GWR is withdrawing its popular Castle HST fleet this year. Rail Express provides the diagrams the remaining sets will operate until May for those wishing to ride on, view or photograph the trains
Great Western Railway’s Castle sets are to be gradually withdrawn over the coming months (RE320).
The most recent timetable change has already seen a reduction in the number of diagrams, which has subsequently resulted in the withdrawal of both power cars and coaching stock.
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So far, RE understands that No. 43041 St Catherine’s Castle has been removed from service after repairs were not authorised, and it is expected that 43005 St Michael’s Mount will be the next to be stood down. Both are leased from Angel Trains.
The Castle sets were introduced in 2018 to combat a shortage in trains caused by the delayed delivery of new train fleets and the related cascades. In total there were 16 four-coach sets converted by Wabtec Rail, Doncaster. The coaches were modified and fitted with sliding doors to meet access requirements. GWR used the trains on its regional services, running between Cardiff Central and Penzance, and various destinations in between.
An internal GWR memo widely circulated revealed that GWR would have:
- Ten sets in traffic from December (two maintenance and eight passenger)
- Seven sets in traffic from May 2023
- Three sets in traffic from September 2023
- Complete withdrawal from normal traffic from December 2023.
A GWR spokesman confirmed that some Castles would be retained as standby sets beyond December 2023. According to the memo: “It was always unlikely that the fleet would have stayed in traffic indefinitely, the plan detailed here is a more rapid withdrawal than had been anticipated.”
GWR stated in its memo that: “The decision to withdraw the fleet has been made both to reduce cost and to reduce carbon emissions across the routes the fleet had served.” Their duties will be covered by spare Class 800/802 Intercity Express Trains (IETs).
Great Western Railway Castle diagrams, Mondays to Fridays, December 12, 2022 to May 19, 2023
Diagram: LA851
08.00 5C06 Laira to Plymouth 08.18
08.47 2C06 Plymouth to Penzance 10.43
11.15 2P12 Penzance to Plymouth 13.10
13.43 2C26 Plymouth to Penzance 15.40
15.50 1G77 Penzance to Gloucester 20.55
21.11 2T36 Gloucester to Bristol Temple Meads 22.05
22.21 5T36 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 22.37
Diagram: LA852
05.17 5C05 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 05.30
05.40 2C05 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance 10.10
10.50 2U20 Penzance to Cardiff Central 16.22
16.27 5C85 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central (via Brickyard Siding) 16.57
17.00 2C85 Cardiff Central to Taunton 18.56
19.14 2U30 Taunton to Cardiff Central 21.24
21.31 5C95 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central (via Brickyard Siding) 21.58
22.00 2C95 Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads 23.03
23.11 5C95 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 23.25
Diagram: LA853
06.14 5C07 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 06.28
06.50 2C07 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance 11.10
11.50 2P13 Penzance to Plymouth 13.52
14.18 2C27 Plymouth to Penzance 16.12
16.50 2U32 Penzance to Cardiff Central 22.18
22.24 5U32 Cardiff Central to St Philip’s Marsh 23.59
Diagram: LA854
1318 5M98 Laira to St Philip’s Marsh 1620
Diagram: LA855
04.30 5C61 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 04.43
05.00 2C61 Bristol Temple Meads to Taunton 06.04
06.11 2U04 Taunton to Cardiff Central 08.22
08.27 5C69 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 08.56
09.00 2C69 Cardiff Central to Penzance 14.40
15.15 2P20 Penzance to Plymouth 17.20
18.30 2C36 Plymouth to Penzance 20.35
21.10 5C36 Penzance to Long Rock 21.20
Diagram: LA856
07.17 5U14 Long Rock to Penzance 07.27
07.40 2U14 Penzance to Cardiff Central 13.26
13.30 5C79 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 13.56
14.00 2C79 Cardiff Central to Penzance 19.40
20.00 5C79 Penzance to Long Rock 20.10
Diagram: LA857
05.15 5U10 Long Rock to Penzance 05.25
05.40 2U10 Penzance to Cardiff Central 11.21
11.26 5C75 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central (via Brickyard Siding 11.54
12.00 2C75 Cardiff Central to Taunton 13.52
14.24 5U22 Taunton to Taunton 14.38
15.13 2U22 Taunton to Cardiff Central 17.20
17.27 5C87 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central (via Brickyard Siding) 17.54
18.00 2C87 Cardiff Central to Penzance 23.40
23.55 5C87 Penzance to Long Rock 00.05
Diagram: LA858
06.15 5U12 Long Rock to Penzance 06.25
06.40 2U12 Penzance to Cardiff Central 12.21
12.26 5C77 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central (via Brickyard Siding) 12.56
13.00 2C77 Cardiff Central to Penzance 18.41
19.15 2M77 Penzance to Bristol Temple Meads 00.04
01.35 5M77 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 01.49
Diagram: LA859
05.36 3C71 St Philip’s Marsh to Gloucester 06.45
07.00 1C71 Gloucester to Penzance 12.12
12.50 2U24 Penzance to Cardiff Central 18.21
18.25 5C89 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 18.56
19.00 2C89 Cardiff Central to Plymouth 22.46
22.57 5C89 Plymouth to Laira 23.52
Great Western Railway Castle diagrams, Saturdays, December 17, 2022 to May 20, 2023
Diagram: LA851
05.25 3C12 Laira to Exeter St Davids 07.16
07.22 2C12 Exeter St Davids to Penzance 10.40
11.15 2P86 Penzance to Plymouth 13.09
13.43 2C22 Plymouth to Penzance 15.40
15.50 2M72 Penzance to Bristol Temple Meads 20.16
20.20 5M72 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 20.34
Diagram: LA852
05.40 5U00 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 05.55
06.28 2U00 Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central 07.15
07.22 5C67 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 07.45
08.00 2C67 Cardiff Central to Penzance 13.40
13.50 2U26 Penzance to Cardiff Central 19.21
19.54 2C91 Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads 20.47
20.55 5C91 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 21.09
Diagram: LA853
Spare at St Philip’s Marsh
Diagram: LA854
06.50 5C65 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 07.05
07.25 2C65 Bristol Temple Meads to Exeter St Davids 08.58
10.43 2U14 Exeter St Davids to Cardiff Central 13.21
13.28 5C79 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 13.56
14.00 2C79 Cardiff Central to Penzance 19.40
19.50 5C79 Penzance to Long Rock 20.00
Diagram: LA855
04.30 5C40 Laira to Plymouth 0448
05.17 2C40 Plymouth to Penzance 07.07
07.40 2P10 Penzance to Plymouth 09.37
10.15 2C16 Plymouth to Penzance 12.12
12.50 2U24 Penzance to Cardiff Central 18.21
18.27 5C89 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 18.52
19.00 2C89 Cardiff Central to Taunton 20.55
21.04 5M78 Taunton to Taunton 21.18
21.28 2M78 Taunton to Bristol Temple Meads 22.29
22.34 5M78 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 22.48
Diagram: LA856
Spare at St Philip’s Marsh
Diagram: LA857
08.29 5U16 Long Rock to Penzance 08.39
08.52 2U16 Penzance to Cardiff Central 14.12
14.26 5C81 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 14.49
15.00 2C81 Cardiff Central to Penzance 20.41
20.56 5C81 Penzance to Long Rock 21.06
Diagram: LA858
05.25 5U10 Long Rock to Penzance 05.35
05.40 2U10 Penzance to Cardiff Central 11.22
11.27 5C75 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 11.53
12.00 2C75 Cardiff Central to Taunton 13.52
14.23 5U22 Taunton to Taunton 14.37
15.20 2U22 Taunton to Cardiff Central 17.20
17.25 5C87 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 17.54
18.00 2C87 Cardiff Central to Plymouth 21.35
22.27 5C87 Plymouth to Laira 23.17
Diagram: LA859
06.20 5U12 Long Rock to Penzance 06.30
06.40 2U12 Penance to Cardiff Central 12.22
12.32 5C77 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 12.55
13.00 2C77 Cardiff Central to Penzance 18.41
19.30 2P95 Penzance to Plymouth 21.40
21.45 5P95 Plymouth to Laira 22.22
Diagram: LA860
05.50 5C61 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 06.05
06.19 2C61 Bristol Temple Meads to Taunton 07.17
08.20 2U08 Taunton to Cardiff Central 10.21
10.27 5C73 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 10.50
11.00 2C73 Cardiff Central to Penzance 16.40
17.15 2P28 Penzance to Plymouth 19.10
19.27 2C51 Plymouth to Penzance 21.22
21.37 5C51 Penzance to Long Rock 21.47
Great Western Railway Castle diagrams, Sundays, December 11, 2022 to May 20, 2023
Diagram: LA851
Spare at St Philip’s Marsh
Diagram: LA852
09.05 5E34 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 09.20
09.38 2E34 Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester 10.26
10.38 2E34 Gloucester to Worcester Shrub Hill 11.14
11.20 5T37 Worcester Shrub Hill to Worcester Shrub Hill 11.41
11.54 2T37 Worcester Shrub Hill to Bristol Temple Meads 13.24
13.38 2E42 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street 15.17
15.47 2T45 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads 17.27
17.38 2E50 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street 19.19
19.41 2T53 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads 21.26
22.07 5T53 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 22.21
Diagram: LA853
10.38 5C71 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 10.51
11.02 2C71 Bristol Temple Meads to Taunton 11.55
13.18 2U18 Taunton to Cardiff Central 15.02
15.18 5C83 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 15.47
15.55 2C83 Cardiff Central to Taunton 17.47
18.11 2M68 Taunton to Bristol Temple Meads 19.13
19.37 2E54 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill 21.10
21.16 5T57 Worcester Shrub Hill to Worcester Foregate Street 21.51
21.58 2T57 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads 23.53
00.30 5T57 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 00.45
Diagram: LA854
Spare at Laira
Diagram: LA855
Spare at St Philip’s Marsh
Diagram: LA856
09.17 5C69 St Philip’s Marsh to Bristol Temple Meads 09.31
09.55 2C69 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance 14.29
14.50 2E19 Penzance to Exeter St Davids 17.58
18.20 2C38 Exeter St Davids to Penzance 21.37
21.45 5C38 Penzance to Long Rock 21.55
Diagram: LA857
09.08 5U14 Laira to Plymouth 09.25
09.47 2U14 Plymouth to Cardiff Central 12.59
13.13 5C79 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 13.54
14.00 2C79 Cardiff Central to Penzance 19.34
19.55 5C79 Penzance to Long Rock 20.05
Diagram: LA858
08.25 5U16 Long Rock to Penzance 08.35
08.49 2U16 Penzance to Cardiff Central 14.03
14.23 5C81 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 14.50
15.00 2C81 Cardiff Central to Penzance 20.31
20.50 5C81 Penzance to Long Rock 21.00
Diagram: LA859
10.25 5U20 Long Rock to Penzance 10.35
10.51 2U20 Penzance to Cardiff Central 15.58
16.13 5C85 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Central 16.56
17.00 2C85 Cardiff Central to Taunton 18.53
19.26 2M69 Taunton to Bristol Temple Meads 20.26
20.30 5M69 Bristol Temple Meads to St Philip’s Marsh 21.02
Diagram: LA860
09.25 5P09 Long Rock to Penzance 09.35
09.49 2P09 Penzance to Plymouth 11.39
13.40 2C26 Plymouth to Penzance 15.35
15.48 2P21 Penzance to Plymouth 17.37
17.53 5P21 Plymouth to Laira 18.30
