Loco haulage North Wales Coast

[submarine]

Do I understand from this that Pendilino services to London will be discontinued or will they be hauled by another locomotive class. Perhaps they will be substituted by Super Voyagers which would be a retrograde step.

Submarine

[martin adamson]

The Virgin services should remain the same with 390s being hauled by class 57s. It is whether the Arriva Trains Wales service from Manchester-Holyhead will be hauled by a class 57 or 67.

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by submarine

Do I understand from this that Pendilino services to London will be discontinued or will they be hauled by another locomotive class. Perhaps they will be substituted by Super Voyagers which would be a retrograde step.

Submarine

As David says this particular thread refers to Arriva Trains Wales services...... BUT............next year the Holyhead-Euston Virgin Pendolinos ARE going to be replaced by Voyagers

[robbo]

Umm - I reckon the rail authorites have lost the plot swopping around francitizes . Now have are have to move around the rolling stock around so that they can run trains rather than built more rolling stock that suit the track they will run on.

[swisstrains]

I agree with you Robbo but in this case Virgin are keeping the North Wales-Euston services as part of their West Coast franchise. As they are looking for ways to avoid having to loco-haul Pendolinos from Crewe to Holyhead and back they have decided to change to an upgraded Voyager with better catering facilities. As the government are unlikely to electrify the route from Crewe to Holyhead the next best thing would be to operate the North-Wales-Euston services with some sort of electro-diesel train.
Bombardier have the technology and have successfully produced such trains in France but despite all their "green spoutings" the government in this country don't seem interested.

[swisstrains]

"Royal" 67005 is reported to be at Crewe for North Wales coast driver training.

[martin adamson]

I wonder if this will be made up of 6 coach Mk2s like last time, or 4 coach set like in 2004/5.

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by David A Hicks

I wonder if this will be made up of 6 coach Mk2s like last time, or 4 coach set like in 2004/5.

It's looking like 6 Arriva liveried Mk2's although I'm not sure if all 6 will be unlocked

[swisstrains]

An EWS Class 67 hauling 4 Arriva liveried Mk2's has been doing driver training runs today between Crewe and Holyhead.

[swisstrains]

Despite the regular training runs rumour has it that Class 67's and stock are now unlikely to be used by Arriva Trains Wales.
ATW are reported to be getting some Class 180's for their long-distance services which will free up stock to replace the Cambrian 158's while they are being fitted with ERTMS equipment.