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Great Western Coffee Shop > Journey by Journey > Portsmouth to Cardiff > More 4 car 158s for Portsmouth services
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Author Topic: More 4 car 158s for Portsmouth services  (Read 9177 times)
TJ
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« on: February 22, 2023, 14:44:05 »
Made known by GWR▸ (Great Western Railway) during yesterday's Devon & Cornwall Local Transport forum was that they will be running more 4 car 158s on the Cardiff - Portsmouth services from May. Anyone know how this will be achieved? For instance does it mean that some 3 car 158s we be reformed into 2 car units. Possible end of 3 car 158s on the Tarka▸ (Branch line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line?
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grahame
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« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2023, 15:12:37 »
Quote from: TJ on February 22, 2023, 14:44:05
Made known by GWR▸ (Great Western Railway) during yesterday's Devon & Cornwall Local Transport forum was that they will be running more 4 car 158s on the Cardiff - Portsmouth services from May. Anyone know how this will be achieved? For instance does it mean that some 3 car 158s we be reformed into 2 car units. Possible end of 3 car 158s on the Tarka▸ (Branch line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line?

When are Transport for Wales releasing 158s?
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Timmer
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« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2023, 21:51:47 »
Quote from: TJ on February 22, 2023, 14:44:05
Made known by GWR▸ (Great Western Railway) during yesterday's Devon & Cornwall Local Transport forum was that they will be running more 4 car 158s on the Cardiff - Portsmouth services from May. Anyone know how this will be achieved? For instance does it mean that some 3 car 158s we be reformed into 2 car units. Possible end of 3 car 158s on the Tarka▸ (Branch line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line?
I just had a feeling that they would be coming back. Not that they have ever really left with 2-3 daily diagrams being 158 operated the norm.
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Hafren
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« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2023, 22:39:50 »
Quote from: grahame on February 22, 2023, 15:12:37

When are Transport for Wales releasing 158s?

No inside information, but I can't see it being any time soon. From what I've read the 175s will be the first to leave TfW▸ (Transport for Wales), and overall stock availability still seems quite tight. And the 158s with their attachment to the Cambrian lines and the amount of splitting and attaching that creates a tangled web of diagrams for the 197s to take over.
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grahame
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« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2023, 23:30:00 »
I worked out from Real Time Trains what's happening in May 2023 ... and prepared a summary for this evenings's WWRUG» (West Wiltshire Rail Users Group - about) meeting - just a couple of slides.  I checked them for accuracy with GWR▸ (Great Western Railway) this afternoon - updates as per their additional feedback prior to the meeting.  Now posted to WWRUG pages at https://www.facebook.com/groups/wwrug/posts/1010154083434711/ and also mirrored on our site within the whole of my presentation for this evening.

There are some really good winners in there on the boundary of the WECA» (West of England Combined Authority - about) area and as a result of the Bristol Metro.  And it has moved on from being validated by Network Rail to being at the following stage which is DfT» (Department for Transport - about) signoff.  As part of the Bristol Metro project, not funded by the DfT, this has been characterised to me as being quite close to a formality.
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John D
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« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2025, 17:28:53 »
The idea of 4car 158s has fallen apart.

Today 1F25 16:27 and 1F27 17:27 Cardiff - Portsmouth (the busy peak hour workings) are both reduced to just a 2car unit

Earlier 1F18 from Portsmouth conked out at Fareham and continued to Bristol as empty 5F18
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ChrisB
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« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2025, 17:30:12 »
Not another temporary casualty of Cheltenham Festival?
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John D
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« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2025, 07:48:59 »
Yesterday (Monday) some services were reduced to just 2car 158s

Today, it seems some services have also been reduced to mere 2car units, with average train length being 3cars

Whatever happened to 4car working ?
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grahame
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« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2025, 10:35:40 »
Quote from: John D on July 01, 2025, 07:48:59
Yesterday (Monday) some services were reduced to just 2car 158s

Today, it seems some services have also been reduced to mere 2car units, with average train length being 3cars

Whatever happened to 4car working ?


Today - Bath Spa through trains to Portsmouth are reported as
4 at 2 cars
7 at 3 cars
5 at 4 cars
1 at 5 cars
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grahame
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« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2025, 06:22:39 »
Quote from: grahame on July 01, 2025, 10:35:40
Quote from: John D on July 01, 2025, 07:48:59
Yesterday (Monday) some services were reduced to just 2car 158s

Today, it seems some services have also been reduced to mere 2car units, with average train length being 3cars

Whatever happened to 4car working ?


Today - Bath Spa through trains to Portsmouth are reported as
4 at 2 cars
7 at 3 cars
5 at 4 cars
1 at 5 cars

Took the 15:35 from Bath Spa to Portsmouth and Southsea.    3 car train that looked like it would have been good on a commuter run in the autumn.  No space for luggage, overheating (no working air con) small (3+2) seating and far more passengers that was comfortable, especially as a number  had their luggage on the seat beside them.    On time from Bath Spa ... waited at Batheaston, waited at Dundas, 8 minutes late by Bradford-on-Avon
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Mark A
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« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2025, 08:42:20 »
Quote from: grahame on July 02, 2025, 06:22:39
**snip**
overheating (no working air con)
**snip**

Coming back from Weymouth the other Friday on the day that SWR» (South Western Railway - about) had run into the sand, staff came through the 3 carriage Bristol train opening anything that wasn't already open: I'd forgotten that these even had aircon. Perhaps it was the same set as on the way down.

Mark
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John D
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« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2025, 10:47:43 »
GWR▸ (Great Western Railway) have reverted to reducing some workings on the line to 2car again.   No doubt lack of serviceable stock pending transferring some 158s from Devon (if and when sufficient 175s enter service sometime in 2026)

Today's 1F09 Cardiff-Portsmouth is a 2car 158
1F19 Cardiff-Portsmouth also showing a different 2car 158
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