One of my neighbours from a few doors down is a driver on that route regularly, he said it’s very quiet at the moment . Most of the few passengers get on at Cardiff to come back up this way, the only time it gets really packed is when the kids are at school as a lot get on at Church Stretton to go to Ludlow.
He’s driving it from Manchester to past Cardiff and then back again the same day. As above most times it’s just two carriages, if you drop lucky sometimes they put another one on but they probably won’t happen in these quiet times.
There is still a trolley service for drinks and snacks.