TFW 2024 Timetable consultation.

[Jez]

Any update on the outcome of the consultation? Apart from the concessions made to the Cambrian? Seen a lot of noise recently about concerns re cuts to HOWL but will be interesting to see TfW response..

It would be good to get an update. In particular about the HOWL and those services between Carmarthen and Cardiff that are meant to be axed in the December TT.

 

[splashoutradio]

It would be good to get an update. In particular about the HOWL and those services between Carmarthen and Cardiff that are meant to be axed in the December TT.

The industry is in the process of releasing data for the forthcoming timetable, so here's some very early copies of timetables for TfW's routes. As always with early editions, data errors are possible and there will likely be changes before the timetable goes live.

www.railwaydata.co.uk/timetables/Dec24/

 

[Jez]

The industry is in the process of releasing data for the forthcoming timetable, so here's some very early copies of timetables for TfW's routes. As always with early editions, data errors are possible and there will likely be changes before the timetable goes live.

www.railwaydata.co.uk/timetables/Dec24/

Thank you so much for posting this. Will have a look.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2024 ==

As well as the draft timetables I see RTT has info from the December TT change , all subject to change im sure but it looks like the 2 Carmarthen-Cardiff and return journeys removed during the week will still run on Saturdays. This is a good decision IMO as trains between Swansea-Cardiff can be very busy on Saturdays.

I also noticed the 1730 Manchester extends to Swansea (and stops at Swanline stations, the only direct Manchester service to call at these stations currently the 1330 and 1530 make Swanline calls) This will be 1 hour later than the current last direct Manchester-Swansea. Its a shame they cant do the same and extend the 1930 to Swansea also, back in the day this used to run through to Carmarthen and even to Fishguard at one point (basically the overnight boat train started at Manchester for a while). It seems the last direct train Manchester to Carmarthen will still be 1530.

 

[Statto]

The industry is in the process of releasing data for the forthcoming timetable, so here's some very early copies of timetables for TfW's routes. As always with early editions, data errors are possible and there will likely be changes before the timetable goes live.

www.railwaydata.co.uk/timetables/Dec24/

I still find it annoying last trains on the North Wales Coast towards Chester is 20.32 Holyhead, 21.04 Bangor or 21.51 Llandudno, 22.05 Llandudno Junction, yet going the other way the last train from Chester is 00.40, (although last direct train to Llandudno is 19.31), i do wonder if theirs scope for a train from Holyhead or Bangor to Chester around 22.00-22.30?

 

[Lurcheroo]

I still find it annoying last trains on the North Wales Coast towards Chester is 20.32 Holyhead, 21.04 Bangor or 21.51 Llandudno, 22.05 Llandudno Junction, yet going the other way the last train from Chester is 00.40, (although last direct train to Llandudno is 19.31), i do wonder if theirs scope for a train from Holyhead or Bangor to Chester around 22.00-22.30?

It’s similar on the Cambrian. Last train from Aberystwyth beyond Machynlleth is 19:30 whilst last train from Shrewsbury is 21:50 and last train from Aberystwyth to Machynlleth is 23:30.

 

[Llandudno]

I still find it annoying last trains on the North Wales Coast towards Chester is 20.32 Holyhead, 21.04 Bangor or 21.51 Llandudno, 22.05 Llandudno Junction, yet going the other way the last train from Chester is 00.40, (although last direct train to Llandudno is 19.31), i do wonder if theirs scope for a train from Holyhead or Bangor to Chester around 22.00-22.30?

Don’t draw attention to it, otherwise they may cancel the 2256 and 0040 trains west of Chester to balance it up to give a crap late evening service in both directions….!!

 

[Krokodil]

Don’t draw attention to it, otherwise they may cancel the 2256 and 0040 trains west of Chester to balance it up to give a crap late evening service in both directions….!!

They need to stable as many units in Holyhead as possible in order to avoid giving the Chester Night Shed driver palpitations as he/she tries to work out how to fit a quart into a pint pot.

It's ironic that for morning travel to Holyhead and for evening travel back from, the Sunday hours of service are now longer than any other day.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Don’t draw attention to it, otherwise they may cancel the 2256 and 0040 trains west of Chester to balance it up to give a crap late evening service in both directions….!!

It's not totally unusual. The last train to London from Bournemouth and around there is really quite early, about 2100 if I recall, and the last one the other way much later (around midnight).

 

[DelW]

It’s similar on the Cambrian. Last train from Aberystwyth beyond Machynlleth is 19:30 whilst last train from Shrewsbury is 21:50 and last train from Aberystwyth to Machynlleth is 23:30.

I presume that late train from Aber is the stock off the last down service going back to Mach depot for the night?

If it's going anyway (and has a guard on board), it might as well carry a few pub-goers back to Bow Street and Borth.

 

[Lurcheroo]

Microsoft Forms

forms.office.com

Whilst not specifically about the timetable review, TFW have got a short 5 question form asking for feedback if anyone is interested.

 

[Tom125]

Microsoft Forms

forms.office.com

Whilst not specifically about the timetable review, TFW have got a short 5 question form asking for feedback if anyone is interested.

Filled this in with pleasure because the service has been absolutely appalling this week

 

[Lurcheroo]

Filled this in with pleasure because the service has been absolutely appalling this week

Good! Lots of people need to fill it in a give TFW as much feedback (good and bad) as possible.

Obviously, if all you did was complain about the overcrowding and cancellations this week then whilst good you filled it in, it won’t change anything because TFW are well aware of those issues and are working on them as fast as possible.
Hopefully you also gave constructive things that you think would make thing’s genuinely better.

 

[vicbury]

Filled this in with pleasure because the service has been absolutely appalling this week

Likewise. What do you think of when you hear about Transport for Wales? Awful.

 

[Kite159]

Is the feedback formed linked to a printer above a shredder for anything negative?

 

[Jez]

Microsoft Forms

forms.office.com

Whilst not specifically about the timetable review, TFW have got a short 5 question form asking for feedback if anyone is interested.

I completed this and complimented TFW on both the 197s which i personally think are excellent and also the First class offering on the MK4s. However I did say it was very disappointing there still isn't 5 cars on most Swansea to Cardiff/Manchester (even though I fully understand why this isn't possible!) It's still totally unacceptable IMO even though there isn't much they can do about it at the moment.

 

[Lurcheroo]

I completed this and complimented TFW on both the 197s which i personally think are excellent and also the First class offering on the MK4s. However I did say it was very disappointing there still isn't 5 cars on most Swansea to Cardiff/Manchester (even though I fully understand why this isn't possible!) It's still totally unacceptable IMO even though there isn't much they can do about it at the moment.

Totally understandable! This last week there has been a software update on the 197’s which should provide the much needed changes to the ASDO system to allow for 5 cars to be cleared Shrewbury - Manchester.
Wether or not they have enough units to do that at this time is another story!
Even if getting it cleared meant that there could be more 3 and 4 cars and less 2 cars that would be a help.

 

[childwallblues]

I think at Cardiff they are very reluctant to hold connections due to how busy Cardiff is - basically if we ignore the Valley Lines/Cardiff Local platforms there is only 5 platforms (and you could argue that 0 is more limited use) with the amount of terminating and through trains there is very little margin for error.

However I do think when its literally a few minutes it should be held. Otherwise TFW are just increasing the amount of customer complaints and delay repay.

Some guards are very good at walking through the train checking on connections, others however are not.

At Swansea they are very good at holding connections but its a bit easier there as a lot less busy than Cardiff.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Apr 2024 ==


I cant see them replacing Cardiff-Holyhead with Cardiff to Liverpool even though more through journeys would be made to Liverpool I think. TFW see the South to North Wales service as their flagship service along with Cardiff-Manchester.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Apr 2024 ==


Well TFW should have plenty of 197s when they are all in service. The Cambrian/Birmingham routes will all be covered with the remaining 2 cars to come into service. Plus when Maesteg/Ebbw Vale and Cheltenham moves to 231s there should be those allocated to do Pembroke Dock and Swanline.

There are a lot of passengers changing at Crewe off Cardiff-Manchester trains who board the following LNW trains to Liverpool and vice versa.

 

[Woolos 22]

In the dec 2024 time table the ebbw vale to Newport lose most of the connection to Swindon are the train arrive 3 mins to make the train . So much for help fot people commuting to bristol parkway Swindon and London no having to wait 33 mins for the train.

 

[Anonymous10]

In the dec 2024 time table the ebbw vale to Newport lose most of the connection to Swindon are the train arrive 3 mins to make the train . So much for help fot people commuting to bristol parkway Swindon and London no having to wait 33 mins for the train.

I suppose you could always contact tfw about it so it could be amended in a future timetable.

 

[Bikeman78]

In the dec 2024 time table the ebbw vale to Newport lose most of the connection to Swindon are the train arrive 3 mins to make the train . So much for help fot people commuting to bristol parkway Swindon and London no having to wait 33 mins for the train.

Bizarrely, the WTT arrival is at xx26 which would connect but the public arrival is two minutes later. The Ebbw Vale train should run first from Gaer Junction through the tunnel into Newport so it should make 90% of the time.

 

[Tom125]

It does seem like TfW want Newport to Ebbw Vale to fail. Half the services are cancelled on a daily basis, the trains they put on the line are 1 coach rust buckets from the 80s and I don’t see how you promote and grow a market by doing those things. It’s all so so sad.

 

[The exile]

It does seem like TfW want Newport to Ebbw Vale to fail. Half the services are cancelled on a daily basis, the trains they put on the line are 1 coach rust buckets from the 80s and I don’t see how you promote and grow a market by doing those things. It’s all so so sad.

The alternative at the moment would have been not to launch it at all. Genuine question - which is better?

 

[Tom125]

The alternative at the moment would have been not to launch it at all. Genuine question - which is better?

But the question that should be asked is why is that the situation at the moment? From my passenger perspective I’ve stopped using the Ebbw Vale to Newport service, I’m using the car so it’s probably worse in my opinion to run a half service because you lose the confidence of passengers, who at the end of the day the railway should serve.

 

[Lurcheroo]

It does seem like TfW want Newport to Ebbw Vale to fail. Half the services are cancelled on a daily basis, the trains they put on the line are 1 coach rust buckets from the 80s and I don’t see how you promote and grow a market by doing those things. It’s all so so sad.

They really don’t want it to fail. Fleet delays along with 150’s withdrawals and availability of other fleets (I.e 158’s, 197’s, 230’s, MK4’s) being below the required levels to cover their own workings mean that it’s all a headache for TFW with almost no remaining ‘good’ options.

Sometimes they have to shortform or cancel services and they’ve assessed that the Ebbwvale- Newport ones make sense.

 

[Tom125]

They really don’t want it to fail. Fleet delays along with 150’s withdrawals and availability of other fleets (I.e 158’s, 197’s, 230’s, MK4’s) being below the required levels to cover their own workings mean that it’s all a headache for TFW with almost no remaining ‘good’ options.

Sometimes they have to shortform or cancel services and they’ve assessed that the Ebbwvale- Newport ones make sense.

And I appreciate the nuances it’s just depressing as a passenger right now and not at all pleasant. Perhaps it would be better to run an emergency timetable so people know where they are.

 

[Krokodil]

The 153 which should have formed the Newport-Ebbw Vale service this morning was commandeered to cover for a Cheltenham-bound 150 which failed on shed. The 150 fleet are one-by-one reaching the end of their economic lives but are still having to cover for 197s which are in turn covering for unavailable 158s. The only reason that 197s are being diagrammed for Cheltenham in the first place is that the 231s are busy covering for 756s and those 756s should be covering for 398s but aren't ready yet either so the remaining 150s are being stretched very far at the moment.

 

[Dai Corner]

Meanwhile Stagecoach provide at least four buses an hour on the urban part of the route between Newport and Newbridge.

One wonders what will happen after bus services are franchised. Will they reduce the buses in order to fill the trains?

 

[Lurcheroo]

And I appreciate the nuances it’s just depressing as a passenger right now and not at all pleasant. Perhaps it would be better to run an emergency timetable so people know where they are.

I appreciate that.
Not sure if penalties are applied to them if they do that, which may be why they haven’t.

I’m sure once things settle down that will be come a well used route either way and the woes we have now will be forgotten.

 

[Dai Corner]

Not sure if penalties are applied to them if they do that, which may be why they haven’t.

The Welsh Government penalising it's own wholly-owned TOC?

 

[Lurcheroo]

The Welsh Government penalising it's own wholly-owned TOC?

Surely applied by the DFT to TFW (if they exist)