Wag express to be withdrawn?

[merlodlliw]

I have seen a lot of activity on North Wales rail forums WAG (yahoo) where it is being stated that the WAG EXPRESS Premier service funding is being withdrawn from Dec 2010, and the service will revert to a 175.It appears the info is from someone inside ATW

Anybody else heard anything, current the little used class 57 loco hauled service receives almost £8K WAG subsidy a trip.

Anyone with access to the new timetables now being worked out will know if Gerald is to be topped

 

[tbtc]

Reverts to a 175? Wasn't it an additional service (when introduced)? Where does the spare 175 come from?

 

[merlodlliw]

Reverts to a 175? Wasn't it an additional service (when introduced)? Where does the spare 175 come from?

thats a question being asked on yahoo site now. I have just copied what is being put up, yes it was an additional service. A few years ago an alphaline
service ran semi fast Shrewsbury/Hereford non stop, I used that service many times, however we shall see if this Premier service is topped, I also note
the rumour is out during the WAG recess.

 

[Class 33]

What exactly is a WAG Express?

 

[tbtc]

What exactly is a WAG Express?

The class 57 hauled Holyhead - Cardiff service that doesn't stop at English stations

 

[Drimnagh Road]

I've heard a figure of an €8000 subsidy per day? Could this be right?

 

[MCR247]

The class 57 hauled Holyhead - Cardiff service that doesn't stop at English stations

apart from Crewe

 

[Greenback]

I have seen a lot of activity on North Wales rail forums WAG (yahoo) where it is being stated that the WAG EXPRESS Premier service funding is being withdrawn from Dec 2010, and the service will revert to a 175.It appears the info is from someone inside ATW

Anybody else heard anything, current the little used class 57 loco hauled service receives almost £8K WAG subsidy a trip.

Anyone with access to the new timetables now being worked out will know if Gerald is to be topped

I hope they will also end the subsidy for the ridiculous air service between Valley and Cardiff.

 

[Class20]

Aren't Shrewsbury, Crewe and Chester in England?? Last time I checked they were.

The WAG express is a loco hauled passenger train that operates from Holyhead to Cardiff and return. It operates one return trip a day, working south to Cardiff early morning before working back north to Holyhead late afternoon. The WAG is the Welsh Assembly Government who are helping to/ do fund the service (not fully aware of the funding agreement).

Carnt say the service was under used when I traveled on it last month. Though the £8k subsidy a trip is alot of money for one train.

David.c

 

[oliverj8]

apart from Crewe

and Chester

 

[rail-britain]

The class 57 hauled Holyhead - Cardiff service that doesn't stop at English stations

apart from Crewe

Officially it doesn't stop at Crewe northbound!
I had to book to Chester
The staff didn't have any issue when I asked if it is was permitted to get off at Crewe

 

[Jordy]

Officially it doesn't stop at Crewe northbound!

Arriva says it does, and I have advance purchase tickets booked on it from Crewe to Holyhead so I'm pretty sure it is booked to stop there! http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/Templates/Content.aspx?pageid=402

 

[TDK]

What exactly is a WAG Express?

Welsh Assembly Government Train aledgedly invented to transport WAG ministers from North Wales to Cardiff with a first class service, this came abaout after the Welsh Assembly Government ministers sampled the WSMR services and wanted the same treatment as they got on that. The funding I believe is £7400 per day paid to ATW to run the service. I predicted it would cease 6 months ago but no one believed me :roll: The next to go I recon will be the VT wrexham to London at 07.00

 

[rail-britain]

Arriva says it does

http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/.../Premier_Service/PremierService_Timetable.jpg
The service departs Crewe northbound only
It is not possible to book a reservation from Cardiff to Crewe; I tried at three stations and one person at Crewe even said the train didn't exist!
I therefore made my booking to Chester, and that made the person at Crewe ask me "are you sure you want to travel to Chester?"

I confirmed this with Arriva Trains Wales (Rebecca Fjelle) on my return as part of their Review
Apparently this was an error but has not been corrected, I pointed out that if passengers were not permitted to travel to Crewe then it should be shown as pickup only, which it isn't

 

[tbtc]

apart from Crewe

...which there were complaints about, as it should apparently have gone the slower route through Wrexham instead (fewer connections, an additional loco needed due to turning round at Chester, but avoids a bit more of England)

 

[Dennis]

Nearly £8k a day - what a waste!! Frankly, the assembly members should be absolutely ashamed at the scandalous waste of taxpayers money.

Might be cheaper to get the AM's a taxi and buy them tea at 'spoons or perhaps relocate the assembly to somewhere more central.

 

[TDK]

...which there were complaints about, as it should apparently have gone the slower route through Wrexham instead (fewer connections, an additional loco needed due to turning round at Chester, but avoids a bit more of England)

ATW said there was not a path but there aparently was via Wrexham, they would have had to run the loco around at Chester and this in turn would have delayed the service, 2 57's were not an option due to cost. This is the reason why it went via crewe and not wrexham, this argument regarding English Stations was the failure to stop at Hereford.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Reverts to a 175? Wasn't it an additional service (when introduced)? Where does the spare 175 come from?

Technically its return working was an extension of the local Cardiff-Abergavenny, hence why it calls at Cwmbran and Abergavenny on it's return working.

 

[Aictos]

Bit of a turn for the worse when it's downgraded from what seems like a comfortable loco hauled service to a multiple unit, I don't even think the 175s have 1st Class.

As to use of the train, couldn't it be used for more then one return service a day to make better use of it, if the WAG don't want to use it to it's full potential, let some other operator use it!

 

[merlodlliw]

Bit of a turn for the worse when it's downgraded from what seems like a comfortable loco hauled service to a multiple unit, I don't even think the 175s have 1st Class.

As to use of the train, couldn't it be used for more then one return service a day to make better use of it, if the WAG don't want to use it to it's full potential, let some other operator use it!

175s run by ATW do not have first class,and perhaps if Gerald is to be topped a 175 can by re timed as a semi fast, if indeed a 175 is used as a replacement.
Another thought, killing Gerald off, could put another service via Wrexham and in turn delay or cancel the double track between Wrexham and Saltney due to costs also.
One also has to remember WAG elections next May and killing off Gerald could be used as a political stance to show cost saving & also get something into Wrexham semi fast to Cardiff as promised by Wales Minister of Rail, John Marek ex NUR sponsored M.P for Wrexham is standing for the WAG elections in Wrexham against labour & is forthright in condemning the WAG EXPRESS as a total waste of taxpayers money. Anyhow we shall see when some one leaks the new timetable for December. Interesting times for taxpayers.
http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/91462/marek-chosen-by-tories-to-fight-for-assembly-seat.aspx

 

[The Planner]

Still there in the Dec 10 timetable....the path for the planned second one is being worked up too.

 

[175001]

Not another WAG thread. These are getting tedious now. It won't be killed off anytime soon everyone.

 

[jon0844]

Maybe we change the subject to 'Wag express thread to be withdrawn?'

 

[4SRKT]

I went on this yesterday and it was very lightly loaded in second class. First class doing well though. Glad I did it when I did if there's a chance it'll be taken off. I did think to myself that this can't last though.

 

[merlodlliw]

Not another WAG thread. These are getting tedious now. It won't be killed off anytime soon everyone.[/QUOT

Well WAG run the railways in WALES, that is the all Wales franchise trains, ATW answer to the WAG Minister.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I went on this yesterday and it was very lightly loaded in second class. First class doing well though. Glad I did it when I did if there's a chance it'll be taken off. I did think to myself that this can't last though.

Presume this was on the down to Holyhead.

 

[4SRKT]

Not another WAG thread. These are getting tedious now. It won't be killed off anytime soon everyone.[/QUOT

Well WAG run the railways in WALES, that is the all Wales franchise trains, ATW answer to the WAG Minister.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Presume this was on the down to Holyhead.

It was on the 05:32 off Holyhead. I bailed at LJ, so didn't see the loads beyond there, but it was a bit disappointing I have to say. OTOH, first class was doing brisk business to my surprise.

It's an awkward time to be leaving Holyhead really. There are three trains departing before it, taking any ferry traffic offering. The fact that the first of these (04:25) also goes to Cardiff can't help matters.

 

[merlodlliw]

It was on the 05:32 off Holyhead. I bailed at LJ, so didn't see the loads beyond there, but it was a bit disappointing I have to say. OTOH, first class was doing brisk business to my surprise.

It's an awkward time to be leaving Holyhead really. There are three trains departing before it, taking any ferry traffic offering. The fact that the first of these (04:25) also goes to Cardiff can't help matters.

lucky for you getting off at Junction, it was then cancelled due to the fatality
at Saltney.

 

[Greenback]

Not another WAG thread. These are getting tedious now. It won't be killed off anytime soon everyone.

The n don't read them! I don't read all the threads, because I'm either not interested in the topic, or because I find the mutltitude of threads boirng and repetitive! I leave those threads for the people who are interested to read and contribute!

 

[175001]

The n don't read them! I don't read all the threads, because I'm either not interested in the topic, or because I find the mutltitude of threads boirng and repetitive! I leave those threads for the people who are interested to read and contribute!

But as a Welshman, its hard not to, the WAG won't go away, it will be here for the forseeable future, with an extra diagram being planned, it won't be leaving the timetable any time soon

 

[Greenback]

I must admit I have more issues with the air service than the extra train. I would hope that the planes get removed before the trains are touched.