TfW withdrawals (Now just 150/158s to go)

[Armchair Bob]

In the long term diagrams (May to September) there are only a few booked workings for the non AT 153 sets from memory. I believe a pair doing one of the Ebbw Vale to Newports and a few on Swanline/West Wales services. Its just as well they have them to cover as today there seems to be lots of Sprinters out - every service out of Ebbw Vale is a Sprinter, both to Maesteg and Newport. Plus there is a pair of 153s on one of the Cheltenham's and quite a few Swanline/West Wales workings are either 150, 153 pairs or AT 153s.

The diagrams for the 3+9 sets are on post #1978. One starts as the short working from Swansea to Llandovery; another starts as Carmarthen to Fishguard; the third goes from Cardiff to Ebbw Vale and works the even hours Newports.
The diagrams for the AT sets are 2 starting from Shrewsbury, 1 from Carmarthen and 1 from Swansea.
Recently there have been 4 AT sets and 5 3+9 sets in service which is a lot better, and so theoretically all HoW could be ATs as intended and the 3+9s could cover their booked work with 2 units to spare to help cover Cheltenham, Maesteg or Pembroke as they have been noted doing lately.
Another pair of each coming back into traffic would massively help the current situation therefore.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2026 ==

I’m 99.9999% sure I had 320 with 935 a few weeks ago, working an Ebbw Vale Town to Cardiff Central service. Didn’t take a photo so no opportunity to confirm it now.

Yes, 320 was out and about Mon, Tue and Wed last week, but not seen since.

 

[Jez]

The diagrams for the 3+9 sets are on post #1978. One starts as the short working from Swansea to Llandovery; another starts as Carmarthen to Fishguard; the third goes from Cardiff to Ebbw Vale and works the even hours Newports.

Thanks I just went back to that post to look.

There seems to have been 153s (and 150s) covering on a lot more services than that however. Maesteg and Ebbw Vale has been almost 100% Sprinters in the last few weeks!

The Heart of Wales also seems to be a mix of 150s and AT sets with the occasional 153 pair as well. Even though its booked to be all AT sets.

 

[Armchair Bob]

Thanks I just went back to that post to look.

There seems to have been 153s (and 150s) covering on a lot more services than that however. Maesteg and Ebbw Vale has been almost 100% Sprinters in the last few weeks!

The Heart of Wales also seems to be a mix of 150s and AT sets with the occasional 153 pair as well. Even though its booked to be all AT sets.

Ideally a set would start off on diagram 1, followed the next day by 2, then 3 and so on so that every 3/4 days they would be back at the maintenance base for servicing. But because of the shortage of stock, there's a lot of swapping and changing and thus units end up in the wrong place on the cycle. Stabling points sometimes do not have the right type of train available and have to make do as best they can, resulting in what we are seeing on a regular basis.
It's all hinging on the class 398s here in the south. Once they begin to enter squadron service on the TAM lines, 756s will move onto Rhymney and 231s then onto probably Cheltenhams at first, alleviating the shortage of 197s and allowing the withdrawal of some 150s. The spare 153 3+9s will provide a back up for this to an extent. Of course everyone wishes it would be that simple!

 

[The Welsh Fish]

On the 26th August I passed canton, 153922 with very shiny bogies was visible by the drs mk2 there. 153327 and 1502** were also seen there out of use

 

[56xx]

150s keeping things going this afternoon at Penarth, Coryton, Caerphilly, Barry Island, Cheltenham as well as Ebbw Vale -Maesteg, Ebbw Vale - Newport, Rhymney - Bridgend.

 

[Jez]

150s keeping things going this afternoon at Penarth, Coryton, Caerphilly, Barry Island, Cheltenham as well as Ebbw Vale -Maesteg, Ebbw Vale - Newport, Rhymney - Bridgend.

Almost all Swanline are 150s or pairs of 153s today too. Apart from the first one this morning and the 1325 from Swansea which are 197s.

All Maesteg's are 150s and most of Cheltenham's too.

 

[DelW]

TfW (and GWR) would be in even worse trouble than they already are, were it not for their elderly Sprinters still soldiering on.

Can they be kept going until their replacement fleets fully enter service and become reliable, assuming that will happen eventually? If they hit hard limits of miles or hours in the meantime, there's little else that could keep services running.

 

[The Welsh Fish]

Anyone know when the next 150 is to be withdrawn?

 

[Bikeman78]

Anyone know when the next 150 is to be withdrawn?

150278 by early October.

 

[The Welsh Fish]

150278 by early October.

Thanks. Do you know when all remaining 150s are scheduled to be withdrawn?