Rhymney Late Service

[Requeststop]

Planning a bash of South Wales Valleys in late Feb.

I have the Rhymney line as my last trip of the day, Thursday 21/02/13

I am planning Cardiff QS - Rhymney 20:30 - 21:34 but the return is Rhymney - Cardiff QS 21:33 - 22:24.

Is this in fact the same train and a timetabling mistake or does the train from Cardiff get stabled at Rhymney overnight? I'm not looking forward to overnighting in Rhymney or taxi-ing it back to Cardiff.

Thank you

 

[wensley]

Planning a bash of South Wales Valleys in late Feb.

I have the Rhymney line as my last trip of the day, Thursday 21/02/13

I am planning Cardiff QS - Rhymney 20:30 - 21:34 but the return is Rhymney - Cardiff QS 21:33 - 22:24.

Is this in fact the same train and a timetabling mistake or does the train from Cardiff get stabled at Rhymney overnight? I'm not looking forward to overnighting in Rhymney or taxi-ing it back to Cardiff.

Thank you

Why not play it safe and bail at Pontlottyn??
It is possible that the set stables in readiness to form 2Y09 out in the morning at 0610hrs

 

[Tomnick]

WTT arrival time of the unit coming in is 2131, and your intended train back has a WTT departure time of 2134. Given the track layout (single platform at the end of a single line section), I'd be amazed if it wasn't the same unit.

 

[Requeststop]

Thanks for the replies:

Pontlottyn is really not completing the line. To be honest I'd rather not do an incomplete line.

ATW and National Rail Timetables still state there is that one minute differental from arrival and departure. Think I'll ask before I board the train at Cardiff.

 

[Track Basher]

Thanks for the replies:

Pontlottyn is really not completing the line. To be honest I'd rather not do an incomplete line.

ATW and National Rail Timetables still state there is that one minute differental from arrival and departure. Think I'll ask before I board the train at Cardiff.

Why not as the conductor on the train? If it is not the same unit which I think unlikely bail out at Pontlottyn

 

[sonic2009]

It's the same unit

http://opentraintimes.com/location/RHYMNEY/2013/2/21/2200

 

[Tomnick]

Thanks for the replies:

Pontlottyn is really not completing the line. To be honest I'd rather not do an incomplete line.

ATW and National Rail Timetables still state there is that one minute differental from arrival and departure. Think I'll ask before I board the train at Cardiff.

There's a difference between the WTT times that I quoted above, and the 'adjusted' public times that you're getting out of the journey planners. The track layout would make such a tight margin impossible.

 

[Smethwickian]

There's a difference between the WTT times that I quoted above, and the 'adjusted' public times that you're getting out of the journey planners. The track layout would make such a tight margin impossible.

See also various weekday daytime arrivals at Wrexham Central (xx32) - two minutes after departures (xx30) on a single-line track..... And no, last time I went from there the unit wasn't sitting there, laying over, 58 minutes before departure!

I presume the adjusted public times in both these cases are just another example of padding before the final destination to allow for late-running and reduce lateness figures.

 

[PHILIPE]

WTT arrival time of the unit coming in is 2131, and your intended train back has a WTT departure time of 2134. Given the track layout (single platform at the end of a single line section), I'd be amazed if it wasn't the same unit.

This happens at Wrexham Central when the train to Bidston departs before the incoming one has arrived. It's the difference between the WTT and advertised arrival times. This is a performance "fiddle".

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Similar also happens at nearby Barry Island - according to the public timetable the train leaves one minute before it's due to arrive - in reality turn around is usually 5 mins. I don't know what the working timetable says but I'd guess it's booked for around 3-5 minutes there.

 

[Tomnick]

I wouldn't want to discourage the OP from asking on the day, just to be sure, but I've checked the services in question for the last two evenings to provide some further reassurance - on both days, as I expected, the units (14x + 150) that worked the incoming 2R30 were the same ones that then worked 2P98 back to Penarth.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Do they still stable units up there out of curiosity, or is it ECS from Canton now. I'd imagine stabling up there would require crew to preferably live in that area otherwise?

Not the first time I've heard of the last train leaving before it arrives, I remember bailing at Mouldsworth on the last Chester, and I couldn't quite work out if it was the same unit back once it got to Chester, as it was due out around 3-5 minutes (in the public TT) before it came in. Sure enough, the same Class 156 came back.

I seem to recall a few here and there like that in the old ATW TT's (When the Valley Lines livery was still about), and there was (and maybe still is) same time arrival/departure times at branch terminals giving what looks like a 0 minute turnaround, in the WTT it's probably more like a 3 minute turnaround

 

[anthony263]

Yes there are a few units stabled up in Rhymney in fact the 1st arrival into Rhymney from Cardiff doesnt arrive into Rhymney til after 8am all the trains coming up from Cardiff before it terminate at Bargoed.

Its the same for Treherbert although I think Treherbert gets and arrival from Cardiff at around 07:30.

21:33 is a little early in my opinion for the last train from Rhymney hopefully after electrifcation a later service can be provided also includimng better late evening services from Cardiff to Pontypridd & Caerphilly.

 

[Greenback]

Tomnick is correct. Due to the single platform and track layout at Rhymney it is impossible for train to depart at 2133 while another arrives at 2134.

It is not a timetable it is a deliberate tactic to assist punctuality figures. There is still a train crew depot in Rhymany (and Treherbert).

 

[Pugland53]

Planning a bash of South Wales Valleys in late Feb.

I have the Rhymney line as my last trip of the day, Thursday 21/02/13

I am planning Cardiff QS - Rhymney 20:30 - 21:34 but the return is Rhymney - Cardiff QS 21:33 - 22:24.

Is this in fact the same train and a timetabling mistake or does the train from Cardiff get stabled at Rhymney overnight? I'm not looking forward to overnighting in Rhymney or taxi-ing it back to Cardiff.

Thank you

The train will actually arrive in Rhymney just before half past so no need to worry, just a bit of 'padding' in the timetable.