Transport for Wales Class 231 / 756 Stadler FLIRTs

[EveningStarr]

Taken out of service at Pontypridd due a problem. Possibly attached to 756 007 and taken to Treherbert.

It terminated at Ponty and worked back to CDF as 1M22, then went to Canton, being replaced by 756004 for the Up Merthyr leg.

 

[positron]

I often wonder what kind of snagging issues they run into so far into a deployment of a new family of trains. They've done all the 231s and almost all the 756s so what sort of issues do they still get?

 

[EveningStarr]

I often wonder what kind of snagging issues they run into so far into a deployment of a new family of trains. They've done all the 231s and almost all the 756s so what sort of issues do they still get?

In my experience, most of the issues with 756s tend to be APCO - Automatic Power Change Over - and the voltage is too low. When the 231s do have faults, although rarer these days, it's usually an engine issue, which is often sorted with a reboot, which takes 10-15 minutes.
There are also various glitches with the onboard announcements/displays, for example one 231 software upgrade has caused them to announce 'at the next station, please move backwards to exit the train' in the rear two carriages whenever the doors are closed. Gets very irritating and not sure why it can't be fixed yet.

 

[positron]

Not very reassuring that their smart electrification will pay off if APCO is an issue. Wonder if the 398s will face similar issues both being stadlers.

Good that the 231s are more stable now but much less complexity with them.

 

[AdamWW]

Gets very irritating and not sure why it can't be fixed yet.

Yes that one is rather frustrating.

It seems to be extremely difficult to fix anything with the information systems on the FLIRTS.

For a long time they were announcing Grangetown as the next stop when approaching Central from Queen Street.

And they don't seem to be able to cope properly with a route that passes through Radyr twice, messing up the expected arrival time.

And several times I've seen an in service train come in with "Out of service" on the exterior displays, but something more sensible inside.

And sometimes the announcements in different coaches aren't quite synchronised making it rather hard to hear.

My favourite though (on a 231) was the big arrows showing passengers which side to get out of simultaneously pointing to both sides.

I presume it's not that nobody cares, but that for some reason it's just too hard to make them work.

Shame though - it's not all that helpful legislating for information systems on all trains if they don't actually work.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jun 2025 ==

Not very reassuring that their smart electrification will pay off if APCO is an issue. Wonder if the 398s will face similar issues both being stadlers.

Maybe a bit early to say if it's a long term problem or teething troubles.

It's not, of course, the first discontinuous electrification system in the world, or even the UK. But I don't know if anywhere else has tried it at 25 kV.

 

[MikePJ]

A new project plan has appeared in the consultation and it says that the planned introduction of 756s on Penarth/Coryton/Caerphilly happens between 19th July and around 6th September, with units being gradually introduced onto more diagrams.

 

[StripeyNick]

756001 has briefly entered service this morning. Worked 2F02 Ponty to Cardiff but was swapped out for a pair of 150s

 

[tfw756rider]

756001 has briefly entered service this morning. Worked 2F02 Ponty to Cardiff but was swapped out for a pair of 150s

Thanks for letting us know This still of course counts as "having been in service".

This now means that 23 (of 24) 756s have been in service.

6 (of 7) 3-coach 756s have been in service (756001/002/004/005/006/007)

All 17 4-coach 756s have been in service (756101/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/110/111/112/113/114/115/116/117)

=========================

The number of 756s still to enter service is down to 1, which is a 3-coach unit (756003).

=========================

The overall number of new Transport for Wales (TfW) trains that have been in service is now up to 100 (of 148), which is 67%, which means that the operator has reached the "two thirds of the way" point!

40 (of 51) 197/0s
All 26 197/1s
All 11 231s
6 (of 7) 756/0s
All 17 756/1s

This leaves 48 new TfW trains still to enter service:

11 197/0s
36 398s
1 756/0

 

[nigelsporne]

Are any 756s stabled for part of the day on the TAM system as either back up or for peak services?

 

[Kite159]

Are any 756s stabled for part of the day on the TAM system as either back up or for peak services?

Not sure for the TAM lines as all the lines have an half hourly service throughout the day. You might get the odd set swap at Cardiff. The peak time services were more for the Rhymney line

 

[nigelsporne]

Thanks

 

[chargesmith]

756001 has briefly entered service this morning. Worked 2F02 Ponty to Cardiff but was swapped out for a pair of 150s

It's in service again today, as are 004 005 and 006.

 

[Cardiff123]

Another **** availability day on the Barry - Rhymney and Penarth lines with 150s covering for 231s on Barry to Rhymney and Penarth services cancelled.

Meanwhile the clock continues to countdown for the 150s.

 

[chargesmith]

Another **** availability day on the Barry - Rhymney and Penarth lines with 150s covering for 231s on Barry to Rhymney and Penarth services cancelled.

Meanwhile the clock continues to countdown for the 150s.

Now that 6 of the 7 756/0s have been in service that's a major hurdle cleared for getting them onto the Coryton and Caerphilly to Penarth routes. Hopefully this month but will have to see what happens.

 

[AdamWW]

Now that 6 of the 7 756/0s have been in service that's a major hurdle cleared for getting them onto the Coryton and Caerphilly to Penarth routes. Hopefully this month but will have to see what happens.

We will indeed.

So far as I know, so far only one 756 has done a test run to Coryton.

 

[Bob Price]

There are paths in for test runs to Coryton etc on Sunday as has been for the past few weekends. Whether they will be used is another thing.

 

[AdamWW]

There are paths in for test runs to Coryton etc on Sunday as has been for the past few weekends. Whether they will be used is another thing.

I could make a guess but presumably at some point I'll be pleasantly surprised.

I don't know if the wires are energised though they could presumably run on battery/diesel if not.

 

[positron]

Am I correct in thinking they can't even run them in Caerphilly to Penarth because the diagrams are now linked with Coryton?

 

[AdamWW]

Am I correct in thinking they can't even run them in Caerphilly to Penarth because the diagrams are now linked with Coryton?

You're correct that the Caerphilly to Penarth trains generally run Caerphilly-Penarth-Coryton-Penarth-Caerphilly.

I think it would be wrong though to assume they wouldn't just run them between Caerphilly and Penarth and have a reduced service to Coryton.

 

[J663738]

I see they have pencilled in some test runs on the new 756's this Sunday on the Coryton to Penarth line, will it be third time lucky?

Realtime Trains | Departures from Coryton all day on 06/07/2025

Train information at Coryton all day on 06/07/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[tigermonstera]

I see they have pencilled in some test runs on the new 756's this Sunday on the Coryton to Penarth line, will it be third time lucky?

The test service partially ran using 756001 but didn't get as far as the Coryton line:

This service was cancelled between Cardiff Queen Street and Coryton due to a problem with the electrified line (I1).

 

[BillStampy]

The test service partially ran using 756001 but didn't get as far as the Coryton line:

It has made it to Penarth, so that's a bit more positive. Hopefully it'll make it back up to Caerphilly.

 

[J663738]

Here are some photos of the first 3 carriage 756 to arrive in Penarth.
)It didn't make it to Coryton due to OLE issues according to RTTs)

Am I right in thinking this the first ever electric train to arrive at Penarth?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2025 ==

Incidentally, its now on its way to Caerphilly.
I thought the 25kV charging line at Caerphilly was energised, but there is a earthing strap still on it at the other end.
(or at least was on Thursday)

 

[AdamWW]

Here are some photos of the first 3 carriage 756 to arrive in Penarth.
)It didn't make it to Coryton due to OLE issues according to RTTs)

Although the reason codes in RTT for passenger services very often don't agree with those from official sources.

 

[StripeyNick]

Here are some photos of the first 3 carriage 756 to arrive in Penarth.
)It didn't make it to Coryton due to OLE issues according to RTTs)

Am I right in thinking this the first ever electric train to arrive at Penarth?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2025 ==

Incidentally, its now on its way to Caerphilly.
I thought the 25kV charging line at Caerphilly was energised, but there is a earthing strap still on it at the other end.
(or at least was on Thursday)

I believe there was one working of a 756 overnight a few weeks back

 

[tigermonstera]

756001 has now entered the Coryton Line — I'm not sure if it's under diesel power or OLE though.

 

[BillStampy]

756001 has now entered the Coryton Line — I'm not sure if it's under diesel power or OLE though.

Well that's good, atleast it's made it onto the line this time.

 

[AdamWW]

Well that's good, atleast it's made it onto the line this time.

Presumably at one point there was a plan to run 4 coach trains on this line. Because TfW applied for planning permission for a driver's platform at Coryton which I don't think would be needed for a 3 coach train.

 

[MikePJ]

Presumably at one point there was a plan to run 4 coach trains on this line. Because TfW applied for planning permission for a driver's platform at Coryton which I don't think would be needed for a 3 coach train.

One other possibility is that they plan to run 398s - a four-car 756 is about the same size as two 398s coupled together.

 

[positron]

Does the cab end fully fit in the platform at coryton then? I thought it had a short platform for even a 3 car set.