REVUpminster
Member
I think only 19 150s are available. If 175s took over the Okehampton and Barnstaple. You would need 14 units of 150 for Paignton-Exmouth peak. Only leaves 5 for Cornwall and Gunnislake (2 units needed at St Ives in summer) unless they can get more 150s. Newquay could be a big success and need 4 car trains.This makes lot of sense, I guess it means the 166 and 165s can be concentrated on the Bristol suburban and services to Weymouth and Worcester etc. perhaps returning Portsmouth-Cardiff to 158s rather than the mix of 158 and 16x that can't couple in multiple
Guessing
20 (2car) 150s for Devon and Cornwall
5x3car, 13x2car (41 vehicles) 158s of which Portsmouth -Cardiff uses set sets of 4 or 5 cars, so most of them
The 175s could also release a number of 5car IETs on Cardiff-Penzance which hopefully mean less short trains to London.
The mix of 2car and 3car units in the west does cause some formation headaches making up longer trains, because many platforms are limited to 5car formations, whereas 6car formations often appear start and end of day to/from Bristol area. Although some platforms are now 145-150m suitable for 6car formations.
Barnstaple already needs more peak capacity.