Transport for Wales Class 230

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No 230s running today as stated above and two 197s had break problems. That makes all 4 that are supposed to run either failed during or before a service

Does the word "innovative" cover such eventualities?

 

[sd0733]

Not sure the specifics but seems the 230s were all pulled from service this morning prior to service. Network Rail are to carry out investigations before they're allowed back out. Unsure the details but that was why there were no 230s today.

 

[Steve B]

No 230s running today as stated above and two 197s had break problems. That makes all 4 that are supposed to run either failed during or before a service

There was talk on this thread about a 230 having brake problems earlier in the week, It's possible that the rest of the fleet have been grounded for examination.

 

[sansyy]

Realtime Trains | 5F50 0552 Birkenhead North E.M.U.D to Wrexham General | 15/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 5F50 0552 departure from Birkenhead North E.M.U.D to Wrexham General on 15/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

No 230s at all on the line today, presuming this was a 230 for the start of the day and had break issues so they chose to not run any.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No 230s at all on the line today, presuming this was a 230 for the start of the day and had break issues so they chose to not run any.

You could set this to music, to the tune of "Yes, we have no bananas"

 

[Tony2]

230010 is on an ECS move today from Birkenhead depot to Wrexham and back:

Realtime Trains | 5T42 1053 Birkenhead North E.M.U.D to Birkenhead North E.M.U.D | 16/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 5T42 1053 departure from Birkenhead North E.M.U.D to Birkenhead North E.M.U.D on 16/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Possibly checking if the recent brake problems have been solved?

 

[Zontar]

230010 is on an ECS move today from Birkenhead depot to Wrexham and back:

Realtime Trains | 5T42 1053 Birkenhead North E.M.U.D to Birkenhead North E.M.U.D | 16/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 5T42 1053 departure from Birkenhead North E.M.U.D to Birkenhead North E.M.U.D on 16/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Possibly checking if the recent brake problems have been solved?

A security guard at Wrexham has advised all the brake blocks are contaminated with oil and this is what was actually what caught fire/smoking.

 

[sansyy]

Why does it like break when it reaches Heswall? It says the future real time but its not been 2104 yet and it hasn't arrived at Neston yet

 

[Tony2]

Class 230s back working on the Wrexham line today, 230007 in service and 230008 allocated for later today.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Class 230s back working on the Wrexham line today, 230007 in service and 230008 allocated for later today.

To help with the funding for any upgrade to the Class 230, why don't TfW issue £1.00 weekly tickets to Borderlands Line travellers for a competition in which the dates of the following month when any Class 230 has operational problems all have to be shown correctly and in full.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Class 230s back working on the Wrexham line today, 230007 in service and 230008 allocated for later today.

There's been a fault somewhere according to Journey Check.

 

[Tony2]

Only problem I can see today involved 197044, which worked this:

Realtime Trains | 2F74 1344 Wrexham Central to Bidston | 19/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 2F74 1344 departure from Wrexham Central to Bidston on 19/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

…then apparently failed on this on the return, at Wrexham General:

Realtime Trains | 2J76 1451 Bidston to Wrexham Central | 19/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 2J76 1451 departure from Bidston to Wrexham Central on 19/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Northerngirl]

To help with the funding for any upgrade to the Class 230, why don't TfW issue £1.00 weekly tickets to Borderlands Line travellers for a competition in which the dates of the following month when any Class 230 has operational problems all have to be shown correctly and in full.

That would be like good customer service, don't expect that in north Wales

 

[Jamesrob637]

Only problem I can see today involved 197044, which worked this:

Realtime Trains | 2F74 1344 Wrexham Central to Bidston | 19/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 2F74 1344 departure from Wrexham Central to Bidston on 19/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

…then apparently failed on this on the return, at Wrexham General:

Realtime Trains | 2J76 1451 Bidston to Wrexham Central | 19/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 2J76 1451 departure from Bidston to Wrexham Central on 19/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

It just couldn't do the final few hundred metres.

 

[CaergwrleKen]

230 is an hour late at Neston this morning, probably be flooding or something i’m sure it won’t be the 230 that’s the problem because everything is going great with the new timetable. Other trains are being cancelled though still on the mainline and trains 2 cars short instead of 4 because of the 230s. How long is this going to go on when will we ever see a full 230 timetable?

 

[Tony2]

Looks like a bad day on the line, 197004 over 30 mins late as well.

This working with 197004 cancelled though, reason given is a problem with the train:

Realtime Trains | 2F62 1048½ Wrexham General to Bidston | 21/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 2F62 1048½ departure from Wrexham General to Bidston on 21/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Caaardiff]

What's the deal with the GWR 230s? Would that type of 230 be suitable for the Bidston line and get rid of the current ones?

 

[John R]

What's the deal with the GWR 230s? Would that type of 230 be suitable for the Bidston line and get rid of the current ones?

If the battery trial of the GWR ones is successful, I could see a case for removing the diesels and putting fast charging in instead.

 

[sansyy]

If the battery trial of the GWR ones is successful, I could see a case for removing the diesels and putting fast charging in instead.

Diesels is the biggest problem for the 230s and given how much money TfW have invested in these 230s and how confident they are to keep them running I see no reason for them not to install fast charging at first given opportunity and having a reliable service return

 

[Dan G]

From little we know the Achilles heel of the the TfW is the batteries having been designed with insufficient cooling. Presumably that will have been fixed on the GWR train. I would think new batteries for the TfW 230s would be more likely than going full BEMU

 

[CaergwrleKen]

Why do we keep having this discussion about the 230s? They have lots of problems not just batteries or whatever. Its engines batteries brakes doors everything. They just need to be got rid of and TFW or DFT bite the bullet and compensate people. Get the Sprinters back and put the 197s back were they belong on main line until a proper suitable new or replacement train is brought in. It’s all very good with our reliability but the others on busier trains are suffering because the 197s are running up here.

 

[sansyy]

Why do we keep having this discussion about the 230s? They have lots of problems not just batteries or whatever. Its engines batteries brakes doors everything. They just need to be got rid of and TFW or DFT bite the bullet and compensate people. Get the Sprinters back and put the 197s back were they belong on main line until a proper suitable new or replacement train is brought in. It’s all very good with our reliability but the others on busier trains are suffering because the 197s are running up here.

They have problems but being pessimistic about them isn’t going to do any good either, they already bit the bullet going with the 230s and the best they could do right now is hold during the storm and fix their problems. While they do have loads of problems they’re getting resolved and we are slowly seeing way more reliability despite their fundamental issues like the batteries overheating and the brakes malfunctioning. There is light at the end of this tunnel and TfW should stick though it.

 

[CaergwrleKen]

They have problems but being pessimistic about them isn’t going to do any good either, they already bit the bullet going with the 230s and the best they could do right now is hold during the storm and fix their problems. While they do have loads of problems they’re getting resolved and we are slowly seeing way more reliability despite their fundamental issues like the batteries overheating and the brakes malfunctioning. There is light at the end of this tunnel and TfW should stick though it.

Does your light at the end of the tunnel mean the 230 fleet covering an actual full day or just managing 2 or 3 trips? More than 2 or 3 of them actually working would be a start.
How much are you suggesting that TFW spend on top of the current bill? The only reason things are better on the route is because of the 197s and the extra running time. Other trains such as Liverpool are being cancelled and Cardiff trains are full and only 2 cars instead of 4. This can’t go on.

 

[sansyy]

Does your light at the end of the tunnel mean the 230 fleet covering an actual full day or just managing 2 or 3 trips? More than 2 or 3 of them actually working would be a start.
How much are you suggesting that TFW spend on top of the current bill? The only reason things are better on the route is because of the 197s and the extra running time. Other trains such as Liverpool are being cancelled and Cardiff trains are full and only 2 cars instead of 4. This can’t go on.

While I do agree that the 197s need to be reallocated off the Bidston line as a 150 could fulfill in its place perfectly fine, they shouldn’t give up on the 230s and a full timetable of 230s should be possible once these issues are ironed out. It’s not very helpful that vivarail don’t exist anymore to help them instead GWR that are focused on fast charging and abandoning the ideas of the fleet being hybrids. Tfw will pull through just give it time.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Tfw will pull through just give it time.

That's very nice for them I am sure, but it is not them who have been suffering over these many months but those who actually travel on the Borderlands line.

 

[Caaardiff]

150s will never be seen again on the Bidston line.
In the not so distant future they'll not be seen anywhere in the North soon with the exception of Shrewsbury & Crewe.

 

[sansyy]

That's very nice for them I am sure, but it is not them who have been suffering over these many months but those who actually travel on the Borderlands line.

I also travel on the line frequently and have just gotten used to getting a bus sadly

 

[Sam 76]

Just reading the recent discussion. I’d argue given the services the last year the least the people of the line deserve is a new 197 or 2. I am amazed some compensation scheme hasn’t been put in place as well.

The 230s are looking on the up but clearly a long way to go.

Whichever way you look going back to an older 150 wouldn’t be a good look and I suspect not go down well

 

[Steve B]

I tend to keep an eye on Real Time Trains for the Bidston line, as I use it regularly and like to have a feel for how things are going, so that I can make an informed decision as to whether I catch a train from Shrewsbury or get the car out.
My observation is that since the new timetable time keeping is better now than it has been in the 30 odd years that I've used the line, and the number of cancellations now much, much lower (no consolation though if it's your train that's cancelled). It'snot just the 230s that have occasional problems -the 197s have them too. There have been several infrastructure faults that have lead to cancellations - signal failures etc.
The people who use the line now have a service they can rely on, and if it's 197s so be it. We need to regain the lost passengers.

 

[Dan G]

Sounds like the new timetable was a stroke of genius