Class 165 to Minehead? Seen at Oxford

[Mogz]

Anyone know what this is about?

Seen at Oxford earlier today.

A Class 165 with “Minehead” shown on the indicator board.

 

[chrisjo]

That's ECS 5L00 1411 Reading Traincare Depot to Oxford Up Carriage Sdgs.

Realtime Trains | 5L00 1411 Reading Traincare Depot to Oxford Up Carriage Sdgs | 26/10/2025

Real-time train running information for 5L00 1411 departure from Reading Traincare Depot to Oxford Up Carriage Sdgs on 26/10/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Could it say Maidenhead? It was shuttling between Maidenhead and Marlow all day yesterday.

 

[Parallel]

Minehead is a programmable destination for the GWR DMU fleet and the on board passenger information system so this is either a mistake or someone having a bit of fun!

 

[Mogz]

It definitely said Minehead.

I struggled to get a decent picture as it was scrolling and the phone camera didn’t like it, but it was definitely Minehead, not Maidenhead.

Someone having a giggle, I’m sure!

 

[800301]

Anyone know what this is about?

Seen at Oxford earlier today.

A Class 165 with “Minehead” shown on the indicator board.View attachment 191151

Minehead was programmed into the train fx system for when the HST went on loan to West Somerset Railway, its code 9999 or 9998, it only shows Minehead on the displays, no announcements or anything

 

[brad465]

Has a 165/166 ever actually gone to Minehead? 150s certainly have done on pre-covid summer specials.

 

[stadler]

The driver was probably just putting Minehead up on the screen for a bit of fun. It is in the system due to the 150 special services in the past. Very easy to change destinations.

The 165/168/172 at Chiltern Railways can display Quainton Road / Calvert / Brackley Central / Rugby Central / Leicester Central / Belgrave & Birstall / Rothley / Quorn & Woodhouse / Loughborough Central / Ruddington / Nottingham Arkwright Street / Nottingham Victoria / Chesterfield Central / Sheffield Victoria on both the interior screens and exterior screens.

I found a video here where you can see it:

I have seen this a couple times at London Marylebone while units are sitting around between services.

 

[Parallel]

Minehead was programmed into the train fx system for when the HST went on loan to West Somerset Railway, its code 9999 or 9998, it only shows Minehead on the displays, no announcements or anything

There are announcements available too, as can be heard here from 15:08.

(Video shows GWR’s TrainFX system announcing stops along the West Somerset Railway at 15:08 in)

 

[800301]

There are announcements available too, as can be heard here from 15:08.

(Video shows GWR’s TrainFX system announcing stops along the West Somerset Railway at 15:08 in)

Fair enough, when I had it put in it didn’t make any

 

[Mogz]

The driver was probably just putting Minehead up on the screen for a bit of fun. It is in the system due to the 150 special services in the past. Very easy to change destinations.

The 165/168/172 at Chiltern Railways can display Quainton Road / Calvert / Brackley Central / Rugby Central / Leicester Central / Belgrave & Birstall / Rothley / Quorn & Woodhouse / Loughborough Central / Ruddington / Nottingham Arkwright Street / Nottingham Victoria / Chesterfield Central / Sheffield Victoria on both the interior screens and exterior screens.

I found a video here where you can see it:

I have seen this a couple times at London Marylebone while units are sitting around between services.

Aah! A “what might have been”!

Didn’t Chiltern look into reopening some of the Great Central right at the beginning of their first franchise? Or have I misremembered that?

 

[sad1e]

Wmetk Didn’t Chiltern look into reopening some of the Great Central right at the beginning of their first franchise? Or have I misremembered that?

They did but only up to Rugby Central , they didn't have a look into going north of Rugby as the GCML alignment North of rugby is either built over with motorways or heavily affected by mining subsidence.

However HS2 plans came along and took a good chunk of the old alignment out North of Quainton road and Chiltern Decided it would be much better to redouble the line to Ayhno Jn and build Bicester South Jn to allow for services to Birmingham Moor St and Oxford.

These plans were undoubtedly much cheaper than rebuilding the GCML to Rugby Central but I wish it had Been built to Rugby. If a Junction was put in with the WCML there it would undoubtedly have helped with the WCML south's Pathing problems towards London.

 

[Bevan Price]

Although the displays look solid to the human eye, they do in fact flicker, and I think the photographer has caught it in "mid-flicker". This often happens when you use fast exposure times on cameras. If the train is stationary, it is best to use exposure times of around 1/50th or 1/25th second to capture accurate photos of that time of screen.