Transport for Wales Class 231 / 756 Stadler FLIRTs

[chargesmith]

There is a short video on Facebook of staff up a ladder on Pontypridd Station Platform 2 trying to lower or free the pantograph on a 756 which had failed to lower and had apparently struck the roof canopy. Comments include that failure to auto lower the pantograph is a regular issue.

Many cancellations and late workings this morning.

There's a bit of canopy that sticks out where the gateline is which I'm guessing was the culprit.

Is there a pan down button in the cab that drivers can use as a failsafe?

According to RTT due to the disruption afterwards a 3 and 4 car 756 were coupled together, not sure that's happened in service before although one may have been not for passenger use.

 

[AdamWW]

Agreed. The performance has improved a lot since 150s replaced 153s. Unfortunately that happened around the same time as the stops were pulled out on the Caerphilly runs so it's hard to tell what has caused the improvement.

It has improved, but it was so bad before that even with a big improvement it's still not great.

Looking at Recenttraintimes for the last 4 weeks (the default) there are several services with cancellation rates above 20%. And these are often at very short notice, making them even more disruptive than otherwise.

Since the 756s came in things seem to have significantly improved - but so far as I can see this is just due to trains being allowed to continue on the branch when late rather than turning them short if they are 6 minutes late.
At present the 756s don't appear to be showing any ability to recover time when late.

 

[Cardiff123]

Are we likely to see a second 756 added to the Penarth - Caerphilly - Coryton circuit this week? The first 756 on this circuit has so far gone well with no major problems.

 

[Cardiff4]

Are we likely to see a second 756 added to the Penarth - Caerphilly - Coryton circuit this week? The first 756 on this circuit has so far gone well with no major problems.

Still only one unit, 756006, operating today.

 

[Markdvdman]

That 756006 was the 6:38am train from Merthyr this AM, but another 3 car was at Cardiff going to Coryton around 7:20am but I could not see which one.

 

[Cardiff4]

That 756006 was the 6:38am train from Merthyr this AM, but another 3 car was at Cardiff going to Coryton around 7:20am but I could not see which one.

According to Realtime Trains 756005 is on Penarth/Caerphilly/Coryton services today.

 

[chargesmith]

I've noticed 150s going north of Pontypridd recently which I'm not aware has happened for a while, might be that drivers not trained on 231s / 756s are covering holidays of drivers that are?

 

[EveningStarr]

I've noticed 150s going north of Pontypridd recently which I'm not aware has happened for a while, might be that drivers not trained on 231s / 756s are covering holidays of drivers that are?

As far as I'm aware all Valleys drivers and guards are trained on both FLIRTs. There have been a series of train faults with them over the past few days, (pantograph faults, battery faults, Automatic Power Change Over etc) leading to short formings with 150s. Not ideal of course, especially at peak times, but better than cancelling the service. They have also been covering with 231s due to the Rhymney engineering block. I also wonder whether competency for units on certain routes may need refreshing? Someone more knowledgeable in the industry might be able to shed some light on this...

Meanwhile, the 756/0s have been very well received on Coryton services. Hopefully not too much longer before more are introduced!

 

[Envoy]

Now August 12th and still only one 756 on the Coryton > Penarth > Caerphilly circuit meaning most trains are 150’s. They have enough 756’s and the electricity on the Coryton and Caerphilly lines so just why aren't all of these trains 756’s?

 

[Markdvdman]

TFW are not covering themselves in glory are they? The 398s for example were supposed to be starting December guaranteed but not certain. It is about time the Coryton line was all 756/0s by now! They deserve better!

 

[tfw756rider]

The 398s for example were supposed to be starting December guaranteed but not certain.

I thought November?

 

[StripeyNick]

A second 756 is out on the Coryton/Caerphilly & Penarth circuit today. 003 & 007 are out to play

 

[J663738]

I took a trip to Barry Island on Friday and my journey there and back was on a 2 carriage class 150, very crowded and extremely hot. People were complaining where the new trains had gone. 2 Carriages instead of 4 on busy sunny days is not good at all.
Looking at RTTs by Friday this week only half the services were being run by 231's. Compared with a few weeks ago when virtually every train was a 231.
Anyone know what has happened? have they gone on their summer holidays, or do they just not like the heat.

Doesn't bode well when there are no 150's left to fall back on.

 

[BillStampy]

Looking at RTTs by Friday this week only half the services were being run by 231's. Compared with a few weeks ago when virtually every train was a 231.
Anyone know what has happened? have they gone on their summer holidays, or do they just not like the heat.

The diagrams they currently operate on aren't very favourable to the class. Many of the Barry Island to Caerphilly services often end up now forming a service to Bridgend (which they obviously can't operate) which forces those diagrams to be a 150. This just means only a few diagrams can be a 231 as they operate all day from Caerphilly to Barry Island. In the meantime, maintenance is being carried out on the fleet

 

[Envoy]

Regarding 150’s being used to Barry Island during the height of summer:> I presume its because they have not cracked on with training the mainline drivers/guards to operate the FLIRTS and the Valley line staff who know how to operate the FLIRTS are not allowed to operate between Barry & Bridgend because ‘they don't know the way’. (Some of the Caerphilly > Barry island diagrams also go down the Barry to Bridgend line).

 

[Cardiff123]

The first 756 is in service on a Sunday on Penarth - Queen St runs this evening, covering for a failed 150, as failed 150s are getting more common.

 

[BillStampy]

The first 756 is in service on a Sunday on Penarth - Queen St runs this evening, covering for a failed 150, as failed 150s are getting more common.

Surely this will result in the diesel generators being used as there's no wires for them to run under for each back and forth run?

 

[800301]

Surely this will result in the diesel generators being used as there's no wires for them to run under for each back and forth run?

*Generator

And pretty sure they are able to run like that, probably not the lost efficient but still viable

 

[J663738]

This was a 756 at Penarth, first one at night I think. It came straight from the depot which I find very strange timetabling. But, being a Monday evening I was the only passenger who got off at Penarth!
Maybe trains like bars and restaurants need to adapt their timetables to the new way the commercial week works.

PS second photo, I thought would sitting or lying down be OK??

 

[tfw756rider]

This was a 756

I thought would sitting or lying down be OK??

"Let's mess up the wording of the notice on the 755s for no apparent reason"

 

[J663738]

Just took a trip to and from Merthyr on a 756 using the £1 offer.
Very nice trains, good acceleration and reasonably comfortable ride, but occupancy was next to nothing even with the offer??

But, if you had to to commute on this regularly, the current timetable would really start to annoy you.
At nearly every intermediate station the train had to wait for the timetable, sometimes 1 or 2 minutes.

I assume they will do a major timetable review when all the older trains have gone? but the temptation will be, to leave plenty of slack in the system.
I find there is nothing worse than sat at a station, it make the journey seem far longer than it is.

 

[tigermonstera]

I assume they will do a major timetable review when all the older trains have gone? but the temptation will be, to leave plenty of slack in the system.
I find there is nothing worse than sat at a station, it make the journey seem far longer than it is.

The intention is to speed up the timetable once all new rolling stock is in service. I believe this will be required to increase frequencies.

From a 2025 FoI response:

Once all these new trains are in service, we’ll first accelerate the rail timetable, delivering faster journeys to the heads of each Valley, reducing journey times to around 55 minutes. Following this, we’ll increase the frequency of our services to deliver a train every 15 minutes between Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Treherbert and Cardiff. Currently, this final timetable change is planned to take place in 2027.

(Source)

 

[Kite159]

Just took a trip to and from Merthyr on a 756 using the £1 offer.
Very nice trains, good acceleration and reasonably comfortable ride, but occupancy was next to nothing even with the offer??

But, if you had to to commute on this regularly, the current timetable would really start to annoy you.
At nearly every intermediate station the train had to wait for the timetable, sometimes 1 or 2 minutes.

I assume they will do a major timetable review when all the older trains have gone? but the temptation will be, to leave plenty of slack in the system.
I find there is nothing worse than sat at a station, it make the journey seem far longer than it is.

Remember the 756s (and their toilets) are only temporary on the lines via Pontypridd, they will eventually get replaced with the (toiletless) tram-trains 398s with an increase of frequency to take into account the faster acceleration of a 398 over a pacer.

 

[J663738]

TfW said the 756's would be gradually introduced on the PEN-COY line over the summer. Checking this morning we appear now to be back down to one 756?
To be fair to TfW the summer is now over, so are they bringing back the 150's

There were cancellations last week due to a problem with the doors on a 150, took this photo yesterday evening, looks like its now been into the workshop !

 

[CapitalStar378]

TfW said the 756's would be gradually introduced on the PEN-COY line over the summer. Checking this morning we appear now to be back down to one 756?
To be fair to TfW the summer is now over, so are they bringing back the 150's

There were cancellations last week due to a problem with the doors on a 150, took this photo yesterday evening, looks like its now been into the workshop !

As far as I know there haven't been any unit failures, so I wonder what the issue is now? It's all pretty dire anyway, and the from the perspective of the travelling public it must seem like a bit of a joke.

 

[chrisjo]

from the perspective of the travelling public it must seem like a bit of a joke.

From what I've seen over the last few months, the travelling public don't give a damn one way or the other. If they happen to get a new train a few will look around them and say 'this is tidy', and if not they'll just carry on thumbing their phones the same as usual.

 

[J663738]

If you are on a quiet line/quiet time of day, then I agree not a big deal, even if it was promised. I much sooner a train just turns up.

But last week every second Barry Island train (231) was being replaced by a 2 carriage Class 150 for some reason.

I was on platform 8 at Central at about 16:00 and I pitied those trying to board the Barry Island train as people could not even get in the doors let alone find a seat. Didn't help as this was the last day of the £1 PAYG offer, plus good weather, which made it way busier than normal, they even had security staff on the platform, so planned for it to be busy.
I wonder how many of these people, initially thought; lets try the train, only to regret it when they arrived home.

 

[AdamWW]

From what I've seen over the last few months, the travelling public don't give a damn one way or the other. If they happen to get a new train a few will look around them and say 'this is tidy', and if not they'll just carry on thumbing their phones the same as usual.

Not my experience.

People I know who have no interest in trains have commented on the new ones.

Also the level (or near) boarding makes a huge difference to those with limited mobility.

But the main issue on the Coryton line in my opinion is the large number of cancellations at almost no notice, not what sort of train turns up.

 

[Cardiff123]

But last week every second Barry Island train (231) was being replaced by a 2 carriage Class 150 for some reason.

Mainline drivers and guards work the Cardiff - Barry - Bridgend diagrams, and mainline crews are still not trained on 231s and 756s. Until they are, all Rhymney - Bridgend diagrams must be 150s.
When Caerphilly to Rhymney is shut, one Barry Island train per hour runs back up to Caerphilly and then down to Bridgend, so must be a 150.

 

[Envoy]

Mainline drivers and guards work the Cardiff - Barry - Bridgend diagrams, and mainline crews are still not trained on 231s and 756s. Until they are, all Rhymney - Bridgend diagrams must be 150s.
When Caerphilly to Rhymney is shut, one Barry Island train per hour runs back up to Caerphilly and then down to Bridgend, so must be a 150.

And that is the problem - they have not cracked on to get the mainline drivers trained for the FLIRTS to enable these new trains to operate between Barry and Bridgend. Sooner or later they must do this in order to enable FLIRTS to operate Maesteg to Ebbw Vale and the Cheltenhams.

Canton depot has been full of parked up 231’s during the summer whilst people have been rammed into 2 car 150’s for the run to Barry Island during the heatwaves. Nessa is not happy!