This is the original forum of the Bristol Railway Archive that existed between 2003 and 2013. I finally rescued it after it seemed unrecoverable after a large crash. I have made it available for viewing. It is locked, all posts to the new version please!
Use this forum to talk about the railways in and around Bristol, or for any off-topic stuff you want to share. Also request photos and information that you are missing.
Walking into work this morning something crossed my mind.
I remember seeing the pride of FGW Adelantes ( ) frequently operating on the tracks around Bristol, however more recently (during last year) they have all but dissapeared. I think the last one I saw was one morning last week!
These things used to be a common sight so where have they all gone?...not that I am sorry I would like to point out they always sound so underpowered and tinny for some reason!
I just remembered seeing more of them about. See more HST's than I do Andelantes, and when you think they are brand spanking new you'd like to think they were the pride of the fleet.
A number of Adelantes operate on Paddington - Oxford services with some going to Cheltenham. During a recent day of observations at Didcot I recorded 11 units.
As more HST's have become available, the 180's have been confined mainly to the Paddington - Oxford / Hereford / Cheltenham / Exeter routes. Like most of the stock built at Washwood Heath under the Alstom banner, they didn't work "out of the box" and it was about two years before they became acceptably reliable.
FGW has been busy either leasing or buying outright, redundant HST sets from elsewhere, and in December will be in a position to rid itself of the class 180 units. Where they will go is anyone's guess, but Virgin's Cross Country managing director, Chris Gibb, told me he is keen to lease them as replacements for the class 221 Voyagers which are transferring to Virgin West Coast in the winter.
James wrote:I'll take a spacious, comfortable Adelante over a "Refresh" HST any day. They are truly rotten.
Not able to comment personally on the HD sets as I have a self enforced complete boycott of FGW services now. I'll take your word for it though. I can't imagine them doing anything that might actually improve the passenger experience.
Defected from the holy goodness of Bristol to live in the rail mecca of Rogiet...
James wrote:I'll take a spacious, comfortable Adelante over a "Refresh" HST any day. They are truly rotten.
Not able to comment personally on the HD sets as I have a self enforced complete boycott of FGW services now. I'll take your word for it though. I can't imagine them doing anything that might actually improve the passenger experience.
Cheers James,
So basically the drive to repay huge premiums to the DfT has resulted in the complete destruction of rail as a viable means of travel (unless first class is within your budget).
Hmmmm, think I'll stick to my motorbike. I might get cold and wet, but at least I can guarantee my travel times and it costs a pittance to run.
Very sad indeed.....
Defected from the holy goodness of Bristol to live in the rail mecca of Rogiet...
I was imprisoned for about four hours in a broken down Virgin Voyager a couple of months ago. You couldn't open any windows and air condtioning failed.
there are a fair few that do london-cardiff/swansea still, however they always tend to be in the peak hours, and the overcrowding is stupid :\
much like when they tryed to fit 300 rush hour passengers from cardiff, send them to newport to meat up with a HST which had a "fault" along with a packed rush hour train from cardiff to southampton
400 ish people in a 158, and a coupled 153 must be a record surely?
Actually, if FGW had any commercial sense, come December, instead of getting rid of the Adelantes, they'd get a few more and put them on the Cardiff - Portsmouth route. Expand their fleet ahead of demand like Ryanair does, rather than cutting it back ... heads in the sand style.
It would suit the trains, suit the passengers and actually grow and acknowledge that they have a major corridor that can make a lot more money, if only they invest in the route.
But then, when FGW took over from Wessex, the world ends at Paddington and it seems it still does .... I'm afraid FGW were never a cross-country operator and whats happening to the ex-Wessex cross-country routes is entirely inevitable.
Though not one to always knock when it isn't due, FGW have been a million times better in the mornings than they were a few months ago of late ... and better even in the early evening when they've had all day to run into problems with a fleet with very little leeway.
Perhaps they are beginning to realise just what they have taken on does not always end on The Lawn at Paddington.
) frequently operating on the tracks around Bristol, however more recently (during last year) they have all but dissapeared. I think the last one I saw was one morning last week!
