Dearne Valley line - how busy?

[Egg Centric]

I've an opportunity to do the Dearne Valley line on Thursday, on the 13:14 from York. If I chose to do it, how busy is it likely to be?

 

[Segedunum]

Unlikely to be too bad boarding at the York end. Sometimes they get busier from Moorthorpe onwards with local passengers heading into Sheffield.

The Sunday evening ones used to be quite busy with people on cheap advances (myself included). But unless there's some colossal disruption shutting the lines via both Leeds and Doncaster towards Sheffield, you won't be fighting to get a seat - particularly at that time of day.

 

[Egg Centric]

Unlikely to be too bad boarding at the York end. Sometimes they get busier from Moorthorpe onwards with local passengers heading into Sheffield.

The Sunday evening ones used to be quite busy with people on cheap advances (myself included). But unless there's some colossal disruption shutting the lines via both Leeds and Doncaster towards Sheffield, you won't be fighting to get a seat - particularly at that time of day.

Thank you - I'll give it a go then for a bit of variety

 

[Iskra]

I don’t think I’ve been on one more than 2/3 full so you should have plenty of space. It’s a useful little service.

 

[Egg Centric]

Ticket booked - one other question - it's timetabled as 15x, is there a particular class that's most likely?

I found a YouTube channel "Pontefract Baghill Railway Station" in an attempt to answer this myself and he's videoed everything interesting for almost a decade but none of the routine stock

Hope not a 153 like the Geoff Marshall vid...

 

[Peterthegreat]

Will most likely be a 150/2.
Occasionally a 158 may deputise or more rarely a 3 car 150/1.

 

[Egg Centric]

Will most likely be a 150/2.
Occasionally a 158 may deputise or more rarely a 3 car 150/1.

I've not been on a 150/1 before (been on t'others you mention) so fingers crossed...

 

[Egg Centric]

Micro trip report for the benefit of anyone finding this thread on google:

1. Was a 150/2. Not sure what the line speed is but it's higher than I thought, I wouldn't be surprised if we were up to the full 75mph in parts.
2. View? Alright but not spectacular, won't go out of my way to repeat it. Foliage hitting the train in a couple of places made me rather nostalgic
3. About 1/3rd - 1/2 full. I had no trouble getting a seat, was probably the first on and made a bee line for the spacious seats near toilet
4. Swinton (where I changed for Coningsburgh, also in a 150/2) looks an interesting station (in terms of traffic) to while away a bit of time at. There was a photographer using the bridge presumably for this reason.

Bonus nano trip report:

1. First time I've been on the Newcastle-York LNER "uh oh we forgot about Northallerton" shuttle service. That was essentially carting fresh air around; literally just a single trolley and single server in 1st with no hot food. I think these are going to disappear in December but due to the emptiness they seem a very civilised way of travel to me so I will try to take more.