Newport to Crewe - Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 06/01/13
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- On my return from Teignmouth to Preston, works on the line between Gloucester and Birmingham meant that a rail replacement bus service was inevitable. To avoid this rather labourious change of transport, I instead opted for a run up the Welsh Marches Line from Newport in South Wales to Crewe in Cheshire, riding one of Arriva Trains Wales' owned Class 175 units.
1. Our journey starts at Newport, a major junction in South Wales where services from Manchester, Holyhead and Chester meet trains running along the Great Western Mainline between Cardiff, Bristol and London.
Today's journey was run by Class 175, 175005, one of the two car sets of 175/0's built by Alstom between 1999 and 2001 to replace Class 158s and ageing locomotives and stock on the long distance Welsh services.
2. After departure from the station, the train is seen crossing the River Usk before diverging from the main Great Western Railway about a mile east of Newport station.
3. Not long after leaving the industrial heartland of Newport, the train is well into the cusps of the iconic valleies that were once lined with coal fields and used to rumble to the sound of open cast mines and machinery, alas no longer.
4. Not long afterwards we arrive at the former Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway station of Abergavenny, where lines to Ebbw Vale, Beaufort, Rhymney Bridge and Merthyr used to diverge.
5. To the north of Abergavenny, the line passes through the Golden Valley as it crosses into England and Herefordshire.
6. Several minutes later, we find ourselves at the major junction station of Hereford, county town of Herefordshire, where lines to Great Malvern, Worcester, Birmingham Moor Street and London Paddington diverge to the east.
The line did also accomodate the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway, which used to serve Hereford Barton station but had connections to the surviving station. This line later became part of the LMS in 1923 before being closed in 1962 under Beeching.
Today, Arriva Trains Wales is the main presence with services running up and down the Marches line, although London Midland has direct services to Birmingham Snow Hill and First Great Western has services to London Paddington, Worcester, Cheltenham and Bristol.
7. Upon departure from Hereford, we pass through the lowlands of the River Teme which meanders its way across the valley floor in the general vicinity of Ludlow.
8. About forty minutes after leaving Hereford, the major junction station of Shrewsbury comes into view, with the famous Severn Bridge Junction signal box dominating the view. Shrewsbury is still very much under the control of semaphore signals, all of which are controlled by the 180 lever frame box.
After passing the Y-Junction, we meet the line from Telford, Wolverhampton and Birmingham, where several London Midland owned Class 170's can be seen stabled in the adjacent sidings, after which we enter the massive station.
9. Departing to the north, the service diverges sharply to the right, whilst lines carrying straight on continue north to Chester and eventually run along the North Wales Mainline to Holyhead on the island of Anglsey.
10. Shortly after leaving Shrewsbury, we enter the fertile flatlands on the Cheshire/Shropshire border as we make the final 30 mile journey to Crewe.
11. Passing over the freight avoiding lines, we pass Crewe Diesel Depot, a shadow of its former self, once home to many a locomotive including Class 37s, 47s, 56s, 58s and in its latter days acted as a storage point for electrics such as Class 86s and 90s. Today its sidings are mainly occupied by former Virgin Trains MkII coaches as well as several deteriorating locomotives, including Class 47s and a single Class 58.
Finally we reach the West Coast Mainline junction of Crewe, and after a short stop for passengers, 175005 departs onto the Crewe to Manchester Line for the short journey onwards to Manchester Piccadilly.
Enjoy!
Thank you very much Allan, your comments once again are very much appreciated. Not sure whether you have ever ventured down that line before but it is a definite recommendation, especially aboard the Premier Service. Thanks for the welcome back and I look forward to meeting you in the near future! :D
Li0o
No problem Mike, I'm glad my video brings back memories for you :D
Thanks Rory -it reminded me of the same trip I made years ago.......Mike
Thanks Harry! :D
Thanks Liam :D
Thank you very much! :D
A very interesting journey captured on video Rory and an nice description of it in you explanatory text.
Shrewsbury signal box is an amazing structure and you provide a nice view of it when your train passes. Excellent video .....and welcome back to the North!
Ah we don't have any 5-car units (short of the 150/153/158 combo I saw last week!) Usually these services would be 3-car or better, so I guess some units were in for maintenance at CHE or something on this day. I was Rest Day on the 6th so I didn't work anything.
Incidentally, regarding point 11, I found out yesterday it's the main stabling yard for Riviera Trains spot hire services. The Class 58 is dead, but a couple of the 47s are still in mainline service, inc a large logo (47847)
I managed to catch a glimpse of 847 as I arrived, it looks a little sorry though, I hope Riviera Trains are planning to do something with it (apart from scrap it of course!) xD
Nice mini film Rory! :)
I really enjoyed this thank you for posting it. It is a shame that we can no longer catch a train traveling to and from Brecon.
As far as I'm aware, it's in service, so keep thinking positive!
You would be correct, there wasn't a single seat available the whole journey. I suppose that's what you get when you run a 2-car unit on a service that should in all honesty have at least 5, but I guess I don't make the rules! xD
By the sounds of it you sat in the centre vestibule near the carriage corridor!
I hope she finds some work soon! :D
very interesting Rory.....:D
I live in Cwmbran. We need bigger trains!!
I didn't think you could get worse than a four car CrossCountry 220 from Reading to Manchester Piccadilly but you can, a two car Arriva Trains Wales 175 from Newport to Manchester Piccadilly.
+Leo Martin on rare occasions they even use 150s!
Arriva Trains Wales Class 175
Stop spam commenting on trainspotting videos
I've almost given up on their service from Nantwich to Manchester - very bad service, delays I can cope with, but the cancellations and terminations at Crewe due to these delays are so bad that it really is quicker to walk the 5 miles to Crewe! They are smashing these 2 car units on such long routes that they fail. I really just give up, nobody cares!