GWR Class 165s due for a refurb?

[cactustwirly]

Maybe new seats could be retrofitted at the same time

No that's very difficult for a number of reasons. The DfT haven't allowed GWR to even refresh them.

Personally the 165 seats are pretty good, they just need a deep clean and a retrim

 

[greatvoyager]

No that's very difficult for a number of reasons. The DfT haven't allowed GWR to even refresh them.

Personally the 165 seats are pretty good, they just need a deep clean and a retrim

Is there a reason for the 165s not being allowed a refresh?

 

[cactustwirly]

Is there a reason for the 165s not being allowed a refresh?

£££££

 

[greatvoyager]

£££££

All about the money.

 

[JohnRegular]

Surprised to see 3+2 seating so popular in this thread when it seems so disliked on this forum in general.
I'm not an especially large chap but the idea of sitting in a fully (or even mostly) occupied row of 3 makes me very uncomfortable and would much sooner stand! With the exception of the aisle seats where I can sit half off the seat.
Certainly on the busiest trains I rarely see people making full use of the seating; in the bays of 6 I rarely see more than 4, which makes the whole thing pointless. The narrow aisles also restrict passenger movement to some extent.
Otherwise I think the turbos are great trains for Portsmouth-Cardiff; good luggage space, the extra carriages are badly needed, and having doors at thirds really helps dwell times, particularly as only a couple of minutes are booked at Southampton usually, and most passnegers change there.
TL;DR Turbos are good trains for Pompey-Cardiff but the 3+2 seating is no good for the many longer journies made, and I'm not convinced it adds as much capacity as it nominally would seem. Bring on a refresh with 2+2!

 

[387star]

Luxury 5 car 158 on the Bristol to Portsmouth circuit today

 

[BucksBones]

£££££

But it's GWR's money isn't it?

 

[BucksBones]

are these the loudest DMUs in service? they seem incredibly noisy

Noisier with opening windows I suppose - Chiltern ones are very quiet. Even so I don't think they're as noisy as a 150.

 

[cactustwirly]

But it's GWR's money isn't it?

They won't pay for a comprehensive refresh, if they only have a few more years left on the DA

 

[BucksBones]

They won't pay for a comprehensive refresh, if they only have a few more years left on the DA

I really think this is one of the biggest failings of the franchise system - if things need doing they have to wait until the new franchisee arrives whilst the 'outgoing' one (if they can really be called that when they have years left) effectively shuts up shop and coasts to the finish. I understand why it happens but it's hugely unsatisfactory IMHO.

Sorry, I digress.........

 

[FGW_DID]

GWR don’t own the trains, they’re owned by Angel Trains.

Regardless if GWR were willing to pay for refurbishment, several requests to, have been blocked by the DfT (as posted elsewhere in the forum).

 

[BucksBones]

GWR don’t own the trains, they’re owned by Angel Trains.

Regardless if GWR were willing to pay for refurbishment, several requests to, have been blocked by the DfT (as posted elsewhere in the forum).

Well then I really don't understand where the DfT are coming from.

 

[FGW_DID]

Well then I really don't understand where the DfT are coming from.

Does anybody? Do they know themselves?

 

[Energy]

Does anybody? Do they know themselves?

Nobody knows! Its The beauty of the DfT, nobody knows what is happening!

 

[387star]

Do any 165s still have first class?
I note some units have the new luggage rack area where first class was (carpeted) whereas others have it where standard was with that area being moved to the old first class end

 

[JonathanH]

Do any 165s still have first class?
I note some units have the new luggage rack area where first class was (carpeted) whereas others have it where standard was with that area being moved to the old first class end

All 3-car 165s retain first class.

All 2-car 165s are standard class only - they should have standard class where first class used to be - look at where the luggage panels used to go into the ceiling and how it has been plated over and there is no small window between the two full windows - and luggage racks at the end which used to be standard class.

 

[387star]

All 3-car 165s retain first class.

All 2-car 165s are standard class only - they should have standard class where first class used to be - look at where the luggage panels used to go into the ceiling and how it has been plated over and there is no small window between the two full windows - and luggage racks at the end which used to be standard class.

Yes but some 165s have lino where the new luggage/bike area is and some have carpet
Are you saying the ones with lino were once first class with carpet removed?

They do at least have Wi-Fi charging points and yes luggage space isn't bad

 

[387star]

Seems some 165 retain carpet in the old first class whereas some have lino

Some units have the new luggage area in the old first class whereas some have it in what was a standard class end

 

[greatvoyager]

Seems some 165 retain carpet in the old first class whereas some have lino

Some units have the new luggage area in the old first class whereas some have it in what was a standard class end

If they aren't allowed to do an extensive refurbishment, can they not at least make the interiors the same in terms of luggage area, carpets etc.

 

[Rick1984]

The original idea of 2+2 in the class166 with all the reservations in these carriages and 2+3 in the class 165 to pickup the demand around Bristol makes sense

 

[Energy]

The original idea of 2+2 in the class166 with all the reservations in these carriages and 2+3 in the class 165 to pickup the demand around Bristol makes sense

The best though would be some new units, like a bimode aventra or bimode flirt, for these services so the turbos can go and start replacing other trains like the 150s before the turbos get replaced themselves, they are nearly 30 years old and they do have a few years left, but we should start considering their replacement, which should be at probably around 35 years old.