ATW Premier Service

[Lewisham2221]

The running costs wouldn't be anywhere near that high if the 17:21 became LHCS.....

I'm pretty sure the running costs wouldn't change by a considerable amount for an altered departure time. Perhaps you mean that the running costs of the set would be covered better by revenue if the set was used to operate an earlier, busier service?

 

[67012]

Perhaps another trip to WAG hq for some funding to improve services then?
I just seems a terrible waste now they have a train that actually offers the travelling public a nice environment to travel parked up for 16 hours a day.

I caught the mk3 set to Cardiff last week and returned on a 175, i must say that i find the seating in the 175's to be shockingly uncomfortable, they must be one of the worst seating used on the railways these days.

 

[merlodlliw]

Perhaps another trip to WAG hq for some funding to improve services then?
I just seems a terrible waste now they have a train that actually offers the travelling public a nice environment to travel parked up for 16 hours a day.

I caught the mk3 set to Cardiff last week and returned on a 175, i must say that i find the seating in the 175's to be shockingly uncomfortable, they must be one of the worst seating used on the railways these days.

WG are cash strapped for rail alas, but not roads.

Indeed the parked up is Mon to Friday for 16 hours,Sat/Sun 48 hours, I agree it is a waste of valuable stock,

 

[sprinterguy]

I caught the mk3 set to Cardiff last week and returned on a 175, i must say that i find the seating in the 175's to be shockingly uncomfortable, they must be one of the worst seating used on the railways these days.

The popular opinion on this forum would suggest the opposite. 175s are often cited as having one of the best train interiors in the present day.

 

[jones_bangor]

I'm pretty sure the running costs wouldn't change by a considerable amount for an altered departure time. Perhaps you mean that the running costs of the set would be covered better by revenue if the set was used to operate an earlier, busier service?

If the "spare" set was used to replace the franchised 17:21 service, then all that ATW could expect from WG in "extras" would be the difference in running costs between a three car 175 and a 67, DVT and four mk3s.

That would NOT be £2million.

 

[TDK]

If the "spare" set was used to replace the franchised 17:21 service, then all that ATW could expect from WG in "extras" would be the difference in running costs between a three car 175 and a 67, DVT and four mk3s.

That would NOT be £2million.

However Gerald is Open Access and an open access service cannot replace a franchised service, Chiltern found this out when they replaced 2 franchised services using the WSMR service (both owned by DB) and were fined I belive £500,000 for breaking their franchise agreement!

 

[jones_bangor]

However Gerald is Open Access and an open access service cannot replace a franchised service, Chiltern found this out when they replaced 2 franchised services using the WSMR service (both owned by DB) and were fined I belive £500,000 for breaking their franchise agreement!

The service would be the franchise service, just with better stock....

 

[merlodlliw]

If the "spare" set was used to replace the franchised 17:21 service, then all that ATW could expect from WG in "extras" would be the difference in running costs between a three car 175 and a 67, DVT and four mk3s.

That would NOT be £2million.

As Gerald is open access stock paid for by WG (£3.5M) it can not replace a franchise service on a daily basis.

ATW will not put its spare set on a franchise run unless the money is on the table & in my book ATW would want £2millions. That is if the ORR allow it, as TDK said Chiltern got fined for breaking the rules.

Bob

 

[Rhydgaled]

The popular opinion on this forum would suggest the opposite. 175s are often cited as having one of the best train interiors in the present day.

They have a very nice seating layout, with plenty of legroom, but that doesn't stop the seats being too hard. I also think it was stupid to build them without corridor connections on the ends.

 

[jones_bangor]

As Gerald is open access stock paid for by WG (£3.5M) it can not replace a franchise service on a daily basis.

ATW will not put its spare set on a franchise run unless the money is on the table & in my book ATW would want £2millions. That is if the ORR allow it, as TDK said Chiltern got fined for breaking the rules.

Bob

With appropriate liaison, I'm sure that would not be an issue at all.

 

[merlodlliw]

With appropriate liaison, I'm sure that would not be an issue at all.

It should not be an issue, but would WG allow the Premier Service to become a stopper, I had expected some movement in the new timetable, but alas none is forthcoming, interesting talk on BBC Parliament Sunday Evening about the North Wales wires, things seem to be more on the table.
1.Holyhead Crewe positive
2.Chester Newport some time in the future
3.Cambrian never

We shall see

 

[Gareth Marston]

It should not be an issue, but would WG allow the Premier Service to become a stopper, I had expected some movement in the new timetable, but alas none is forthcoming, interesting talk on BBC Parliament Sunday Evening about the North Wales wires, things seem to be more on the table.
1.Holyhead Crewe positive
2.Chester Newport some time in the future
3.Cambrian never

We shall see

Personally don't mind Cambrian being never provided of course that Cambrian train connect properly with electric service at Shrewsbury unlike today's dogs dinner. Since Oct 29 line speeds increase I've been told of trains arriving in Shrewsbury 3/4 minutes earlier, there may yet be hope of connections to Wrexham,/Chester/N Wales from Cambrian improving.

 

[jones_bangor]

It should not be an issue, but would WG allow the Premier Service to become a stopper, I had expected some movement in the new timetable, but alas none is forthcoming, interesting talk on BBC Parliament Sunday Evening about the North Wales wires, things seem to be more on the table.
1.Holyhead Crewe positive
2.Chester Newport some time in the future
3.Cambrian never

We shall see

With EU structural funds as match, Crewe to Holyhead could be reality quite quickly ...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

With EU structural funds as match, Crewe to Holyhead could be reality quite quickly ...

Not if Mr Cameron cuts the EU budget...

 

[Gareth Marston]

Not if Mr Cameron cuts the EU budget...

Also I think you'll find current thinking is to use it (ERDF) as match to finish the Welsh Office dualling A465 road project.

 

[jones_bangor]

Not if Mr Cameron cuts the EU budget...

Actions speak louder than words me thinks!!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The 16:21 Cardiff - Chester had broken down at Shrewsbury last night, formed of a 153 (Dylan Thomas) - 158 ensemble....

Still a shame that service now terminates at Chester.

 

[SprinterMan]

The 16:21 Cardiff - Chester had broken down at Shrewsbury last night, formed of a 153 (Dylan Thomas) - 158 ensemble....

Still a shame that service now terminates at Chester.

Any pictures, I'm not sure why but I do like it when 153s and 158s run in multiple. It is not that much of a loss that this train now terminates at Chester as a EUS-HHD Voyager ran runs very close behind it after Crewe.

Adam

 

[jones_bangor]

Any pictures, I'm not sure why but I do like it when 153s and 158s run in multiple. It is not that much of a loss that this train now terminates at Chester as a EUS-HHD Voyager ran runs very close behind it after Crewe.

Adam

No, no pictures I'm afraid.

I'd seen the same ensemble running west to Tenby at Neath the previous day

The broken down train has been separated into 153 and 158 and Shrewsbury, but was obviously still bust.

 

[TDK]

Not if Mr Cameron cuts the EU budget...

If Mr. Cameron cut the EU budget that will give us more money in this country to sort the mess out he was left with!

 

[Gwenllian2001]

If Mr. Cameron cut the EU budget that will give us more money in this country to sort the mess out he was left with!

I think that might be over estimating Cameron's ability to do much about the EU Budget. If you want to blame anyone for the 'mess' then look west to the Bush administration which plunged the western world into economic chaos. I don't think that Blair or Brown had any influence in Spain; Greece; Portugal; Ireland or anywhere else that went tits up and, don't forget, Brown's government bailed the banks with the full backing of Cameron in opposition.

 

[merlodlliw]

If Mr. Cameron cut the EU budget that will give us more money in this country to sort the mess out he was left with!

There is still a lot of funding out there,depends who gets there hands on it first,as Gareth says ERDF is bound to remain roads first.

Anyhow politics aside, In my opinion David Jones will do far better job than his predecessors' record of her obsession with the South(England & Wales), The new Secretary of State for Wales, has his roots & constituency next door to me,so understands why wires from Crewe to Holyhead would be a great advantage to the North,plus its advantages to the Irish Euro route,with the WG Minister for transport also from Deeside there was never a better time to get it on the table.

On another matter I called into Wrexham Station on Saturday for a ticket & asked when new ATW Dec timetable, would be available, I can not repeat the comment made

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

There is still a lot of funding out there,depends who gets there hands on it first,as Gareth says ERDF is bound to remain roads first.

Anyhow politics aside, In my opinion David Jones will do far better job than his predecessors' record of her obsession with the South(England & Wales), The new Secretary of State for Wales, has his roots & constituency next door to me,so understands why wires from Crewe to Holyhead would be a great advantage to the North,plus its advantages to the Irish Euro route,with the WG Minister for transport also from Deeside there was never a better time to get it on the table.

On another matter I called into Wrexham Station on Saturday for a ticket & asked when new ATW Dec timetable, would be available, I can not repeat the comment made

Isn't it a bit late for the 'Irish Route'? I always thought that the demise of the freightliner depot in Holyhead ( a few years before the Irish economy took off) was one of the dafter occurrences, think how many lorries might be off the A55!

 

[merlodlliw]

Isn't it a bit late for the 'Irish Route'? I always thought that the demise of the freightliner depot in Holyhead ( a few years before the Irish economy took off) was one of the dafter occurrences, think how many lorries might be off the A55!

No its still a key Euro passenger route, I agree with your comments about the freight liner terminal at Holyhead, politics again. Has you will also see,ATW timetable Dec 9th now on line from this afternoon, bet its really been checked this time.

Bob

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Has you will also see,ATW timetable Dec 9th now on line from this afternoon, bet its really been checked this time.
Bob

Unless I'm being thick, the timetable ATW has posted under the Marches route (No. 2) is another copy of the Maesteg-Gloucester one (No. 3).

The catering symbols for Gerald look right now.
And there seems to be a Bank Hol service at Wrexham when Gerald is not running!

 

[SprinterMan]

Unless I'm being thick, the timetable ATW has posted under the Marches route (No. 2) is another copy of the Maesteg-Gloucester one (No. 3).

The catering symbols for Gerald look right now.
And there seems to be a Bank Hol service at Wrexham when Gerald is not running!

I've got the same problem, so obviously they have mucked up their website yet again. :P
EDIT: I have worked out what the link should be for the new timetable 2:
http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=3706&libID=4141
Adam

 

[Penmorfa]

Isn't it a bit late for the 'Irish Route'? I always thought that the demise of the freightliner depot in Holyhead ( a few years before the Irish economy took off) was one of the dafter occurrences, think how many lorries might be off the A55!

The containers handled at Holyhead were all of the ISO variety used in international trade. The service was moved firstly to Ellesmere Port and later Liverpool. Lorries carrying containers are very rarely seen on the ferries from Holyhead. Any containers you see on the A55 could well be making their way from companies in North Wales to rail container depots in Garston, Ditton or Manchester. So closing the container terminal at Holyhead made no difference to traffic on the A55.

The terminal was closed before the explosive growth in roll on - roll off traffic to Ireland we've seen since. The fact that none of this traffic is carried by rail is a crying shame but has nothing to do with containers.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I've got the same problem, so obviously they have mucked up their website yet again. :P
EDIT: I have worked out what the link should be for the new timetable 2:
http://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=3706&libID=4141
Adam

Well reverse-engineered!
Maybe you should manage ATW's web site...

 

[SprinterMan]

Well reverse-engineered!
Maybe you should manage ATW's web site...

Haha thanks! :P

 

[merlodlliw]

Well reverse-engineered!
Maybe you should manage ATW's web site...

Some photos & reports of Geralds Saturday outing for the Rugby with his Mark 3s, as usual it was poorly advertised & carried little traffic.

North Wales Rail Newsboard has this comment below

Was the buffet actually serving? The train was advertised on the ATW website at very short notice, with a fare to Cardiff of £84.20. As usual on such occasions, it ran along the Coast line virtually empty, although it may have been 'wedged' further south. It's a shame that a special cheap fare, say to Chester and back, from North Wales stations, cannot be made available to fill some seats.

link here http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

The containers handled at Holyhead were all of the ISO variety used in international trade. The service was moved firstly to Ellesmere Port and later Liverpool. Lorries carrying containers are very rarely seen on the ferries from Holyhead. Any containers you see on the A55 could well be making their way from companies in North Wales to rail container depots in Garston, Ditton or Manchester. So closing the container terminal at Holyhead made no difference to traffic on the A55.

The terminal was closed before the explosive growth in roll on - roll off traffic to Ireland we've seen since. The fact that none of this traffic is carried by rail is a crying shame but has nothing to do with containers.

Thanks for the explanation, I wasn't aware of that. Of course, now I come to think of it, the lorries on the A55 are not containers...