KA/TfW franchise service specification

[PaulHarding150]

https://tfw.gov.wales/sites/default/files/documents/ITSFT Volume 3 (Train Services) Conformed.pdf

Minimum service requirements

• Cardiff - Liverpool One train every two hours for departures from Liverpool Lime Street and Cardiff Central between 07:00 and 19:00 Mondays - Saturdays
• North Wales coast - Liverpool via Halton Curve One train every hour (or every two hours for partial bonus) for departures from Liverpool Lime Street and Llandudno Junction between 07:00 and 19:00 Mondays
• Wrexham - Liverpool via Halton Curve One train every hour (or every two hours for partial bonus) for departures from Liverpool Lime Street and Wrexham General between 07:00 and 19:00 Mondays
• North Waes Coast - Chester Three trains every hour for departures from Llandudno Junction to/from
  Chester between 07:00 and 19:00 Mondays - Saturdays
• Borderlands: Wrexham - Bidston One train per hour for departures from Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, Mondays to
  Saturdays. First Aberystwyth service to depart no later than 0559 and last service to depart no earlier than 1901. First Shrewsbury service to depart no later than 0659 and last service to depart no earlier than 2130.
• Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury Five services per day between Shrewsbury and Swansea, Mondays - Saturdays.
• Heart of Wales One train per hour for departures from Cardiff Central and Gloucester, Mondays
  - Saturdays. First service to depart Cardiff Central no later than 0630 and last service to depart no earlier than 2300. First service to depart Gloucester no later than 0559 and last service to depart no earlier than 2300.
• Cardiff - Gloucester Two trains per hour for departures from Cardiff Central and from Bridgend between 0700 and 1900 Mondays
• Cardiff - Bridgend via Barry/VOG Four trains per hour (in combination with other Train Operator services) for
  departures from Bridgend and from Cardiff Central between 07:00 and 19:00 Mondays - Saturdays
  (...)

 

[Cardiff123]

Interesting that from December 2019 there is nothing to say that the Cardiff Valley lines through Queen St are exempted from running a New Year's Day service. NYD specifically isn't mentioned so I assume it'll be treated as a normal Bank Holiday on all routes?

Bank Holidays
On Bank Holidays a weekday service shall operate on all routes
On Christmas Day there is no requirement to run a service
On Boxing Day there is no requirement to run a service
The service level may be reduced after 19:00 on 24th December and 31st December and before 10:00 on 1st January

From the bottom of the second page of this document (but it's also on all of the documents): https://tfw.gov.wales/sites/default/files/documents/TSR1a Dec2019 SX_0.pdf

 

[Dr Day]

On Bank Holidays a weekday service shall operate on all routes

ie the full weekday provision, including morning and evening peaks, on all other Bank Holidays including Good Friday, Easter Monday etc. Appreciate in practice this is what many TOCs do as it is easier to keep the base timetable than have to create a new one but seems surprising this is being mandated by the authority?

Appreciate drifting off-topic here, but such an intensive Bank Holiday specification will reduce opportunities to catch up on maintenance, both rolling stock and infrastructure. Given KA will be doing the infrastructure maintenance themselves on the Valleys, as well as the major re-doubling/electrification works thought they might have negotiated a bit of extra time to do this in the traditionally quieter periods such as Bank Holiday Monday mornings.

 

[Dai Corner]

ie the full weekday provision, including morning and evening peaks, on all other Bank Holidays including Good Friday, Easter Monday etc. Appreciate in practice this is what many TOCs do as it is easier to keep the base timetable than have to create a new one but seems surprising this is being mandated by the authority?

Appreciate drifting off-topic here, but such an intensive Bank Holiday specification will reduce opportunities to catch up on maintenance, both rolling stock and infrastructure. Given KA will be doing the infrastructure maintenance themselves on the Valleys, as well as the major re-doubling/electrification works thought they might have negotiated a bit of extra time to do this in the traditionally quieter periods such as Bank Holiday Monday mornings.

In effect, the taxpayer will be paying KA to cart around fresh air on Bank Holiday mornings. I believe they will have to reach agreement with the unions before they can run a New Years Day service in the Valleys too. That will no doubt come at a price.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In effect, the taxpayer will be paying KA to cart around fresh air on Bank Holiday mornings. I believe they will have to reach agreement with the unions before they can run a New Years Day service in the Valleys too. That will no doubt come at a price.

FWIW, the lack of a New Year's Day service on Trawscymru buses caused me to make a long journey by car over New Year which was otherwise going to be by train and bus. It's OK in Scotland because 2nd is a public holiday too, but not having services on the 1st when everyone is back at work on 2nd is just throwing away business.

There's probably no need for a service before about 1200, but the afternoon is actually quite busy - the motorways certainly were.

 

[Cardiff123]

ie the full weekday provision, including morning and evening peaks, on all other Bank Holidays including Good Friday, Easter Monday etc. Appreciate in practice this is what many TOCs do as it is easier to keep the base timetable than have to create a new one but seems surprising this is being mandated by the authority?

Appreciate drifting off-topic here, but such an intensive Bank Holiday specification will reduce opportunities to catch up on maintenance, both rolling stock and infrastructure. Given KA will be doing the infrastructure maintenance themselves on the Valleys, as well as the major re-doubling/electrification works thought they might have negotiated a bit of extra time to do this in the traditionally quieter periods such as Bank Holiday Monday mornings.

ATW ran normal weekday TT's on Bank Holidays for 15 years, subject to NR engineering works. Given what James Price said about from early 2020 there being full overnight and weekend closures on the Valley lines to get the electrification and infrastructure works done as quickly as possible, I assume that all bank holidays and the Christmas/New Year period will be fully taken advantage of by KA to get works done.

In effect, the taxpayer will be paying KA to cart around fresh air on Bank Holiday mornings. I believe they will have to reach agreement with the unions before they can run a New Years Day service in the Valleys too. That will no doubt come at a price.

A later start than normal has been allowed for NYD, after 10am. You can't compare New Year's Day in the 1980s with NYD 2020. NYD 1980s everything would have been closed. NYD now is more like a normal bank holiday. Shops are open, some people are in work, and sporting fixtures are on. On NYD evening there was a Cardiff City vs Tottenham match on at the CC Stadium.
It doesn't make sense that the Vale of Glam, Ebbw Vale, Maesteg, even Llandudno - Blaneau Ffestiniong gets a NYD service, but the main Valley lines don't.
I've asked the mods to move these last few posts over to a newly created thread in General Discussion.

 

[Gareth Marston]

We're getting some filling in of blanks esp the TSR docs when you go wading through them. In no particular order
Church Stretton / Craven Arms get equivalent of 1 TPh between Shrewsbury and Cardiff as well as Heart of Wales trains.
7 tpd Llandrindod to Shrewsbury.
5 tpd Pwllheli to New St.
15 tpd Aberystwyth to New St.
5 tpd Holyhead to New St
7 tpd Llandudno Junction to New St
10 tpd Chester to New St.

 

[krus_aragon]

There's also explicit mention of Holyhead-Birmingham trains (which we'd only been able to infer) in all the documents to 2024. It's expressed as a minimum 5 direct tpd each way between Birmingham N.S. and Llandudno Junction, with at least four extended to Holyhead and Birmingham International. In other words, the current daily service is to be maintained.

 

[kje7812]

7 tpd Llandrindod to Shrewsbury.
5 tpd Pwllheli to New St.
15 tpd Aberystwyth to New St.
5 tpd Holyhead to New St
7 tpd Llandudno Junction to New St
10 tpd Chester to New St.

Currently if I've looked them up right:
5tpd
4tpd
8tpd
5tpd
5tpd
7tpd

 

[krus_aragon]

A clarification: the documents state there shall be 5tpd of direct services from BHM to LLJ (with 4 extended to HHD/BHI), but the document also lists maximum journey times for seven through services between BHM and LLJ (5 to HHD). Those are the same in the 2019 and 2024 SX documents.

 

[OrangeJuice]

Currently if I've looked them up right:
5tpd
4tpd
8tpd
5tpd
5tpd
7tpd

So presumably the 10 Aberystwyth to New Street trains will join the Chester trains at Shrewsbury to keep 4 car between Shrewsbury - New Street

 

[Gareth Marston]

So presumably the 10 Aberystwyth to New Street trains will join the Chester trains at Shrewsbury to keep 4 car between Shrewsbury - New Street

Yes attach/ detach will continue

 

[krus_aragon]

Looking at the "departures and arrivals" tables for North Wales (again comparing 2019 and 2024 SX) it seems that Conwy, Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr gain exactly the same number of services as Bangor (from Manchester). So they'll be served by the hourly MAN-BNG service, but also retain their existing calls on Holyhead-Cardiff/Birmingham services. That makes for a minimum service of 21 trains westbound, 24 eastbound, per day at three stations that are currently request stops.
There's little change for stations across Anglesey, though. Shotton's calls go from ~20 each way per day to 36 per day, indicating a half-hourly service during the day (served by Llandudno and Bangor services?). Abergele & Pensarn looks to keep roughly the same hourly service it has today, presumably on the Llandudno train. Every service between Chester and Llandudno Junction call at Colwyn Bay and Rhyl (making 3tph) except for one fast (rush hour) working each way. Prestatyn and Fflint see nearly 3tph: a handful more trains skip these in the morning and evening. Llandudno gains four/five more trains per day to/from Chester, filling out the holes in the hourly service and adding some peak extras.

Helsby and Frodsham are to be served by both Manchester and Liverpool trains.

So the frequencies are roughly:

• ~3tph to Chester: Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Fflint
• ~2tph to Chester: Bangor, Shotton
• ~1tph to Chester: Llanfairfechan, Penmaenmawr, Conwy, Llandudno, Deganwy, Abergele & Pensarn
• ~0.5tph to Chester: Valley, Rhosneigr, Ty Croes, Bodorgan, Llanfairpwll

Or put another way:

• 1tph from Manchester Piccadilly to Bangor, calling at Oxford Road, Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown, Warrington BQ, Runcorn East, Frodsham, Helsby, Chester, Shotton, Fflint, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Conwy, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan, and Bangor
• 1tph from Liverpool Lime St to Llandudno, calling at Liverpool South Parkway, Runcorn, Frodsham, Helsby, Chester, Shotton, Fflint, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Abergele & Pensarn(?), Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Deganwy and Llandudno
• 1tph from Birmingham/Cardiff via Chester, calling at Fflint, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llanduno Junction, Conwy*, Penmaenmawr*, Llanfairfechan*, Bangor, Llanfirpwll*, Bodorgan*, Ty Croes*, Rhosneigr*, Valley*, and Holyhead. (* served every other hour)

The Conwy Valley services are, unsurprisingly, set in aspic.

 

[sw1ller]

Prestatyn and Fflint see nearly 3tph: a handful more trains skip these in the morning and evening. Llandudno gains four/five more trains per day to/from Chester, filling out the holes in the hourly service and adding some peak extras.

Presumably, the ones that skip flint and Prestatyn will be the new enhanced WAGS??

I’m glad shotton is getting a better service. Always seems strange to me that the 0040 to Holyhead misses shotton. Leaving the folk of shotton on a night out no alternative of a taxi.

 

[PHILIPE]

Interesting that from December 2019 there is nothing to say that the Cardiff Valley lines through Queen St are exempted from running a New Year's Day service. NYD specifically isn't mentioned so I assume it'll be treated as a normal Bank Holiday on all routes?

Bank Holidays
On Bank Holidays a weekday service shall operate on all routes
On Christmas Day there is no requirement to run a service
On Boxing Day there is no requirement to run a service
The service level may be reduced after 19:00 on 24th December and 31st December and before 10:00 on 1st January

From the bottom of the second page of this document (but it's also on all of the documents): https://tfw.gov.wales/sites/default/files/documents/TSR1a Dec2019 SX_0.pdf

TFW have confirmed through Twitter that there will be a Cardiff Valley Line service on New Years Day this year (2020) Different Franchise together with staff condiitions of a new employer make this possible

 

[Cardiff123]

TFW have confirmed through Twitter that there will be a Cardiff Valley Line service on New Years Day this year (2020) Different Franchise together with staff condiitions of a new employer make this possible

Services are also running later than previous years on NYE and appear to be starting at normal times on NYD as well

 

[Cardiff123]

TFW have confirmed through Twitter that there will be a Cardiff Valley Line service on New Years Day this year (2020) Different Franchise together with staff condiitions of a new employer make this possible

Are Cardiff Valleys train crew all on new contracts now then? Because we were always told on here that Cardiff Valleys crews had it written into their contracts that they didn't need to work NYD, and that the unions wouldn't accept it etc, so there was no chance of ATW or TfW running a NYD service even if they wanted to

 

[rich.davies]

The Wrexham Leader are reporting that busses are to replace trains-

https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/1...e-trains-chirk-ruabon-part-timetable-changes/

"BUSSES are set to run in place of trains in Wrexham as part of timetable changes.

Busses will collect passengers at Shrewsbury going to Chirk and Ruabon during the morning rush hour, with a new Transport for Wales express service from Cardiff to Holyhead not stopping at these stations.

The 9.25am Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury north along this line will from December 15 no longer run, with the new express service departing Shrewsbury at 9.01am but not stopping at Gobowen, Chirk or Ruabon and departing Wrexham General at 9.30am.

The next service north from Wrexham will be over 90 minutes later at 11.03am.

The Chester Shrewsbury Rail Partnership claims it has, over the past few months, tried to engage with Transport for Wales over its proposed new timetable for December 2019.

Following a timetable meeting held in Cardiff with other stakeholders Transport for Wales announced it is unable amend the planned December timetable changes for this line.

The partnership says it has been acknowledged that by introducing an express service from Cardiff to Holyhead which would not stop at Chirk and Ruabon, Transport for Wales is in breach of the Train Service Requirement and to mitigate this it is running a bus service in its place.


The timings have now been released and involve a bus service collecting passengers at Shrewsbury for the affected stations and also another bus service which will collect passengers from Chirk and Ruabon and pick up and drop off on the line of route before terminating in Chester for onward rail connections.

Monday to Friday, buses from Shrewsbury Railway Station will run at 9.25am, and stop off at Chirk station at 10.10am and Ruabon Station at 10.30am.

Buses will also run Monday to Friday from Gobowen Railway Station at 9.15am. They will stop at Chirk Station at 9.25am and depart at 9.30, Ruabon Station arriving 9.45am and departing at 9.50am, Wrexham General arriving 10.05am and departing 10.10am and Chester Railway Station arriving 10.40, where the bus terminates."

Could TFW run a stopper service before or after the scheduled express service?

 

[PHILIPE]

Are Cardiff Valleys train crew all on new contracts now then? Because we were always told on here that Cardiff Valleys crews had it written into their contracts that they didn't need to work NYD, and that the unions wouldn't accept it etc, so there was no chance of ATW or TfW running a NYD service even if they wanted to

Just spotted this post. The contracts with ATW are gone now so their contracts are now with TFW

 

[PHILIPE]

The Wrexham Leader are reporting that busses are to replace trains-

https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/1...e-trains-chirk-ruabon-part-timetable-changes/

"BUSSES are set to run in place of trains in Wrexham as part of timetable changes.

Busses will collect passengers at Shrewsbury going to Chirk and Ruabon during the morning rush hour, with a new Transport for Wales express service from Cardiff to Holyhead not stopping at these stations.

The 9.25am Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury north along this line will from December 15 no longer run, with the new express service departing Shrewsbury at 9.01am but not stopping at Gobowen, Chirk or Ruabon and departing Wrexham General at 9.30am.

The next service north from Wrexham will be over 90 minutes later at 11.03am.

The Chester Shrewsbury Rail Partnership claims it has, over the past few months, tried to engage with Transport for Wales over its proposed new timetable for December 2019.

Following a timetable meeting held in Cardiff with other stakeholders Transport for Wales announced it is unable amend the planned December timetable changes for this line.

The partnership says it has been acknowledged that by introducing an express service from Cardiff to Holyhead which would not stop at Chirk and Ruabon, Transport for Wales is in breach of the Train Service Requirement and to mitigate this it is running a bus service in its place.


The timings have now been released and involve a bus service collecting passengers at Shrewsbury for the affected stations and also another bus service which will collect passengers from Chirk and Ruabon and pick up and drop off on the line of route before terminating in Chester for onward rail connections.

Monday to Friday, buses from Shrewsbury Railway Station will run at 9.25am, and stop off at Chirk station at 10.10am and Ruabon Station at 10.30am.

Buses will also run Monday to Friday from Gobowen Railway Station at 9.15am. They will stop at Chirk Station at 9.25am and depart at 9.30, Ruabon Station arriving 9.45am and departing at 9.50am, Wrexham General arriving 10.05am and departing 10.10am and Chester Railway Station arriving 10.40, where the bus terminates."

Could TFW run a stopper service before or after the scheduled express service?

There is already a titled thread here:-

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/tfw-cuts-at-ruabon-chirk-gobowen.193841/

 

[rich.davies]

There is already a titled thread here:-

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/tfw-cuts-at-ruabon-chirk-gobowen.193841/

Ooops sorry!

 

[Cardiff123]

TFW have confirmed through Twitter that there will be a Cardiff Valley Line service on New Years Day this year (2020) Different Franchise together with staff condiitions of a new employer make this possible

TfW have now confirmed on their Christmas travel advice pages that there will be NO Valley lines services on New Year's Day.
https://tfwrail.wales/christmas-2019
Obviously with all of their 'resource availability' problems recently they can't find crew to work on NYD.
Maybe NYD 2021 then.

 

[PHILIPE]

TfW have now confirmed on their Christmas travel advice pages that there will be NO Valley lines services on New Year's Day.
https://tfwrail.wales/christmas-2019
Obviously with all of their 'resource availability' problems recently they can't find crew to work on NYD.
Maybe NYD 2021 then.

TFW have got different information on different parts of sites and oh, NRE confusing also. They have been told now anyway according to Twitter posts.

 

[Gareth]

Why does the Borderlands bit talk about Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury? Are they planning on running through services? News to me, if so. Not sure how I would feel about that. I think being self contained is an a benefit in terms of reliability. Also, through running would leave Wrexham Central in limbo.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Why does the Borderlands bit talk about Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury? Are they planning on running through services? News to me, if so. Not sure how I would feel about that. I think being self contained is an a benefit in terms of reliability. Also, through running would leave Wrexham Central in limbo.

If you're looking at the reported service spec for the franchise, the extract quoted is incorrectly formatted, and doesn't line up properly.
The original document linked in the post gets it right however - no through services Aberystwyth to Bidston I'm afraid!