You have a tendency to take very small issues and make them out to be something especially serious. TfW will indeed introduce 35 of the FLIRTS, and the two types to the average person are completely identical, the main point being it will introduce 35 brand new trains.
I said it was odd - I didn't intend to make it sound like a serious issue, I was meerly trying to point out that the wording was a little odd.
As for “adults shouldn't be trusted to assign names,” really? They’ve named a South Wales train after something not quite on the route. It’s not high treason. I’m sure Caerphilly will not crumble to the ground as a result.
Again, I didn't mean for that comment to be taken particularly seriously - the post I was replying to suggested (presumably light-heartedly) that adults weren't trusted to invent names and my “adults shouldn't be trusted to assign names” was meant in a similar light-hearted sort of way. I was meerly pointing out that the assignment of a region-specific name, to stock which will operate not operate in that region for long, is slightly disapointing. It's
not something that will cause me any great upset.
Surely, the odds of electrifying Cardiff to Bridgend in the next few years must be high?
It depends who you ask. The Welsh Government has put the transport department under the deputy minister for climate change and Transport for Wales appear to want the mainline electrified right through to Swansea by 2030 (
see here on emerging priorities to 2029 for the South Wales Mainline (about halfway down)). However, rail infrustructure (except the Core Valley Lines) is not devolved and Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak's top five priorities (published in January) don't include anything to do with the environment or climate change, so the UK Government's opposition to rail is unlikely to change.
Not at all. This government isn't interested in anything electric. Still chasing the Hydrogen rainbow. Had that been there then 756's could have worked.
I assume you mean the UK Government? The Welsh Government is certainly interested in electric (as well as hydrogen) - new electric buses were recently launched on the TrawsCymru T1 route I believe. That said, I think even the UK Government are interested in electric transport - unfortunately in their case it has to have rubber tyres and run on roads.
That's why I asked about 755 bimodess, like the ones GA uses on a range of routes, many of which have even less electrification than the the TfW routes the 231s are for, rather than the 756 trimodes
The 231s have a different number of doors on some vehicles and, I believe, a different top-speed (90mph vs 100mph), compared to a 755. So, if TfW had ordered bi-mode FLIRTs instead of the 231s they would probably have been a different new design rather than identical to the GA class 755s. But your question is still a good (and valid) one - why were pantographs not specified on the class 231s? They even look like they may have a sight dip in the roof (a pantograph well perhaps)?
As you say, the GA FLIRTs run routes with less much electrification than already exists on the 231's Cardiff-Cheltenham route. In fact the services between Norwich, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft are pretty much under the wires only between Norwich station and Crown Point Depot - so to make use of the OHLE they would have to raise/lower the pantograph on the move whereas TfW could have their FLIRTs do it while stationary at Cardiff Central and Severn Tunnel Junction.
You would hope so, but the government (as in westminster) doesn't currently seem very interested in investing in the railways unfortunately.
As noted above, only the Core Valley Lines are devolved - the rest of the Welsh rail infrustructure is Westminster's responsibility and, as you say, they seem to be the opposite of interested in rail investment at the moment.
