Southern work Uckfield and Marshlink services. Dwell times could be an issue for Uckfield services. Unsure for the Marshlink route, though. They could replace some SWR's 158's since they have more or similar seating capacity.
Crackers suggestions both. These things drink fuel like crazy and are only good for long distance high speed services. The WoE main line is completely wrong for them. Their only use is with operators like XC/TPE or (at a push) replacing short HSTs on GWR/SR.
Not really. Less seats than 158s and they're 100mph+ cruisers.
Will EMR or DFT, and future post covid commuters care about the seat numbers ?
And masses of space lost to buffets, huge vestibules with above floor equipment and unnecessary dead space behind the cabs. The buffets would already have been gone if it was that easy to remove them, I may be wrong but I am lead to believe it isn't as simple as it was on the Voyagers for whatever reason.
That is true, I do hope that some logic is used, whatever happens to them.
They have pretty much the exact fleet size for one-to-one replacement as well. However, I think there have been reservations in the past about capacity on them relative to the HST sets.
There are complaints about pollution everywhere a 222 might operate.
Maybe not but operation in Scotland possibly represents their best chance of future use, regardless of whether they are actually suitable.
In what way would you use them in Scotland? And why would it be worth ScotRail's while given decarbonisation targets and the time it takes for them to go off-lease and get crews trained up and then pressed in service?
It will be their own depot. The Bombardier staff at Derby will transfer under TUPE to Hitachi and Hitachi will maintain the 810 fleet in their own depot, just like they do elsewhere.
Yes, and as already mentioned, they simply aren't appropriate for Liverpool to Nottingham even with a change of formation.
Either of those situations is unlikely I think. The West Coast 221s and all the 222s will be redundant in a couple of years. Few operators need a unit with this sort of spec, as a 170 or modern equivalent carries more passengers at less cost and can do the job just as well unless a higher top speed is needed. The only obvious destination is CrossCountry, where the transfer of the 222s might allow some combination of extra capacity and displacing 221s, without the complication of re-engineering a fleet that's already 20 years old. I realise 220s can multiple with 221s but not 222s, but it would be relatively easy to have the fleets dedicated to separate routes. Even this is far from a certainty, as XC runs many miles under the wires and a fleet of bi-modes would be justified on carbon reduction grounds and possibly on operating costs too.
That's true, but spending any significant amount of money on XC risks tearing a hole in the fabric of spacetime.
I would be amazed if HMT didn't insist on maximising use of existing assets going forward.
I doubt it. High powered and versatile diesels are just what the network needs. CrossCountry will need more when the HSTs go and I dare say Grand Central will be looking to replace their 180s with something more reliable soon. They were built to last for 45 years. They are only 20.
I refer you to the two posts above yours.
I'd have certainly thought that the 180s will be stripped and scrapped before the 220-222s. Unreliable self-combusting junk buckets from day 1.
If we actually get on with it, MML electrification could release a large amount of new bi-modes perfectly suited for the job! Releases the Voyagers for 180 replacement, the 180s can then either be scrapped or downrated to less taxing duties.
