Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
There is that, however what has compounded the GWR fleet is the need to cycle one or two units through Wolverton for overhaul, whilst also having to cover for everything else in the GWR fleet (except the 387s). There’s no denying the GW 150s have been worked hard since about 2007.
mods note - split from this thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-175s-to-gwr.272524/ Perhaps, it’s time for the DfT to bite their own bullet and allow any of the stored pending scrap Welsh 150s to have another summer if there are any left in store? Only the DfT is the reason why...
Possibly not the air temperature but maybe the amount of energy absorbed by assets following days of raised temperatures and the absence of cool nights has meant it’s not been possible to cool down by releasing some of that energy back into the air, so potentially starting the day with everything already running hot and about to bake some more.
It’s also not about Okehampton triggering anything but about resourcing the highest priority point ends, and putting low priorities in a fixed state.
I think the short story is, uncared for at the end of their time with TfW, then left stored to rot in the open before transfer, units taking longer than expected to be seen to at Wolverton and then goodness knows what else once they actually get to Laira!
I have to disagree with the highlighted statement and I have previously conceded that certain things may have slipped slightly as more 197s arrived but they continued to be maintained as can be seen in this picture with the CAF signage now on the building after the Alstom signage was finally removed.
Availability looks like it was on target on this day 24/27 units in service with 3 units in the shed for maintenance and 1 unit spare on the left hand side.
Looks like only 003 out today in passenger service, the latest internal newsletter had the attached comments from Mr Hopwood regarding these units.
Whilst an internal document, it isn't anything top secret or anything - it gets posted everywhere.
I have brought forward BillStampy table highlighting how long GWR have had each train What have the engineers been doing?
175001 Laira (Wolverton arrival: April 3, 2025, Wolverton Departure: November 5, 2025)
175002 Laira (Straight from Ely, no Wolverton) 27November 2024
175003 Laira (Wolverton arrival: March 3, 2025, Wolverton Departure: September 18, 2025)
175004 Exeter TMD (Wolverton Arrival: January 30, 2026) (Wolverton Departure: June 23rd, 2026)
175005 Wolverton (Wolverton Arrival: July 1st, 2026) by road
175006 Laira (Wolverton arrival: April 23, 2025, Wolverton Departure: December 10, 2025)
175007 Laira (Straight from Ely, no Wolverton) 28 February 2025
175009 Laira (Straight from Ely, no Wolverton) 27 January 2025
175010 Penzance T.R.S.M.D. (Straight from Ely, no Wolverton) 13 January 2026 post 2085
175011 Laira (Wolverton arrival: April 23, 2025, Wolverton Departure: December 10, 2025)
175101 Laira (Wolverton Arrival: July 10, 2025, Wolverton Departure: January 23 2026)
175102 Wolverton (Wolverton arrival: October 30, 2025)
175103 Wolverton (Wolverton arrival: March 27, 2026)
175104 Ely Mlf Papworth Sidings
175105 Wolverton (Wolverton Arrival: March 27, 2026)
175106 Wolverton (Wolverton Arrival: July 24, 2025)
175107 Wolverton (Wolverton Arrival: March 19, 2025)
175108 Wolverton (Wolverton Arrival: March 19, 2025)
175109 Wolverton (Wolverton Arrival: April 16, 2026)
175110 Wolverton (Wolverton Arrival: January 30, 2026)
175111 Laira (Wolverton Arrival: October 9, 2025, Wolverton Departure: March 20, 2026)
175112 Laira (Wolverton Arrival: July 24, 2025, Wolverton departure: February 20, 2026)
175113 Laira (Wolverton Arrival: July 10, 2025, Wolverton departure: May 15, 2026)
175114 Laira (Straight from Ely, no Wolverton) 5 December 2024
175115 Laira (Wolverton Arrival: October 9, 2025, Wolverton departure: April 13, 2026)
175116 Laira (Wolverton Arrival: October 30, 2025, Wolverton departure: May 28, 2026)
I've copy pasted and added in bold. Created by BillStampy
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
175s same as yesterday. Have to wait and see if 003 does training later in the day. Priority seems to be training Exeter drivers; maybe for end of August?
All branches working today (two main line cancellations that used to be 175) with reduced capacity at Paignton (one 2car 150 on three diagrams). Since the fire at Paignton, 5 car voyages have been in passenger service but todays 5 car IET from Paddington is still scheduled to empty at Torquay and go to Goodrington to reverse. It's on time so may change.
Since the fire at Paignton, 5 car voyages have been in passenger service but todays 5 car IET from Paddington is still scheduled to empty at Torquay and go to Goodrington to reverse. It's on time so may change.
The station calls will have been put into all the systems as if it were a 9 car, so with no call at Paignton. It still has to go through Paignton, even if empty, in order to turn around as there is no crossover between the Newton Abbot Jn and Paignton.
Although I must say anyway, I am a bit confused as to why inbound services from London can't run all the way to Paignton in service anyway, as Platform 1 there is fully open to services
Although I must say anyway, I am a bit confused as to why inbound services from London can't run all the way to Paignton in service anyway, as Platform 1 there is fully open to services
Although I must say anyway, I am a bit confused as to why inbound services from London can't run all the way to Paignton in service anyway, as Platform 1 there is fully open to services
And why can't up services from Platform 2 use SDO to only open the relevant doors? I rather suspect the answer is it's all too much like hard work for a railway that has long since given up any idea of customer service.
Although I must say anyway, I am a bit confused as to why inbound services from London can't run all the way to Paignton in service anyway, as Platform 1 there is fully open to services
I would guess that a careful risk assessment is behind that? Perhaps there is some limitation on the station which means that a gradual ingress to load a train can be managed but that a full instant trainload egress cannot?
And why can't up services from Platform 2 use SDO to only open the relevant doors? I rather suspect the answer is it's all too much like hard work for a railway that has long since given up any idea of customer service.
And rumour has it that no more drivers are to be trained on 175s once those currently on courses are finished (at Plymouth anyway, unsure if this applies to all depots). This is totally at odds with what we where told a couple of weeks ago, and so does beg the question are GWR now realising the 175s are a dead duck and looking at alternatives? I haven't seen morale so bad for quite some time, and 175s are playing a big part in that......
And why can't up services from Platform 2 use SDO to only open the relevant doors? I rather suspect the answer is it's all too much like hard work for a railway that has long since given up any idea of customer service.
Given that more than one charter operator has managed a method of working to arrive and depart from Paignton with “long” trains, it clearly can be done.
Too much “can’t do” attitude on the DfT-funded railway.
And why can't up services from Platform 2 use SDO to only open the relevant doors? I rather suspect the answer is it's all too much like hard work for a railway that has long since given up any idea of customer service.
Back to the focus on the 175s
175003 seems to have had a successful day today with a cancellation of one return trip being cancelled seemingly due to the late running PAD - NQY as a result of a safety inspection of the track, which if 003 had followed up the branch would've delayed everything.
Hopefully we'll see some more of the fleet return from repair soon and hopefully they'll be performing as they should, I know the teams at Laira will be trying their hardest as I do not doubt their abilities at all, they're a great team.
Back to the focus on the 175s
175003 seems to have had a successful day today with a cancellation of one return trip being cancelled seemingly due to the late running PAD - NQY as a result of a safety inspection of the track, which if 003 had followed up the branch would've delayed everything.
Hopefully we'll see some more of the fleet return from repair soon and hopefully they'll be performing as they should, I know the teams at Laira will be trying their hardest as I do not doubt their abilities at all, they're a great team.
And rumour has it that no more drivers are to be trained on 175s once those currently on courses are finished (at Plymouth anyway, unsure if this applies to all depots). This is totally at odds with what we where told a couple of weeks ago, and so does beg the question are GWR now realising the 175s are a dead duck and looking at alternatives? I haven't seen morale so bad for quite some time, and 175s are playing a big part in that......
That's assuming none of the other 158 operators are trying to snap them up too, plus depending on how fast the 197 rollout happens on the Cambrian line to displace the units in the first place which I think was recently pushed back a few weeks again but I could be mistaken.
One thing we should wait to see is how many units are sent out tomorrow, if it's not many then that's not really a good sign at all.
Something must come out of Wolverton this week; fourth attempt. Mark Hopgood said in the Radio Cornwall interview, the next trains will be ready to roll. There are nine at Wolverton. If they are ready to roll it would make a big dent in availability.
I don't know to what degree the 16 trains GWR have, have been cannibalised to get the four or five trains currently running.
We are aware of an issue with emails from the Forum to Microsoft-based email accounts (hotmail/outlook/live.com email addresses). This is being looked into currently, thanks for your patience meanwhile.
www.railforums.co.uk
