arriva trains wales 3 or 2 car

[a22book]

Hi,

I often take the chester to manchester service on a weekend. when its a 3 car train its fine but 2 car is badly crowded. Does anyone know what times the 2 car runs so i can avoid??

Many Thanks

 

[northwichcat]

With a Saturday the units are more likely to get switched. 3 car 175s run most Manchester-Llandudno services and 2 car 175s mainly stay on South Wales services. However, in the event of something like international rugby at Cardiff Arriva can opt for extra capacity on the South Wales services.

Northern also do a slower Manchester to Chester service. These services do get badly overcrowded on Saturdays, but between Chester and Delamere there are usually spare seats so if you're travelling in the Manchester direction this could be considered another option. However, in the Chester direction it'll be the same - the last to board don't get seats.

 

[Greenback]

It's difficult to predit the ATW stock allocations! The only pattern I;ve noticed is that her ein South Wales the trains that run through to milford Haven are normally only two cars, whereas those that terminate at Carmarthen ar more usually formed of three. This, however, is not always the case!

 

[Pumbaa]

The /0 and /1 don't have set diagrams; they're used interchangeably. They *try* and I say try very loosely, to send the 3-cars on Manc - Cardiff, and the 2-cars along the North Wales coast via Chester.

 

[northwichcat]

The /0 and /1 don't have set diagrams; they're used interchangeably. They *try* and I say try very loosely, to send the 3-cars on Manc - Cardiff, and the 2-cars along the North Wales coast via Chester.

Are you sure about that? From my experience 90% of the North Wales services are 3 car 175s and on the South Wales services (Manchester or Holyhead) a 158 is usually more common than a 3 car 175.

 

[Greenback]

Are you sure about that? From my experience 90% of the North Wales services are 3 car 175s and on the South Wales services (Manchester or Holyhead) a 158 is usually more common than a 3 car 175.

In 3 weeks I have been on a 158 twice on a Manchester - South Wales service. The majority of the trains I catch are 2 car 175's but that's because I tend to catch the odd horus Milford trains from Swansea. Interestingly, the 1705 from Swansea to milford, which used to be 2 cars and was horribly overcrowded, is now regularly a three car 175!

 

[Pumbaa]

Are you sure about that? From my experience 90% of the North Wales services are 3 car 175s and on the South Wales services (Manchester or Holyhead) a 158 is usually more common than a 3 car 175.

I did say try! The main priority is to have diagrams that are around Cardiff and that corridor in South Wales filled by 3-cars during the peaks. My personal experience is similar to yours, but there is an unofficial aim to put more 3-cars out to the South.

 

[Philip]

The Manchester-South Wales ones are a mixture about half and half, Llandudno trains usually 3-car except a couple of booked 2-car 175's in the day.

I think South Wales route more often tends to get an extra 2-car diagram when there's a 175/1 shortage, than the North Wales route does.