Transport for Wales Rail

[iMarkeh]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(11/09/2018 16:49)knutstransport Wrote:  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.

Very interesting. Especially given only 2 weeks ago they put in the track access agreement which only has until Dec 2019 on it

I think its good how they have got the D trains. The max speed is just right for the lines (bar Chester - Crewe) and the extra power through Hawarden will be good. I think the 4 doors for loading/unloading will make the dwell time slightly better as well. There does look to be slightly less seating which may disappoint some people but if/when the borderlands goes half hourly, that should be no issue. I can't comment on the Conwy valley line as I haven't been on there but I do like the sound of these D trains.

Could these be the future pacer? By which I mean running on less used lines to keep a service and them being cheaper than sprinters, it may help more lines be opened and existing services enhanced easier.

Quote:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Ra...comparison

[DVG526]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(11/09/2018 16:49)knutstransport Wrote:  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.

Didn’t take long for the bad news that we already knew about to start rolling in. If the ludicrous decision to put them Underground things on the Crewe shuttle goes ahead this will compromise the timetable with their 65 mph top speed. Going to be some very tight turnarounds.

[knutstransport]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(12/09/2018 10:11)DVG526 Wrote:  Didn’t take long for the bad news that we already knew about to start rolling in. If the ludicrous decision to put them Underground things on the Crewe shuttle goes ahead this will compromise the timetable with their 65 mph top speed. Going to be some very tight turnarounds.

It's actually a 60mph top speed and I don't think one has yet been tested at 60mph either so they are relying on computer simulations using a design specification.

[knutstransport]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(12/09/2018 09:19)iMarkeh Wrote:  Very interesting. Especially given only 2 weeks ago they put in the track access agreement which only has until Dec 2019 on it

Remember it was ATW who were requested to submit the track application on behalf of the next franchise by the WG. It probably wasn't a quick and straight forward process.

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(12/09/2018 07:30)mikestone Wrote:  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.

Indeed. Plus there's services with fewer carriages on than before the May timetable change e.g. the c.15:00 Chester to Manchester via Altrincham is now 2 carriages instead of 4 due to the extra set being nabbed for the enhanced Buxton service, while the enhanced Mid-Cheshire service is yet to happen. End result over 200 passengers crushed on to a 2 car 142/150 when it's not even peak time.

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(12/09/2018 08:58)Gateacre Wrote:  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.

The long plan is to extend the service to North Wales.

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(12/09/2018 09:15)childwallblues Wrote:  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.

And if Northern had it, it would probably be on the list of additional services they should have introduced but haven't or if they had introduced it there would have been a revised reduced timetable almost as soon as it started.

[508143]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
Can I ask please if these services are running under the wires from start to finish.

I ask this because with the number of class 319 units still off lease, could this be a good case to reinstate them on these services which would not only give extra carriages on these lines but also an exhaust free service.

This is a good case where electrification would certainly benefit not just a community but also further help clean up the atmosphere free of exhaust emissions.

Northern and GWR took on some 319s ( some of these being converted to tri mode units incorporating diesel drive, 3rd rail and 25Kv ).

My overall ppint is that using these units would increase capacity available on each service and prividing the platforms are long enough then services of 8 coaches could be run and give these services a much needed boost in customers and income.

[knutstransport]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(12/09/2018 13:10)508143 Wrote:  Can I ask please if these services are running under the wires from start to finish.

I ask this because with the number of class 319 units still off lease, could this be a good case to reinstate them on these services which would not only give extra carriages on these lines but also an exhaust free service.

This is a good case where electrification would certainly benefit not just a community but also further help clean up the atmosphere free of exhaust emissions.

Northern and GWR took on some 319s ( some of these being converted to tri mode units incorporating diesel drive, 3rd rail and 25Kv ).

My overall ppint is that using these units would increase capacity available on each service and prividing the platforms are long enough then services of 8 coaches could be run and give these services a much needed boost in customers and income.

Chester to Runcorn is not electrified.

Northern have agreed to take on 8 x 769s (bi-mode 319s) but they were promised them in time to start using them from the May 2018 timetable change, ATW were also supposed to get 5 x 769s a few weeks later. Porterbrook have not yet managed to produce one working and fully tested 769, so it's looking unlikely that any 769s will enter service this year.

[mikestone]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
Path in for tomorrow for the first London Northwestern cl.230 set from Long Marston to Bletchley.

[childwallblues]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders

(12/09/2018 20:55)mikestone Wrote:  Path in for tomorrow for the first London Northwestern cl.230 set from Long Marston to Bletchley.

This post is not in the correct thread is it?

[mikestone]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
Yes - I put it here as an indication that things seemed to be moving on the cl.230 front , although in the event it didn't move!

[childwallblues]

RE: KeolisAmey Wales & Borders
150213 was noted by a friend at Newport on Wednesday morning on the 0721 CDF-HHD. Do not know whether it made it all the way to HHD or was swapped en route.