Transport for Wales Class 231 / 756 FLIRTs

[1D54]

Greater Anglia I get the impression the Stadler 345s and 355s

745s and 755s.

 

[Peter Sarf]

745s and 755s.

Too much Christmas fare .

 

[The_Train]

108 making it's debut in service today

I inadvertently stumbled onto this on its first day during my end of year Welsh odyssey! Admittedly, I didn't realise it was its first that day until the person I travelled with sent me a message later in the day

I didn't do many of them as there were more important and far superior units I was chasing down there, but I did experience both 231s and 756s and they are both amongst very few new units that I actually quite like

while 2 car 150s and 1 or 2 car 153s still run most of the Valleys services into 2025.

Surely they should be praised for this?

 

[Plasmanoodle]

I note that the 756s have started to sneak onto the Treherbert line in service some early mornings and late evenings.

Realtime Trains | 2F04 0534 Treherbert to Cardiff Central | 07/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 2F04 0534 departure from Treherbert to Cardiff Central on 07/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Rhydgaled]

more important and far superior units I was chasing down there, but I did experience both 231s and 756s

Superior units to a 756, in Cardiff? I suppose most passenger trains have something about them which is superior to other types, but off the top of my head the most comfortable passenger trains in Cardiff are probably the 67 + mark 4 sets, and they ain't multiple units.

 

[John R]

I note that the 756s have started to sneak onto the Treherbert line in service some early mornings and late evenings.

Better still, a 756 is showing as doing a full day on the Treherbert line today.

 

[Chris125]

Better still, a 756 is showing as doing a full day on the Treherbert line today.

Full day? Mostly 150s on RTT.

 

[Anonymous10]

Full day? Mostly 150s on RTT.

The line requires multiple units, the statement is that the 756 is covering one of those diagrams hence a full day.

 

[berneyarms]

The line requires multiple units, the statement is that the 756 is covering one of those diagrams hence a full day.

It actually only did one trip - looking at RTT everything else is Class 150s.

 

[John R]

It actually only did one trip - looking at RTT everything else is Class 150s.

It was certainly showing as all day when I looked, as I checked the diagram right through until 10pm.

 

[chrisjo]

It actually only did one trip - looking at RTT everything else is Class 150s.

Except for 2T56 20:29 CDF-TRB

 

[trawscymru27]

It was certainly showing as all day when I looked, as I checked the diagram right through until 10pm.

It appears to have been swapped onto an Aberdare service when it got to Cardiff Central. But it was running late so only made it as far as Mountain Ash. Then it seems to have lost more time on the return and failed at Pontypridd, running empty to Canton. So yet again there are only two 756s in passenger service today...

 

[Plasmanoodle]

The 756 appears to head up to Treherbert in passenger service in the evening, and come back down in the morning before going back onto the Aberdare - Merthyrs.

 

[berneyarms]

It was certainly showing as all day when I looked, as I checked the diagram right through until 10pm.

I’m not doubting you - these things can easily change - I’m just pointing out to the other poster that it only did the one trip!

 

[MikePJ]

If RTT is to be believed, we have 4 x 756s out today on Merthyr and Aberdare services: 105, 108, 111 and 117.

 

[56xx]

It was certainly showing as all day when I looked, as I checked the diagram right through until 10pm.

The 756 appears to head up to Treherbert in passenger service in the evening, and come back down in the morning before going back onto the Aberdare - Merthyrs.

The diagram starts and ends at Treherbert and is Aberdare - Merthyr Tydfil through the day. Most likely the 756 is being stabled at Treherbert now to relieve pressure on Canton overnight.

 

[John R]

Another day when (with the caveat that this is what RTT is saying) we appear to have 4 x756 diagrams on the Aberdare/Merthyr service. So that's 4 out of 9 diagrams.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Another day when (with the caveat that this is what RTT is saying) we appear to have 4 x756 diagrams on the Aberdare/Merthyr service. So that's 4 out of 9 diagrams.

That is good news. A steady progression of 756s into service.

Soon (tempting fate) we will just be waiting for the rest of the knitting and the 398s so that the 756s and 231s can go where they are meant to be.

I could ask how soon is soon but that's probably for the 398 thread to answer.

 

[sd0733]

Another day when (with the caveat that this is what RTT is saying) we appear to have 4 x756 diagrams on the Aberdare/Merthyr service. So that's 4 out of 9 diagrams.

There's 4 booked diagrams now, 1 starting at Treherbert each day and 3 starting at Canton. The Treherbert start finishes at Canton, and one that starts there finishes at Treherbert to cycle them a little bit. 2 of the Canton starts are booked to run into Central together as an 8 car.

 

[StripeyNick]

756104 should be making it's debut in service today

 

[anthony263]

All the 756s are supposed to enter service by the spring

 

[CapitalStar378]

All the 756s are supposed to enter service by the spring

Well, they said 14 on the TAM lines, so that leaves 22 still to enter service. There is a rumour of the 3 cars starting on Coryton/Caerphilly services, miracles could happen!

 

[Bob Price]

It has to just be a rumour as the lines aren't activated yet. Not sure they would have enough batteries to do a day without a top up. Unless they use the diesel all day.

 

[Anonymous10]

It has to just be a rumour as the lines aren't activated yet. Not sure they would have enough batteries to do a day without a top up. Unless they use the diesel all day.

Surely the better option would be the pontypridd - Cardiff bay service with top ups on the pontypridd return? However I think these interwork with another service?

 

[AdamWW]

It has to just be a rumour as the lines aren't activated yet. Not sure they would have enough batteries to do a day without a top up. Unless they use the diesel all day.

A bit long for Ty Glas I think without a platform extension.

 

[CapitalStar378]

It has to just be a rumour as the lines aren't activated yet. Not sure they would have enough batteries to do a day without a top up. Unless they use the diesel all day.

Sorry, should have specified at Spring TT change. No idea what the plan is with Ty Glas though.

 

[WirralLine]

A bit long for Ty Glas I think without a platform extension.

This poses a question for those in the know, despite working for the same company I'm clueless when it comes to the new fleet down south. Do these new units have ASDO/SDO fitted for short platforms? Unless of course they do actually fit- again I couldn't tell you! I have zero route knowledge of anything south so no idea if short platforms are an issue down there.

 

[MikePJ]

This poses a question for those in the know, despite working for the same company I'm clueless when it comes to the new fleet down south. Do these new units have ASDO/SDO fitted for short platforms? Unless of course they do actually fit- again I couldn't tell you! I have zero route knowledge of anything south so no idea if short platforms are an issue down there.

Yes they (756s) do - I checked this a few weeks ago.

Well, they said 14 on the TAM lines, so that leaves 22 still to enter service. There is a rumour of the 3 cars starting on Coryton/Caerphilly services, miracles could happen!

As Bob Price says, we’re still waiting on the Coryton electrification to go live, though it’s apparently complete based on the photos I took just before Christmas. AdamWW had information that some bridge modifications were still needed before the line can be energised. RAIL’s first edition of 2025 says that wires will go live “imminently” and so it seems likely that the wires will be ready in the next month or so, especially as there are a couple of system shutdowns over the next two weekends. Once the wires are live there’s driver training to do, but the 756s ought to appear on the Coryton/Caerphilly/Penarth services in a few months’ time.

 

[AdamWW]

This poses a question for those in the know, despite working for the same company I'm clueless when it comes to the new fleet down south. Do these new units have ASDO/SDO fitted for short platforms? Unless of course they do actually fit- again I couldn't tell you! I have zero route knowledge of anything south so no idea if short platforms are an issue down there.

Anyone know the distance between the outermost doors on a 3 car unit? A 2 x 153 only just fits in Ty Glas so I suspect that even allowing for the doors not being right at the ends and the coaches being shorter than a 153 it wouldn't fit.

Yes they (756s) do - I checked this a few weeks ago.

I presume though that setting it up to work at Ty Glas might not be straighforward.

And I dn't know how gracefully it would cope with the trains that terminate at Ty Glas which would then have to shift from front doors locked out to back doors locked while in the station.

 

[MikePJ]

Anyone know the distance between the outermost doors on a 3 car unit? A 2 x 153 only just fits in Ty Glas so I suspect that even allowing for the doors not being right at the ends and the coaches being shorter than a 153 it wouldn't fit.



I presume though that setting it up to work at Ty Glas might not be straighforward.

And I dn't know how gracefully it would cope with the trains that terminate at Ty Glas which would then have to shift from front doors locked out to back doors locked while in the station.

Not good engineering practice, I know, but I just scaled the door positions off the Stadler drawing here (https://stadlerrail.com/media/pdf/fwbtri0922e.pdf?ref=tothetrains.uk ) and the outer edges of the doors are about 46m apart. A 153 is 23m and the doors are further inboard, so it seems likely that one set of doors will need to be locked out at Ty Glas.