it's not meant to stop at the station by the college, as that is an arrivals only platform, though signage ought to make that very clear.
The guard on my train did make an announcement for people to stay on the train. Maybe because, she asked me where I was going when she was checking my tap on card and I said 'is it because Fernhill is still broken?', oh yes it is, but you can't use Aberdare arrivals platform either. Interesting, she also said if you really MUST use Fernhill (as if you are going to walk from an adjacent station?) I will let you get off at Mountain Ash to tap off, and then wait until you re-board.
The tap out should indicate that the journey has finished and can be charged accordingly. Generally it works fine but the two examples you give show there is some work to be done.
Nearly got caught by that too, but luckily a couple of other passengers told us to stay onto second stop as there isn't a touch out machine. The machine was at a U turn on the ramp not on platform. Another oddity is the footbridges to town centre don't link, go to go down to road level and back up. All rather disjointed.
There is another one by the ticket machine. (maybe they could move one of them to the other station!!)
Yeah I don't understand this either. It's likely important for operational reasons but it means little to nothing to the passenger.
Aberdare P2 showing on screens at Cardiff Central would suggest to those not familiar with the ‘system’ that they should go to platform 2 (mainline) for trains to Aberdare.
There are two terminals on the platform, one near the shelter and another at the end of the platform on the path to the supermarket, but it’s hidden from view by the railings if you are on the platform. Signposts with a logo would help.
That’s interesting. I was discussing what to do with the TM at the terminal near the shelter and she didn’t tell me about the other one (presumably because she didn’t know!)
It's the usual change from Summer to Winter timetable.
A number of services have turned around at Birchgrove since Ty Glas closed. Yesterday, I was on a service that terminated at Heath Low Level and then sat there for around 7 minutes before setting off to Penarth. Just noticed that this morning a service has been turned at Rhiwbina!
Essentialy TfW are just not providing a proper service on the Coryton line, they clearly see it as the lowest priority. This is not in any way encouraging people out of their cars, not to mention the 2 tph if you're lucky service.
Birchrove, Whitchuch and Rwibina are in and out of the 10 ten worst stations in the UK for the past few months. Not a record TfW should be proud of. The biggest problem with the line between Penarth and Coryton is, its single track for 8 out of 11 of stations, so anything that goes wrong just gets multiplied. New trains won't rectify this.
I wouldn't say it's lowest priority. Lowest priority would be cancelling service completely in favour of using trains or train crew on other routes. The issue here appears to be reliability, whether that's congestion at Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen street, or somewhere else along the route between Coryton, Penarth and Caerphilly that's causing these delays, which ultimately results in trains turning around short somewhere.
Is there a shortage of retail units in that area?
I suppose the rationale is to disrupt the least amount of people, delay repay now also gives them a financial incentive as well.
It's interesting that they look too be doing an in place improvement of the station that would preclude it from going further north in future.
I’m a bit puzzled, as the only way the railway ever went north from Merthyr was by heading back south for some distance (past what was then the A470) before turning off to the west and curving back north.
