I left home about 2am, for the 35 mins drive to catch the 03.20am 106 Exeter to Birmingham, but before boarding the coach I got a quick snack from Subway, some Nacho bites, then went to catch coach, which was operated by Edward’s Avonouth Depot, and arrived about 10 mins late. with month old BV24 ZFC Caetano Levante, we made up time towards Taunton,and left on time,then kept time pretty much to Cheltenham, and by Birmingham we arrived 6 mins early at 07.44am, so was good start to trip.
Having arrived Birmingham Digbeth, I made the 10 mins walk to Grand Central station, and purchased a West Midlands Day Ranger for £34.00, then with my original plan to catch 08.50 Birmingham Hereford,I thought I’d see if any 730’s knocking about on the Cross City Line before then, so I checked departure boards for next Redditch or Bromsgrove services, first one was a323, so I went down to platform to check the 08.23 to Bromsgrove and it duly arrived with 730019+730011,
So I caught this for the run to Bromsgrove.it was a busy service, picking up good few passengers on route. As expected it was indeed very nippy and rapid acceleration, I think the drivers are getting used to them as dwell times etc were exceeded a bit, and driving was careful in places.
with quick turn around I caught the 09.03 Bromsgrove-Birmingham, again with 730019+730019, and these units absolutely flatten the Lickey Incline, making it seem like a level line, they literally scuttle up the bank, I doubt the 323’s do this, again a very busy service, which seems normal for Saturday’s nowdays.
The 730 units, I think are really decent, and a step improvement on the 323’s, with their acceleration and better interiors, the seats are pretty good, but not as good as the 196 seats, so I hope the longer distance 730’s seats are more like the 196 than what’s on the Cross City 730’s.
Then once back in Birmingham, went to catch the 09.50 to Hereford, for my first 196 ride, which was already on platform formed of 196103, so was busy When boarded, so found a reasonable seat, and a waited departure. We duly left on time, and headed for Hereford, the interiors and seats are better than the Cross City 730’s, but that’s expected as these longer distance units, the acceleration was good and definitely better than 170‘s., was very busy on this service.
After quick wander around Hereford station it was time for the 11.40 to Birmingham again with 196103, with another busy service, and I started to Notice some weird sort of blowing noises from the engines etc, and when we got to the Lickey Incline, it seemed as if engine was was retarding a bit, maybe overheating etc, I’m not sure,but we made it over ok,just a bit weird.
Then went to grab a Costa Bluberry Bubble Frappe, before catch the 13.56 Birmingham to Shrewsbury , which arrived late due to congestion with several 350’s in front of it, and formed of 196101, we left about 5 mins late, and with the better acceleration we made up the 5 mins by Shrewsbury, again vey busy service, had wander around Shrewsbury station and grabbed a Starbucks Strawberries Strawberries And Cream Frappe, before the 15.40 to Birmingham, again with 196101, and reasonably busy service. Arrived couple mins Late.
With coach back to Exeter at 9pm from Digbeth, and now after 5pm, decided go for local runs, so I checked the departure boards, and after the first Cross City service being 323, I went to check the 17.23 to Bromsgrove and this duly arrived with 730011+730019 again, so took this to Bromsgrove, the run was tardy and dwell times slow, ,so,we arrived few mins late, which meant 2 mins or so at Bromsgrove, before 18.03 Biomsgrove -Birmingham with 730011+730019 again, We flew up Lickey Incline again, then with more tardy running etc, we arrive few mins late into Birmingham.
Then quick Costa Blueberry Bubble Frappe, before 18.56 Birmingham—Shrewsbury with 196008, far as Wolverhampton, arrived couple mins late, then 19.19 Wolverhampton—Birmingham stopping service with 350129, for couple mins late arrival into Birmingham, then did the 10 mins walk to Digbeth for 9pm to Exeter, which was an Edward’s. Avonmouth Caetano Levante, BV24 ZFS, which through looking at Bustimes.org saw that in its history, it had entered service on Friday 31st may, so was second day in service, which was nice end to the day, we had good run, with eager drivers, so arrived Exeter Centre 17 mins early, then 35 mins drive home.
The new units with West Midlands trains, are definitely a good step up from previous units, they are al rapid and quick, especially the 730’s. And the seats and interiors are nice, and I like the darks seat colours, like the Stadler 745 and 755 etc, which make them look more classy. As seems to be the case now, Saturdays are very busy, with Grand Central wans thronging passengers, and with a lot of services really busy, this can only be good for the railways. here a some of my pics of the day.
Having arrived Birmingham Digbeth, I made the 10 mins walk to Grand Central station, and purchased a West Midlands Day Ranger for £34.00, then with my original plan to catch 08.50 Birmingham Hereford,I thought I’d see if any 730’s knocking about on the Cross City Line before then, so I checked departure boards for next Redditch or Bromsgrove services, first one was a323, so I went down to platform to check the 08.23 to Bromsgrove and it duly arrived with 730019+730011,
So I caught this for the run to Bromsgrove.it was a busy service, picking up good few passengers on route. As expected it was indeed very nippy and rapid acceleration, I think the drivers are getting used to them as dwell times etc were exceeded a bit, and driving was careful in places.
with quick turn around I caught the 09.03 Bromsgrove-Birmingham, again with 730019+730019, and these units absolutely flatten the Lickey Incline, making it seem like a level line, they literally scuttle up the bank, I doubt the 323’s do this, again a very busy service, which seems normal for Saturday’s nowdays.
The 730 units, I think are really decent, and a step improvement on the 323’s, with their acceleration and better interiors, the seats are pretty good, but not as good as the 196 seats, so I hope the longer distance 730’s seats are more like the 196 than what’s on the Cross City 730’s.
Then once back in Birmingham, went to catch the 09.50 to Hereford, for my first 196 ride, which was already on platform formed of 196103, so was busy When boarded, so found a reasonable seat, and a waited departure. We duly left on time, and headed for Hereford, the interiors and seats are better than the Cross City 730’s, but that’s expected as these longer distance units, the acceleration was good and definitely better than 170‘s., was very busy on this service.
After quick wander around Hereford station it was time for the 11.40 to Birmingham again with 196103, with another busy service, and I started to Notice some weird sort of blowing noises from the engines etc, and when we got to the Lickey Incline, it seemed as if engine was was retarding a bit, maybe overheating etc, I’m not sure,but we made it over ok,just a bit weird.
Then went to grab a Costa Bluberry Bubble Frappe, before catch the 13.56 Birmingham to Shrewsbury , which arrived late due to congestion with several 350’s in front of it, and formed of 196101, we left about 5 mins late, and with the better acceleration we made up the 5 mins by Shrewsbury, again vey busy service, had wander around Shrewsbury station and grabbed a Starbucks Strawberries Strawberries And Cream Frappe, before the 15.40 to Birmingham, again with 196101, and reasonably busy service. Arrived couple mins Late.
With coach back to Exeter at 9pm from Digbeth, and now after 5pm, decided go for local runs, so I checked the departure boards, and after the first Cross City service being 323, I went to check the 17.23 to Bromsgrove and this duly arrived with 730011+730019 again, so took this to Bromsgrove, the run was tardy and dwell times slow, ,so,we arrived few mins late, which meant 2 mins or so at Bromsgrove, before 18.03 Biomsgrove -Birmingham with 730011+730019 again, We flew up Lickey Incline again, then with more tardy running etc, we arrive few mins late into Birmingham.
Then quick Costa Blueberry Bubble Frappe, before 18.56 Birmingham—Shrewsbury with 196008, far as Wolverhampton, arrived couple mins late, then 19.19 Wolverhampton—Birmingham stopping service with 350129, for couple mins late arrival into Birmingham, then did the 10 mins walk to Digbeth for 9pm to Exeter, which was an Edward’s. Avonmouth Caetano Levante, BV24 ZFS, which through looking at Bustimes.org saw that in its history, it had entered service on Friday 31st may, so was second day in service, which was nice end to the day, we had good run, with eager drivers, so arrived Exeter Centre 17 mins early, then 35 mins drive home.
The new units with West Midlands trains, are definitely a good step up from previous units, they are al rapid and quick, especially the 730’s. And the seats and interiors are nice, and I like the darks seat colours, like the Stadler 745 and 755 etc, which make them look more classy. As seems to be the case now, Saturdays are very busy, with Grand Central wans thronging passengers, and with a lot of services really busy, this can only be good for the railways. here a some of my pics of the day.
