Transport for Wales Class 231 / 756 Stadler FLIRTs

[AdamWW]

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.

The new (but currently covered up) stop sign is partly down the ramp. A 3 car 756 stopped there will have the rear (in the arrival direction) cab fully on the platform.

The plans looked as if they were for where the rear cab would end up for a 4 car train. They were for a short separate platform, not an extension of the existing one.

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

Perhaps but I don't think I've ever seen a suggestion from TfW that they would.

 

[Anonymous10]

The new (but currently covered up) stop sign is partly down the ramp. A 3 car 756 stopped there will have the rear (in the arrival direction) cab fully on the platform.

The plans looked as if they were for where the rear cab would end up for a 4 car train. They were for a short separate platform, not an extension of the existing one.



Perhaps but I don't think I've ever seen a suggestion from TfW that they would.

Or just in the event of disruption it allows a 4 car unit to run the branch.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Or just in the event of disruption it allows a 4 car unit to run the branch.

Can't the driver just walk through the train to get to the cab? This is what happens at both ends of the Marks Tey - Sudbury branch

 

[MikePJ]

Perhaps but I don't think I've ever seen a suggestion from TfW that they would.

I certainly haven't seen anything directly from TfW and I agree that being able to use a four-car unit is a more likely reason in the short term, but if it also enables the use of 398s to restore a Coryton-City Line-Radyr service once Cardiff West Junction is done, then it might have been a further justification for doing the works.

 

[Anonymous10]

Can't the driver just walk through the train to get to the cab? This is what happens at both ends of the Marks Tey - Sudbury branch

I assume so, but perhaps its a design issue, not sure. Could also be for running double class 3 cars for if one has had to be rescued i suppose.

 

[nigelsporne]

With only one 756 yet to see service, 756003, is this at Barry and viewable?

 

[alm37]

With only one 756 yet to see service, 756003, is this at Barry and viewable?

According to RTT it went from Barry to Canton on Monday morning, and RTT hasn’t reported it since. It wasn’t evident in the sidings at the rear of Canton on Monday/Tuesday. There was one 756 I couldn’t identify at Barry depot on Tuesday - only the very front end poking out of the shed. I guess we’ll need to await its grand entry into service, perhaps when 3 cars start on the Coryton line!

 

[nigelsporne]

Thank you.

 

[MikePJ]

There's another Coryton/Penarth/Caerphilly set of test runs booked for Sunday, starting at the very civilised hour of 1042 from Canton, and continuing until 1821. Hopefully the issues with the overhead line have been resolved.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Cardiff Queen Street all day on 13/07/2025

Train information at Cardiff Queen Street all day on 13/07/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[AdamWW]

There's another Coryton/Penarth/Caerphilly set of test runs booked for Sunday, starting at the very civilised hour of 1042 from Canton, and continuing until 1821. Hopefully the issues with the overhead line have been resolved.

They were resolved enough last weekend for the second of the two runs to Coryton to happen.

 

[Cardiff123]

There's another Coryton/Penarth/Caerphilly set of test runs booked for Sunday, starting at the very civilised hour of 1042 from Canton, and continuing until 1821. Hopefully the issues with the overhead line have been resolved.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Cardiff Queen Street all day on 13/07/2025

Train information at Cardiff Queen Street all day on 13/07/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Only 8 full days until one 756 is due to enter passenger service on a Penarth - Coryton - Penarth - Caerphilly diagram, so you'd think its in TfW's interest for the test runs to take place.......

 

[nigelsporne]

If, all being well, the units enter service on the Coryton run is it likely to be a slow introduction, next unit in say fourteen days afterwards, or a bit quicker? Do the staff on these diagrams also work the TAM diagrams as well so would be familiar with the 756s?

 

[Bikeman78]

If, all being well, the units enter service on the Coryton run is it likely to be a slow introduction, next unit in say fourteen days afterwards, or a bit quicker? Do the staff on these diagrams also work the TAM diagrams as well so would be familiar with the 756s?

All valleys crew work the whole valleys network, apart from Bridgend.

 

[nigelsporne]

Thanks

 

[MikePJ]

They were resolved enough last weekend for the second of the two runs to Coryton to happen.

Ah, I hadn't realised! Thanks for letting me know - that's a bit more encouraging.

 

[J663738]

One observation about the 231's and the 756's.

Even though they have faster acceleration than the older trains, they seem to take an age at platforms due to:
They arrive very slowly and cautiously onto a platform
Conductor walking down a long train has to go to a door control point.
Horizontal platform gap units, take time to deploy.
Doors seem slow to open.
All this has to happen in reverse.
Then when the conductor gives the go signal, all you hear is pneumatic operating before the trains actually moves.

I timed the time from stop to start at a number of stations while on a 231 yesterday (service was late, so not purposely held)
All were between 45 seconds and 60 seconds.

In contrast the class 150's even though slow to accelerate beats the newer trains hands down!

On the Coryton line, the new trains will spend longer at the platforms than actually moving.

 

[800001]

One observation about the 231's and the 756's.

Even though they have faster acceleration than the older trains, they seem to take an age at platforms due to:
They arrive very slowly and cautiously onto a platform
Conductor walking down a long train has to go to a door control point.
Horizontal platform gap units, take time to deploy.
Doors seem slow to open.
All this has to happen in reverse.
Then when the conductor gives the go signal, all you hear is pneumatic operating before the trains actually moves.

I timed the time from stop to start at a number of stations while on a 231 yesterday (service was late, so not purposely held)
All were between 45 seconds and 60 seconds.

In contrast the class 150's even though slow to accelerate beats the newer trains hands down!

On the Coryton line, the new trains will spend longer at the platforms than actually moving.

Do they arrive on time at the stations despite the ‘slow’ arrival/departure at stations?

If they do I can’t see what the issue is, the doors being ‘slow’ will be due to the step for the level boarding which is greatly welcomed by a lot of people.

 

[J663738]

Do they arrive on time at the stations despite the ‘slow’ arrival/departure at stations?

If they do I can’t see what the issue is, the doors being ‘slow’ will be due to the step for the level boarding which is greatly welcomed by a lot of people.

No it was late, and getting later by the stop. Train was packed (Barry Island) and the guard was checking everyone's tickets, which also meant they took time to get back to the door controls.

 

[Jez]

No it was late, and getting later by the stop. Train was packed (Barry Island) and the guard was checking everyone's tickets, which also meant they took time to get back to the door controls.

Was this yesterday or this morning? I did Barry Island yesterday although coming from Neath i went via the VOG and then changed at Barry for the island. I would walk the last bit from Barry but it was a very hot day and the air con on the 231 was very welcome! I only did a very short journey on the 231 but it seemed to turn up on time and despite it being slow for the doors to open due to the level boarding it appeared to be on time at both Barry and Barry Island.

Apologies i see you said it was yesterday. I was on the 1325ish from Barry to the Island.

 

[AdamWW]

Do they arrive on time at the stations despite the ‘slow’ arrival/departure at stations?

If they do I can’t see what the issue is, the doors being ‘slow’ will be due to the step for the level boarding which is greatly welcomed by a lot of people.

Just because the gap fillers are a good thing doesn't mean they don't add to dwell time.
It's made worse by the fact that the whole filler-out-door-open....warning-sound-door-shut-fillter-in cycle has go be gone through twice, once for the local door and once for the rest of the train.
Shame that you can't press a door open button and have the gap filler go out at the same time as the one for the local door.

It will be lovely if the increased acceleration means that the Coryton line will be able to have a timetabled service. We will see.

 

[Envoy]

I have also noticed that it seems to take ages from the train stopping until the button light goes green indicating that we can press it to open the doors. Surely, this can be speeded up by the driver rather than the guard pressing the button to indicate that the train doors can now be opened by the public?

 

[J663738]

Was this yesterday or this morning?

Yesterday lunchtime, train was very busy and AC seemed not to be coping that well.
The door buttons annoy me as you have to wait for them to go green before the open, they won't register an early press for some bizarre reason. Even if this adds only a few seconds, it all adds up!

 

[Jez]

Yesterday lunchtime, train was very busy and AC seemed not to be coping that well.
The door buttons annoy me as you have to wait for them to go green before the open, they won't register an early press for some bizarre reason. Even if this adds only a few seconds, it all adds up!

Yes i agree about the buttons, sometimes on a 197 they also seem to take forever as well.

I was on this one https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G58115/2025-07-11#allox_id=0 and it appeared to arrive early into Barry Island according to RTT

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Jul 2025 ==

I have also noticed that it seems to take ages from the train stopping until the button light goes green indicating that we can press it to open the doors. Surely, this can be speeded up by the driver rather than the guard pressing the button to indicate that the train doors can now be opened by the public?

ive noticed this on both the 231/756 and the 197s too. Must be a thing with modern trains?

 

[J663738]

How come the Hitachi class 800s as soon as the train stops the doors can be opened immediately. The guard/train manager doesn't have to jump out and run up and down to see if the train is on the platform? If a train stops in the correct place then they must know the all the doors can be opened.
Is this some weird carry over when guards were there for safety rather than checking tickets, so the Unions insist it still happens?

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Just because the gap fillers are a good thing doesn't mean they don't add to dwell time.

The 755s can and do have very short dwell times (15-20 seconds) and the doors are released immediately after stopping, and don't take that long to open. Maybe this is because it's the driver opening and closing the doors on these

 

[AdamWW]

The 755s can and do have very short dwell times (15-20 seconds) and the doors are released immediately after stopping, and don't take that long to open. Maybe this is because it's the driver opening and closing the doors on these

I'm sure that's why.

It would also be faster if the guard worked from the rear cab, which I think I saw happen when the 231s first came in but doesn't seem to what they do now on the 756s.

 

[ac6000cw]

The 755s can and do have very short dwell times (15-20 seconds) and the doors are released immediately after stopping, and don't take that long to open. Maybe this is because it's the driver opening and closing the doors on these

I agree (and yes, AFAIK it's driver open and close in GA land, on all trains, whether they carry a guard or not).

 

[J663738]

I laughed when I saw a female guard use both hands, to operate the two separate door open buttons, which need to be pressed together. Looks like some nuclear launch sequence, rather than open 3 doors on a train!

 

[chrisjo]

I laughed when I saw a female guard use both hands, to operate the two separate door open buttons, which need to be pressed together. Looks like some nuclear launch sequence, rather than open 3 doors on a train!

I'm curious to know how the fact the guard was female comes into this anecdote?

 

[J663738]

I'm curious to know how the fact the guard was female comes into this anecdote?

Well, she was female had small hands and fingers due to biological differences between men and women and didn't obviously have the force needed to press both the buttons simultaneously with one hand!
Does this explanation pass your 'woke' filter