Fishguard to get 2 hourly service from September

[anthony263]

Yes I see. But National Rail Enquiries say that one change is necessary to get to Fishguard on this 8.47 service, so you either get off the leading units at Whitland and get on the rear, or, stay on the rear one from the start? Unless of course the rear unit is locked out of use until Whitland?

It works a peak time service to Swansea & Carmarthen and believe me both the carriages are needed with how many passengers the 06:42 Cardiff - Pembroke Dock/Fishguard Hbr service carries.

Since the fishguard portion spends at least 7-8 minutes sitting at Whitland there should be plenty of time for the passengers to change between the 2 units.

 

[VideozVideoz]

Went up to have a final look at the Goodwick station a week or so ago, all the land around the area has been cleared but the station building is still standing. Although its in a right state now, no sign that it has been touched.

Hi there. Sorry if it's already in this thread but I've briefly read some comments about Goodwick station being re-opened. Am I correct? If this is the case, when/how was this decided? What is the expected timescale for opening?

 

[anthony263]

Hi there. Sorry if it's already in this thread but I've briefly read some comments about Goodwick station being re-opened. Am I correct? If this is the case, when/how was this decided? What is the expected timescale for opening?

Yes you are corect about goodwick station being opened. There was a article on it back in the august issue of Modern railways and it has been posted on here and on the wnxx forum.

If everything goes well, it could be opened by the beginning of 2012.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Also arrangements have been made so that some of the Fishguard town bus services will run to the Harbour to connect with eth 08:06. 09:56, 13:30 & 19:00 departures to Carmarthen/Swansea & the 07:58, 09:46,13:25 & 18:34 arrivals. Bus service changes come into affect from 30th september, now that vosa have been informed, a minibus will be used in the meantime aparantly.

What's VOSA? Nothing on gobybus.net (Richards Bro's website) regarding changes to 410. Also, do you mean the 412 will be diverted to meet the 08:06, as this is the current run to Goodwick at that time in the morning and comes from Cardigan on route to Haverfordwest.

The Guards will announce over the P.A which portions go where so hopefully everyone will end up where they want to be. It works on the Valleys

And it works on the Cambrian line. I think the online journey planners might say the Pwllhelli portion terminates at Machynlleth though, so maybe they can't handle splits and hence have to show it as a connecting service?

Hi there. Sorry if it's already in this thread but I've briefly read some comments about Goodwick station being re-opened. Am I correct? If this is the case, when/how was this decided? What is the expected timescale for opening?

Fishguard & Goodwick's station building has been demolished:cry::cry::cry:, and they only have a few days left now to fix the platform (which apart from the far end is too far from the track since the track with re-aligned away from the platform). It doesn't look like they are going to manage it:cry:. The council want to re-open the station though, there's no doubt about that.

 

[anthony263]

What's VOSA? Nothing on gobybus.net (Richards Bro's website) regarding changes to 410. Also, do you mean the 412 will be diverted to meet the 08:06, as this is the current run to Goodwick at that time in the morning and comes from Cardigan on route to Haverfordwest.

And it works on the Cambrian line. I think the online journey planners might say the Pwllhelli portion terminates at Machynlleth though, so maybe they can't handle splits and hence have to show it as a connecting service?



Fishguard & Goodwick's station building has been demolished:cry::cry::cry:, and they only have a few days left now to fix the platform (which apart from the far end is too far from the track since the track with re-aligned away from the platform). It doesn't look like they are going to manage it:cry:. The council want to re-open the station though, there's no doubt about that.

Vosa and the traffic commisioners regulate bus services and most of the time a bus operator has to give the traffic commisioner at least 56 days notice of any new routes to be registered or withdrawn or any variancions to services.

There are some exceptions though say that a ioperator has had to run a
service at short notice because they have been asked by the local council etc.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Yes I see. But National Rail Enquiries say that one change is necessary to get to Fishguard on this 8.47 service, so you either get off the leading units at Whitland and get on the rear, or, stay on the rear one from the start? Unless of course the rear unit is locked out of use until Whitland?

You'll be in the same boat as the Cambrian where the Pwhelli/Aberystwyth portions of trains from Birmingham reverse order at Shrewsbury. There are always passengers in the wrong portion on departure form Shrewsbury is its a case of get a seat where you can in the West Midlands due to high loadings and again at Shrewsbury. ATW do not label which unit goes where.

At Shrewsbury the automated announcement tells passengers for all stations to Aberystwyth to sit in the "front carriage" and for all stations to Dovey Junction and the coast line the "rear carriage" - the trains are formed of a pair of 158 units- who sits in the middle two coaches!

The more intelligent conductors do a full ticket check on departure from Shrewsbury and inform passengers in the wrong portion individually, the better ones tell them not to move until after the train has departed Newtown when passengers have got off at Welshpool and Newtown and theirs more space. The stupid ones announce which portion is which over the tannoy at Shrewsbury resulting in panicking passengers unfamiliar with the line barging luggage and rucksacks across the train and running into each other a full 80 minutes before the train splits.

The platform staff at Mach are good at herding passengers into the right portion as well and the station supervisor Elwyn will often be seen walking through the train telling people as well as the conductors. Crews change at mach and its usually the first thing the now 2 new conductors do is make sure folk are in right portion. Despite all this I've still seen people balls it up and leave for Barmouth on the Aber portion. Thankfully theirs Dovey Jnc - its not unknown for the Aber portion to wait there for the coast one to catch up and passengers finally get in the right portion there.

I wonder how ATW will manage this in West Wales?

 

[Greenback]

I don't think the trains involved will be heavily loaded at either Carmarthen or Whitland, and I have great faith that the local train crew will be able to make sure that every passenger is int he correct portion!

 

[Gareth Marston]

I don't think the trains involved will be heavily loaded at either Carmarthen or Whitland, and I have great faith that the local train crew will be able to make sure that every passenger is int he correct portion!

The Machynlleth crews on the whole are better we do get the occasional Crewe/Shrewsbury conductor for some reason they seem the least interested in revenue collection/protection.

 

[Greenback]

The Machynlleth crews on the whole are better we do get the occasional Crewe/Shrewsbury conductor for some reason they seem the least interested in revenue collection/protection.

The Carmarthen and Cardiff crews we get are usually very on the ball, so I don't have many concerns. I don;t know if any venture down her efrom further afield...

 

[anthony263]

Dont they still split trains at Whitland on sundays? i am sure back when wales & borders/west we about there was even a service which used to split at whitland on weekdays
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
New services started today with 175006 having the honour of being the 1st unit on the new timetabled services.

Some photos from today:

http://fishguardtrains.info/

Sadly because of lateness of being paid money i was owed by work i missed the 07:10 train from Pyle to Fishguard Hbr. however due to cable theft around Swansea the 09:56 departure from Fishguard was 19 minutes late. 150208 was the unit used on this service.

 

[Greenback]

The complaints about the recorded messages and the location of the help point at Clarbeston Road are interesting. This may well be a disincentive to using the services, particularly those that require a change at Clarby.

 

[anthony263]

The complaints about the recorded messages and the location of the help point at Clarbeston Road are interesting. This may well be a disincentive to using the services, particularly those that require a change at Clarby.

I think that is a valid concern especially if the connection from Milford Haven is delayed or cancelled. I do think some electronic screens should be installed. I know the ones at Bridgend have been replaced by smaller ones, surelly perhaps the ones which were taken down could be used since they were still working?

 

[Greenback]

I think I will add my voice and ask ATW what their plans are!