2315 Cardiff-Carmarthen Service

[whole diary]

[Jez]

I travelled on this train last night and was surprised it was a 175. I assume as it terminates in Carmarthen it forms the first service from Carmarthen-Manchester the following morning? I thought it was always a 158 or 150 tho!

They seem to be using 175's more and more at the moment - some swanline services have been 175's.

[Hafren]

It's been a 175 all year I think. Another one is the 22xx Cardiff-Carmarthen used to be 150 (x2 when I used it) but these days it's reverted to running through from Manchester so it'll be a 175. Now that the first and last Pembrokes are extensions of Manchester services, and the mornign Carmarthen-Swanline is a 175, everything that spends the night at Carmarthen (I'd guess 6 units) must be a 175.

[Jez]

Shows how much I travel on it! I think the last time was February/March and it was a 158. Before that it was August 2008 and a 150.

According to the timetable the 1930 Manchester to South Wales service terminates at Cardiff Central. Do they use the same unit for the Carmarthen service then? They might as well timetable it as a through service.

175's seem to be used on the majority of early morning/late night Swanline/West Wales services, I guess because they are part of the Cardiff-Manchester services.

[Hafren]

Shows how much I travel on it! I think the last time was February/March and it was a 158. Before that it was August 2008 and a 150.

I think it was around February when I was surprised to find myself on a 175 at midnight - but 158s probably substitute sometimes.

According to the timetable the 1930 Manchester to South Wales service terminates at Cardiff Central. Do they use the same unit for the Carmarthen service then? They might as well timetable it as a through service.

I was referring to the 22xx off Cardiff by that point (not a stopper), it being another service that seems to have switched to 175. It used to run as a separate train from Cardiff, and was a pair of 150s last time I found msyelf on it - presumably to provide sets for Pembroke Dock and Swanline. Since then it's reverted to being a through service (18.30 Manchester), probably because they no longer seem to need to stable any 150s at Carmarthen.

I'd guess the 2315 is intentonally not a through working from anywhere, because it's probably a useful service for moving whatever fresh stock is needed to Carmarthen for the start of the next day.

[Jez]

Ah right - yes the 2209 is usually a 175 - ive caught it back from Manchester many times (1830) and its always been a through service to Carmarthen??? Occasionally a 158 is seen on the Manchester services - particularly the 1550 from Cardiff on a Saturday ive noticed (which would form the 1930 back from Manchester).

I wondered why the 2315 from Cardiff-Carmarthen isnt a through service from Manc cos on the occasions ive caught the 1930 back from Manc my connecting train has been the 2315 and its been a different unit but could technically be a through service as there is enough connection time.  I was surprised to see a 175 on the 2315 on Friday. I wasnt at the station early enough unfortunately to see if it was the 1930 Manchester service terminating.

[Hafren]

Ah right - yes the 2209 is usually a 175 - ive caught it back from Manchester many times (1830) and its always been a through service to Carmarthen??? Occasionally a 158 is seen on the Manchester services - particularly the 1550 from Cardiff on a Saturday ive noticed (which would form the 1930 back from Manchester).

There was a period when one or two of the evening Manchesters that now run through terminated at Cardiff, allowing 150s to be used from Cardiff. It was fairly late in the evening that smething was a Sprinter - perhaps it was the 1730 MAN/21xx CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains). I think it was December 2008 that it became a through service. These days a change at Cardiff is more likely to be needed in the evening in the other direction.
I've also seen a lot of 158s turning up in SW Wales on Saturdays. Stock moves aside, it's probably useful to have some 158s going there to keep traction knowledge refreshed. I wonder if they still use 158s on the Sunday services that split at Whitland (as far as I know they still exist!).

[Jez]

The 2010 to Manchester seems to be a 158 but that service starts from Maesteg - we then have the Cheltenham Spa service starting at Swansea at 19xx rather than Maesteg but I think we have discussed this before and established that this is the 1738 Swanline service which is an extension of the Ebbw Vale-Cardiff service.

Yes I think the 1730 used to terminate at Cardiff Central and im not sure if the 1630 misses out Neath and Swansea and uses the district line. One early morning service to Manchester uses the district line too - I believe it is the 0650 out of Cardiff.

Yes for some reason the 21xx service to Crewe now starts in Cardiff when it used to be a through service from West Wales.

On a Sunday most services seem to be a 175 and they incorporate the swanline service into the Manchester trains on a Sunday too.