Machynlleth around 1400 31 July 2021

[Nicholas43]

Can any forum member throw light on what will happen at Machynlleth around 1400 on 31 July 2021 (and other Saturdays, I think)? The train I'm booked on, 2I18 is due to arrive at platform 1 at 1353. It terminates, but doesn't seem to shunt anywhere. TfW's (edit) journey planner tells me to change at Machynlleth. 1I18 arrives from Aberystwyth at 1402, 'gains coaches', and continues to Birmingham.
Other services that day are shown as joining at Machynlleth, with no change required from the Cambrian coast.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Can any forum member throw light on what will happen at Machynlleth around 1400 on 31 July 2021 (and other Saturdays, I think)? The train I'm booked on, 2I18 is due to arrive at platform 1 at 1353. It terminates, but doesn't seem to shunt anywhere. TfW tells me to change at Machynlleth. 1I18 arrives from Aberystwyth at 1402, 'gains coaches', and continues to Birmingham.
Other services that day are shown as joining at Machynlleth, with no change required from the Cambrian coast.

In my experience of using the route, the timetabled through services don't always go through, and the non-through services do sometimes go through! So anybody's guess - Mach is a law unto itself.

Also don't be surprised if you get set swapped at Shrewsbury if a 150 has ended up in the diagrams somewhere as these can't go past there due to the lack of ETCS.

I think what has happened differed from the timetable for me more than it didn't.

 

[PHILIPE]

Can any forum member throw light on what will happen at Machynlleth around 1400 on 31 July 2021 (and other Saturdays, I think)? The train I'm booked on, 2I18 is due to arrive at platform 1 at 1353. It terminates, but doesn't seem to shunt anywhere. TfW tells me to change at Machynlleth. 1I18 arrives from Aberystwyth at 1402, 'gains coaches', and continues to Birmingham.
Other services that day are shown as joining at Machynlleth, with no change required from the Cambrian coast.

In my experience of using the route, the timetabled through services don't always go through, and the non-through services do sometimes go through! So anybody's guess - Mach is a law unto itself.

Also don't be surprised if you get set swapped at Shrewsbury if a 150 has ended up in the diagrams somewhere as these can't go past there due to the lack of ETCS.

I think what has happened differed from the timetable for me more than it didn't.

I think the remark regarding attaching is just missing so hasn't picked it up in Journey Planning systems. Whoever you communicated with at TFW has just looked at what is shown on the surface and not actually investigated the matter further. However, the schedule is shewn as a VAR (Variation) on the day. Only TFW can provide you with the answer which may just be a glitch

 

[berneyarms]

I think the remark regarding attaching is just missing so hasn't picked it up in Journey Planning systems. Whoever you communicated with at TFW has just looked at what is shown on the surface and not actually investigated the matter further. However, the schedule is shewn as a VAR (Variation) on the day. Only TFW can provide you with the answer which may just be a glitch

The VAR on that date relates to additional journey time around Birmingham.

The link between the 11:37 ex-Pwllheli and the 13:30 ex-Aberystwyth isn’t established for some reason on Saturdays in the working timetable looking at future dates.

However I would expect that the two trains do actually join at Machynlleth as the Aberystwth train does gain coaches there, which it loses at Chester on a later working to Holyhead.

It looks like a human error in that the two trains aren’t shown as joining together at Machynlleth in the systems.

 

[PHILIPE]

The VAR on that date relates to additional journey time around Birmingham.

The link between the 11:37 ex-Pwllheli and the 13:30 ex-Aberystwyth isn’t established for some reason on Saturdays in the working timetable looking at future dates.

However I would expect that the two trains do actually join at Machynlleth as the Aberystwth train does gain coaches there, which it loses at Chester on a later working to Holyhead.

It looks like a human error in that the two trains aren’t shown as joining together at Machynlleth in the systems.

I have looked back at the schedules for last week and the Pwllheli portion was shown to attach, the schedule which dates from 26 June (on re-opening after Bridge Works) until the Timetable end date in September. However, from this Saturday (17th) onwards the attachment comment has disappeared.

 

[Doveymain158]

Its booked to attach at Machynlleth

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

The transfer of through portion associations between TOCs and NR planning systems is very poor and the schedule links usually need to be set up manually. This requires re-doing whenever a VAR version applies. Perhaps for some reason this particular service has been overlooked.

 

[Nicholas43]

Thanks to all posters for insights. I've checked its running today (17 July). Carriages didn't appear to shunt off anywhere at Mach. I've sent TfW a WhatsApp message, and got a prompt response that planning team will be asked to clarify.

 

[Nicholas43]

Just to complete the story, TfW have messaged me that 'Our team have seen an issue on the back end of the system, that they believe came live when the Cambrian Line reopened after engineering work. They have contacted Network Rail and other partners to correct this now.'
And indeed my train is now shown as running through on 31 July.