1J19 troubles

[321362]

Ran super slow between International and New Street. Held outside Wolverhampton for a while. Pax detrained at Shrewsbury and told to get on a connecting train.

Any gen on what's going on? TM had no clue.

 

[jfollows]

1J19 is what?

Please - at least a link or a description!

 

[321362]

Sorry, this was written in a rush.

1J19 was the 14:08 TfW service from Birmingham International to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli.

Pax have been signposted to another train that's going to Pwllheli, with an Aberystwyth connection promised at Machynlleth.

 

[Ellwill]

Service in question:

Realtime Trains | 1J19 1408 Birmingham International to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli | 24/10/2025

Real-time train running information for 1J19 1408 departure from Birmingham International to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli on 24/10/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[voyagerdude220]

Delays are down to your train following 1M42, itself delayed throughout it's journey from Bournemouth to Manchester by following other late running trains. Massive domino effect by the looks of things.

 

[321362]

Interestingly I checked RTT before travelling and the detraining at Shrewsbury - and Mach - seems as if it was planned? The unit allocations are currently correct, and they have been showing this since this morning.

 

[55018ballymoss]

Do TFW still swap units at Shrewsbury for Cambrian services? I am sure I read somewhere that if the unit coming from the West Midlands was a 197, it is swapped to a 158 with ECTS capability at Shrewsbury but cannot find the article now.

 

[nwales58]

In this case it was 158s, not 197, from Birmingham, but set swaps at Shrewsbury are not uncommon. E.g. with inoperable ETCS at either end a set cannot go east of Shrewsbury so the set from Aberyswyth turns back again. It can be quite slick if one is on platform 5 and the other alongside on 4.

Same happened to me the previous day although RTT shows the same units working through in that case when they swapped. Common factor to both days possibly 158 834.

 

[Belperpete]

In my experience, set swaps at Shrewsbury and Mach are becoming increasingly common. Also happens if one train is just 2 cars, or a unit needs refuelling.

 

[321362]

E.g. with inoperable ETCS at either end a set cannot go east of Shrewsbury so the set from Aberyswyth turns back again. It can be quite slick if one is on platform 5 and the other alongside on 4.

That's interesting, I hadn't thought about the ETCS. My theory was that the crew on one didn't sign the Cambrian, but that sounds more likely.

 

[nwales58]

Drivers generally swap at Shrewsbury now. I believe only Machynlleth and Pwllheli drivers are current on ETCS (also why the first westbound in the morning starts from Welshpool at present).

 

[Harpo]

In my experience, set swaps at Shrewsbury and Mach are becoming increasingly common. Also happens if one train is just 2 cars, or a unit needs refuelling.

Also Dovey Jn if a Pwllheli set is turned round, plus a range of other regular locations across ATW’s unique(?) set swap network.