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Transport for Wales Class 231 / 756 Stadler FLIRTs
- Thread starter DaveHarries
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womump
New Member
Morning all
Here’s 756113 as 3G05 0702 Cardiff Canton Sidings to Bridgend at LWM Llanilltud Fawr / Llantwit Major.
There was one driver up front and two crew, who thought that “next year” was roughly when we might expect to see the 756 on this line.
The train filled the platform exactly, no room for any extra carriages. It sounded as though it was on battery.
Since the line opened in 2005, we Llantonians have waited patiently for our long-promised two tph. Today’s test run gives us a sniff of what that service might look like, with this train running roughly on the “other half-hour”.
Here’s 756113 as 3G05 0702 Cardiff Canton Sidings to Bridgend at LWM Llanilltud Fawr / Llantwit Major.
There was one driver up front and two crew, who thought that “next year” was roughly when we might expect to see the 756 on this line.
The train filled the platform exactly, no room for any extra carriages. It sounded as though it was on battery.
Since the line opened in 2005, we Llantonians have waited patiently for our long-promised two tph. Today’s test run gives us a sniff of what that service might look like, with this train running roughly on the “other half-hour”.
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Chorley Cake
Member
- Joined
- 23 Aug 2014
- Messages
- 387
231005 out today
Welshguy1048
Established Member
Filmed at Prestatyn, North Wales
18/08/26 - ROG Class 37 - 37512 "Thornaby Demon" & TfW Class 756 - 756007 - Holyhead Car M.D. to Cardiff Canton Sdgs
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Filmed at Prestatyn, North Wales
25/08/26 - ROG Class 37 - 37512 "Thornaby Demon" & TfW Class 756 - 756115 & 756004 - Holyhead Car M.D. to Cardiff Canton Sdgs
Last edited:
Welshguy1048
Established Member
Filmed at Prestatyn, North Wales
21/09/26 - ROG Class 37 - 37884 & TfW Class 756 - 756106 - Holyhead Car M.D. to Cardiff Canton Sdgs
BillStampy
Established Member
Bit odd to have noticed that they haven't persisted with Flirt runs recently. A 756 went down to Bridgend and back yesterday on test but that's about it. I'm starting to think we may see a delay (believe it or not) in 231 and 756 displacement!
Envoy
Established Member
- Joined
- 29 Aug 2014
- Messages
- 3,158
So, they are still dragging FLIRTS all the way to Holyhead & back to get their wheels turned! I thought they had a new lathe at Canton up & running?
Its still being commissioned. Wasn't planned to be up and running until at least the end of the year.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Yes, indeed.
I recall the Cardiff wheel lathe was due for a planned replacement BUT it expired prematurely. Fortunately the failure was after the Holyhead Wheel Lathe was commissioned so that is getting plenty of use and means the Cardiff replacement can go ahead on the original schedule.
Envoy
Established Member
- Joined
- 29 Aug 2014
- Messages
- 3,158
Wonder what it costs to hire a Class 37 to tow a FLIRT to Holyhead & back to Cardiff including the track access charge?
CaergwrleKen
Member
This has been happening for a long time the 756 going to Holyhead. I am surprised it’s not been said before. Why can’t they go normally why does it need a 37 to take them anyone know
tfw756rider
On Moderation
Not enough fuel range and battery capacity?
BillStampy
Established Member
Quite a few problems, particularly with a 756
A, no crew that can operate Flirts on the mainline (yet) and even then no North Wales crews can or will ever use them so they don't have any knowledge with them either.
B, milage. The 756s can only go so far on battery and the 231s only so far on diesel. More so a problem with the 756s, though
So the solution is to hire in Rail Operations Group to do the job.
tfw756rider
On Moderation
If B wasn't an issue, wouldn't have A not been a problem due to ROG's 'self-powered' driving? I got the impression that their drivers held licences that allow them to drive all classes of unit, and therefore they would've just driven the 231s and 756s as if they were 156s or 170s.
How do the two TfW FLIRT classes compare with the Greater Anglia bi-mode FLIRTs (and the 170s, 153s and 156s the latter replaced) when it comes to range away from the wires? As far as I know GA do have some routes with little or no electrification so, unless they interwork them onto wired routes, surely the units (and therefore the similar TfW 231s as well) must be capable of similar milage to those they replaced?
BillStampy
Established Member
A glimmer of hope!
VOG and Mainline testing seemingly begins proper next week, 5th of October.
Fingers crossed!
Something that's just occured to me - I think there was some concern expressed a while back that the longer dwell times on a 756 vs a 150 would make the Coryton line unworkable once Ty Glas re-opened.
Despite the 5 mph "temporary" speed restriction in Coryton itself, the trains generally seem to be managing to keep to the timetable quite nicely, which is good news.
Despite the 5 mph "temporary" speed restriction in Coryton itself, the trains generally seem to be managing to keep to the timetable quite nicely, which is good news.
womump
New Member
Here’s an odd one. Llantwit Major (LWM) - the packed 0753 to Cardiff is usually served by a two-car Class 150 formed from this up service:
…but today the up service was cancelled, and the down (commuter) path was filled withthis class 231 as 2R08 which afaik didn’t run:
What’s going on
…but today the up service was cancelled, and the down (commuter) path was filled withthis class 231 as 2R08 which afaik didn’t run:
What’s going on
Cardiff123
Established Member
There's also 9 paths a day on RTT, presumably for testing & crew training of 231s / 756s on the VoG line, but currently none are being used.