Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway updates

[Zontar]

Well there's only Chirk and Gobowen stations to test, the rest have seen VT 221s over the years.
I suspect a Central Rivers-Wrexham ECS for start of service would be faster via Lichfield and Crewe, as VT used to do.

How long did that roughly take just out of interest?

 

[craigybagel]

Well there's only Chirk and Gobowen stations to test, the rest have seen VT 221s over the years.
I suspect a Central Rivers-Wrexham ECS for start of service would be faster via Lichfield and Crewe, as VT used to do.

Chirk is going to be interesting, it's only a 4 car platform and as built 221s don't have any form of SDO or even local door only.

 

[Welshguy1048]

PTI clearance checks being carried out at stations, according to a post by RailAdventure on LinkedIn.

@12LDA28C

Hi

What is a PTI clearance check?

Thank you

Dave

 

[150219]

@12LDA28C

Hi

What is a PTI clearance check?

Thank you

Dave

Platform Train Interface. Checking clearance of step board to the platform.

 

[Welshguy1048]

Platform Train Interface. Checking clearance of step board to the platform.

@150219

Thanks

Dave

 

[FrontSideBus]

Was in Wrexham today just out of pure chance and clocked it. I was doing the Borderer Line on the 230's.
Plenty of people from Alstom, RailAdventure and WSMR onboard. Spotted them measuring the distance between the cab and the signals ect.

 

[Zontar]

Chirk is going to be interesting, it's only a 4 car platform and as built 221s don't have any form of SDO or even local door only.

They don't propose to stop at Chirk.

 

[craigybagel]

They don't propose to stop at Chirk.

Thanks, I was a bit surprised when someone suggested they needed PTI checking there.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

P3 at Wrexham, and possibly the southern bay maintenance platforms, will be new to 221s.

Central Rivers-Lichfield-Crewe-Chester-Wrexham would be about 80 minutes I think, with no messing about through Sutton Park and Walsall.
There was at least one VT 221 ECS which reached Chester via Lichfield, while the Wrexham starter came from Crewe, as does the current 805.
Avanti, pre-covid, did plan to extend the Wrexham service to Gobowen but that extension was canned early on.

 

[FrontSideBus]

Do the ex Avanti Voyagers still tilt?

 

[Zontar]

Thanks, I was a bit surprised when someone suggested they needed PTI checking there.

I don't know, maybe they have to do it as it's part of the route anyway?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I don't know, maybe they have to do it as it's part of the route anyway?

They might have to stop and evacuate there in an emergency?

 

[craigybagel]

They might have to stop and evacuate there in an emergency?

If they evacuate there, then either it's controlled via a cab door (or potentially traincrew pulling egresses) or it's an uncontrolled evacuation where some doors are on a platform and others aren't. Either way, PTI is the least of your worries.

In any case, I assume looking at the timings on RTT that the truth is there were no calls at any stops between Shrewsbury and Wrexham, and that they probably will never stop at Chirk, either in service or on test (or indeed Ruabon, where they likewise will not fit).

 

[Moritzplatz]

... with no messing about through Sutton Park and Walsall.

As someone who grew up near the old Penns station on the Sutton Park line, it would be exasperating (although totally understandable) to see a passenger service finally use the line, only to speed through a rapidly expanding Walmley without stopping. Nevertheless, the WSMR line would be a positive step overall.

 

[John R]

As someone who grew up near the old Penns station on the Sutton Park line, it would be exasperating (although totally understandable) to see a passenger service finally use the line, only to speed through a rapidly expanding Walmley without stopping. Nevertheless, the WSMR line would be a positive step overall.

Residents close to the Camp Hill line say "Hello".

 

[ExRes]

Chirk is going to be interesting, it's only a 4 car platform and as built 221s don't have any form of SDO or even local door only.

I've always found it incredibly inept that the 220/221s have no SDO when 20 years ago we could stop a 9 car 222 on a 1 car platform and release 1 set of doors, truly amazing

 

[dk1]

Do the ex Avanti Voyagers still tilt?

They should do although all those going to XC will have it isolated/Removed.

 

[The Planner]

As someone who grew up near the old Penns station on the Sutton Park line, it would be exasperating (although totally understandable) to see a passenger service finally use the line, only to speed through a rapidly expanding Walmley without stopping. Nevertheless, the WSMR line would be a positive step overall.

The only station being considered for a reopening along there is Aldridge, and that will just be a shuttle to Walsall.

 

[STKKK46]

The only station being considered for a reopening along there is Aldridge, and that will just be a shuttle to Walsall.

Not an extension to the Walsall local? Did wonder how that would work in practice.

 

[The Planner]

Not an extension to the Walsall local? Did wonder how that would work in practice.

No wires.

 

[DelW]

As someone who grew up near the old Penns station on the Sutton Park line, it would be exasperating (although totally understandable) to see a passenger service finally use the line, only to speed through a rapidly expanding Walmley without stopping. Nevertheless, the WSMR line would be a positive step overall.

We moved to within sight of the line in 1961, so I have faint memories of seeing passenger trains on it.

If those had survived for a few more years, there might have been the will to build a station serving the new and rapidly expanding Castle Vale estate, and it could have become as busy now as the southern cross-city line (which was almost as moribund in the 1960s). But Birmingham then was motor-city, the Inner and Middle Ring Roads and Aston Expressway were being sliced through the suburbs, and trains were the past.

I've been along the line a few times on charters, and it would indeed be good to see some passenger services back more regularly.

 

[sonic2009]

I suspect a Central Rivers-Wrexham ECS for start of service would be faster via Lichfield and Crewe, as VT used to do.

Wouldn't they be able to stable some units at Crewe? As didn't the train care facility service/clean 221s

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Wouldn't they be able to stable some units at Crewe? As didn't the train care facility service/clean 221s

Well yes, but it all depends how the new WSMR decides to operate its services.
The old WSMR used the servicing facilities at Wrexham for its Mk2/3 sets, so did not do much in the way of positioning runs.
They could utilise ATC at Crewe, but Central Rivers has always been the main base for Voyagers.

 

[craigybagel]

Wouldn't they be able to stable some units at Crewe? As didn't the train care facility service/clean 221s

ATC Crewe might not have the space. It's already pretty full at night - and unlike Central Rivers, the Avanti work didn't go away, it just became 80x instead of 221. Central Rivers has the speciality, and presumably more capacity as they're not doing the work on Avanti units any more (apart from the ones that transferred to XC).

 

[357]

they're not doing the work on Avanti units any more (apart from the ones that transferred to XC).

They do maintenance on the GC units too.

 

[craigybagel]

They do maintenance on the GC units too.

Fair enough, I didn't realise they were doing that too. My point still stands though, it's likely they'll have capacity for more work compared to what they were doing before Avanti gave up their 221s, especially in comparison to ATC Crewe. Time will tell though - Crewe would certainly be handier for their drivers, assuming they're Wrexham based.

 

[357]

Fair enough, I didn't realise they were doing that too. My point still stands though, it's likely they'll have capacity for more work compared to what they were doing before Avanti gave up their 221s, especially in comparison to ATC Crewe. Time will tell though - Crewe would certainly be handier for their drivers, assuming they're Wrexham based.

Yeah for sure.

Regarding handy for the drivers - I've never had an issue with long taxi or pass journeys - it's time that I'm being paid to not drive a train!

 

[craigybagel]

Yeah for sure.

Regarding handy for the drivers - I've never had an issue with long taxi or pass journeys - it's time that I'm being paid to not drive a train!

That's a matter of taste - I'll go to every effort to avoid taxi jobs personally! I do love travelling pass though.

But also from a company perspective - as you say it's paying drivers to not drive a train. So it's in their best interests to only have to send them 1 hour to Crewe in a taxi rather than 2 hours to Central Rivers.

 

[Wolfie]

That's a matter of taste - I'll go to every effort to avoid taxi jobs personally! I do love travelling pass though.

But also from a company perspective - as you say it's paying drivers to not drive a train. So it's in their best interests to only have to send them 1 hour to Crewe in a taxi rather than 2 hours to Central Rivers.

Re your last para l guess that it's one factor among many. I agree though that any rational management would take that view all other things being equal.

 

[craigybagel]

Re your last para l guess that it's one factor among many. I agree though that any rational management would take that view all other things being equal.

And this is all assuming the traincrew depot is in Wrexham. Which would make sense from a PR perspective, but it'll be interesting to see how well they do recruiting drivers, if they're planning on taking on qualifieds.