Would be well suited to the Fishguard services. Having recently ridden to Fishguard and back on a packed 150/2, the Mk2 stock would provide a welcome enhancement:
-Three and a half coaches of roomy accommodation with good legroom
-Aisles that are wide enough for, and space to store, a catering trolley
-Luggage space in the brake van for suitcases/bicycles/fishing tackle*
Class 150s (even Pacers sometimes!) on the Fishguard boat train is plain wrong. A class 158 would probably do most of the time, but I think it's busy enough that it needs a 3-car 175 or 4-car 158 occasionally. Thankfully weekdays is now a 158 (so I'm told on fourms, and have seen myself on one occasion) but it needs to be upgraded to regional express stock at weekends too (I'd guess the mark2s would do the job nicely, but probably not economic given the required level of capacity, and the reversal at Carmarthen would screw it up wouldn't it?).
Any news on what will become of the (rather nice) mark 2s that are currently used on the WAG train?
Adam
I would say storage and long term decay or sold abroad. Arriva will have no use for them once the Mk 3s are "online".
I agree that they will most likely join ATW's other mark2s in store, but that is an enormous waste in my opinion when ATW (and other TOCs) need so much extra capacity. I can never remember if ATW's mark2s number 18 or 22 but either way it'd be helpful. My opinion is that, at the very least, a set of mark2s should be used to provide additional services for special events such as the Beach Break Festival, Cardiff rugby matches and the Royal Welsh Show (the latter of which already has the additional services in place, but using valuable DMUs) and another set of mark2s should be put into use whenever ATW are down a 175 or 158 to help keep pacers and lesser sprinters off regional express and long-distance services.
If the mark2s are ever put into use on regular ATW services then Swansea/Cardiff - Manchester or Holyhead/Bangor/Llandundo - Manchester would make the most sense I expect. Fishguard, I think, is a way down the list, it doesn't require the capacity year-round like other routes do.
For South Wales members, The draft Timetable shows an extra carriage on the busy 1730ish DMU to Swansea area, plus extra carriage on certain Cardiff to Manchester 175s due to overcrowding.
Bob
Plus the spin by Mike Bagshaws intoduction says
142 extra seats on 0546 Llandudno Junction and 0712 Chester both to Manchester.
148 extra daily seats on busiest trains Cardiff to Manchester.
extra 74 seats on 1739 Cardiff to Milford Haven.
Re-timing to provide extra 160 daily seats commuting into Swansea during morning peak.
Bob
Where does the extra carriage on 17:39 Cardiff - Milford Haven come from, a result of the service reduction to Llandudno (I assume it will be a 3-car 175, not 158+153)? Also, where do the 142, 148 and 160 extra seats come from? Do the time tables have details of unit diagraming? If so I may have to pm you for a copy.
I don't think even a 3-car 175 would be enough for the 17:39, I still think running a later service from Cardiff with a 158 via the Swansea District Line with a connection into the earlier service at Carmarthen would be the best solution for S.W.Wales passengers (for Fishguard the 17:39 is the last train of the day, and I'm concerned some Fishguard passengers might be unable to board it due to crowding).
