Great Western Coffee Shop

1. Are they still keeping the quiet carriage but with no advertising?
2. Is it true that not all of the HST's will be repainted?
3. What's happening about the uniforms.
and...
4. When will the 158's go in for refurbishment?

Just a couple of questions that have been on my mind that I'd like to ask.

At TravelWatch SouthWest yesterday, Ben Rule spoke.   I'll post the notes I took shortly.   And I'll follow up with what I know from his presentation and one by Diane Burke I saw a couple of weeks ago.

1. I have heard of no change to quite carriages.   I did use one on Friday evening, and as usual there remains the odd person who feels that the rules apply to everyone except themselves  :D

2. Yes

3. There are one staff wearing prototypes / testing them out at the moment, with the full production runs coming next spring.

4. 158s will be replaced by Turbos on Cardiff / Portsmouth and will the head west, with 143 and 153 units being removed from the franchise.   This will be a 2 phase change at May 2017 and December 2018 on current schedule, and I would anticipate that the 3 car 158-9xx units will revert to being 2 card units with a degree of work done at that point.  Whether that's a full refurb, or just a small job, and whether there's another refurb done on them at some stage I don't known.

I did travel on 150238 the other day, with it's posh new disabled-friendly toilet, and I would suspect we'll see much more of that across the remaining "West" fleet.  With the 153s going, I don't see their loo becoming disabled friendly; the new loo on the 150 looks like it's taken out a number of seats and a reduction of the same number of seats on a 153 would be serious.  Of course, in terms of "equal disabled provision" you could simply rip the loos out of the 153s ... and put more seats in.  Indeed that would help revenue protection as it would remove the place to hide .

In respect of Cardiff - Portsmouth, I understand there is a franchise commitment to look at alternatives to Turbo stock to something more appropriate for the route. Was this mentioned?  I can imagine it may have been kicked into touch by the slowdown in electrification, as some suitable stock that could have become available now won't be for a few more years.

Bit odd if the 158's were down sized to two coaches - thought the whole point of the Barnstaple - Axminster service was to relieve the congestion that SWT have trouble with on that section.

Experience shows that many Barnstaples require 3 Cars rather than 2

I understood that 3 cars was a temporary measure to provide extra capacity on Cardiff - Portsmouth and the implication is revert to 2 car units ... 8 x 3 car becoming 12 x 2 car, running in pairs as appropriate.   TransWilts slated for 2 car 158 from 5.2017 to 12.2018. I'm least of this of the things I quoted - please don't take it as 'gospel'.

Thanks guys.

I can't think of anything apropriate for Cardiff-Portsmouth being released by the delayed electrification anyway. There may or may not be some 158s coming south from the Scottish programme, but as far as I know Scotland's electrification teams are actually on schedule (unlike the GW).

5 car Meridians could arguably be "appropriate", if the intent is to provide a better quality of stock. However, there are several arguments against, not least that 125mph stock would be more appropriately utilised on longer distance services such as cross country.

I suppose 222s might be appropriate (I've never been on one to see how they compare to Voyagers, which (apart from one coach on the Virgin ones) I seem to recall have an interior which isn't really appropriate for anything) but as you say being 125mph units I'd have thought they would be earmarked for XC. They might also be a bit expensive to run compared to something like 175s.

Would 2 +2 mean a train too long for the platforms?

Looking at the changes being introduced by SWT on EXD-AXM later this year, the single 3-car 159 17:45 EXD-AXM is supposedly being replaced by two separate 2-car 158 services. I can't recollect the timing of these two services, but it results in four EXD-AXM services during the evening peak instead of the three at present - so SWT consider a 2-car 158 to be sufficient.

16:36 EXD to HON

All other services appear to be timed as today.

The extra unit sent down in the afternoon is shown as a 159 in the Track Access Application, as I quoted and linked in the relevant thread a few weeks ago:  http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15428.msg181628#msg181628

Paul

It has been reported (in Rail I think) that no further HSTs beyond the launch set are expected to be repainted into GWR colours.  Most of the immediate repainting effort will be directed to Turbos (and of course the new EIP stock will arrive in GWR colours.

And the EMUs when they're handed over I guess?

There was one on the 0800 BRI to PAD yesterday, who was roundly upbraided by a lady of a certain age. I had contented myself with a slight addition to her call. When she said "I'm on the train" into her phone, I added from the seat behind "In the quiet carriage!". She had a reserved seat there, too, and a selection of ringtones that sounded too young for her, but was loud enough for someone considerably older.

The older I get, the more tolerant I ain't.

Lean towards the offender, close enough that you would be heard by the callee, and gently explain that they're sitting in the quiet carriage and would they mind moving to a different carriage. If the caller isn't embarrassed sufficiently to do as you ask, the callee often is, and will terminate said call quite quickly. Worked many times for me.

Alternatively, just leave out the last step of speaking. Silently lean very close to them. That'll make them clear off pretty quick!  ;D

I dare you to try that approach with member 'Mookiemoo'.  ;) :D ;D

I'm sure our esteemed member would mot make calls in the quiet zone though...

Fair point.  ;) ;D