Musical chairs at Swansea

[Old Yard Dog]

I picked up the 0900 Milford Haven to Manchester at Llanelli this morning and was only slightly surprised to find it was a very busy 2-car DMU. I assumed it would be strengthed at Swansea or Cardiff. On arrival at the far end of P4 we were told our train was going out of service and we should make our way to P2 where a 5-car train would be waiting.

So everybody piled out, including many elderly passengers with heavy luggage. We found a 2-car DMU locked and at the far end of P2. We were told to wait till a 3-car train came and attached. It turned out to be the 1002 Cardiff to Fishguard whose passengers were duly disgorged. Were they sent to P4 I wonder?

I get that TfW do try very hard to manage possible overcrowding. But today’s swap & the chaos it caused did seem a little OTT. At least one Fishguard passenger didn’t hear the message and stayed on board. He was told to seek help at Neath. I hope he caught his ferry.

My Manchester train didn’t lose too much time so I was able to divert from my 2-day HoW circular ranger at Bridgend and do the Maesteg branch for the first time. Then it was the through working to Ebbw Vale, a 2-hour trip, where I was delighted to find the breakdown prone cableway open and running.

 

[43055]

197006 which was your 2 car from Llanelli did indeed form the Fishguard service from Swansea.

 

[Harpo]

It used to be the Cardiff Valleys that survived through endless set swaps on through trains at Cardiff Central. TfW has replicated this right the way across its network breaking through journies into train-changing scrambles all over the place. Does any other TOC do this on such a scale?

 

[WAB]

I imagine this'll be down to maintenance requirements on the 197s. Posters on this forum in the know have previously stated that only CAF in Chester can do most of the work required on 197 units. It looks like quite the task to get the right units on the limited number of diagrams which are likely to finish at Chester each night, hence the regular set swaps.

 

[londonbridge]

First time I’ve ever experienced a set swap this morning. On the 8:26 Grand Central to Sunderland, set off on time then a couple of minutes after departing it was announced we’d be stopping and changing trains at Doncaster. We were already 18 down at Peterborough, everyone piled off at Donny then there was another delay before we were allowed to board the replacement set. Currently half an hour down.

 

[voyagerdude220]

First time I’ve ever experienced a set swap this morning. On the 8:26 Grand Central to Sunderland, set off on time then a couple of minutes after departing it was announced we’d be stopping and changing trains at Doncaster. We were already 18 down at Peterborough, everyone piled off at Donny then there was another delay before we were allowed to board the replacement set. Currently half an hour down.

Looking on Realtime Trains, it looks like your original 180 unit was sent to Crofton Depot once you'd arrived at Doncaster, with the 180 which had originally been working 07:56 Bradford to London being terminated at Doncaster before taking your train load of passengers towards Sunderland.