Transport for Wales Rail

[knutstransport]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(10/09/2018 11:42)iMarkeh Wrote:  I fully agree with you there. Boarderlands line and Ffestiniog line could both cope but as you say, it makes sense to have them at Cardiff due to the other pacers.

Why aren't they just taking on more 142/143s? They are all due to be withdrawn at the same time from Northern? The 142/143 the engineers and drivers already know. Though it would take little work to train them on the 144s due to the similarities, surely its safer to stick with the types you have. If they wanted the 3 car, I would understand. Extra carriages without using hybrid but when there are 2 pacers of the same type they already have out there, seems rather daft.

The 2 car 144s are being released from Northern first, possibly because fewer crews sign them than the 142s or possibly because Porterbrook were still hoping to sell 'ePacers' to other franchises at the time the Northern franchise was let.

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(10/09/2018 11:42)iMarkeh Wrote:  Why aren't they just taking on more 142/143s? They are all due to be withdrawn at the same time from Northern? The 142/143 the engineers and drivers already know. Though it would take little work to train them on the 144s due to the similarities, surely its safer to stick with the types you have. If they wanted the 3 car, I would understand. Extra carriages without using hybrid but when there are 2 pacers of the same type they already have out there, seems rather daft.

They're not taking on any Class 143s because GWR still need theirs and Northern are releasing the first batch of Class 144s before the first batch of Class 142s

There aren't any differences between the Class 142/143/144 mechanically. They all have the same Cummins 6-cylinder engine and the Class 143s/144s have the exact same bodywork design. The only difference that I can think of between the Class 143/144s is the builder - the 143s were built by Hunslet/Walter Alexander and the 144s by BREL/Walter Alexander

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(10/09/2018 16:23)iMarkeh Wrote:  Very weird that the 144s are going before 142s. If all the pacers are the exact same, why do crews need to sign them individually?

It's a shame the Epacer hasn't taken off. Instead we have daft futuristic trains which will all have ironing board seats. At least on some pacers you are lucky enough to get a nice springy bench.

I didn't say all Pacers were the exact same - I said they were the same mechanically. All five Pacer classes use the same chassis design and Class 142/143/144s have been re-engined with the same Cummins powerplant. As for your point there are obvious differences between the 142 and the 143/144 which is why they are signed separately

However the Class 143/144 is identical. They have the same bodywork design as I said in my last post - the only significant difference is that there are ten 144s with three carriages. A two car 143 and 144 are the exact same unit but with a different manufacturer

The refurbished Pacer also has "ironing board" seats. However there is a reason there are a large number of DMUs on order at the moment - because they are needed

[knutstransport]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
Wales & Borders have stated the Chester-Liverpool service has been postponed until May 2019 due to them being unable to secure rolling stock for it to start in December this year. Also the Chester-Crewe service will have a longer journey time when the D-Trains take over but Borderlands and Conwy Valley will retain the same journey times.

[childwallblues]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
What a shocker. I have always said that Liverpool-Chestershould have been operated by Northern rather than by ATW and its successor. Northern has received additional 150/153/158/170/319 over the past 12 months without losing any of the Pacers that they are due to replace. Northern surely has sufficient units at the moment to loan Keolis 150s for the new service.

[knutstransport]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
Northern postponed the introduction of some new services for the second time at the May 18 timetable change due to a shortage of DMUs.

[mikestone]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
And despite the cancellations, both planned and ad hoc, they continue to short form so they are clearly promising a service based on an availability the depots cannot achieve.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
The delay to this service starting is very similar to what happened with the Todmorden Curve, I seem to recall that was delayed about 6 months or so due to lack of units. It has to be said, what a way to run a railway.

[Gateacre]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
Surely this should have been known long ago! The public money that has gone into the re-instatment of the Halton Curve will surely give grounds for some further investigation and possible solution to getting the link in December. Not a good start to the new franchise. Always thought it strange that a route that is completly outside of Wales was included in the Wales franchise.

[childwallblues]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
It was well known in 2016 that ATW did not have the units for the service but due to the franchise renewal nothing was done. That is why in my opinion the line should not have been included in the W & B franchise. As Northern and its predecessors had run the parliamentary for years they should have had it.