Officially 5 cars?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Have the Cardiff to Portsmouth trains officially stepped up to 5 cars?    I note:

15:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 18:58
Facilities on the 15:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 18:58.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4. There are no reservations on this service.

16:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 19:51
Facilities on the 16:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 19:51.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5.

17:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 20:54
Facilities on the 17:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 20:54.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.
Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 5. There are no reservations on this service.

Which looks like 3 of the 8 (?) diagrams being reported short.   I know that 165s are also starting to appear on a couple of diagrams - in theory again ...

07:21 Westbury to Swindon due 08:05

07:21 Westbury to Swindon due 08:05 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

08:28 Swindon to Westbury due 09:14

08:28 Swindon to Westbury due 09:14 will be cancelled.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

[/quote]

... and indeed I wonder if there are some of the other Cardiff to Portsmouth diagrams stepped up to 5 cars, rather than running them as 3 cars and maintaining other services.

Anyone shed any light on the Cardiff / Portsmouth diagrams

[rogerw]

The normal 3 car services are strengthened at peak times between Bristol and Cardiff/Westbury. That's the theory anyway although it doesn't seem to be happening much at present.  Lack of services from Trowbridge towards Bristol this morning with the 0800 not stopping and the 0851 cancelled.  I imagine that the 0823 was cosy.

[phile]

I have seen a document (Station working) which indicates that during High Summer that they are supposed to stay attached throughout the day

[Timmer]

I have seen a document (Station working) which indicates that during High Summer that they are supposed to stay attached throughout the day

So an attempt to provide a more comfortable journey but struggling to do so with trains out of service needing repair.

[tramway]

It's a shame we don't get info regarding what is going on strategically regarding this.

The handing back of stock on lease hasn't helped obviously and 165's have only recently started appearing. Along with the ongoing 158 refurb programme and weather, and reputedly lack of engineers to repair failed units then it's a killer.

I understand peaks are meant to be 5 car and have needed to be be for a number of years, getting the reliability out of the stock avai!able is the problem.

Last weekend there were a number of diagrams being covered by 2 car units leaving people stranded.And 3 car 150/0 are not uncommon.

And 3+2 seating on this route is ridiculous in my opinion and seriously retrograde. First just claim additional seats on the route without doing anything

[Timmer]

2 diagrams on the Portsmouths today, 2 vice 3. Could be cozy at times if you find one of these turn up.

[bobm]

I’m on the 08:30 ex-Cardiff (delayed 10:02 from Westbury).  It’s a 158 three car but still cosy at the Portsmouth end of the train.

[Adrian]

Several 5-car diagrams on Cardiff - Portsmouth today.  The only one I actually saw was the 0730 ex Cardiff and that was definitely a turbo.
Does anyone know if all the diagrams are now turbos, or whether there are also 158s in the mix?

[IndustryInsider]

Two of the seven(?) daily diagrams are 5-car Turbo’s at present, with the rest to follow by the summer I believe.  Though one of those two diagrams was just a 3-car today.

One starts off with the 07:30 CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains)-PMH, then 11:23 PMH-CDF, then 15:30 CDF-PMH where the two units go their own separate ways at Westbury.

The other works the 09:30 CDF-PMH, 13:23 PMH-CDF, 17:30 CDF-PMH and 21:23 PMH-WSB^» (Westbury - next trains).

[brooklea]

Two of the seven(?) daily diagrams are 5-car Turbo’s at present, with the rest to follow by the summer I believe.  Though one of those two diagrams was just a 3-car today.

One starts off with the 07:30 CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains)-PMH, then 11:23 PMH-CDF, then 15:30 CDF-PMH where the two units go their own separate ways at Westbury.

The other works the 09:30 CDF-PMH, 13:23 PMH-CDF, 17:30 CDF-PMH and 21:23 PMH-WSB^» (Westbury - next trains).

Eight diagrams in total and, as you say, the 0930 diagram was only 3-cars today.

[Adrian]

Maybe not the 0930, but I think maybe the 1030 was a 5-car because the 1423 ex PMH was 5 today.

[IndustryInsider]

One of the Turbo diagrams is a 3-car again today.

[bobm]

Several 5-car diagrams on Cardiff - Portsmouth today.  The only one I actually saw was the 0730 ex Cardiff and that was definitely a turbo.
Does anyone know if all the diagrams are now turbos, or whether there are also 158s in the mix?

Yesterday the 10:23 ex Portsmouth Harbour and the 10:30 ex Cardiff Central were both 158s.  Seen here crossing at Westbury

[phile]

Maybe not the 0930, but I think maybe the 1030 was a 5-car because the 1423 ex PMH was 5 today.

158 + 150 between Cardiff and Bristol only

[brooklea]

3-car turbo on the 1730 from Cardiff to be swapped for a 2-car turbo at Bristol TM^‡(resolve) this evening!