New faster North to South Wales Service

[whole diary]

[Jez]

This new "fast" service started today - it will get you from Holyhead to Cardiff in less than 4.5 hours and from Bangor to Cardiff in less than 4 hours.

1 train per day in each direction.

0532 from Holyhead (calling at Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Rhyl, Flint, Chester, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Newport and Cardiff Central)

1617 from Cardiff Central (calling at Newport, Cwmbran, Abergavenny, Shrewsbury, Crewe, Chester, Flint, Rhyl, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead)

There is also First Class available which, as far as I know, is a first for an ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) service.

IMO^▸ (in my opinion) they really need a fast South to North Wales service, I would like to see this service become 2 hourly, with the slower service the other hour that would call at smaller stations (Pontypool and New Inn etc).

[simonw]

Without a significant investment from the Welsh Assembly, the dream of a fast direct connection between North and South Wales will never happen.

[John R]

They've just committed ^20m to dualling the Wrexham to Chester line, which is a good start.

[Shazz]

Plus it's never going to be able to compete with a 50 minute flight from cardiff to anglesey.

[Tim]

Plus it's never going to be able to compete with a 50 minute flight from cardiff to anglesey.

It will from places like Chester and Wrexam which are not that close to Anglesey.

50 minute flight + 1 hr check in + 1 hr to get to Cardiff +! hour to get to Anglesey = 4 hrs - its quicker by train for loads of potential passengers. 

[devon_metro]

The return ran about 25 minutes late last night!

[grahame]

What proportion of the distance this trains runs is in England? 

[simonw]

One of the problems in Wales is that North and South Wales are economically separate.

Whilst both areas need rail improvements, both locally and to neighbouring parts of England; a frequent stopping service from North to South, via Chester/Shrewsbury/Hereford is viable, it is unlikely if an express route from North to South will ever be viable.

[devon_metro]

Probably more beneficial if it went to Manchester!

[willc]

What proportion of the distance this trains runs is in England? 

Rough mileages are about 40 miles in Wales from Cardiff to the border north of Abergavenny, then 115 miles in England from the border up to Chester via Crewe, then 80 miles back in Wales from just west of Chester to Holyhead, so about a 50-50 split.

Daylight pictures of the repainted Class 57s and reliveried coaches are now at http://www.nwrail.org.uk/ in the noticeboard section.



 

[Btline]

How can the train run fast between Newport and Shrewsbury and not get held up by other trains?

And I have always found it funny how many of ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)))'s main routes/destinations are in England (trains to Manchester, Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Hereford etc.)!

I wonder what the loading was like?

[willc]

How can the train run fast between Newport and Shrewsbury and not get held up by other trains?

And I have always found it funny how many of ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)))'s main routes/destinations are in England (trains to Manchester, Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Hereford etc.)!

I wonder what the loading was like?

Good timetable planning. The morning train leaves Shrewsbury 25 minutes behind a stopping train, is 10 minutes behind it at Newport and five minutes behind into Cardiff. This pretty much applies in reverse for the return train, though this fits in an Abergavenny stop as well, so is about 15 minutes behind into Shrewsbury.

Not that this really mattered this morning, as the southbound service was cancelled, because of over-running engineering work. A nice short empty-stock positioning run needed there then...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes, it all seems to have gone a bit pear-shaped this morning: see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7785511.stm 

[Jez]

They used to run an additional service from Cardiff to Abergavenny (calling at Newport, Cwmbran and Pontypool and New Inn) at around 1606 however I see this is no longer running probabaly due to the new 1617 service which seems to be calling at Cwmbran and Abergavenny on the return journey.  The 1550 service is also calling additionally at Pontypool.

[John R]

Interestingly, ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) is now consulting on a direct Aberystwyth to London Marylebone service of 2 trains a day. They are quoted:-

Mike Bagshaw of Arriva Trains said he was delighted to announce "exciting" further plans for the Cambrian line route.

He added: "Market research and our own knowledge of the local market, has shown that there is a strong customer demand for a comfortable and reasonably priced direct service between mid Wales and London, avoiding the need to change trains in Birmingham.

Or maybe the experience of W&S^▸ (Wrexham and Shropshire (Open Access Operator)), who ATW resisted at every stage.

I wonder how W&S will react to this? In theory, an extra 2 trains a day if timed correctly could be a major enhancement to the service from Shropshire to Marylebone. But only if interavailability of tickets is arranged, which could then threaten W&S revenue.

I woulod have thought it much more natural for W&S themselves to operate the service.