TfW to operate HSTs between Cardiff and Holyhead?

[Mag_seven]

Is this plan now officially dead?

 

[paddyb6]

Is this plan now officially dead?

Appears so - but no confirmation

 

[craigybagel]

It is also technically possible - but probably frowned upon by the TOCs - to get local door release on CDL stock by doing a quick press and release of the buttons on the panel, rather than holding down for 2secs or so.

That's actually official policy at TfW, for how to do local door only if ever required on loco and stock.

Don’t they lock the back door on a 4 car? I don’t sign Helsby any more so I can’t vouch for actually how long it is now, and I couldn’t stop a 221 there anyway as it was only for diversions. Presumably if a 4 car DVT set gets a mk3 locked out as said earlier by someone else, a HST is going to have exactly the same issue unless it only runs as a 3 coach set which seems pointless. 4 car HST would make the most sense and be fairly flexible apart from somewhere like Shotton. Pity it’s not just easier to just let punters out of one local door at the short platforms. Sure the WC stops at Congleton used to do this back in the day when one stopped there to London regularly.

When the set is prepped at Crewe in the morning, the carriage closest to the loco (which becomes the rear carriage after departure from Chester) is locked out of use. After departure from Helsby, that carriage is unlocked.

Appears so - but no confirmation

I don't know if you'll ever get official confirmation of its cancellation, especially as it was never officially confirmed that it was happening in the first place, and some posters got very carried away. Certainly all the talk internally is that it's no longer happening however, for a variety of reasons. I did hear of an alternative being looked at that would have been much more logical and required minimal extra training but I've not heard anything about that particular idea for a while.

 

[krus_aragon]

Appears so - but no confirmation

I don't know if you'll ever get official confirmation of its cancellation

An official denial (that they intend to use HSTs) would probably be more likely!

 

[hexagon789]

I did hear of an alternative being looked at that would have been much more logical and required minimal extra training but I've not heard anything about that particular idea for a while.

Are you able to say what the alternative was?

 

[craigybagel]

Are you able to say what the alternative was?

I would if I could but i'd rather not share stuff my employers haven't made public.

Suffice to say it was more of a cascade - using one soon to be available fleet at another TOC which would mean that TOC could release some of its own stock to TfW, and training costs across the board would be minimal.

 

[anamyd]

I would if I could but i'd rather not share stuff my employers haven't made public.

Suffice to say it was more of a cascade - using one soon to be available fleet at another TOC which would mean that TOC could release some of its own stock to TfW, and training costs across the board would be minimal.

Northern Pacers!

 

[CosherB]

Northern Pacers!

Really? And where are all those spare out-of-use Pacers at the moment?

 

[hexagon789]

I would if I could but i'd rather not share stuff my employers haven't made public.

No problem, it was only if you were able to.

Suffice to say it was more of a cascade - using one soon to be available fleet at another TOC which would mean that TOC could release some of its own stock to TfW, and training costs across the board would be minimal.

Thanks for this anyway.

I have an idea what it might be...

 

[43096]

I would if I could but i'd rather not share stuff my employers haven't made public.

Suffice to say it was more of a cascade - using one soon to be available fleet at another TOC which would mean that TOC could release some of its own stock to TfW, and training costs across the board would be minimal.

The one I heard was GWR keeping two more HST sets to release 2 x 3-car of 158s to TfW? Not happening, though, I am told.

 

[craigybagel]

The one I heard was GWR keeping two more HST sets to release 2 x 3-car of 158s to TfW? Not happening, though, I am told.

Yes, that's the one I'd heard too.

 

[anamyd]

Really? And where are all those spare out-of-use Pacers at the moment?

They've been mentioned a few times before. Initially the 13x 2-car 144s, and more recently 8 of the 142s, but judging by a recent post by a TfW employee forum member who's not allowed to actually confirm anything publicly, it seems like they'll be the 144s after all. Greater Anglia 156s have also been mentioned, but think those are more of a rumour than the Pacers. None of those units have been publicly confirmed as going to TfW though.

As for them starting to become spare, withdrawals are supposedly starting within the next month or so I believe (due to those operators supposedly bringing brand new CAF and Stadler units into service around that time which will allow them to happen).

Edit, I've seen the GWR 158s transfer thing, interesting...

 

[43096]

They've been mentioned a few times before. Initially the 13x 2-car 144s, and more recently 8 of the 142s, but judging by a recent post by a TfW employee forum member who's not allowed to actually confirm anything publicly, it seems like they'll be the 144s after all. Greater Anglia 156s have also been mentioned, but think those are more of a rumour than the Pacers. None of those units have been publicly confirmed as going to TfW though. As for them starting to become spare, withdrawals are supposedly starting within the next month or so I believe (due to those operators supposedly bringing brand new CAF and Stadler units into service around that time which will allow them to happen).

Anglia will release the 170s first so they can transfer to TfW. Whilst the GA 156s make some sense - they are PRM modified - TfW haven’t got any knowledge of them. We also don’t know what Abellio’s plan is for EMR where the 153s are not PRM compliant: more 156s would make a lot of sense.

 

[anamyd]

Anglia will release the 170s first so they can transfer to TfW. Whilst the GA 156s make some sense - they are PRM modified - TfW haven’t got any knowledge of them. We also don’t know what Abellio’s plan is for EMR where the 153s are not PRM compliant: more 156s would make a lot of sense.

Good points. I was actually thinking about the 170s. (I know that they're joining TfW anyway, and are nothing to do with joining their fleet instead of HSTs).

 

[hexagon789]

The one I heard was GWR keeping two more HST sets to release 2 x 3-car of 158s to TfW? Not happening, though, I am told.

Something along these lines seemed likely.

They've been mentioned a few times before. Initially the 13x 2-car 144s, and more recently 8 of the 142s, but judging by a recent post by a TfW employee forum member who's not allowed to actually confirm anything publicly, it seems like they'll be the 144s after all. Greater Anglia 156s have also been mentioned, but think those are more of a rumour than the Pacers. None of those units have been publicly confirmed as going to TfW though.

As for them starting to become spare, withdrawals are supposedly starting within the next month or so I believe (due to those operators supposedly bringing brand new CAF and Stadler units into service around that time which will allow them to happen).

Edit, I've seen the GWR 158s transfer thing, interesting...

Pacers against a more long-distance fleet though.

 

[anamyd]

Pacers against a more long-distance fleet though.

I was thinking more in terms of Pacers facilitating an internal cascade, making a few 158s / 175s available.

 

[hexagon789]

I was thinking more in terms of Pacers facilitating an internal cascade, making a few 158s / 175s available.

Possibly, but 158s are a somewhat more long-term solution.

 

[anamyd]

Possibly, but 158s are a somewhat more long-term solution.

Indeed! Apparently they aren't transferring now though...?

 

[hexagon789]

Indeed! Apparently they aren't transferring now though...?

No, true. I just meant that 158s made more sense than Pacers but I've just realised this isn't the TfW stock shortages thread - whoops...

 

[anamyd]

No, true. I just meant that 158s made more sense than Pacers but I've just realised this isn't the TfW stock shortages thread - whoops...

Easily done!

 

[hexagon789]

Easily done!

It would be going rather off-topic to discuss it further. So I'll just add that while it's a shame TfW will most likely not be using any HSTs I can understand the reasons why.

Now all we need is another TfW stock speculation thread!