TfW Class 67+Mk4 sets: trip planning/experiences, diagram updates etc

[Jacob Porrett]

Today at Crewe depot (29/5/25)

67025 connected to HD07

67013 light engine

 

[37052 xb mr]

Only 3 to choose from Saturday & Sunday
016 set 1, 010 set 3, 014 set 5

 

[37052 xb mr]

67016 set 1, 1W57
Going via Chester to Crewe
Then pine at Crewe for 1V46

 

[Lewisham2221]

67016 set 1, 1W57
Going via Chester to Crewe
Then pine at Crewe for 1V46

Points failure at Shrewsbury

 

[Welshguy1048]

Afternoon

Will 1W96 tonight be loco or DVT leading from Chester to Holyhead please ?

Thank you

Dave

 

[37052 xb mr]

Afternoon

Will 1W96 tonight be loco or DVT leading from Chester to Holyhead please ?

Thank you

Dave

DVT leading from Chester 017 is on Manchester end

 

[Welshguy1048]

DVT leading from Chester 017 is on Manchester end

@37052 xb mr

Thank you

Dave

 

[sd0733]

Saturday is planned for 67016+HD01 on the surviving Crewe diagram whilst 67010+HD03 and 67014+HD05 are planned for the Cardiff starts.

Sunday is then planned 67010+HD03 from Cardiff and 67014+HD05 from Crewe.

Things are looking more positive for next week than they were, HD04 is expected to be ready for Monday meaning that 5 diagrams can run (albeit Canton only have 1 set so it will have to have a set swap at Crewe to get it onto the diagram.
HD07 should finish it's B exam on Tuesday then head to the ETD on Wednesday for a tyre turn, so is planned to be back by the tail end of next week.

 

[GW43125]

Hi, apologies if this has been covered before but what's the catering situation on the mk4 sets on a Sunday please?

 

[MP393]

Hi, apologies if this has been covered before but what's the catering situation on the mk4 sets on a Sunday please?

Buffet/shop will be open and host for first class but no hot food available on Sundays. The morning southbound train has hosts all the way from Manchester to Swansea and back, the other set, that starts at Swansea in the morning, picks catering up at Newport - Manchester and back to Newport.

 

[GW43125]

Buffet/shop will be open and host for first class but no hot food available on Sundays. The morning southbound train has hosts all the way from Manchester to Swansea and back, the other set, that starts at Swansea in the morning, picks catering up at Newport - Manchester and back to Newport.

Thanks for that, does that mean coffee and biscuits in 1st or purchase anything you want?

Also I note you don't mention 1W55 14.55 Swansea Manchester-none at all on that one?

 

[BillStampy]

Also I note you don't mention 1W55 14.55 Swansea Manchester-none at all on that one?

The 14.55 is 1W60 and is mentioned and is referred to as the "Southbound train which hosts all the way from Manchester to Swansea and back"

They do offer drinks as I've been on the service before.

 

[GW43125]

The 14.55 is 1W60 and is mentioned and is referred to as the "Southbound train which hosts all the way from Manchester to Swansea and back"

They do offer drinks as I've been on the service before.

Apologies-didn't read the diagram sheets properly. Thanks for your reply

 

[Jez]

Buffet/shop will be open and host for first class but no hot food available on Sundays. The morning southbound train has hosts all the way from Manchester to Swansea and back, the other set, that starts at Swansea in the morning, picks catering up at Newport - Manchester and back to Newport.

I diagree with this if im being totally honest. Catering should be available for the entire journey. Otherwise there is no incentive for Swansea-Manchester passengers to upgrade to first class until Newport. Or anyone going from Swansea to Cardiff. They might as well not bother running it as a MK4 between Swansea-Cardiff if a proper first class cant be provided.

 

[Topological]

I diagree with this if im being totally honest. Catering should be available for the entire journey. Otherwise there is no incentive for Swansea-Manchester passengers to upgrade to first class until Newport. Or anyone going from Swansea to Cardiff. They might as well not bother running it as a MK4 between Swansea-Cardiff if a proper first class cant be provided.

Not sure I agree with the last sentence.

They could declassify

I don't want TfW finding any more reasons to reduce the service from Swansea to Manchester.

 

[BillStampy]

If in a different case, they could run them to Swansea throughout the day and weren't restricted to Cardiff for other factors, logically you'd have a catering base at Swansea for the crews to have breaks and whatnot which would provide the full catering first class service on the Swansea legs, also allowing services such as 1W13 and 1V50 to keep their catering at the start and end of their journeys respectively, as an example. Of course this isn't the case due to the lack of services they're able to provide with the sets without running into problems. This is me briefly brainstorming ideas so take this comment with a grain of salt.

 

[Jez]

Not sure I agree with the last sentence.

They could declassify

I don't want TfW finding any more reasons to reduce the service from Swansea to Manchester.

Me neither! Just can't help feeling Swansea is a bit of an afterthought when it comes to MK4s. Apart from weekends they haven't managed the one service per day in each direction yet.

 

[Topological]

It is almost like they have spent all that money on the A465 and the Pontypool car park so Swansea residents can get up the Marches quicker... Only one average speed camera 50 on the A465 now apparently (do not get me started on the daftness of that).

The fact that there is not a weekday Mk4 in both directions still is amazing. It took so long to reliably get 1W13 and then...

Hopefully 1W13 will get the Canton Mk4 set on Monday and 1W11 will be swapped in at Crewe. Let's see.

 

[Jez]

Yes we waited so long for the morning train to switch to a MK4 and then at the same time they curtailed the evening one at Cardiff. Not even a replacement service to cover it. But i suppose at time of the evening there are plenty of trains with the GWR being half hourly and there is a Swanline leaving more or less the same time.

Is Pontypool close to the A465? I would have thought Abergavenny would be the better option if going up that way as thats right close to the A465. Then again the one time i used Abergavenny in the past the car park was quite small and you had to pay so maybe more of a risk you wouldnt park depending on time of the day. Cwmbran has a larger car park and its free (last time i used it about 3 years ago!). I prefer to get the train direct from Neath or Port Talbot if i can, id only drive part way if it was late at night and a risk id miss the last train/have a long wait at Cardiff.

I noticed at Cardiff yesterday the 1253 was subbed for a 3 car 197 (197125) and the automated announcement said no first class available. My arrival off the 1210 from Port Talbot coincided with this. I have noticed in the hours when there isnt a direct West Wales to Manchester the replacement West Wales to Cardiff is almost always booked for a 2 car 197. On a Saturday this is hugely overcrowded, i didnt get a seat until Bridgend yesterday and indeed i was surprised to get one then. In the past ive got off at Bridgend and switched to the ex Maesteg service! I had intended getting the Swanline but was running a bit late so opted to go to Port Talbot for the 1210. Just as well I did as my chosen Swanline return 1751 ex Cardiff was cancelled and i ended up getting the 1745 Milford Haven, also 2 car and very busy, although i did get a seat. Advice from platform staff was to wait an hour for the 1851 for Swanline stops! No road transport for these stops.

 

[sd0733]

67017+HD06 has been failed over the weekend at Holyhead so wont be fit for service tomorrow.

This now means that 1V91 and 1W57 as far as Crewe (where HD01+67016 are planned to swap in) will be substituted along with the whole diagram 1W13 1V39 1W96. That means no Holyhead finish with HD06 (hopefully) starting there on Tuesday.

HD03 is planned out on 1W11 diagram with HD04 starting in 1V31 and HD05 on 1V33.

 

[37052 xb mr]

67017+HD06 has been failed over the weekend at Holyhead so wont be fit for service tomorrow.

This now means that 1V91 and 1W57 as far as Crewe (where HD01+67016 are planned to swap in) will be substituted along with the whole diagram 1W13 1V39 1W96. That means no Holyhead finish with HD06 (hopefully) starting there on Tuesday.

HD03 is planned out on 1W11 diagram with HD04 starting in 1V31 and HD05 on 1V33.

Thanks

 

[Welshguy1048]

Morning

Is this a 67 going light loco to Holyhead ?

Realtime Trains | 0Z08 1125 Crewe T.M.D. (E) to Holyhead Car. M.D. | 02/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 0Z08 1125 departure from Crewe T.M.D. (E) to Holyhead Car. M.D. on 02/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Dave

 

[FrodshamJnct]

Morning

Is this a 67 going light loco to Holyhead ?

Realtime Trains | 0Z08 1125 Crewe T.M.D. (E) to Holyhead Car. M.D. | 02/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 0Z08 1125 departure from Crewe T.M.D. (E) to Holyhead Car. M.D. on 02/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Dave

67008

 

[Welshguy1048]

67008

@FrodshamJnct

Thank you.

Is it going to rescue 67016 & HD06 ?

Dave

 

[37052 xb mr]

@FrodshamJnct

Thank you.

Is it going to rescue 67016 & HD06 ?

Dave

017 not 016

 

[Welshguy1048]

017 not 016

@37052 xb mr

Ahh - my mistake !

Any idea when the rescue move back to Crewe will be ?

Dave

 

[Welshguy1048]

Afternoon

Is this another 67 - Light Locomotive going to Holyhead tomorrow morning ?

Realtime Trains | 0Z13 0635 Crewe T.M.D. (E) to Holyhead | 03/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 0Z13 0635 departure from Crewe T.M.D. (E) to Holyhead on 03/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Dave

 

[BillStampy]

Afternoon

Is this another 67 - Light Locomotive going to Holyhead tomorrow morning ?

Realtime Trains | 0Z13 0635 Crewe T.M.D. (E) to Holyhead | 03/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 0Z13 0635 departure from Crewe T.M.D. (E) to Holyhead on 03/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Dave

To summarise, 67008 I believe has ran up to swap around with 017. There will not be a rescue return for the set itself but it looks like 013 is heading up to rescue 017.

Long story short, the set itself is fine and 017 needs to be taken back by 013.

 

[Welshguy1048]

To summarise, 67008 I believe has ran up to swap around with 017. There will not be a rescue return for the set itself but it looks like 013 is heading up to rescue 017.

Long story short, the set itself is fine and 017 needs to be taken back by 013.

@BillStampy

Thank you for the clarification.

Appreciate it.

Sorry for all the questions.

Dave

 

[Jacob Porrett]

Today at Crewe depot (2/6/25):

67025 connected to HD07

67013