WAG Express 

Class 67 (67001/2/3 dedicated) + four MK3s and one DVT (usually eitther 82306 or 82307). 

Timings

Arriva Trains Wales' 67002 leads the 1W96 17:15 Cardiff Central to Holyhead WAG Express at Llanellen, Abergavenny on the 30th June 2015.

Photographs for the outward leg of the WAG Express south of Hereford are challenging as the sun is backlit and shots are tight to the east side of the railway. The Newport to Cardiff section offers some better shots for 1V31 especially since October 2015 as the railway has been cleared of vegetation following the proposed electrification, with Duffryn ideal for the sun at 3/4 followed by several good overbridges in Coedkernew and Marshfield with the sun more on the side (better in the winter). The Cardiff to Newport section offers very limited opportunities for the returning 1W96 with the sun being straight into the camera. However, the popular location of Ponthir from the hilllside (sun a bit head-on in summer so ideally best March-May and mid-August to end of Summer) and at Llanellen across the fields on the approach to Abergavenny. There are also shots off the road bridge in Hereford station and at Leominster. Photographers tend to go for the WAG in conjunction with the Colas log train also running to Chirk which is usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

N.B. Locations between Newport and Cardiff likely to be scuppered by electrification within the near future. The WAG express may also run on weekends for special sporting events in Cardiff such as rugby and football matches.

1V31 Holyhead to Cardiff Central:
Holyhead 05:32, Valley 05:38, Bangor 06:00/06:01, Penmaenmawr 06:10, Llandudno Junction 06:18/06:19, Colwyn Bay 06:25/06:27, Rhyl 06:37/06:38, Flint 06:54/06:55, Chester 07:10/07:15, Wrexham General 07:31/07:32, Gobowen 07:45, Shrewsbury 08:07/08:10, Dorrington 08:18, Craven Arms 08:28, Leominster 08:41, Hereford 08:54/08:56, Tram Inn 09:03, Abergavenny 09:16, Little Mill Junction 09:22, Cwmbran 09:26, Newport South Wales 09:40/09:41, Marshfield 09:49, Cardiff Central 09:58.

1W96 17:16 Cardiff Central to Holyhead
Cardiff Central 17:16, Marshfield 17:23, Newport 17:29/17:31, Ponthir 17:37, Cwmbran 17:41/17:42, Little Mill Junction 17:52, Abergavenny 17:59/18:00, Tram Inn 18:15, Hereford 18:23/18:25, Leominster 18:36, Craven Arms 18:49, Dorrington 18:59, Shrewsbury 19:07/19:09, Chirk 19:32, Wrexham 19:41/19:43., Chester 20:01/06, Flint 20:17/20:18, Rhyl 20:33/20:35, Llandudno Junction 20:52/20:54, Penmaenmawr 21:01, Bangor 21:10/20:12, Valley 21:32, Holyhead 21:41.

Locations

For 1V31 :

Duffryn: http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=330235&y=184590&z=120&sv=330235,184590&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=685&ax=330235&ay=184590&lm=0

Coedkernew: http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=327974&y=182663&z=120&sv=327974,182663&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=685&ax=327974&ay=182663&lm=0

For 1W96:

Ponthir: http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=333015&y=192265&z=120&sv=333015,192265&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=685&ax=333015&ay=192265&lm=0

Llanellen/Abergavenny: http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=330590&y=212180&z=120&sv=330590,212180&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=685&ax=330590&ay=212180&lm=0