THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE BOARD

Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd hysbyseb



47 847 Railway World Magazine / Brian Morrison made a re-appearance on the Manchester turn on 10 February, due, we think, to some problems with 47 853. Here's the 07:41 from Chester leaving Manchester Oxford Road. (Charlie Hulme)
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Edition of 12 February 2005

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47 853 Rail Express at Chester, 8 February. (Darryl Thomas)

Extra trains for Wales - the facts

Thanks to everyone who wrote in to explain the true meaning of the confusing press release about extra rolling stock for Arriva Trains Wales, especially Richard Davies who provides much of the following detail.
 
As wereported, it has been an Arriva  franchise commitment from the beginning to take on board seven additional Class 150 Sprinter sets which are intended (eventually) to replace the Class 37s on Rhymney services.  The news release refers to the fact that Welsh Assembly are funding a further seven two-car sets to provide additional capacity for weekday peak hour services in the Valleys.
 
The additional units are as follows:
 
150 208 / 250 / 252 / 256 / 258 / 259 / 260 / 262 / 264 / 283 / 284 / 285,  all ex-Scotrail;
150 245, plus single-car units 153 311  / 326,  all ex-Anglia (now part of 'one' railway)
 
They will be utilised as follows:
    
Seven two-car Pacer diagrams will be replaced by two-car 150s, creating approximately an  extra 40 seats per train.
 
The seven Pacers displaced will double up with other 2 car Pacer diagrams to form four-car trains,  thus doubling capacity on those services. It is not completely clear what the seven other units will do at present, as ATW have been obliged to lend Northern Rail three of the green ex-Central Trains Class 158 sets until December 2005. We think  these sets are  158 849 / 850 / 851.
 
So three of the extra 150s will cover for the 158s, and the others will provide extra capacity in South Wales. The number of units in traffic each day will increase by seven, two to replace one of the 37-hauled turns on the Rhymney line, one for North Wales (hurrah!), and four to increase peak hour capacity on other South Wales Valleys routes.
 
It is perhaps intended to use some of these additional units for Summer Weekend strengthening in North and Mid Wales; at the moment there are some horrendous long-distance diagrams for totally inappropriate units, e.g the 06:54 Penzance - Milford Haven is a single 153 between Bristol and Milford Haven. - 12 February




47 853 Rail Express storming along the coast near Llandulas with the 10.03 Manchester-Holyhead on 7 February. (Larry Goddard)

More about the planned Arriva Timetable

On 1 February Arriva Trains Wales has published an update on the progress of the implementation of the Standard Pattern Timetable planned for December 2005. The purpose of this document is to inform stakeholders and customers on the proposals which Arriva Trains Wales will be presenting at the National Timetabling Conference in early February in Bristol.

Bwlow we reprint a summary of North Wales-related changes which are now proposed (as a result of suggestions by 'stakeholders') to the orignal version of the revised timetable:
The 175 trains will be progressively introduced on the Cardiff – Manchester/ Holyhead routes throughout 2005 prior to their full introduction in December 2006. The document is available in full (including a nice picture of the arch through Conwy walls) from the website in PDF format, linked from www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk.  Any comments on the proposals? - 12 February

Bygone days at The Junction



Chris Reynolds sends these pictures taken at Llandudno Junction goods yard back in (approximately) 1982 before the new road came along and changed everything. Well worth publishing, we feel, for the benefit of modellers in particular. Avive we see the goods shed, complete with blue 'coal merchant' sign and BR B-type container on the left, probably doing service as a store of some kind.



This area today is occupies by the road bridge, a car park and supermarket premises: the goods yard here was, we believe, more or less disused by this date: the new facilites built at the other end of the station were maily intended to replace the yard at Colwyn Bay, although traffic has been sparse and has now dwindled to nil. In the background of this view are the old LNWR signalbox, replaced by the current building soon after this date, and the former rail-served banana depot, now an antiques centre.



Some tracks has already been removed, it would appear. The dangerous-looking iron fencing is typical LNWR. As for LSP Motors of Llandudno, they are still in business.



A few wagons in evidence, in what looks very much like a civil engineer's 'spoil train' used for carting away old ballast etc.



Chris's final view, although not of high technical quality, is worth a look as it shows work under way on the new road near Penmaenrhos Tunnel, as a 47-hauled train makes its way around the new section of track formation  built to make room for the A55 road. - 10 February

Spring is approaching?



Sunrise at Manchester Oxford Road as the 07:41 Chester - Manchester Piccadilly calls at Manchester Oxford Road, 2 February. (Charlie Hulme)
Hold that Timber Train

Further to our items about the planned Aberystwyth - Chirk timber train, a scheduled departure of 12:07 (noon) for the first trial run on 7 February comes to hand. However, we have also been informed that the start of the trial is postponed until 23 February. Any observations welcome.

The press report that the timber is being imported through Aberystwyth harbour was, as readers might have guessed, something of a fantasy. The timber is being brought by lorry from the forests of Ceredigion, and will be transferred from the lorries to the 'freight multiple unit' on the run-round loop at Aberystwth station, use of the siding formerly used by the oil trains has not proved possible at this stage. - 6 February

Station improvement news - by John Myers

There seems to be some station renovation work taking place, at least at Rhyl, where the name boards have been given ATW vinyl overlays covering the former Regional Railways dark blue banding.  Painters have started treating the canopy supports on Platform 1, in primer followed by a repainting in the existing red, green and cream national scheme.  It's almost 10 years since the 'Rhyl Gateway Project' was completed so a freshening up is more than welcome.

Before Christmas, the majority of Platform 2's canopy was treated with netting to discourage and prevent access by roosting pigeons.  One former ventilation grille at the western end has been missed, however, so the problem hasn't been eliminated completely! Much more needs to be done, of course - together with a more regular and rigorous programme of deep cleaning - but at least this represents a start. - 6 February

Voyager at Holyhead



An unusual visisor to Holyhead harbour recently has been the HSS Stena Voyager. We understand that this vessel normally operates on the Stranraer - Belfast route and is in Holyhead for routine maintenance work. - 6 February



Wrong kind of language

From the Western Mail 31 January: 'Welsh language protesters hi-jacked a train, filling it with members and refusing to pay for their tickets. Pressure group Cymuned pulled off the weekend stunt in protest at the lack of Welsh spoken on Arriva's trains and buses. The 20 protesters boarded a Holyhead to Crewe train at Bangor at lunchtime on Saturday, effectively taking over a carriage and refusing to pay when ticket collectors arrived.

'The stunt led to a 20-minute delay for passengers at Llandudno Junction while the conductor - ironically a Welsh speaker - attempted to deal with them. Cymuned accuse Arriva Train Wales of being "colonists". But the train company said it was disappointed by the group's actions and insisted the firm had a strong bilingual policy. The hi-jack began at noon, when protesters brandishing "No Colonisation" placards boarded the train at Bangor station.

'Meirion Llywelyn, who organised the action, said, "We've done this today to draw everyone's attention to the scornfully dismissive attitude Arriva take towards Cymraeg. "It's time for them to stop behaving like colonists and start to realise their services run through the heart of the Fro Gymraeg, the only place in the world where Cymraeg is a living community language." The group is demanding Arriva only employ local, Welsh-speaking people, and has vowed to step up protests if the company refuses to comply.

'But a spokesman for Arriva Trains Wales said the company already had a Welsh language policy and the protesters had caused delays for other travellers. He said, "We're extremely disappointed they've decided to do what they did. "We are committed to providing Welsh language services on all our trains. Timetables are available in English and Welsh, as are the vast majority of our publications, and the conductor on the train they were on also spoke Welsh. "We'd prefer they'd discuss their concerns with us rather than attempting to delay our trains." The company would not be taking action against the fare- dodgers, he added.

'But Aran Jones, Cymuned's chief executive, dismissed the company's language policies and threatened more protests. "Cymraeg is a cultural and economic asset, and it is appalling Arriva offer such a remarkably poor service on their website, on their help lines, and worst of all on their buses and trains."' - 6 February

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