Very little if any spare capacity in the fleet at present. Currently not being helped with still awaiting the arrival of 172001. 006 is in the factory & should be available soon. 172215 & 219 still require new livery but they can’t release them or any of the /3’s to have the interiors done.
Well I’d call every weekend frequent enough. As i said should be a booked 172/2 M to F but is a 170/6 due to complaints forwarded from both traincrew & station staff due to overcrowding on the services booked
Units that potter in and out of New Street maybe three times a day, a couple of days per week don't strike me as a frequent sight - It's not something I'd typically expect to see during the short window while I'm waiting for my train, unlike the 170s and 323s that make up the bulk of West Midlands Railway services through New Street.
It does seem the new timetable has not helped with capacity. The doubling of services to Shrewsbury appears to have hoovered up all the 170s released from the Chase Line, and some from the Hereford services, which would explain why diagrams are now a mix of 153/170/172s and combinations thereof — my understanding that only Worcester sign 153s which is why the Herefords lost some 170s. We do appear to have lost capacity on a number of services; the majority of workings are now only 2 carriages.
Technically Bletchley,Coventry,New St,Wolves & Shrewsbury still sign 153’s, however they no longer have any booked work with the company deciding to dump them all on Worcester.
Theres a diagram for 172/2 on a weekday Hereford turn.
If I’ve followed the diagram correctly it does the 0700,1050,1450,1820 departures from New St.
Currently covered by a 170/6
I’m pleased to hear so; is this likely to be a permanent change given the problems reported by crew? Presumably the unit has been pulled from somewhere else or was simply idle at Tyseley beforehand?
Yes mate, that correct. Suppose the 172/0 will be covered by other types until the full comiment of 172/0s are in service.
That was actually covering the 172/0 turn which started off this morning with 172216 covering it. 172004 is now back on the turn i believe. The booked 172/2 turn is currently a 170/6 which should be working the 14:50 ex New St at present
That was the bogie that was dearailed. Only one wheelset from the pictures i saw.
Got a pic?
172007 + 172214 were working together on the Snow Hill lines on Thursday.
Also out Wednesday
Thanks. I guess we may see a few more doing this.
