ATW/Keolis Amey Wales stock shortages

[Mr Apples]

Modern Railways quoting TfW Colin Lea as saying the MK3's are in a poor shape.



Don't expect Carwyn to accept any responsibility- its not his style.

We knew in 2003 that some of the fleet would be very old come the end of the franchise in 2018. I was in a meeting with then Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones in 2008 when this point was raised....it certainly shouldn't have been surprise come 2018!

Modern Railways also reporting that TfW Rail will fit Wheel Slip Control to the Class 150 fleet in 2019 and hold stock of spares rather than "ordering in as required" which has been the ATW practice.

It's funny how quiet Ken Skates has been since bandying phrases like "world-class" and "transformational" about. It looks like Carwyn is taking the rap for him, because he's about to depart anyway.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Fair enough -and thank you - but these 37's were paid for as part of the ERTMS scheme and have had , I suspect , little work. They could , subject to the points above - do some good work on running some sort of service somewhere , until the "crisis" is resolved.

Written by someone who put in the 31's on the Bletchley to Bedford line a long time ago.

There hauling the RHTT at moment.

 

[CardiffKid]

Rail commuters must 'share the pain'

Commuters face the start of up to three weeks of travel chaos on Wales' rail network.

The effect of storms on ageing trains means an "unprecedented" third of the fleet of 127 are damaged, so many will not run or be replaced by buses.

Transport for Wales (TfW) said they were trying to "share the pain" by diverting trains from quieter to more popular services.

But it has warned passengers face cancellations and busier trains.

TfW director of customer services, Bethan Jelfs, said: "Customers are affected throughout our network.

"We are really sorry this is impacting on customers and their journeys and day to day lives.

"We are trying to share that pain around and trying to run trains where the need is greatest, but pretty much all of our routes will be affected."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46337753

 

[PHILIPE]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46337753

Can add Wrexham to Bidston to the list

 

[childwallblues]

At this rate the new Halton Curve service will never get started.

 

[trainophile]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46337753

Commuters face the start of up to three weeks of travel chaos on Wales' rail network.

The start of...? I am now not planning any journeys involving TfW where there’s an alternative. They will lose ongoing custom from this.

 

[sw1ller]

At this rate the new Halton Curve service will never get started.

Plenty of time for that. Not happening until May now (at least)

 

[PHILIPE]

ECS this evening:-

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O60572/2018/11/26/advanced

Is the Reporting number indicating 150284 on the way back from Crewe after PRM Mods ? Sometimes the unit number is used as the Train ID

 

[Gareth Marston]

ECS this evening:-

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O60572/2018/11/26/advanced

Is the Reporting number indicating 150284 on the way back from Crewe after PRM Mods ? Sometimes the unit number is used as the Train ID

Better not be in TFW livery !

some of the comments on Facebook around here have been along the lines of the shortage is all due to the units being painted in Welsh Government colours.

 

[CardiffKid]

The RMT are blaming Arriva:

26 November 2018

RMT Press Office:

RMT says years of rail privatisation to blame for current disruption in Wales as union calls for additional support for rail staff dealing with on-going chaos.

Years of abject failure of the private sector to invest in new trains is the root cause of the ongoing rail chaos in Wales currently wrecking services, transport union RMT said today.

The union added there had been huge underinvestment on the 15 year franchise operated by Arriva which ended on 13th October. Arriva left a shocking legacy of old and dilapidated trains whilst walking away with millions in profit for its German state railway owner.

RMT is also calling on Transport for Wales to put in additional measure to support frontline staff dealing with the rail chaos.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said,

“The disruption passengers are enduring is appalling and is in large part a direct result of years of underinvestment in rolling stock by the previous franchise holder Arriva.”

“What is even more galling is that because Arriva was German stated owned, they shipped profits to Germany to improve rail services there which could have instead been invested to prevent the meltdown in rail services we are now witnessing.”

“As always as well as passengers it is rail staff who are dealing with the brunt of the crisis and whilst we will work with Transport for Wales in any way we can to assist we are also calling for urgent additional measures and support for rail staff dealing with the disruption.”

ENDS

https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rail-privatisation-to-blame-for-current-disruption-in-wales/

 

[Gareth Marston]

The RMT are blaming Arriva:



https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rail-privatisation-to-blame-for-current-disruption-in-wales/

Another organisation trying to re write history- failing to mention the public sector gave Arriva Trains Wales the contract that allowed them the option of not acquiring more rolling stock.

 

[Dai Corner]

Another organisation trying to re write history- failing to mention the public sector gave Arriva Trains Wales the contract that allowed them the option of not acquiring more rolling stock.

Or that Porterbrook wrote to the Welsh Government nearly four years ago warning them what would happen if no action was taken. There was clearly ongoing correspondence and meetings.

 

[Cardiff123]

Or that Porterbrook wrote to the Welsh Government nearly four years ago warning them what would happen if no action was taken. There was clearly ongoing correspondence and meetings.

That's a pretty damming letter on the consequences (that we are now seeing) of Welsh Government inaction / incompetence / indifference (all 3?) to come up with a rolling stock strategy in 2015. Imagine if we had an Assembly (soon to be re-named Parliament) that actually scrutinised Welsh Govt properly and held them to account? Imagine if this letter came to the attention of one of the opposition party leaders in the Assembly right now............
Quote from the letter:.......the non-availability of PRM-TSI complaint trains should be covered by taking the decision now (the letter is dated 9th January 2015) to undertake PRM-TSI compliance work and refurbishment on the diesel fleet. The programme of works is likely to take 3 - 4 years to conclude. This provides the most effective solution and minimises impact on service availability. This is the contingency plan.

The presentation in the Appendix that was given to James Price in December 2013 is also highly damming. Porterbrook were unequivocal that urgent decisions were needed and an action plan needed to be enacted immediately in 2013. Welsh Govt really do need to answer as to why they ignored all of the repeated warnings that they were given that has now resulted in the crisis we are seeing.

 

[Envoy]

Here is today’s report from Media Wales about the dire situation in the south:>
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/state-transport-wales-services-today-15470127

One commuter from Treorchy to Cardiff Central said that people couldn't shut the doors because people were wedged in and passengers had to stand from Porth.
Another passenger shared a picture of the toilet cubicle he was having to share with six other people.

Knowing full well the situation, why did the Welsh Government not sort out and award the new franchise earlier? That way, the winner of the franchise could have got orders in for new trains.

 

[Dai Corner]

Imagine if this letter came to the attention of one of the opposition party leaders in the Assembly right now............

It's in the public domain so a good shadow Transport spokesman should already be aware of it . But an opposition party leader will definitively be once he's read his email this afternoon.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Would it be too cynical of me to suggest that this is now happening and being presented as such so people are happy with the tram-trains (which have no more capacity than a doubled up pacer or 150 and no toilets) come along as they have been used to this anyway! Probably, and I don't actually believe that, but you can bet some people will be thinking it!

 

[krus_aragon]

I hadn't noticed the appendix: I stopped scrolling at the signature. A bit of a powder keg there...

 

[Cardiff123]

Here is today’s report from Media Wales about the dire situation in the south:>
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/state-transport-wales-services-today-15470127


Knowing full well the situation, why did the Welsh Government not sort out and award the new franchise earlier? That way, the winner of the franchise could have got orders in for new trains.

Because Failing Grayling started dragging his feet the moment he got the keys to the DfT and was refusing to grant Welsh Govt the formal powers to award the franchise until he couldn't hold off any longer. Even now the powers to award the franchise haven't been officially devolved. The franchise was awarded by Welsh Govt on behalf of the DfT under an agency agreement.

 

[Cambrian359]

Perhaps copies of this letter could fall into several media outlets inbox to!

 

[Gareth Marston]

I hadn't noticed the appendix: I stopped scrolling at the signature. A bit of a powder keg there...

Poterbrook are clearly touting for business however there is a warning in there and all the cards were on the deck to see.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Don't worry it's all ok with Welsh Government now saying "it's the private sectors" fault.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-46362869

"Of course, we are very sorry indeed... to find ourselves in the position where Transport for Wales has inherited a fleet of trains - very substandard and substantially not what we'd expect - frankly from years and years and years of underinvestment by the private sector," Ms James added.

Ms James fails to reflect on the fact that it was her party in power who gave Arriva there contract which allowed this to happen.
A 10year old with access to Wikipedia could have told you the trains would be old and worn out by 2018. What exactly were they expecting?

 

[krus_aragon]

What exactly were they expecting?

To be in opposition?

 

[Parallel]

I agree, it’s embarrassing - and they may want to blame Arriva but Arriva did what was specified in their franchise agreement and little/no more. IMO the fault lies with DfT and WG and I think everyone would have a lot more respect if they put their hands up and said “We are part responsible for this, and this is what we are doing about it” rather than just blamed whoever/whatever else they can, I.e “It’s Arriva’s fault for not doing more than we asked of them”.

 

[krus_aragon]

Razor sharp insight from the UKIP direction (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-46362869):

In the Senedd UKIP group leader Gareth Bennett said: "Most rail users simply don't understand why 25 per cent of the fleet had to be withdrawn all at the same time this autumn".

"Why could the withdrawal not be staggered to, say, five per cent of the time over five weeks, rather than 25 per cent all at once in a week," he asked.

Perhaps he could talk to the trees and persuade them to shed their leaves in shifts...

 

[Cardiff123]

Razor sharp insight from the UKIP direction (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-46362869);

Perhaps he could talk to the trees and persuade them to shed their leaves in shifts...

Intelligence is not the UKIP leader in the Assembly's strong point.
I fail to understand why the BBC are even quoting him.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Razor sharp insight from the UKIP direction (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-46362869):

Perhaps he could talk to the trees and persuade them to shed their leaves in shifts...

He would but hes got an appointment to bark at the moon.

 

[Cardiff123]

Deleted

 

[jamesst]

Can add Wrexham to Bidston to the list

The amount of time the replacement bus takes to do the full trip I think I'd rather wait for the every 2hours train service

 

[Bikeman78]

Deleted

 

[Cardiff123]

Why didn't Porterbrook go ahead and do the required mods? It must have been obvious, even years ago, that 150s and 158s would have to run beyond 2020. They stand to lose as much as the TOCs. If the deadline stands then unmodified units will have to be parked up. Will the TOCs be expected to pay leasing charges for trains they cannot use?

Presumably no one involved in running the railway in Wales in 2013-15 (ATW, DfT or Welsh Govt) was prepared to commit to coming up with the funding to get 150s and 158s PRM modified.
Although even in Spring 2017, the line coming out of TfW and Welsh Govt was that they expected sufficient, already PRM modified, cascaded rolling stock to be available from elsewhere in the UK for the new operator to use in 2019, avoiding the need to PRM modify any of the existing ATW fleet.
Reality didn't dawn until July 2017 when the 769s were ordered.