TfW Class 170's

[anamyd]

It looks like there are 5 sets out today. 272, 273, 201, 207 and 208

There we go, thanks for letting me know Lets see which one breaks down first

 

[codfish]

170201 arriving at Chepstow this morning, the 0945 service to Cheltenham Spa. The resolution isn't great, sorry.

 

[anamyd]

170201 arriving at Chepstow this morning, the 0945 service to Cheltenham Spa. The resolution isn't great, sorry.
View attachment 71628

It's still a good shot, thanks for sharing Technically the next service on the board to Nottingham is also a 170

 

[Jamesrob637]

170201 arriving at Chepstow this morning, the 0945 service to Cheltenham Spa. The resolution isn't great, sorry.
View attachment 71628

It's on time too: what are the railways playing at? I hope it waited at least five minutes in the platform in order to incur at least some sort of delay. In fact, surprised it wasn't cancelled
This plus 158 should be the minimum industry standard by the time we welcome in the 2030s in a decade's time. Excepting the little thing that operates in Stourbridge as that's like a mile's ride.

 

[anamyd]

This plus 158 should be the minimum industry standard by the time we welcome in the 2030s in a decade's time. Excepting the little thing that operates in Stourbridge as that's like a mile's ride.

I agree; with the Pacers gone in the early 2020s, the rest of the decade is when I can see at least some 150s/153s/156s etc starting to be withdrawn themselves, for example the likes of Northern taking on what will be the ex-TfW 158s and 175s, making the older 15x units they displaced surplus to requirements

 

[Jez]

Good to see that they are in service. Looking forward to travelling on one soon hopefully, most likely early January. I think my best chance of travelling on one is using the Maesteg train from Cardiff to Bridgend and then changing for a Swansea/West Wales train at Bridgend.

 

[anamyd]

@Jez I'm going to try and get a ride on at least one in the new year myself

 

[anamyd]

https://mobile.twitter.com/anamyd1/status/1206592468675973121

@tfwrail Class 170 DMUs nos. 170208 and 170201 at Cardiff Central after 2pm on the 16/12/19, before working the 1434 Ebbw Vale Town and 1418 Maesteg services. 170207 was also seen on the 1436 Bridgend and I heard that a couple of 2-car versions have been in service on the day

 

[Icky Qualms]

There we go, thanks for letting me know Lets see which one breaks down first

I'd be surprised if that happens, they were very reliable units here in GA

 

[anamyd]

I'd be surprised if that happens, they were very reliable units here in GA

They mostly seem to be behaving, just 202 down I think

 

[anamyd]

CDF 170s 16/12/19 (2pm to 4pm):

• TfW 170208 TfW logos 1434 Ebbw Vale Town (platform 0)
• TfW 170207 TfW logos 1436 Bridgend (platform 3)
• XC 170104 1445 Nottingham (platform 2)
• TfW 170201 TfW logos 1518 Maesteg (platform 3)
  
• TfW 170272 TfW logos 1534 Ebbw Vale Town (platform 0)
• XC 170114 1545 Nottingham (platform 2)
• TfW 170273 TfW logos 1618 Maesteg (platform 3)

A total of 7 170s (5x TfW and 2x XC) in 2 hours at Cardiff Central today. Not bad!

I noticed that with the TfW ones, some people were sitting in the (former...?) first class cabins, and no PIS systems were in use seemingly

 

[Mrs. Fortescue]

I noticed that with the TfW ones, some people were sitting in the (former...?) first class cabins

Why wouldn't they? They are seats on the train and they are declassified. Are you expecting staff to tell people they cannot sit there?

 

[Jez]

CDF 170s 16/12/19 (2pm to 4pm):

• TfW 170208 TfW logos 1434 Ebbw Vale Town (platform 0)
• TfW 170207 TfW logos 1436 Bridgend (platform 3)
• XC 170104 1445 Nottingham (platform 2)
• TfW 170201 TfW logos 1518 Maesteg (platform 3)
  
• TfW 170272 TfW logos 1534 Ebbw Vale Town (platform 0)
• XC 170114 1545 Nottingham (platform 2)
• TfW 170273 TfW logos 1618 Maesteg (platform 3)

A total of 7 170s (5x TfW and 2x XC) in 2 hours at Cardiff Central today. Not bad!

I noticed that with the TfW ones, some people were sitting in the (former...?) first class cabins, and no PIS systems were in use seemingly

Thanks for the info. that's great news! I guess the 1436 to Bridgend is one from Ebbw Vale that is being extended to Bridgend?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

https://mobile.twitter.com/anamyd1/status/1206592468675973121

View attachment 71632

Very nice, damn though Transport for Wales twitter are busy people, surprised they didn’t get the hump they do when I message them with genuine enquiries

it does irritate me that the grey strip from the Greater Anglia livery wasn’t removed. It’s not uniform with the rest of the refurbished fleet.

 

[anamyd]

Thanks for the info. that's great news! I guess the 1436 to Bridgend is one from Ebbw Vale that is being extended to Bridgend?

welcome yes it is one of those; I knew there are about 3 different types of Bridgend services so I should've been clearer, sorry!

 

[anamyd]

Why wouldn't they? They are seats on the train and they are declassified. Are you expecting staff to tell people they cannot sit there?

I mentioned it because there didn't seem to be anything to say that they were declassified and seemed to be obvious to those passengers, unless they had been told by the guard / staff.

 

[anamyd]

Have any other TfW 170s been out in passenger service other than 170201/(202)/207/208/272/273 yet...? I can't be in Cardiff every day

 

[tomos dafis]

Had my first ride(s) on TFW 170's today. 170 201 Cardiff - Bridgend on a Cardiff - Maesteg service - all was well. Had seen 170 273 waiting to depart Cardiff - Ebbw Vale at Central. Rode back to Cardiff on 170 208 which arrived Bridgend 12 minutes late from Ebbw Vale to work straight back (planned working) to Ebbw Vale. Ten minutes from Cardiff we stopped suddenly and quite abruptly (for a train) in no man's land. Immediately the PA announced a sudden unexpected braking with no cause for alarm and we were on our way again within 3 minutes. Predictably, it was then announced that the service would terminate at Cardiff as 'this train requires maintenance'. So after 202 failed yesterday, 208 failed today. All is not plain sailing on the TFW 170 front!

 

[tomos dafis]

Have any other TfW 170s been out in passenger service other than 170201/(202)/207/208/272/273 yet...? I can't be in Cardiff every day

There is one 3-car 170 in a siding behind the shed at Pullmans canton which has no TFW/WB branding yet so appears to be not yet in service - the front of another 170 can be seen at one entrance to the Pullman canton shed so is presumably inside for work.

 

[33017]

I mentioned it because there didn't seem to be anything to say that they were declassified and seemed to be obvious to those passengers, unless they had been told by the guard / staff.

How much is a first class return from Cardiff to Ebbw Vale?

 

[tomos dafis]

How much is a first class return from Cardiff to Ebbw Vale?

Having purchased a ticket from Ebbw Vale to Bridgend today I can confirm that no first class options are available for sale on these services !

 

[tomos dafis]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K05876/2019-12-17/detailed

Was this possibly a cancelled transfer of the last 3-car ex GA 170 for TFW from Central Rivers to Tyseley?

 

[anamyd]

How much is a first class return from Cardiff to Ebbw Vale?

Not sure what you're trying to imply there but the doors to the cabins have GA-looking printed stickers on them saying "First Class", yet there was seemingly no reluctance from the passengers who were sitting in them to do so, though (as I said before) they could've asked / been told that they're declassified. I'm surprised that no effort has been made to change the signage...

 

[anamyd]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K05876/2019-12-17/detailed

Was this possibly a cancelled transfer of the last 3-car ex GA 170 for TFW from Central Rivers to Tyseley?

Possibly, though I thought that was the day it ("205") was going from Tyseley to Central Rivers, not the other way round!

 

[anamyd]

Having purchased a ticket from Ebbw Vale to Bridgend today I can confirm that no first class options are available for sale on these services !

Of course not. I wouldn't have necessarily thought that to the average person that would mean you can just walk through a door that says "First Class" on it though. I was reading in the Northern 170s thread that, as they came from ScotRail (pre-refurb), those /4s had declassified First Class cabins and the signage on those hadn't been changed either, but some people were reluctant to walk through the door. Therefore, I find it odd that with TfW's ex-GA ones, same case, there doesn't seem to be any such reluctance so I'm not really sure what's with the kind of responses I've been getting here.

 

[anamyd]

https://mobile.twitter.com/anamyd1/status/1206592468675973121

View attachment 71632

Does anyone here actually like this...? I'm quite proud of the shot myself and I've had a few people give me positive feedback on it, just no one on here!

 

[anamyd]

There is one 3-car 170 in a siding behind the shed at Pullmans canton which has no TFW/WB branding yet so appears to be not yet in service - the front of another 170 can be seen at one entrance to the Pullman canton shed so is presumably inside for work.

...so we reckon not...? thanks though

 

[TheEdge]

As someone who moved from the South Wales borders to Norfolk to drive trains its quite odd to see the units I drove only a few months ago now where I used to spend time as a kid...

 

[ValleyLines142]

Regarding First Class, several people have tweeted TFW to ask about whether it's declassified and they confirmed it is. To be fair, it should be pretty self explanatory, as there are no first class fares for the route!

Had my first journey on one yesterday, 170272 on the 1747 from Llanharan, although it was ten minutes late (which isn't anything new on the Maesteg route; don't think I've ever caught a train from Llanharan or Pontyclun that's been on time). Have to say, the seats are remarkably more comfortable than XC's units! Or is it just me? I can't tell. But I really enjoyed my journey and felt I could have done long-distance on it. At Cardiff it got further delayed (possibly waiting for crew elsewhere), and a quick check on Real Time Trains shows it terminated at Gloucester 25 minutes late.

The First Class section on the 3 car units looks much more welcoming than that on the 2 car units mind.

05:53 to Maesteg has just gone past my house now this morning and that was a Turbo.

 

[Mrs. Fortescue]

Does anyone here actually like this...? I'm quite proud of the shot myself and I've had a few people give me positive feedback on it, just no one on here!

Begging for praise is never a good look.