WAG Express Issues.

[tbtc]

150's run on 4 days on the Conwy Valley at the moment, will be daily in 2 weeks, whilst 150's run on the Borderlands line, i.e Wrexham-Bidston

Thanks for confirming.

I'd ony seen 153s on these two lines (doubled up on the Conwy route), but I obviously lack the local knowledge.

 

[merlodlliw]

Thanks for confirming.

I'd ony seen 153s on these two lines (doubled up on the Conwy route), but I obviously lack the local knowledge.

Wrexham to Bidston use 150s, also 150s can be seen between Shrewsbury
and Wrexham, this evenings 2049 Wrexham to Shrewsbury will be a 150.

 

[merlodlliw]

Is Virgin stock 57 still pulling the Wag?, I note its not failed since they put
a Virgin 57 on it "to the rescue" is very apt

 

[HSTfan!!!]

150s are used very very occasionally on CDF-MAN services but thats usually when we are very short of stock through failures/displacement of the fleet, also usually on the last CDF - Shrewsbury on a friday night.

 

[TDK]

Arriva didn't want to run it at all, but like was said didn't have a lot of choice, and then there was talk of a 180 running it (quite logical with the similiarities with the 175 fleet) before we even got stuck with this 57 joke. Fortunately reliability has improved somewhat since it started but I'd still say its far from perfect. Read on the internal notices last night that 175 failures are steadily decreasing which is good news, and it anything the bulk of faults and failures in the control logs seems to be related to the pacer fleets if anything.

There isn't any point running a 125mph train over a route with a maximum speed of 90mph so 180's were illogical. They really should have run it with 67's and DVT's so they could change ends at Chester and used the path available via Wrexham

 

[merlodlliw]

There isn't any point running a 125mph train over a route with a maximum speed of 90mph so 180's were illogical. They really should have run it with 67's and DVT's so they could change ends at Chester and used the path available via Wrexham

That is what W/S surgested, however ATW were always going to be the prefered bidder,the female head of rail performance at the Assembley
living with the CEO of ATW made sure of that, so no vested interest.

It is also very obvious ATW have a dislike of Wrexham due to the overwelming
support given to W/S by the locals, my opinion on the ground. Its all history
now, if ATW wanted to run"The Wag Express" via Wrexham there was a path available,after all thats what £7600 a day "All Wales Express" subsidy was ment for.

 

[tbtc]

ATW were always going to be the prefered bidder

Since the politicians insisted on the artificial "all Wales" franchise (rather than having North Western running the Llandudno services, Central running the Aberystwyth and Wales & West/ Valley Lines in the south), so that all Welsh services were in one TOC, it'd have been strange to then award a Welsh service like this to another company.

 

[merlodlliw]

Since the politicians insisted on the artificial "all Wales" franchise (rather than having North Western running the Llandudno services, Central running the Aberystwyth and Wales & West/ Valley Lines in the south), so that all Welsh services were in one TOC, it'd have been strange to then award a Welsh service like this to another company.

Wag Express was an open tender advertised to rail companies,three
gave expressions of interest, Grand Central,W/S and ATW. It was advertised as funded seperate from the All Wales franchise.

ATW was always going to win the contract, forces within & outside WAG ensured that,so we have the Wag Express run by vested interests, also
it took a lot of opposition politicians,the press and public, to force the
Minister to announce the subsidy for this train, £7600 for one round trip.

The all Wales franchise was a political move without realising the consequence, As I said before when Central ran services Chester via Wrexham
to Birmingham, we had brand new Bombardier stock, now with ATW we have
clapped out 158s & 150s on this line to Shrewsbury & Birmingham, 2 coach winter and summer,dirty/overcrowded and a disgrace. We also seem to forget ATW like all TOCs are in it for the money and not it would appear with any social care, and run from Cardiff.

Thank goodness for W/S, at least we have a choice of a clean comfortable
service now.

 

[175001]

150s are used very very occasionally on CDF-MAN services but thats usually when we are very short of stock through failures/displacement of the fleet, also usually on the last CDF - Shrewsbury on a friday night.

I had the pleasure of 150283 from CDF to Llandudno Jct a week last Sunday

 

[TDK]

Since the politicians insisted on the artificial "all Wales" franchise (rather than having North Western running the Llandudno services, Central running the Aberystwyth and Wales & West/ Valley Lines in the south), so that all Welsh services were in one TOC, it'd have been strange to then award a Welsh service like this to another company.

That seems contradictory considering ATW are attempting to run to London and aleging that they are going to fund it without WAG money, I can see ATW really peeing the WAG off soon. I think ATW need to concentrate on the routes they already run and using the money to completely referb the units they have instead of just changing seat covers and the centre carpet strip.

 

[merlodlliw]

That seems contradictory considering ATW are attempting to run to London and aleging that they are going to fund it without WAG money, I can see ATW really peeing the WAG off soon. I think ATW need to concentrate on the routes they already run and using the money to completely referb the units they have instead of just changing seat covers and the centre carpet strip.

I fully agree, ATW going to London using 158s is a joke, these spare capacity
158s should be used in the franchise area, I was meeting a colleague off the
1.30pm ex Wrexham to Birm Int today,it was a 158 the paint was peeling from the coaches(silver) and in need of a wash, colleague said the w/cs were disgusting.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I had the pleasure of 150283 from CDF to Llandudno Jct a week last Sunday

It really needs sorting, a few stops on a 150 like Wrexham/Chester is bearable
but cardiff to Junction, well ATW should have paid you to travel.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I thought it was bad enough that FGW used to sometimes run a 150 on the 10:00-11:00 ish Penzance to Cardiff stopping service when the direct service ran up until a year or so ago.

Wales & Borders used to run a single 153 all the way from Milford Haven, though to Penzance, with a 158 from Manchester Piccadilly, attached at Newport.

Milford Haven to Penzance, on a 153? No thanks!!

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I thought it was bad enough that FGW used to sometimes run a 150 on the 10:00-11:00 ish Penzance to Cardiff stopping service when the direct service ran up until a year or so ago.

Wales & Borders used to run a single 153 all the way from Milford Haven, though to Penzance, with a 158 from Manchester Piccadilly, attached at Newport.

Milford Haven to Penzance, on a 153? No thanks!!

crikey I remember them doing that many years ago, I managed to get a ride on a shunt move to the tunnel and back to allow a HST to pass through due to the one from milford being late I believe.

 

[Mojo]

I thought it was bad enough that FGW used to sometimes run a 150 on the 10:00-11:00 ish Penzance to Cardiff stopping service when the direct service ran up until a year or so ago.

Wales & Borders used to run a single 153 all the way from Milford Haven, though to Penzance, with a 158 from Manchester Piccadilly, attached at Newport.

Milford Haven to Penzance, on a 153? No thanks!!

Was that the one that used to divide at Temple Meads? I remember doing in November 2005 to cover the Maindee curve, it was a 158 and a 153 that came into Temple Meads and divided, with the 158 going to Manchester, avoiding Newport, with the 153 going onto Milford Haven.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Yeah, that sounds about right, as I don't really remember the northbound equivalent dividing at Newport.