Transport for Wales Class 231 / 756 Stadler FLIRTs

[Roger B]

756104 should be making it's debut in service today

Just wondering whwthwe that happened - what was it's first service? Cheers

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Just wondering whwthwe that happened - what was it's first service? Cheers

Based on RTT, looks like it started from Treherbert Siding and then went to Treherbert to form the 2F04 0534 Treherbert to Cardiff Central

 

[56xx]

756 104 did manage a days service yesterday but has been taken out of service at Cardiff Central this morning. 2 other 756 diagrams cancelled at the moment leaving only 756 116 in service today.

 

[AdamWW]

756 104 did manage a days service yesterday but has been taken out of service at Cardiff Central this morning. 2 other 756 diagrams cancelled at the moment leaving only 756 116 in service today.

Meanwhile, "problems at the depot" seem to have resulted in two 150s being nicked from the Caerphilly-Penarth-Coryton diagrams to do Merthyr-Aberdare, one being replaced with a single 153 and the other not being replaced by anything.

Seems to be a bit of a shortage of trains at the moment. For a change.

 

[MikePJ]

Meanwhile, "problems at the depot" seem to have resulted in two 150s being nicked from the Caerphilly-Penarth-Coryton diagrams to do Merthyr-Aberdare, one being replaced with a single 153 and the other not being replaced by anything.

Seems to be a bit of a shortage of trains at the moment. For a change.

I was on the single 153 this morning, which was jammed full.

 

[Western 52]

Has any work been done yet to clear the FLIRTs for the Vale of Glamorgan line?

 

[AdamWW]

I was on the single 153 this morning, which was jammed full.

Not "the" single 153, in fact. At the moment the line seems to be running on 4 single 153s and a 150. It presumably started out this morning with 3/5 diagrams covered by a single 153.

Good that post COVID there are the passengers to fill one up anyway.

 

[anthony263]

I've seen more than 756116 in service today on the valley lines plus the unit used on training runs.

756116 stormed up that bank to quakers yard from.abercynon.when your so used to dmus on the valley lines seeing all the overhead wiring plus what is effectively an emu does take getting used too

 

[Roger B]

Based on RTT, looks like it started from Treherbert Siding and then went to Treherbert to form the 2F04 0534 Treherbert to Cardiff Central

Many thanks pokemonsuper9 and 56xx - very helpful

 

[MikePJ]

107, 108, 111 and 115 today, according to RTT.

 

[Rhydgaled]

A bit long for Ty Glas I think without a platform extension.

This poses a question for those in the know, despite working for the same company I'm clueless when it comes to the new fleet down south. Do these new units have ASDO/SDO fitted for short platforms? Unless of course they do actually fit- again I couldn't tell you! I have zero route knowledge of anything south so no idea if short platforms are an issue down there.

Even if they do fit at Ty Glas, they will (presumably) eventually need to serve Gilfach Fargoed where even the 3-car examples almost certainly won't fit so surely (A)SDO was specified when ordering?

 

[AdamWW]

Even if they do fit at Ty Glas, they will (presumably) eventually need to serve Gilfach Fargoed where even the 3-car examples almost certainly won't fit so surely (A)SDO was specified when ordering?

Is letting people on and off through a locally opened door something that isn't allowed on new stock? If not, presumably they could continue to do that.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Is letting people on and off through a locally opened door something that isn't allowed on new stock? If not, presumably they could continue to do that.

I'm sure SDO wouldn't be an issue, although quite what happened to the Ty Glas platform extension, who knows?

 

[Logger79]

This poses a question for those in the know, despite working for the same company I'm clueless when it comes to the new fleet down south. Do these new units have ASDO/SDO fitted for short platforms? Unless of course they do actually fit- again I couldn't tell you! I have zero route knowledge of anything south so no idea if short platforms are an issue down there.

They do have ASDO yeah, but currently we stop with the first intermediate door on the platform and the guard only arms that local door.

 

[MikePJ]

Even if they do fit at Ty Glas, they will (presumably) eventually need to serve Gilfach Fargoed where even the 3-car examples almost certainly won't fit so surely (A)SDO was specified when ordering?

Yes, the units have ASDO. The system is Sella Controls Tracklink III, which uses an RFID tag (sometimes also called a beacon) on the track. The tag is a yellow strip that's mounted to the sleepers, so should be fairly easy to spot if they've been installed.

 

[craigybagel]

Yes, the units have ASDO. The system is Sella Controls Tracklink III, which uses an RFID tag (sometimes also called a beacon) on the track. The tag is a yellow strip that's mounted to the sleepers, so should be fairly easy to spot if they've been installed.

Assuming they actually install the beacons on the Valleys? The 197s have the same equipment, but it relies on GPS rather than beacons, so it requires a manual override at complex stations.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I'm sure SDO wouldn't be an issue, although quite what happened to the Ty Glas platform extension, who knows?

The HMRC (Her Majesties Revenue and Customs) offices at Ty-Glas have closed and all staff relocated. Maybe Ty-Glas station is a lot less needed given the next station is Birchgrove and is within eye sight (about 350m ?) of Ty-Glas ?.

 

[CapitalStar378]

The HMRC (Her Majesties Revenue and Customs) offices at Ty-Glas have closed and all staff relocated. Maybe Ty-Glas station is a lot less needed given the next station is Birchgrove and is within eye sight (about 350m ?) of Ty-Glas ?.

That may have affected passenger numbers, but whenever I'm home and get the train to Rhiwbina, Ty Glas is always busier than Birchgrove. There are several new housing developments near the station and there's a station entrance on Maes-y-Coed Road, so it's also serves the industrial estate that side and the local housing.

 

[Peter Sarf]

That may have affected passenger numbers, but whenever I'm home and get the train to Rhiwbina, Ty Glas is always busier than Birchgrove. There are several new housing developments near the station and there's a station entrance on Maes-y-Coed Road, so it's also serves the industrial estate that side and the local housing.

There are also the large shops beyond. But I wonder if Birchgrove is "good enough" as an alternative - its all very close.

 

[MikePJ]

The "Core Valley Lines Network Statement" gets published every year and includes details of platform length. Both the "2025" (published 2023) and "2026" (published 2024) versions say that the usable platform length at Ty Glas is 49m and show no plans to upgrade it. (Also worth noting that the 2026 edition puts the opening of Crwys Road, Butetown and Cardiff Bay's second platform back to 2026). If my figure of 46m between the outer edges of the doors (scaled off the drawing) is correct, then it looks like the 3-car 756s will *just* fit and so ASDO and platform extensions are not needed.

 

[CapitalStar378]

The "Core Valley Lines Network Statement" gets published every year and includes details of platform length. Both the "2025" (published 2023) and "2026" (published 2024) versions say that the usable platform length at Ty Glas is 49m and show no plans to upgrade it. (Also worth noting that the 2026 edition puts the opening of Crwys Road, Butetown and Cardiff Bay's second platform back to 2026). If my figure of 46m between the outer edges of the doors (scaled off the drawing) is correct, then it looks like the 3-car 756s will *just* fit and so ASDO and platform extensions are not needed.

I'm not shocked about Crwys Road, as nothing has happened there, but Cardiff Bay and Butetown have been under construction for 2 years already. Are TfW going for some sort of slow construction record? I wonder why the Bay line has been put on the back burner again.

Sorry this is quite OT from 231/756 now.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Is letting people on and off through a locally opened door something that isn't allowed on new stock? If not, presumably they could continue to do that.

I don't know; I'm just assuming given that I'm not aware of any recentish new-build stock with local-door operation. Not sure if the trend towards driver-only operation in England led to door controls (even if operated by the guard) only being fitted in the cabs or if there's a specific policy out there of phasing out local-door operation as old fleets are retired or if I'm just talking nonsense.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Also worth noting that the 2026 edition puts the opening of Crwys Road, Butetown and Cardiff Bay's second platform back to 2026

Hmmm does that have an impact on the 4 trains per hour to the heads of the valleys plan? I was under the impression that given that plan had half of those services going down to the Bay, they needed that second platform in place to deal with it. And there isn't the capacity at Cardiff Central for the extra services to go there instead.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Hmmm does that have an impact on the 4 trains per hour to the heads of the valleys plan? I was under the impression that given that plan had half of those services going down to the Bay, they needed that second platform in place to deal with it. And there isn't the capacity at Cardiff Central for the extra services to go there instead.

Yes it definitely will, although as the 398s look like they'll start in service at the end of the year, the 4tph commitment has probably been pushed back to 2026 as well. As a result, the Bay line infrastructure is probably not required until next year.

This of course will have a domino effect on the 756s and 231s going to their correct homes as well.

Not really much change for this year then and another let down for passengers. I note that nothing has been mentioned by TfW.

 

[AdamWW]

I don't know; I'm just assuming given that I'm not aware of any recentish new-build stock with local-door operation. Not sure if the trend towards driver-only operation in England led to door controls (even if operated by the guard) only being fitted in the cabs or if there's a specific policy out there of phasing out local-door operation as old fleets are retired or if I'm just talking nonsense.

231 doors can definitely be done from the passenger doors - a bit of a slow process though because opening and closing the local door has to go through the process of putting the step in and out separately from the rest of the doors, and there's also a delay before closing the local door while the alarm sounds.

 

[Adlee Turner]

Is letting people on and off through a locally opened door something that isn't allowed on new stock? If not, presumably they could continue to do that.

At Gilfach, there is a method of work where we only open the local door to let people on and off due to the platform size, which applies to both the older stock (150/153) and the new stock (231)

 

[anthony263]

I've lost the link to it now however read this morning tfw are looking at fitting pantograph to thw class 231 fleet

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've lost the link to it now however read this morning tfw are looking at fitting pantograph to thw class 231 fleet

It's in Modern Railways. Not that surprised - I did think ordering a DMU only version was saving pennies (given that it's a DEMU anyway) and taking a big hit on flexibility.

 

[Trainbike46]

They should have been a bimode like the 755s from the start - it is a very odd decision

 

[AdamWW]

It's in Modern Railways. Not that surprised - I did think ordering a DMU only version was saving pennies (given that it's a DEMU anyway) and taking a big hit on flexibility.

Presumably at the tender stage for the TfW "franchise" spending those pennies (hmm - that doesn't sound quite right!) wasn't thought justify whatever increase in score it would result in.