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TFW Stock Shortages

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Mrs. Fortescue

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Not sure why the original thread was locked, but it appears things are quite short again on the stock front at TfW.

Several cancellations this week, with plenty of short forming going on with long distance fleet.

Seen a few 150s doing Holyhead - Cardiff.

Also, 175107 is back to 2 car again. I was on it this morning on the 0615 Carmarthen service. It was briefly back to 3 car.
 
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PHILIPE

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Not sure why the original thread was locked, but it appears things are quite short again on the stock front at TfW.

Several cancellations this week, with plenty of short forming going on with long distance fleet.

Seen a few 150s doing Holyhead - Cardiff.

Also, 175107 is back to 2 car again. I was on it this morning on the 0615 Carmarthen service. It was briefly back to 3 car.

Also a group of trains being cancelled on a daily basis between Cardiff/Swansea/Fishguard/Llandovery and some morning and afternoon legs between Cardiff and Cheltenham
 

Chezni

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We all know the chronic situation at Tfw with unit shortages due to non arrival of 230/769 trains and units away for DDA upgrades or repaint ect. The situation is bound get worse in coming months.
Why don't Tfw bite the bullet and introduce an emergency timetable on routes across network? Cancel certain trains or turn them short. Even bus replacement certain routes to realease units to get rid of short forming or capacity issues. Provide a decent replacement bus service for cancellations that way at least passengers would know what situation is and can plan journey accordingly rather than current situation of ad-hoc cancellations, short forming trains and turning journeys short. If planned correctly with good publicity to inform passengers, buses ordered in advance not last minute phone calls, then it would vastly improve situation with less customer complaints about cancelling, short forming or turning short services.
 

Llanigraham

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There were numerous cancellations on the Cambrian yesterday, especially in the morning, with no rail replacement buses.
 

PHILIPE

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We all know the chronic situation at Tfw with unit shortages due to non arrival of 230/769 trains and units away for DDA upgrades or repaint ect. The situation is bound get worse in coming months.
Why don't Tfw bite the bullet and introduce an emergency timetable on routes across network? Cancel certain trains or turn them short. Even bus replacement certain routes to realease units to get rid of short forming or capacity issues. Provide a decent replacement bus service for cancellations that way at least passengers would know what situation is and can plan journey accordingly rather than current situation of ad-hoc cancellations, short forming trains and turning journeys short. If planned correctly with good publicity to inform passengers, buses ordered in advance not last minute phone calls, then it would vastly improve situation with less customer complaints about cancelling, short forming or turning short services.

They are making special arrangements as per the last post with these regular alterations being published in advance and buses arranged
 

Rhydgaled

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I would have thought the suituation would have improved slightly since most of the units that suffered storm damage and wheel flats last year will presumablly have been repaired by now and 5 class 153s from GWR have arrived (and entered service assuming the PRM one has). Granted with PRM mods ongoing, the Halton curve service having started and the reopenning of the Conwy valley the extra 153s aren't really enough but the suituation should still be not quite as bad as TfW's first few weeks last year.
 

Mrs. Fortescue

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I would have thought the suituation would have improved slightly since most of the units that suffered storm damage and wheel flats last year will presumablly have been repaired by now and 5 class 153s from GWR have arrived (and entered service assuming the PRM one has). Granted with PRM mods ongoing, the Halton curve service having started and the reopenning of the Conwy valley the extra 153s aren't really enough but the suituation should still be not quite as bad as TfW's first few weeks last year.

It’s an improvement on that period, yes.

However, things have got slightly worse again, hence the several cancellations and a lot of shortforming.

Today’s train guard said a severe shortage of sets.
 

stj

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Would not be as bad if they could get Cross Country to do a few extra stops between Newport and Cheltenham until the 170s are in service.
 

Cambrian359

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4 further class 153s to transfer to tfw from West Midlands trains according to latest rail magazine issue out digitally now page 30
 

anamyd

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4 further class 153s to transfer to tfw from West Midlands trains according to latest rail magazine issue out digitally now page 30
blimey! with the 8 ex-ATW ones, 5 ex-GWR ones, 5 ex-GA ones and 4 ex-WMT ones, TfW will have up to 22 153s at a time. Does it (presumably RAIL 890) state which 4 are to transfer from WMT...?

Arriva Trains Wales
Great Western Railway
Greater Anglia
West Midlands Trains
Transport for Wales
RAIL - stylised (no acronym)
 

Cambrian359

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blimey! with the 8 ex-ATW ones, 5 ex-GWR ones, 5 ex-GA ones and 4 ex-WMT ones, TfW will have up to 22 153s at a time. Does it (presumably RAIL 890) state which 4 are to transfer from WMT...?

Arriva Trains Wales
Great Western Railway
Greater Anglia
West Midlands Trains
Transport for Wales
RAIL - stylised (no acronym)
I couldn’t see any unit numbers sorry
 

PHILIPE

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We keep on blaming factors such as PRM Modifications, 175 refurbishments etc. for the ongoing shortage of TFW units but I don't think this is the whole picture. You only have to follow Journey Check to see the large number of units that develop faults when out on the road resulting in their withdrawal from service.
 

Cardiff123

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Considering that class 170 driver training is now over a month late in starting, are there seriously going to be enough drivers trained up in under 2 months to have the full 12 x 170s in service come 16th December?

Bare in mind the class 37 + Mk 2 crew training for peak Rhymney services is still ongoing, and that started in April!
 

Rhydgaled

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Considering that class 170 driver training is now over a month late in starting, are there seriously going to be enough drivers trained up in under 2 months to have the full 12 x 170s in service come 16th December?

Bare in mind the class 37 + Mk 2 crew training for peak Rhymney services is still ongoing, and that started in April!
The delay in the start of training on the 170s is a little concerning, but over on the mark 4s for TfW topic it has been said that learning LHCS is a 3 week course for drivers. The 170s, being DMUs, are probably far more straightforward to learn for drivers used to 150s, 158s and possibly 175s; I think I once heard somebody say that it'll only be a 2 day convertion course to 170s from Sprinters. On the flip side though, they might need to train a larger pool of drivers for the class 170 work compared to the Rhymney LHCS.
 

anamyd

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Is there even room to store the other 9 170s...? 170208 will apparently be the first of those to transfer (the fourth one overall)
 

Chris217

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With all those 153s coming back.
Why dont they permanently pair them
up and convert them back to 155s.
Gawd help us!
 

anamyd

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With all those 153s coming back.
Why dont they permanently pair them
up and convert them back to 155s.
Gawd help us!
Would be too much effort to remove all the doubled-up cabs, toilets, systems, lights/electrics, etc
 

Dr Day

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With all those 153s coming back.
Why dont they permanently pair them
up and convert them back to 155s.
Gawd help us!
Possibly because, for much of the rural ends of the network, a single 153 is adequate for the loadings? A 153 in many cases is still better than no train at all.
 

6Gtraincrew

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Speaking of 153's. 153325 (the first PRM compliant one) is out in service for the first time today.
 

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tomwills98

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Possibly because, for much of the rural ends of the network, a single 153 is adequate for the loadings? A 153 in many cases is still better than no train at all.

Maybe in the winter and during off peak, but a lone 153 at Tenby in June is a mess. Even the Heart of Wales struggles with a 153 in the winter as all the pensioners make the most of their bus pass.
 

Brissle Girl

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But what purpose would it serve? A lot of cost for a few extra seats in comparison with a doubled up 153, which would rarely be needed if the unit is doubled up. And remove the flexibility to run a single coach when that is all that's necessary. Remember these only have a lifespan of a couple of years with TfW and the leasing company isn't going to spend any more unless there is a clear future use and one that requires the units to be reformed as two cars.
 

Brissle Girl

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Is there even room to store the other 9 170s...? 170208 will apparently be the first of those to transfer (the fourth one overall)
You asked this a couple of weeks ago and no one came up with a definite answer. Not quite sure why it’s that important. I’m guessing if the units are not needed for crew training and don’t need any significant work on them then they can be stored securely anywhere around the country until a few days before they’re needed. But for what it’s worth one possibility is that they have a good relationship with CAF so could use space at their Newport assembly plant.
 

sd0733

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Maybe in the winter and during off peak, but a lone 153 at Tenby in June is a mess. Even the Heart of Wales struggles with a 153 in the winter as all the pensioners make the most of their bus pass.
It's also pretty busy on Saturdays particularly north of Knighton with people going onto Shrewsbury or connecting elsewhere.
These 59 seat 153s solo are going to be a nightmare, hopefully they see sense keep the extra 9 and do a PRM light on them without the big toilet and run them in pairs. One full PRM and one with an original toilet. Should be plenty of off lease 153s to go around relatively soon.
 

Rhydgaled

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With all those 153s coming back.
Why dont they permanently pair them
up and convert them back to 155s.
Gawd help us!
Presumably the extra ones (additional to those in the original franchise announcements) are not going to be PRMed and will only stay until the 769s and 230s finally enter service (or, failing that, the new Stadler units). It therefore doesn't make sense to physically convert them (removing cabs etc.) but running them in pairs would make alot of sense.

It's also pretty busy on Saturdays particularly north of Knighton with people going onto Shrewsbury or connecting elsewhere.
These 59 seat 153s solo are going to be a nightmare, hopefully they see sense keep the extra 9 and do a PRM light on them without the big toilet and run them in pairs. One full PRM and one with an original toilet. Should be plenty of off lease 153s to go around relatively soon.
That's almost exactly what I was thinking. Just couple the small cab of a PRM unit to the small cab of one of the 'temporary' extra units and consider them to be '2-car 153s'. If there are more non-PRM 153s than PRM ones, then form some 3-car sets too. 2-car 153 on Conwy Valley and Heart Of Wales and 3-car on Swansea - Pembroke Dock (in the summer at least) would probably work well, better than a PRM 153 on its own anyway.
 
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