TfW 175 shortages

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Without reading through all 14 pages, has the defect that has been causing the fires been identified yet?

I was looking to do a day in North Wales in mid April, I think I should maybe hold off for a few more weeks.

To be honest, if you’re not after the Conwy Valley, your day shouldn’t be too badly affected in North Wales, and certainly not by mid April. The majority of Cardiffs are 67+MK4 or 158, and the majority of Manchesters are 197. If anything, you’ve got more chance of getting a 175 in North Wales before May than during and after it, as while their booked diagrams are regularly being substituted due to the issue (although a single 175/0 was on Manchester North Wales yesterday), none are booked for North Wales services from the TT change and will exclusively work Maesteg Cheltenham and some Manchester South Wales’.

This is all assuming your trip to North Wales IS predominantly for North Wales, rather than to catch 175s. If the main goal of your trip is 175s, maybe it is worth waiting, and then Maesteg Cheltenham and Manchester South Wales’ will have them from May, hopefully in full as the issue may well be resolved by now. It’s March now, so you’d hope so.

 

[Russel]

To be honest, if you’re not after the Conwy Valley, your day shouldn’t be too badly affected in North Wales, and certainly not by mid April. The majority of Cardiffs are 67+MK4 or 158, and the majority of Manchesters are 197. If anything, you’ve got more chance of getting a 175 in North Wales before May than during and after it, as while their booked diagrams are regularly being substituted due to the issue (although a single 175/0 was on Manchester North Wales yesterday), none are booked for North Wales services from the TT change and will exclusively work Maesteg Cheltenham and some Manchester South Wales’.

This is all assuming your trip to North Wales IS predominantly for North Wales, rather than to catch 175s. If the main goal of your trip is 175s, maybe it is worth waiting, and then Maesteg Cheltenham and Manchester South Wales’ will have them from May, hopefully in full as the issue may well be resolved by now. It’s March now, so you’d hope so.

Issue is, what I wanted was 175's on the North Wales Coast as that has always been one of my personal favourite route and traction combinations, it's a sad end of an era really.

I was also going to make use of the Conwy Valley branch to get into Snowdonia and do a bus ride from Betws Y Coed over the Llanberis Pass.

 

[bramling]

Without reading through all 14 pages, has the defect that has been causing the fires been identified yet?

I was looking to do a day in North Wales in mid April, I think I should maybe hold off for a few more weeks.

Not sure it is necessarily a defect. It sounds suspiciously like a design issue that has always been there, but has started becoming an issue as a result of a change in maintenance.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Issue is, what I wanted was 175's on the North Wales Coast as that has always been one of my personal favourite route and traction combinations, it's a sad end of an era really.

I was also going to make use of the Conwy Valley branch to get into Snowdonia and do a bus ride from Betws Y Coed over the Llanberis Pass.

I think unfortunately it’s going to be a case of getting one or the other, because the Conwy Valley line is suspended for the foreseeable, but will surely be reinstated by the timetable change, whereas now you have a limited chance of a 175 on the North Wales Coast but no Conwy Valley service.

April is still a way off yet though. All might have improved by then.

 

[Markdvdman]

Well looking at TFW Journey check this AM only 5 cancelled trains (now 4 presumably time passed on one). 41 Service Updates. I do not know if that is down to wngineering work West of Swansea partially, but maybe a few a re back in service? Cannot find any updates on it!

 

[Western 52]

Bus replacement today Swansea to Llanelli and Heart of Wales line, so a few less units needed. Seems to be all sprinters, 153s and 158s west of Llanelli today. No 175s so far.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There were no 175s at all on the Manchester South Wales route yesterday I see. Is that the first time this has ever happened?

 

[Western 52]

RTT is showing 6 and 11 on Holyhead to South Wales today but can't see any on the Manchester trains. Not all allocations are showing though.

 

[Anonymous10]

Well looking at TFW Journey check this AM only 5 cancelled trains (now 4 presumably time passed on one). 41 Service Updates. I do not know if that is down to wngineering work West of Swansea partially, but maybe a few a re back in service? Cannot find any updates on it!

This happened last weekend reduced service on some parts of the network combined with the engineering works is likely the answer

 

[SuperLuke2334]

There were no 175s at all on the Manchester South Wales route yesterday I see. Is that the first time this has ever happened?

I saw one on a Manchester service passing Hereford yesterday, can't remember which one it was though.

 

[Dai Corner]

Well looking at TFW Journey check this AM only 5 cancelled trains (now 4 presumably time passed on one). 41 Service Updates. I do not know if that is down to wngineering work West of Swansea partially, but maybe a few a re back in service? Cannot find any updates on it!

Eight cancellations, all in the Valleys, at the time if posting. I haven't worked it out, but probably just two or three diagrams.

The long term cancellations such as Newport-Crosskeys have been taken out of the timetable so they don't show as such in Journeycheck.

 

[craigybagel]

I saw one on a Manchester service passing Hereford yesterday, can't remember which one it was though.

I can't find any record of a 175 operating any Manchester services yesterday through Hereford. There was one that passed through on North Wales services however.

 

[Topological]

Last night the inward working for the 18:30 Manchester to Cardiff failed at Wilmslow with a "Traction fault" resulting in the 18:30 being cancelled and starting short at Crewe. An ECS was added between Stockport and Crewe. Does anyone know what happened there, because there looked to be something in the Wilmslow reversal siding but I was on the wrong side of the Northern train to work out what. I hope we are not now seeing 158s unable to survive Crewe to Wilmslow as well.

Cancellation at Wilmslow: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:L07478/2023-03-17/detailed
ECS from Stockport to Crewe: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:43877/2023-03-17/detailed

The only units I saw on the Manchester trains were a 150 at Crewe going towards Manchester and then a 158 which was on the 1930 from Manchester and was very full arriving into Crewe.

 

[SuperLuke2334]

I can't find any record of a 175 operating any Manchester services yesterday through Hereford. There was one that passed through on North Wales services however.

Probably was that then and it slipped my mind!

 

[_toommm_]

because there looked to be something in the Wilmslow reversal siding

The reversing siding has the 323 that had the thermal incident last week.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Probably was that then and it slipped my mind!

So maybe yesterday was the first time in many years that there’s not been a single 175 on Manchester South Wales.

 

[SuperLuke2334]

So maybe yesterday was the first time in many years that there’s not been a single 175 on Manchester South Wales.

Potentially yes!

 

[craigybagel]

So maybe yesterday was the first time in many years that there’s not been a single 175 on Manchester South Wales.

And today is the second - though there is a reduced service anyway due to the strikes.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

And today is the second - though there is a reduced service anyway due to the strikes.

Although you’d think the reduction in diagrams means more chance of 175s being on the route! As is wished for from the timetable change, the entire Manchester Llandudno service is also exclusively 197 today - run by 197009, 010, 012, 015 and 021 (is this another first?) - so no 175s to Manchester full stop, despite hourly services on both routes until the evening.

 

[craigybagel]

Still an hourly Manchester Cardiff service running so the strikes arguably don’t come into it. How funny to think of that route not having 175s.

The service is only running for reduced hours however, due to a lack of station staff at Avanti and Northern staffed stations. First departure from Manchester today was 0830, last departure will be 1730.

 

[Jez]

None on the Manchester route and yet one appeared on a Heart of Wales service yesterday! Which almost never happens!

Also they are not Manchester services but one appeared on the afternoon Swanline/Chester. Same one that did the HOWL earlier I believe.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The service is only running for reduced hours however, due to a lack of station staff at Avanti and Northern staffed stations. First departure from Manchester today was 0830, last departure will be 1730.

Yes just noticed that so edited post

 

[Bikeman78]

I think this may be the 5th time (at least) that a 175 has been on the HOWL in passenger service. The twice you mentioned above plus a few years ago a 153 due to run the HOWL had a fault and needed to get back to Canton from Swansa. So they swapped the 175 due to do the 1510 Chester service and sent the 153 on the Chester service as far as Cardiff. The 175 then did the 1435 HOWL from Swansea. The other time was during the Royal Welsh Show. Cant remember the year but a 175 did the show special on one of days a few years back.

But it sure is very rare for a 175 to be on the HOWL. Wonder if this will be the last time before they get withdrawn!

It's happened a number of times over the years. There used to be a Llandudno to Cardiff train that ran non stop from Shrewsbury to Newport. It got to Shrewsbury around the same time as a HOW departure. If the class 153 packed up then the 175 did the HOW. From memory the 1312 Cardiff to Swansea was booked a 175 which then did the 1510 Swansea to Chester. Put a 153 on the 1312 and swap them over at Swansea. Job done!

 

[Jez]

It's happened a number of times over the years. There used to be a Llandudno to Cardiff train that ran non stop from Shrewsbury to Newport. It got to Shrewsbury around the same time as a HOW departure. If the class 153 packed up then the 175 did the HOW. From memory the 1312 Cardiff to Swansea was booked a 175 which then did the 1510 Swansea to Chester. Put a 153 on the 1312 and swap them over at Swansea. Job done!

Thanks for confirming. Happened more often on HOWL than I thought.

Question about the Conwy Valley -have the 175s run in passenger service ? i don't ever remember a 175 on that branch line its always been either a single 153 or a 150 from what I remember until the 197s arrived.

 

[Bikeman78]

Thanks for confirming. Happened more often on HOWL than I thought.

Question about the Conwy Valley -have the 175s run in passenger service ? i don't ever remember a 175 on that branch line its always been either a single 153 or a 150 from what I remember until the 197s arrived.

158s and 175s can't go to Blaenau. It would be very useful if they could.

 

[142 007]

All the lines that have been pulled this week,
Like Wrexham - Bidston,
Liverpool - Chester
LLandudno - Blaenau
Wolverhampton - Int etc
Are now showing as no service until next weekend

 

[allaction]

I have a few questions, if I may.

Is it correct that an alteration in the maintenance procedure, following a change in the depot location of the process, has caused this serious problem?
if so, why was a change in the maintenance procedure introduced?
Has the changed maintenance procedure been abandoned and replaced by the previous procedure?
Will anyone in TfW, apart from a member of their media team, provide a full explanation for the current situation?

 

[Western 52]

I have a few questions, if I may.

Is it correct that an alteration in the maintenance procedure, following a change in the depot location of the process, has caused this serious problem?
if so, why was a change in the maintenance procedure introduced?
Has the changed maintenance procedure been abandoned and replaced by the previous procedure?
Will anyone in TfW, apart from a member of their media team, provide a full explanation for the current situation?

I can't see that information being made public as the maintenance contract between TfW and their contractor will probably be confidential. You could try an FOI request, but likely to be exempt.

 

[SuperLuke2334]

I have a few questions, if I may.

Is it correct that an alteration in the maintenance procedure, following a change in the depot location of the process, has caused this serious problem?
if so, why was a change in the maintenance procedure introduced?
Has the changed maintenance procedure been abandoned and replaced by the previous procedure?
Will anyone in TfW, apart from a member of their media team, provide a full explanation for the current situation?

I suppose the only thing that is in the public domain about this would be that, before CAF took over Chester depot from Alstom, they were cleaning the engine bays every 3 weeks. Since CAF took over they have only cleaned them every 6 weeks. Since the thermal incidents, I think that they have been asked to go back to cleaning them every 3 weeks to reduce the risk of this happening.

 

[Western 52]

Despite the shortage of 175s they appear to have found a 6 car 158 for the 1032 Swansea to Manchester today, splitting at Crewe I think.

Realtime Trains | 1W56 1032 Swansea to Manchester Piccadilly | 19/03/2023

Real-time train running information for 1W56 1032 departure from Swansea to Manchester Piccadilly on 19/03/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk