197s.

Cardiff is a large depot, and only a couple of people can be trained at a time. Even if there were enough trainers to increase the rate of training (there may be, for all I know), this would require more traincrew being released from normal duties at the same time, and also fewer 197s being available for passenger service as they would be in use for the practical training, which would almost certainly necessitate even more cancellations than are happening now.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Without getting into the why’s and warefores, who is Jen?

Another fairly prolific rail Youtuber and Twitterer.

 

[Dai Corner]

Another fairly prolific rail Youtuber and Twitterer.

Under the name 'Jenonthemove'

 

[Jacob Porrett]

16 197s at Donnington Rail Freight Terminal at the moment. A mixture of 2 and 3 car variants. (15/3/23)

 

[Jez]

Cardiff is a large depot, and only a couple of people can be trained at a time. Even if there were enough trainers to increase the rate of training (there may be, for all I know), this would require more traincrew being released from normal duties at the same time, and also fewer 197s being available for passenger service as they would be in use for the practical training, which would almost certainly necessitate even more cancellations than are happening now.

I understand. However its just very frustrating in the South especially now I've been on a 197 a couple of times, I know what nice units they are. December just seems so far away for when they are meant to be on South Wales routes.

Under the name 'Jenonthemove'

Ive watched a few of Jen's videos on You Tube. Mainly the ones relating to the 197s and 196s. I always really enjoy them.

I was surprised when she said more people use Merseyrail to get to Liverpool rather than TFW. The only thing that would put me off using the TFW service is the current 2 hourly service which isnt particularly useful.

197010 showing going as far as Chester then a 150 going south from there.

I see RTT has been updated now. Interesting that it kept to time until Chester and now its already 5 minutes late at Gobowen!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I was surprised when she said more people use Merseyrail to get to Liverpool rather than TFW. The only thing that would put me off using the TFW service is the current 2 hourly service which isnt particularly useful.

4tph Merseyrail trumps 1tph (1tp2h currently) TfW most of the time, with a similar journey time.
Merseyrail also delivers more passengers to Chester than any other operator.