Trains for shorter routes
 

I was wandering when where there last trains designed to run on shorter routes? The newest ones I can think of are 323s. Nowadays, it seems to be that trains displaced from longer routes are now being run on shorter routes, examples of this include 150s and 156s being a common site on some shorter routes, while being used on longer journeys in other areas.

142,143,144 and the 153.

Yes I remember when the 156 units were used on longer services. On the Stockport-Holyhead via Warrington with FNW, and now they are seen on local Northern Rail services.

156's are also employed on the Nottingham-Skegness route which is a good couple of hours

Northern's 150s and 156s are still used on a lot of longer services such as Buxton to Blackpool and occasional services including a three hour Blackpool to Chester via Manchester service. However, those trains do call at more stations than the shorter Transpennine Express route of Manchester Airport to Blackpool

153s are too small for 99.9% of peak trains and as far as I‘m aware 142s are too small for every peak train they are used on by Northern Rail. (By too small I mean the number of passengers standing is above 30% of the seating capacity for part of the journey, which is what’s stated in Passenger Charters.)

Although I’ve noticed Arriva Trains Wales have some 153s, maybe in rural Wales 153s are still suitable for some routes? Can 153s be joined up to make a two carriage train that’s got an interior link between the carriages, or would that just make a 156?

153s are used on the Preston to Carlisle service coupled up to a 156, this routes through Lancaster, Barrow, Workington etc. and takes well over two hours. The other long distance run using 156s is Carlisle to Stranraer which routes via Glasgow, I don`t know the journey time for this one.

Chris.

Northern have 155s doing the Manchester Victoria - Leeds via Halifax route at around 90 minutes. owever I have noticed some 158s on there and I guess Northern have added more 158s to this route.

Correction it’s actually 35% of the seating capacity. So that’s between 35 and 42 on 142s depending on the seating arrangement. Although I have seen 142s with around those number standing in each carriage!

You lot REALLY haven't been on the commuter lines in south wales (namely the rhymney valley line and to radyr on the cathays+llandaff line).

They also use a 153 on the stopping service to swansea (bridgend,pyle,port talbot, briton ferry, neath, skewen, llansamlet and swansea) at peak times and believe me that's overcrowded.

Arriva have also used a 153 on the city line on a double match day (one at the milennium and one at ninian park) - and incase you didn't know the city line train stops at central AND ninian park), there were so many people on the platform they had to wait for another train. That's good planning!

At one point Arriva Trains Wales deployed a 153 on a service to Penzance, it was joined onto a 158 at Newport making a Manchester Piccadilly - Penzance service of some 7 hours (about 4 from Newport). I wonder if anyone had the guts to do that entire journey!

When I caught a train between Manchester Victoria and Halifax it was a 156, but that was a few years ago.

I've seen 142s on the Northern network that are so crowded that people have to wait on the platform for an hour because one train is too full. However, it's something you'd more likely see on a Saturday than a weekday.

I think I am correct in saying that 153's are used on the Shrewbury to Swansea service as well. From memory thats about three hours and is heavily patronised over most of the route.