175 on Maesteg-Cheltenham Service

[whole diary]

[Jez]

I noticed today what formed the 16xx service from Maesteg to Cheltenham was a 3 car 175. I know some Maesteg services get 175s but thought it was mainly the 17xx off Cardiff as this is heavily used with commuters to Bridgend.  Is it normal for this other diagram to be a 175 too?

I noticed a 158 and a 153 was also running one of the Manchester to Milford services today. I saw it in Brigend forming the 1425ish service to Milford and its formed the 17xx service back which is also the 1910 Swanline.

[ReWind]

I often travel around the Gloucester/Cheltenham area with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and I don't recall ever seeing a ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) 175 up there.

Normally it's 150's or 158's but I have seen a ATW 143 a couple of times and a 142 once.

Never a 175 though.

[anthony215]

Arriva  do sometimes use  a 3 carriage class 175 on the 16:45 Cheltenham Spa - Cardiff - Maesteg service to help ease overcrowding as the services is normally pretty busy from Gloucester.

This was a regular turn for a 3 carriage class 175 during 2009 not sure if it has changed.

Normally the the class 175's are only used on north wales services  & Milford Haven/Cardiff - Manchester/Holyhead althougth the 07:10 Pembroke Dock - Swansea services is worked by a class 175 to swansea where it waites from 09:22 to 09:55 before departing for Manchester.  The 15:30 Manchester - Swansea - Pembroke Dock is also a class 175 which are the only times a class 175 is used on the Pembroke dock branch.

Also  class 175's have started to make appearances on Cardiff - Ebbw Vale services

[Jez]

The 175 I saw on Saturday was the 1638 from Bridgend to Cheltenham, so that would have formed the 1712 from Cardiff.

Ive noticed at weekends some units do get moved around tho - one of the daytime swanlines has even been a 175 - not the one that comes from the Heart of Wales line tho.

When have 175s been used on Ebbw Vale? Its always a 150 when ive seen it.

[anthony215]

It happened a few weeks ago i  heard about it when someone posted the info on a rail gen website. I think it was working the 19:35 Cardiff - Ebbw Vale service. a 3 carriage class 175 has also been up there on test.

[anthony215]

The 175 I saw on Saturday was the 1638 from Bridgend to Cheltenham, so that would have formed the 1712 from Cardiff.

Ive noticed at weekends some units do get moved around tho - one of the daytime swanlines has even been a 175 - not the one that comes from the Heart of Wales line tho.

When have 175s been used on Ebbw Vale? Its always a 150 when ive seen it.

class 158, 158834 was used onthe 15:35 Cardiff - Ebbw Vale & 1640 Ebbw Vale - Swansea today, nbot ure if this is the first time this has happenned

[Jez]

The 175 I saw on Saturday was the 1638 from Bridgend to Cheltenham, so that would have formed the 1712 from Cardiff.

Ive noticed at weekends some units do get moved around tho - one of the daytime swanlines has even been a 175 - not the one that comes from the Heart of Wales line tho.

When have 175s been used on Ebbw Vale? Its always a 150 when ive seen it.

class 158, 158834 was used onthe 15:35 Cardiff - Ebbw Vale & 1640 Ebbw Vale - Swansea today, nbot ure if this is the first time this has happenned

Ive never seen a 158 on Ebbw Vale before - its always been 150s with pacers very occasionally. Its not very often ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) 158's are in Cardiff at all apart from covering on the Manchester/Holyhead services, mainly at weekends now and also the occasional Cheltenham-Maesteg service.  Tonight the Ebbw Vale to Swansea was a pair of 150s which is usual for a Saturday. It forms the 1900 service back to Cardiff from Swansea.

I did notice on Friday night the 1910 from Swansea to Cardiff (which would have formed the 17xx service from Milford ) was a 158 and tonight its a 150!