WMR Class 196 Build and Implementation

[barbette165]

Since the introduction of the 196's on the Nuckle line the performance has fallen off a cliff.

This Monday to Friday only Wednesday had a full service, today is particularly bad with 22 out of 36 departures from Kenilworth being cancelled. Most cancellations have cited train crew issues as the reason although a few have blamed problem with the train doors.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Kenilworth all day on 23/06/2023

Train information at Kenilworth all day on 23/06/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

There currently doesn't seem to be enough 196 trained crew to provide a robust service on this line.

Is having the Nuckle as a 196 island really a sensible strategy? Wouldn't it be better to leave Nuckle as 172's and have an occasional 196 on the Snow Hill lines, operated by Worcester based crew, if there are insufficient 172s?

 

[AJDesiro]

Since the introduction of the 196's on the Nuckle line the performance has fallen off a cliff.

This Monday to Friday only Wednesday had a full service, today is particularly bad with 22 out of 36 departures from Kenilworth being cancelled. Most cancellations have cited train crew issues as the reason although a few have blamed problem with the train doors.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Kenilworth all day on 23/06/2023

Train information at Kenilworth all day on 23/06/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

There currently doesn't seem to be enough 196 trained crew to provide a robust service on this line.

Is having the Nuckle as a 196 island really a sensible strategy? Wouldn't it be better to leave Nuckle as 172's and have an occasional 196 on the Snow Hill lines, operated by Worcester based crew, if there are insufficient 172s?

I do wonder if they’re incorrectly citing cancellation reasons out of embarrassment, what I’ve heard is that there’s quite a lot of issues with reliability, that they have a habit of “just shutting down and not coming back on.”

 

[barbette165]

I do wonder if they’re incorrectly citing cancellation reasons out of embarrassment, what I’ve heard is that there’s quite a lot of issues with reliability, that they have a habit of “just shutting down and not coming back on.”

It's possible, but this morning the West Midlands Railway website was was warning of major problems on the line before any trains had been cancelled.

 

[Liam L]

Is having the Nuckle as a 196 island really a sensible strategy? Wouldn't it be better to leave Nuckle as 172's and have an occasional 196 on the Snow Hill lines, operated by Worcester based crew, if there are insufficient 172s?

Yes it's sensible, because releasing the 172s onto to core Snow Hill service and providing more carriages into Birmingham.

Hopefully reliability of the service improves as the 196s bed in more and more crews are trained if train crew is a issue.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Yes it's sensible, because releasing the 172s onto to core Snow Hill service and providing more carriages into Birmingham.

Hopefully reliability of the service improves as the 196s bed in more and more crews are trained if train crew is a issue.

Is the only real train crew issue a lack of thorough familiarity leading to failing units on things that really experienced crew know how to get round ?.
Or is it a lack of train crew passed to operate the 196s ?.
Or is it a simple lack of train crew of any sort ?.

 

[newtownmgr]

Is the only real train crew issue a lack of thorough familiarity leading to failing units on things that really experienced crew know how to get round ?.
Or is it a lack of train crew passed to operate the 196s ?.
Or is it a simple lack of train crew of any sort ?.

Mixture of the last 2 i believe.

 

[HST274]

Yesterday there seemed to be a lot of cancellations on the Birmingham Hereford line (like 60% at least, definitely in the afternoon). Is that just train crew issues all impacting on the same day, or could it be to do with the 196 diagrams?

 

[The_Train]

Yesterday there seemed to be a lot of cancellations on the Birmingham Hereford line (like 60% at least, definitely in the afternoon). Is that just train crew issues all impacting on the same day, or could it be to do with the 196 diagrams?

Was that more to do with the "slight" mishap that occurred at New Street?

 

[GWVillager]

Was that more to do with the "slight" mishap that occurred at New Street?

What was this?

 

[The_Train]

What was this?

6 car routed into the bay platform which I believe caused a bit of a problem.....

 

[JonathanH]

1650 to Hereford didn't run today, with the pair of 196s running empty to Tyseley. 1750 was a pair of 196s.

 

[HST274]

6 car routed into the bay platform which I believe caused a bit of a problem.....

Oh I see. I don't think that was the issue, as other trains did run and it cited crew issues.

 

[Undiscovered]

I'm pretty certain 105 has run in passenger service It's noted in my logbook.Just one solitary entry, but it's there.

 

[HST274]

196006 struggling alone on the 1820 Birmingham New Street to Hereford. Train needed a reset at Droitwich and the guard said when it finally set off neither he nor the driver knew how it was running, given whatever issues had been there. Thankfully due to the 9 minute scheduled wait at Droitwich it was only ten late in the end. The fact it was 196006 alone though also points to an issue with 196003 which it had been with this morning.

 

[Class172]

Doesn’t look like a particularly good start to the day today, the first two departures from Hereford to New St are cancelled due to train faults.

 

[william.martin]

I'm pretty certain 105 has run in passenger service It's noted in my logbook.Just one solitary entry, but it's there.

Do you know when you saw it and was it moving or at a platform?

 

[GWVillager]

Doesn’t look like a particularly good start to the day today, the first two departures from Hereford to New St are cancelled due to train faults.

Presumably these are 196s? Does this mean another diagram has gone over then (if it runs, that is)?

 

[The_Train]

I'm pretty certain 105 has run in passenger service It's noted in my logbook.Just one solitary entry, but it's there.

I certainly have record of it being out on test, but never in service. Could you have logged it having seen it on a test run?

 

[Matt1981]

The diagram from Hereford that arrives at New Street just after 9 then goes empty to Tyseley was cancelled this morning. 08.50 New Street - Hereford was a 3 car 172 rather than the usual pair of 196s

 

[Jacob Porrett]

196101 was on the 0741 Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury (off Telford Central) this morning. Running late however by 6 minutes I think.

 

[Spaceship323]

Is the only real train crew issue a lack of thorough familiarity leading to failing units on things that really experienced crew know how to get round ?.
Or is it a lack of train crew passed to operate the 196s ?.
Or is it a simple lack of train crew of any sort ?.

It seems to be a problem with the doors mostly, twice now I've had to wait on board at Nuneaton for the doors to be released, this involves shutting down the engines and doing a re-boot of the system before the doors will open...I've missed my connection to Leicester due to the delay.

 

[HST274]

Every Time the trains stop at a station, it does seem to take a long time for the guard to open the doors.

The diagram from Hereford that arrives at New Street just after 9 then goes empty to Tyseley was cancelled this morning. 08.50 New Street - Hereford was a 3 car 172 rather than the usual pair of 196s

I believe that is likely due to the issues with 006 and 003 from yesterday.

 

[Undiscovered]

I certainly have record of it being out on test, but never in service. Could you have logged it having seen it on a test run?

No. It's logged because I worked it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Jun 2023 ==

Do you know when you saw it and was it moving or at a platform?

 

[SuperLuke2334]

196012 is in service today on Hereford to Birminghams, first day?

 

[GWVillager]

196012 is in service today on Hereford to Birminghams, first day?

On its own?

 

[SuperLuke2334]

On its own?

No with 003.

 

[Techniquest]

196012 is in service today on Hereford to Birminghams, first day?

Oh nice, I might just have to go out for 012 later! Thanks for the gen

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Oh nice, I might just have to go out for 012 later! Thanks for the gen

Should be on the 1440 off Hereford next all going to plan.

 

[Techniquest]

Should be on the 1440 off Hereford next all going to plan.

Indeed, and frustratingly not long before my second load of washing will be finished My fault for wanting to get the chores done ASAP!

All being well, I'll be on the 1440 anyway and it'll be combined with some adventuring. Only on foot though, I have a rear tyre on the Blue Beauty that's got to be replaced before she can go out again. The Beast, she's still sidelined from awaiting finances for new parts! If the weather's good enough for it, I feel there may be a walking expedition in Malvern coming up

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jun 2023 ==

196012 is indeed with 196003 on the 1440 Hereford-Birmingham New Street, I finally have a data signal that actually works for more than 2 seconds!

Photos attached are 196012 at Hereford, a selfie and my Pumpkin coffee cup at Hereford. That sugary coffee was basically my lunch for a post-power-walk recovery

 

[Liam L]

196012 is in service today on Hereford to Birminghams, first day?

yep, was its first day.