There were/are issues with gauge clearance on the Conwy Valley line which were going to be addressed, but as time went on, the introduction of 230s slipt and other DMUs began arriving so the case for gauge clearing the line became less critical.
Somehow TfW got it into their heads that 230s could maintain the Chester-Crewe timetable, but eventually realised that even with quicker acceleration than 15X, the top speed of 60mph meant that there was no way that they could keep to time.
So we could end up with a situation in which all 5 230s are available for use on the Wrexham-Bidston line before December 2021, but with nowhere else to go. Hopefully TfW will want to put them to work and perhaps bring the half hourly service forward. Which of course depends on drivers being available.
Then there's the issue of Network Rail wanting to install an extra block section before allowing a full half hourly service. The proposal so far is for extra service per hour to be a skip stop service, which is completely unacceptable. A full half hourly service could be maintained all be it for 1 or 2 periods during the day when freight movements are scheduled.
Somehow TfW got it into their heads that 230s could maintain the Chester-Crewe timetable, but eventually realised that even with quicker acceleration than 15X, the top speed of 60mph meant that there was no way that they could keep to time.
So we could end up with a situation in which all 5 230s are available for use on the Wrexham-Bidston line before December 2021, but with nowhere else to go. Hopefully TfW will want to put them to work and perhaps bring the half hourly service forward. Which of course depends on drivers being available.
Then there's the issue of Network Rail wanting to install an extra block section before allowing a full half hourly service. The proposal so far is for extra service per hour to be a skip stop service, which is completely unacceptable. A full half hourly service could be maintained all be it for 1 or 2 periods during the day when freight movements are scheduled.