Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 13:55 28 Mar 2024
- Man held over stabbing in front of train passengers
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
* Jet2 launches first flight from Liverpool airport
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1917)
Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore closed (link)

Train RunningCancelled
12:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
13:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
13:26 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
13:28 Weymouth to Gloucester
13:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
14:13 Par to Newquay
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:10 Newquay to Par
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
10:55 Paignton to London Paddington
11:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
11:29 Weymouth to Gloucester
11:48 London Paddington to Carmarthen
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
12:42 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
13:07 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
13:26 Okehampton to Exeter Central
14:05 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
15:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
Delayed
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
10:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
11:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
12:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
14:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 14:14:44 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[142] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[80] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[56] Return of the BRUTE?
[46] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[43] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[34] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2 3 4
  Print  
Author Topic: Cut-down HSTs on Cardiff - Taunton?  (Read 17076 times)
Adrian
Transport Scholar
Sr. Member
******
Posts: 171


View Profile
« on: November 08, 2018, 20:02:58 »

Today I noticed "HST (High Speed Train) 2+4" stop boards at Severn Tunnel Junction and Patchway stations.  Perhaps they have been there some time and I have just been unobservant.  I remember back in April being told that cut-down HSTs would be used on selected Cardiff - Taunton services but, having heard nothing more of this plan since, wondered if it had been quietly dropped.  After all, if only 3 are being built, surely they will be fully utilised between Plymouth and Penzance?

Does anyone have any more information about this?  It would be great to have some extra capacity on the usually crush-loaded 0800 ex Cardiff and 1607 return from Taunton.
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2018, 20:07:22 »

Today I noticed "HST (High Speed Train) 2+4" stop boards at Severn Tunnel Junction and Patchway stations.  Perhaps they have been there some time and I have just been unobservant.  I remember back in April being told that cut-down HSTs would be used on selected Cardiff - Taunton services but, having heard nothing more of this plan since, wondered if it had been quietly dropped.  After all, if only 3 are being built, surely they will be fully utilised between Plymouth and Penzance?

Does anyone have any more information about this?  It would be great to have some extra capacity on the usually crush-loaded 0800 ex Cardiff and 1607 return from Taunton.

There are going to be eleven as I recall.  First one in service, second one arrives this month and will be on staff training runs up as far as Cardiff, others arriving by (?) May next year.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Western Pathfinder
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1528



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2018, 20:16:35 »

Pilning next ?..
Logged
LiskeardRich
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 3457

richardwarwicker@hotmail.co.uk
View Profile
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2018, 20:57:08 »

Today I noticed "HST (High Speed Train) 2+4" stop boards at Severn Tunnel Junction and Patchway stations.  Perhaps they have been there some time and I have just been unobservant.  I remember back in April being told that cut-down HSTs would be used on selected Cardiff - Taunton services but, having heard nothing more of this plan since, wondered if it had been quietly dropped.  After all, if only 3 are being built, surely they will be fully utilised between Plymouth and Penzance?

Does anyone have any more information about this?  It would be great to have some extra capacity on the usually crush-loaded 0800 ex Cardiff and 1607 return from Taunton.

There are going to be eleven as I recall.  First one in service, second one arrives this month and will be on staff training runs up as far as Cardiff, others arriving by (?) May next year.

The second one came south last week I believe?
Logged

All posts are my own personal believes, opinions and understandings!
Adrian
Transport Scholar
Sr. Member
******
Posts: 171


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2018, 19:54:51 »

I suppose the date they are all converted is dependent on when the last few HSTs (High Speed Train) are displaced by IETs (Intercity Express Train)?  Have Scotrail got all their ex-GWR (Great Western Railway) HSTs now?

Something I was wondering about these cut-down sets - do they have the engines in both power cars operational?  4500 hp for a 2+4 train seems rather generous, but there's not enough weight in a power car to give decent acceleration if only one is producing power.
Logged
LiskeardRich
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 3457

richardwarwicker@hotmail.co.uk
View Profile
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2018, 21:36:55 »

I suppose the date they are all converted is dependent on when the last few HSTs (High Speed Train) are displaced by IETs (Intercity Express Train)?  Have Scotrail got all their ex-GWR (Great Western Railway) HSTs now?

Something I was wondering about these cut-down sets - do they have the engines in both power cars operational?  4500 hp for a 2+4 train seems rather generous, but there's not enough weight in a power car to give decent acceleration if only one is producing power.

The one that’s in Cornwall and Devon has both engines running, and goes like **** off a shovel. Locking up to the GTi nickname!
Logged

All posts are my own personal believes, opinions and understandings!
Adrian
Transport Scholar
Sr. Member
******
Posts: 171


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2019, 14:41:57 »

One week of 2+4 HSTs (High Speed Train) on the Cardiff to Bristol route, and while the extra seating capacity is welcome, the slump in punctuality is definitely not.  The two services I watch closely - the 1608 and 1706 Taunton to Cardiff - managed as many lates last week as in the previous 7 put together.  I'm hoping this is just a temporary blip, but if some of the sets are using slam door stock I think it is inevitable that longer station dwell times will wreck reliability.  Many of these services cross at or near Weston, so a delay on one service often has a knock-on effect on another in the opposite direction.
Logged
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 18894



View Profile
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2019, 14:56:40 »

The two sets running in the far west (one starts back at Bristol) are sliding doors. The ones between Cardiff/Bristol and Taunton (one starts back at Exeter) are slam door.

Diagrams:

Sliding door sets
--
2E12 0600 Penzance - Exeter St Davids
2C45 0926 Exeter St Davids - Penzance
2A85 1257 Penzance - Newton Abbot
2P49 1555 Newton Abbot - Plymouth
2C51 1755 Plymouth - Penzance
2P96 2018 Penzance - Plymouth
2C54 2242 Plymouth - Penzance (FX)

2D01 0600 Bristol Temple Meads - Bristol Parkway
2C43 0624 Bristol Parkway - Penzance
2A86 1141 Penzance - Newton Abbot
2P90 1450 Newton Abbot - Plymouth
5Z74 1604 Plymouth - St Phillips Marsh TMD (Traction Maintenance Depot)

Slam door sets
--
5U08 07+26 St Phillips Marsh TMD - Weston-super-Mare (ECS (Empty Coaching Stock))
2U08 0841 Weston-super-Mare - Cardiff Central
2C73 1100 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U18 1308 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C83 1600 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U28 1808 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C34 2100 Cardiff Central - Bristol Temple Meads

2Y04 0648 Bristol Temple Meads - Weston-super-Mare
2U06 0736 Weston-super-Mare - Cardiff Central
2C71 1000 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U16 1204 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C81 1500 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U26 1706 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C91 2000 Cardiff Central - Taunton
5C91 22+21 Taunton - Laira TMD (ECS)

5D02 04+30 Laira TMD - Exeter St Davids
2D02 0600 Exeter St Davids - Bristol Parkway
2C65 0812 Bristol Parkway - Taunton
2W08 0937 Taunton - Weston-super-Mare
5U14 10+10 Weston-super-Mare - Taunton (ECS)
2U14 1104 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C79 1400 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U24 1608 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C89 1900 Cardiff Central - Taunton
5C89 21+04 Taunton - St Phillips Marsh TMD (ECS)
Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

- Sir Terry Pratchett.
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2019, 15:27:02 »

The two sets running in the far west (one starts back at Bristol) are sliding doors. The ones between Cardiff/Bristol and Taunton (one starts back at Exeter) are slam door.

Perhaps it can't be helped, but it looks like the second sliding door set is running around empty after 15:34, and the first slam door set doesn't pick up its first passengers until 08:41 at W-s-M having run empty to there - 09:15 into Temple Meads.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
phile
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1382

Language spoken Welsh as well as English


View Profile Email
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2019, 15:46:04 »

The two sets running in the far west (one starts back at Bristol) are sliding doors. The ones between Cardiff/Bristol and Taunton (one starts back at Exeter) are slam door.

Diagrams:

Sliding door sets
--
2E12 0600 Penzance - Exeter St Davids
2C45 0926 Exeter St Davids - Penzance
2A85 1257 Penzance - Newton Abbot
2P49 1555 Newton Abbot - Plymouth
2C51 1755 Plymouth - Penzance
2P96 2018 Penzance - Plymouth
2C54 2242 Plymouth - Penzance (FX)

2D01 0600 Bristol Temple Meads - Bristol Parkway
2C43 0624 Bristol Parkway - Penzance
2A86 1141 Penzance - Newton Abbot
2P90 1450 Newton Abbot - Plymouth
5Z74 1604 Plymouth - St Phillips Marsh TMD (Traction Maintenance Depot)

Slam door sets
--
5U08 07+26 St Phillips Marsh TMD - Weston-super-Mare (ECS (Empty Coaching Stock))
2U08 0841 Weston-super-Mare - Cardiff Central
2C73 1100 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U18 1308 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C83 1600 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U28 1808 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C34 2100 Cardiff Central - Bristol Temple Meads

2Y04 0648 Bristol Temple Meads - Weston-super-Mare
2U06 0736 Weston-super-Mare - Cardiff Central
2C71 1000 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U16 1204 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C81 1500 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U26 1706 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C91 2000 Cardiff Central - Taunton
5C91 22+21 Taunton - Laira TMD (ECS)

5D02 04+30 Laira TMD - Exeter St Davids
2D02 0600 Exeter St Davids - Bristol Parkway
2C65 0812 Bristol Parkway - Taunton
2W08 0937 Taunton - Weston-super-Mare
5U14 10+10 Weston-super-Mare - Taunton (ECS)
2U14 1104 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C79 1400 Cardiff Central - Taunton
2U24 1608 Taunton - Cardiff Central
2C89 1900 Cardiff Central - Taunton
5C89 21+04 Taunton - St Phillips Marsh TMD (ECS)

They have already been posted here:-

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=18332.225

Anyway, these were for last week which were affected by Engineering Work.    This week there are differences:-

Sliding Door after arrival Plymouth 1534, works 2C48 1556 Plymouth to Penzance (and some days last week), 2P95 1914 Penzance to Plymouth and 5P95 21+34 Plymouth to Laira CS.
5C89 off 2C89 works 5C89 21+10 Taunton to Laira CS and Set off 2C91 works 2M76 2245 Taunton to Bristol TM(resolve) (didn't run last week due Engrs)
2C48 & 2P95 is sometimes worked by IET (Intercity Express Train).
ECS are worked under STP arrangements at the mpment
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2019, 16:28:56 »

Anyway, these were for last week which were affected by Engineering Work.    This week there are differences:-

Sliding Door after arrival Plymouth 1534, works 2C48 1556 Plymouth to Penzance (and some days last week), 2P95 1914 Penzance to Plymouth and 5P95 21+34 Plymouth to Laira CS.
5C89 off 2C89 works 5C89 21+10 Taunton to Laira CS and Set off 2C91 works 2M76 2245 Taunton to Bristol TM(resolve) (didn't run last week due Engrs)
2C48 & 2P95 is sometimes worked by IET (Intercity Express Train).
ECS (Empty Coaching Stock) are worked under STP arrangements at the mpment

Yikes ... I wish there were an easier way of presenting data sometimes!   I think I have it, but please think of the guests who make up a high proportion of Coffee Shop visitors ....

Perhaps it can't be helped, but it looks like the second sliding door set is running around empty after 15:34, and the first slam door set doesn't pick up its first passengers until 08:41 at W-s-M having run empty to there - 09:15 into Temple Meads.

I think you're saying that the train that gets to Plymouth at half past three in the afternoon usually doesn't go off passenger duty at that point, but does a round trip to Penzance getting back mid evening into Plymouth.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
phile
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1382

Language spoken Welsh as well as English


View Profile Email
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2019, 16:42:53 »

Anyway, these were for last week which were affected by Engineering Work.    This week there are differences:-

Sliding Door after arrival Plymouth 1534, works 2C48 1556 Plymouth to Penzance (and some days last week), 2P95 1914 Penzance to Plymouth and 5P95 21+34 Plymouth to Laira CS.
5C89 off 2C89 works 5C89 21+10 Taunton to Laira CS and Set off 2C91 works 2M76 2245 Taunton to Bristol TM(resolve) (didn't run last week due Engrs)
2C48 & 2P95 is sometimes worked by IET (Intercity Express Train).
ECS (Empty Coaching Stock) are worked under STP arrangements at the mpment

Yikes ... I wish there were an easier way of presenting data sometimes!   I think I have it, but please think of the guests who make up a high proportion of Coffee Shop visitors ....

Perhaps it can't be helped, but it looks like the second sliding door set is running around empty after 15:34, and the first slam door set doesn't pick up its first passengers until 08:41 at W-s-M having run empty to there - 09:15 into Temple Meads.

I think you're saying that the train that gets to Plymouth at half past three in the afternoon usually doesn't go off passenger duty at that point, but does a round trip to Penzance getting back mid evening into Plymouth.

Can't quite work out what this should be.    2C48 has been an IET since te Timetable change but last week was either IET in which case the short HST (High Speed Train) ran straight back as 16+04 to St.Phillips Marsh.   If it worked 2C48 it ran 5C95 22+00 Plymouth to PM
Logged
Adrian
Transport Scholar
Sr. Member
******
Posts: 171


View Profile
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2019, 19:36:04 »

2C79 broke down at Nailsea & Backwell this afternoon.  Caused a fair bit of disruption to other westbound services.
Logged
Phantom
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 484



View Profile
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2019, 10:09:23 »

2C79 broke down at Nailsea & Backwell this afternoon.  Caused a fair bit of disruption to other westbound services.

Was an understatement, we had to wait for the service to come back into Temple Meads (arrived back 1630) as it was returning up the down line
Was unit 43155
Logged
Adrian
Transport Scholar
Sr. Member
******
Posts: 171


View Profile
« Reply #14 on: April 03, 2019, 18:47:53 »

2C79 broke down at Nailsea & Backwell this afternoon.  Caused a fair bit of disruption to other westbound services.

Was an understatement, we had to wait for the service to come back into Temple Meads (arrived back 1630) as it was returning up the down line
Was unit 43155

Same again today.  This time 2C71 broke down at Yatton.  And again a 2-car 150/2 substituted for the evening peak. 

On both days, two consecutive Taunton to Weston services have been lost - the return working of the train that broke down, and the following delayed service that skipped stations after Highbridge & Burnham to Bristol to make up time.
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2 3 4
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page