1510 ATW Swansea - Chester DMU allocation?

[gareth950]

If anyone can give me the specific info that I'm looking for on the Mon - Fri ATW 1510 Swansea - Chester (1621 from Cardiff Central) service I'd be very grateful.

Does anyone know what type of DMU is normally used on this service? RTT has it pathed as a 150/153/156 DMU. Is this usually the case? It seems quite a long service to have as a 150, would've thought it would be a 158?
I'm thinking of getting this service to Crewe in a few weeks time and would like to know if RTT is right and if a 150 is usually the type of DMU that works the service, or if it's more likely a 158 or even a 175?

RTT also says that reservations are recommended, so it is usually a busy service as well? It only serves 5 stops between Cardiff and Crewe, instead of the usual 11 on most CDF --> CRE services.

Thanks in advance.

 

[PHILIPE]

If anyone can give me the specific info that I'm looking for on the Mon - Fri ATW 1510 Swansea - Chester (1621 from Cardiff Central) service I'd be very grateful.

Does anyone know what type of DMU is normally used on this service? RTT has it pathed as a 150/153/156 DMU. Is this usually the case? It seems quite a long service to have as a 150, would've thought it would be a 158?
I'm thinking of getting this service to Crewe in a few weeks time and would like to know if RTT is right and if a 150 is usually the type of DMU that works the service, or if it's more likely a 158 or even a 175?

RTT also says that reservations are recommended, so it is usually a busy service as well? It only serves 5 stops between Cardiff and Crewe, instead of the usual 11 on most CDF --> CRE services.

Thanks in advance.

Booked 175/0. Take no notice of RTT Timing, that is not what is diagrammed. It is a local service for portion of journey and these are timed at 75mph maximum. However, after ceasing to be the local service it is timed at 100 mph from Cardiff. RTT doesn't show this but a site "brtimes" provides this info.

 

[berneyarms]

Class 150 workings Mon/Fri on the Marches Line between Shrewsbury and Cardiff are restricted to:

21:55 Cardiff Central - Crewe
23:08 Shrewsbury - Cardiff Central

Class 158s are diagrammed on:

06:10 Shrewsbury - Maesteg
20:17 Cardiff Central - Manchester Piccadilly

 

[craigybagel]

Class 150 workings Mon/Fri on the Marches Line between Shrewsbury and Cardiff are restricted to:

21:55 Cardiff Central - Crewe
23:08 Shrewsbury - Cardiff Central

Class 158s are diagrammed on:

06:10 Shrewsbury - Maesteg
20:17 Cardiff Central - Manchester Piccadilly

In theory at least

 

[headshot119]

If anyone can give me the specific info that I'm looking for on the Mon - Fri ATW 1510 Swansea - Chester (1621 from Cardiff Central) service I'd be very grateful.

Does anyone know what type of DMU is normally used on this service? RTT has it pathed as a 150/153/156 DMU. Is this usually the case? It seems quite a long service to have as a 150, would've thought it would be a 158?
I'm thinking of getting this service to Crewe in a few weeks time and would like to know if RTT is right and if a 150 is usually the type of DMU that works the service, or if it's more likely a 158 or even a 175?

RTT also says that reservations are recommended, so it is usually a busy service as well? It only serves 5 stops between Cardiff and Crewe, instead of the usual 11 on most CDF --> CRE services.

Thanks in advance.

It can become extremely busy from Cardiff, especially as it's only two coaches.

 

[Envoy]

It can become extremely bust from Cardiff, especially as it's only two coaches.

I have just been looking at the prices for this service. As it looks like it is a 2 car 175 - and extremely 'bust' from Cardiff (see above), they are charging higher prices than the trains 30 mins before & after this one.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I have just been looking at the prices for this service. As it looks like it is a 2 car 175 - and extremely 'bust' from Cardiff (see above), they are charging higher prices than the trains 30 mins before & after this one.

There is an error with Advance tickets on the mixing deck atm. Not sure if that'll make a difference at all.

 

[headshot119]

I have just been looking at the prices for this service. As it looks like it is a 2 car 175 - and extremely 'bust' from Cardiff (see above), they are charging higher prices than the trains 30 mins before & after this one.

ATW Don't do yield management very well with advance tickets.

I can regularly get the lowest tier advance ticket on the 17:16 from Cardiff on a Friday even though every seat is taken and a lot of people are standing.

 

[Envoy]

ATW Don't do yield management very well with advance tickets.

I can regularly get the lowest tier advance ticket on the 17:16 from Cardiff on a Friday even though every seat is taken and a lot of people are standing.

I sometimes wonder if anybody knows what the hell is happening regarding fares. Take paying today for a single journey from Cardiff to Manchester. ATW have priced every train going direct via the Marches at £69.30 one way. Cross Country have priced most of their trains from Bristol Parkway to Manchester via Birmingham at £41.20. However, I see that at 13.09 you can get a ticket from BPW to MAN (with a change at Newport & then up the Marches) for £48.10. This being the 14.19 from Newport which is priced at £64.40. So, it is £23.20 cheaper to buy the ticket from BPW than Newport despite travelling on the same train up the Marches and having to travel from BPW to NWP! Absolutely bonkers. So, a person departing Cardiff for Manchester should purchase a BPW to MAN ticket at £48.10 plus one for the short hop to Newport.

(Prices correct as at 8.20am Thurs 31 Dec 2015).

 

[krus_aragon]

However, I see that at 13.09 you can get a ticket from BPW to MAN (with a change at Newport & then up the Marches) for £48.10.

And just to throw the cat among the pigeons, that ticket (via Hereford) is priced by ATW.

 

[Envoy]

And just to throw the cat among the pigeons, that ticket (via Hereford) is priced by ATW.

So, it could be done on purpose in order for ATW to 'poach' passengers from rival Arriva company XC?

 

[krus_aragon]

So, it could be done on purpose in order for ATW to 'poach' passengers from rival Arriva company XC?

On the return fares, it's priced appropriately to undercut XC but not themselves:

BPW-MAN SVR Any Permitted: £82.90 (2V)
BPW-MAN SOR Via Hereford: £80.20
NWP-MAN SVR Any Permitted: £75.00 (8A)

But on the singles, the via Hereford ticket is priced a little over half the return price, whereas the others are nearer the return price. Hence the price discrepancy:

BPW-MAN SVS Any Permitted: £81.90 (2V)
BPW-MAN SOS Via Hereford: £48.10
NWP-MAN SDS Any Permitted: £64.40