TfW 153s to Brum

[Rich McLean]

153320 + 153922 + 158827 On the 12-06 Birmingham International to Aber/Pwhelli today

Set swap at Shrewsbury, it then worked back to Birminghan, then Hollyhead, back to New Street and ends the day at Shrewbury.

 

[Rhydgaled]

I was at Smethwick Galton Bridge in 2018 and this turned up on the Aberystwyth & Pwllheli service, with the front coach apparently going to Pwllheli and the rear coach going to Aberystwyth according to the station CIS at the time. That would’ve been interesting! I recall it was also packed and was set-swapped at Shrewsbury for a 2 coach 158, with customers for the Pwllheli line stations then having to change again at Machynlleth.

Makes you wonder why they bother to tell people to travel in a portion of the train knowing the 150s are unsuitable beyond Shrewsbury and everyone will have to get off anyway! It just confuses passengers even more.

I think that's standard for the information system at some stations on the Birmingham-Cambrian route - certainly I've heard it say "travel in the front coach" for one destination and "travel in the rear coach" for the other (note that it says 'coach' singular) even when the pair of 158s turn up as booked despite the fact that 158s can't split down to a single car in service.