ATW May 2013 Timetable

[ValleyLines142]

I have to admit that Arriva should think about re-timing 2V36 0519 Shrewsbury to Newport. It's booked to depart Cardiff at 1016 and arrive at Newport at 1037 but it always seems to be running ten minutes down lately. It passed my house a few minutes ago this morning at 1016 (150280), but it should be about 1005/1010 if it leaves Cardiff at 1016!

 

[PHILIPE]

This is a Performance issue rather a timing issue. You can't retime back over the HOW Line as the Timetable is so critical because of crossing.

 

[merlodlliw]

Pleased to say ATW put on the new Bank Holiday Mondays only ex Chester 2022 all stations to Shrewsbury, I met the train at Wrexham, around 60 pax got off & a good number remained on board.

Previous a two hour delay was caused by VT cancelling its service on Bank Holiday, although VT timetables dont mention this, thus stranding pax on Chester station for up to two hours.

 

[ValleyLines142]

This is a Performance issue rather a timing issue. You can't retime back over the HOW Line as the Timetable is so critical because of crossing.

It's really bad, I have never seen it pass on time since the new timetable started.

However, 2V38 (0900 Shrewsbury to Newport) does not do the same, which is surprising!

 

[Jez]

Does anyone know what is booked for the Sunday 1035 Cardiff-Manchester and 1530 Manchester-Cardiff return? Thanks

Sorry meant 11.35 Cardiff-Manchester and 1530 return.

 

[PHILIPE]

Nobody will be able to tell you with any certainty until the day in question.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Nobody will be able to tell you with any certainty until the day in question.

The question didn't name a date, so I think was meerly asking what is diagramed (a.k.a. booked) for that working. Like there's one diagram on Saturday Manchester-Milford (I think something like 06:30 off Manchester and 13:08 off Milford) that's booked for a 158.

Whether the booked stock is actually on the service or not you of course won't know until the day, but some posters seem to know what is booked/diagramed. Or are all Sunday services just diagrammed for 'whatever we have available on the depot this morning'?

 

[ValleyLines142]

Sorry meant 11.35 Cardiff-Manchester and 1530 return.

This is normally a pair of 150s unfortunately! Although it could be a 150+153, or if you're lucky a 158+150 or 158+153.

 

[PHILIPE]

Sundays are often affected by Engineering Work and the normally booked unit will not be at Cardiff to start with. Something else will have to cover and will be allocated when sorting out allocations at Canton for the day.. The OP appears to be asking specifically what is working it and not what is in the Diagram today. Even if there are several 175s at Canton, it still does not necessarily mean it would be the diagrammed one. They could be swapped around depending on Mauntenance requirements to get them in the right place for Exams.

 

[SprinterMan]

Does anyone know why the last eastbound North Wales Coast service is an hour later on a sunday than it does any other day of the week? It seems really backwards. :P

Also, on a Saturday, the last Cardiff to North Wales train terminates at LLJ and people are put on a bus to Bangor and Holyhead. This isn't down to engineering work as it has been like this for years now. I assume it is to do with the train driver not working early Sunday morning. Can anyone confirm this, and does anyone know who provides the bus and if it is a bus or coach?

Adam

 

[merlodlliw]

Does anyone know why the last eastbound North Wales Coast service is an hour later on a sunday than it does any other day of the week? It seems really backwards. :P

Also, on a Saturday, the last Cardiff to North Wales train terminates at LLJ and people are put on a bus to Bangor and Holyhead. This isn't down to engineering work as it has been like this for years now. I assume it is to do with the train driver not working early Sunday morning. Can anyone confirm this, and does anyone know who provides the bus and if it is a bus or coach?

Adam

The 2140 from Holyhead has run for years on a Sunday, I do know in the summer it carries day trippers from Ireland who left on the 0630 from Chester
to Holyhead, however the 2140 up only runs to Chester.

The last down into North Wales on a Saturday like you state has terminated at Llandudno Junction for years, up to a couple of years ago the rail replacement from Llandudno Junction to Holyhead was all stations by request,Then ATW decided to cut out all request stops making it a Bangor & Holyhead only.
If I recall, it is more to do with allowing NR to shut boxes.
Coaches are used from various local companies.
Anyhow after the last down has left Holyhead before 2100 on a Saturday,nothing leaves on Sunday morning before 0700, could this be ten hours of hell? It's even worse in Winter when dawn is five hours later as are the first trains.

 

[Jez]

Thanks. I was just wondering what was booked for that diagram generally on a Sunday. I know some Sunday diagrams are booked for 158 and even a 150 but wasnt sure which.

 

[Welshman]

Does anyone know why the last eastbound North Wales Coast service is an hour later on a sunday?

Actually there is a later Mon-Sat service eastbound - the 2145 off Llandudno back to Crewe, half an hour later than the service you cite from Holyhead. Admittedly, that's only from the Junction though, and not back from Holyhead or Bangor.

All I can say is ATW's Sunday pattern of services along the N.W. Coast bears little resemblance to that of a weekday. There's even a four-hour gap between the 1020 & 1430 off Holyhead, where nothing is seen but Virgins!!

 

[Greenback]

The West Wales services are also very different on a Sunday compared to weekday and Saturday times.

 

[SprinterMan]

The 2140 from Holyhead has run for years on a Sunday, I do know in the summer it carries day trippers from Ireland who left on the 0630 from Chester
to Holyhead, however the 2140 up only runs to Chester.

The last down into North Wales on a Saturday like you state has terminated at Llandudno Junction for years, up to a couple of years ago the rail replacement from Llandudno Junction to Holyhead was all stations by request,Then ATW decided to cut out all request stops making it a Bangor & Holyhead only.
If I recall, it is more to do with allowing NR to shut boxes.
Coaches are used from various local companies.
Anyhow after the last down has left Holyhead before 2100 on a Saturday,nothing leaves on Sunday morning before 0700, could this be ten hours of hell? It's even worse in Winter when dawn is five hours later as are the first trains.

Thanks very much, I knew the bustitution was something like this (someone doesn't want to work Sunday mornings :P Having been trapped at Holyhead myself before, I can assure you it is utter hell at night, a bleak and empty place comparable to nowhere I have ever been before :P Luckily, I was only there between 0215 and 0425 The 2140 from HHD runs for ferry passengers in the summer then, that makes sense. I wonder why it runs all year round. I found it especially bizarre as it terminates at Chester and not Crewe, but doesn't connect with anything there.

The summer SuO 0620 Chester to Holyhead is another interesting one, as this starts from Chester without connecting with anything, and is the first westbound train of the day, a full 20 mins earlier than during the week. ATW must be very fond of daytrippers to Dublin from Chester as they essentially get special trains each way :P

EDIT: I can't seem to find a ferry that connects with the 2140 Holyhead to Chester, do you have any idea what time it leaves Dublin?

Actually there is a later Mon-Sat service eastbound - the 2145 off Llandudno back to Crewe, half an hour later than the service you cite from Holyhead. Admittedly, that's only from the Junction though, and not back from Holyhead or Bangor.

All I can say is ATW's Sunday pattern of services along the N.W. Coast bears little resemblance to that of a weekday. There's even a four-hour gap between the 1020 & 1430 off Holyhead, where nothing is seen but Virgins!!

Sorry, should have been clearer. I meant from Holyhead & Bangor :P The 2145 LLD to Crewe is formed of the Conwy Valley line unit going home for the night

It's weird on a Sunday when there are hourly trains to London but no local trains for a good portion of the day. I wonder why this happens, ATW "conserving resources" perhaps

Thanks very much to both of you for the excellent info

Adam

 

[anthony263]

ATW do have a late night service from Swansea to Cardiff at 23:30 on sunday evenings an hour later than weekdays when the last train from Swansea to Cardiff is at 22:32.

Hopefully after electrification whoever operates the wales and borders franchise will look at running a later train from Swansea after 23:00

 

[merlodlliw]

Thanks very much,

The summer SuO 0620 Chester to Holyhead is another interesting one, as this starts from Chester without connecting with anything, and is the first westbound train of the day, a full 20 mins earlier than during the week. ATW must be very fond of daytrippers to Dublin from Chester as they essentially get special trains each way :P

EDIT: I can't seem to find a ferry that connects with the 2140 Holyhead to Chester, do you have any idea what time it leaves Dublin?

See what you mean about the ferry connection, yet my friends have done it in May, the Sunday HHD 2140 is usually a 175 returning to the garage at Chester.

 

[PHILIPE]

The West Wales services are also very different on a Sunday compared to weekday and Saturday times.

A natural Sunday reduction. The Manchester to West Wales 2 hourly instead of hourly.

 

[ValleyLines142]

A natural Sunday reduction. The Manchester to West Wales 2 hourly instead of hourly.

Only three out of the twelve departures (1030, 1230 and 1430) services go straight through to Milford Haven, all others terminate at Cardiff (although there's the 1007, 1205 and 2015 from Cardiff to Milford, but only three straight through from Manchester).

 

[Greenback]

A natural Sunday reduction. The Manchester to West Wales 2 hourly instead of hourly.

That's part of it, but there is also the fact that the times are different when the trains do run e.g. 1312, 1413, and 1516 afternnon departures west from Swansea, wheareas the usual Mon - Fri times are xx.00 to pembroke Dock, and xx.37/xx.40 to Carmarthen/Milford.

 

[PHILIPE]

The times can vary for different periods of Timetable on Sundays due to Engineering, not necessarily on route itself, but knock on effect from FGW trains up country.

 

[Gareth Marston]

The times can vary for different periods of Timetable on Sundays due to Engineering, not necessarily on route itself, but knock on effect from FGW trains up country.

Cambrian mainline has normal service but starting with 3rd train