Merseyrail Class 777 introduction updates

[The_Train]

Not all of them. 508103, 104, 108, 114, 120, 131, 136, 139, 141 all not long been overhauled and years worth of miles/hours remaining. 507019 also not long off overhaul but believe it sustained damage in an incident and was deemed not worth repairing. I believe with the 508s they just didn't want to pay to extend the leases.

Oh, my presumption was they were basically shipped to Sims as their hours ran out. This makes it even worse then - perfectly serviceable units being scrapped and replaced by more units carrying the same issues as the new units that have come before just so the Mayor can say "look at the new trains I have given to all you Liverpudlians". What a sad state of affairs for Merseyrail and that includes their staff who I always find to be incredibly helpful and friendly but will now be bearing the brunt of peoples frustration

 

[prod_pep]

Oh, my presumption was they were basically shipped to Sims as their hours ran out.

The initial withdrawals were units at or close to their mileage limit, but the pace soon exceeded this. I reckon five more 508s could be added to the above list that would still have at least some miles left: 508112/24/5/30/37, so potentially at least 14. Not all these would be needed, but had some of the 508s been kept longer, there would have been much more resilience in the fleet.

 

[trainophile]

I got lucky today with a journey on 507001 from Southport (10:57 departure), and was more anxious about the one stop on a 777 from Moorfields to Lime Street than I was the whole 45 minutes SOP-MRF. (Weather was filthy so I didn't want to walk across from Central as I usually do, besides the current lack of toilet facilities there rather renders any advantage absent). The thought of breaking down in the underground and being stranded for hours was stressful, with a sigh of relief as we pulled into Lime Street on the loop.

 

[Bikeman78]

I think I counted 9 tweets from Merseyrail indicating various train faults causing delays in different locations yesterday. Granted some of these could be the older fleet as I never delved into it, but a safe bet from this amount of issues that a good percentage were 777s. I've not checked today but the performance levels are abysmal right now

Four 507s vice 777s on the Wirral, two to Chester, one to Ellesmere Port and one to West Kirby. Confirmed failures are 777014 on the Chester line and 507029 at Hillside.

 

[harrym508131]

Four 507s vice 777s on the Wirral, two to Chester, one to Ellesmere Port and one to West Kirby. Confirmed failures are 777014 on the Chester line and 507029 at Hillside.

507030 also failed around 3pm with brake issues

 

[507 001]

The initial withdrawals were units at or close to their mileage limit, but the pace soon exceeded this. I reckon five more 508s could be added to the above list that would still have at least some miles left: 508112/24/5/30/37, so potentially at least 14. Not all these would be needed, but had some of the 508s been kept longer, there would have been much more resilience in the fleet.

I’ve said it right from the beginning, the whole 777 project has been an absolute farce.

 

[Tony2]

I’ve been in the Liverpool area all week and have had 21 trips on various class 777s. Most of these ran more or less to time.

An exception was today with 777025 on 1306 Hunts Cross- Southport which came to grief at Bank Hall. The doors refused to close, but this was rectified by the train staff resulting in a 12 minute delay. The reaction by some more regular users on the train was, ‘here we go again, these new trains are… (expletives removed!)’. This indicates to me how the trains reliability had impacted on the population.

I do hope the situation improves.

I also today videoed 777032 and 777021 in an 8 car formation working 5T05 1225 Kirkdale depot-Hillside, at Sandhills where they reversed after departing Kirkdale depot.

 

[507021]

A small turn up for the books for the 777s today, 777036's WiFi was actually working.

 

[Pacef8]

4 faults already in the first two hours

 

[karlbbb]

Southport line isn't looking very healthy at the moment, although I suspect the National Rail data feeds are making it look worse. There's a few duplicate headcodes and trains in weird positions.

 

[Huntscross]

The 8.06 from hunts cross became the 8.21, not a single announcement after sitting on it for 25 minutes...

 

[trainophile]

The 8.06 from hunts cross became the 8.21, not a single announcement after sitting on it for 25 minutes...

That's the most frustrating thing about delays. Given the insistence on keeping guards on trains, you'd think one of their priorities was to keep the passengers informed when things grind to a halt. On the London Underground I believe the rule is any delays longer than something like 30 seconds have to be announced and explained.

 

[baldyman26]

There is a listen again on the Radio Merseyside page on BBC sounds of the latest Mayor phone in session. Make of it what you will but the man still manages to pat himself on the back in all this mess.
People of Liverpool, do not vote these corrupt Councillors back in. There is life outside of Labour, the local independent councillors do more for this city than the idiots we keep voting back in. If we continue then we lose all rights to moan about the mess.
And no, I'm not politically attached to any party, I'm just fed up of watching my taxes be flittered away by egotistical numpties.

 

[Kite159]

That's the most frustrating thing about delays. Given the insistence on keeping guards on trains, you'd think one of their priorities was to keep the passengers informed when things grind to a halt. On the London Underground I believe the rule is any delays longer than something like 30 seconds have to be announced and explained.

I had that in last December when the signalling went to pot on the city centre loop taking 25odd minutes stop/start between Conway Park to Hamilton Square with nothing from the guard to explain why it was stop/start.

 

[trainophile]

I had that in last December when the signalling went to pot on the city centre loop taking 25odd minutes stop/start between Conway Park to Hamilton Square with nothing from the guard to explain why it was stop/start.

Pity that complaints are just ignored. We should all write to Merseyrail/Merseytravel. Trouble is they know there's very little alternative in our part of the world.

 

[urbophile]

There is a listen again on the Radio Merseyside page on BBC sounds of the latest Mayor phone in session. Make of it what you will but the man still manages to pat himself on the back in all this mess.
People of Liverpool, do not vote these corrupt Councillors back in. There is life outside of Labour, the local independent councillors do more for this city than the idiots we keep voting back in. If we continue then we lose all rights to moan about the mess.
And no, I'm not politically attached to any party, I'm just fed up of watching my taxes be flittered away by egotistical numpties.

I'm not an enthusiast for Rotheram by any means, but it is misleading to connect him with 'these corrupt Councillors' by which you seem to imply Liverpool City Council. Yes the Labour Party locally (as well as nationally, despite their showing in the polls because of the even direr condition of the Tory government) is a disgrace to the party's history. But the Metro Mayor is directly elected by the whole city region. Without knowing more of the facts, I wouldn't describe Rotheram as being corrupt. Inept very possibly; not up to the job almost certainly. Some of us look enviously eastwards and wish we had Andy Burnham instead.

 

[baldyman26]

I suppose my anger took over so accepted and I take that back, I just wish we heard the truth instead of glossing over it. On another note, to be fair to a guard today who did speak highly of the new trains, she was up and down the train when we were stuck earlier today, however she didn't know why.

 

[childwallblues]

There is a listen again on the Radio Merseyside page on BBC sounds of the latest Mayor phone in session. Make of it what you will but the man still manages to pat himself on the back in all this mess.
People of Liverpool, do not vote these corrupt Councillors back in. There is life outside of Labour, the local independent councillors do more for this city than the idiots we keep voting back in. If we continue then we lose all rights to moan about the mess.
And no, I'm not politically attached to any party, I'm just fed up of watching my taxes be flittered away by egotistical numpties.

Totally agree with you.

 

[The_Train]

The reaction by some more regular users on the train was, ‘here we go again, these new trains are… (expletives removed!)’. This indicates to me how the trains reliability had impacted on the population.

This is really important as some people (particularly those who won't have a bad word said about any new units) on here often comment that it is only enthusiasts "living in the past" who have issues with the new stock. The reality is, it goes way beyond that to the regular passengers who are no longer able to rely on this service to get them to wherever they need to be

 

[Bevan Price]

Passed a Class 777 8 coach formation today (10 Feb.) - 777021 + 777??? on what I assume was 5T21, Kirkdale - Hillside.

Did not see all the Southport line diagrams, but those I did see were all 507s (and no 777s).

! was on 507007 on a very overcrowded 13:12 ex-Southport which left some passengers behind, and with much station overtime, was 8 minutes late at Liverpool Central. (Liverpool FC had a home match).

 

[Bikeman78]

This is really important as some people (particularly those who won't have a bad word said about any new units) on here often comment that it is only enthusiasts "living in the past" who have issues with the new stock. The reality is, it goes way beyond that to the regular passengers who are no longer able to rely on this service to get them to wherever they need to be

In all my years of travelling by train, I have never heard so many conversations complaining about the unreliability of a particular type of train.

 

[urbophile]

All my recent experiences of 777s have been positive; there seem to be many more of them the Hunts Cross line now. But delays and cancellations are not helpful adverts for the system; even less so trains that are stuck between stations for many minutes or even hours. I like the new trains but really hope they will settle down soon.

 

[Liverpool 507]

Not all of them. 508103, 104, 108, 114, 120, 131, 136, 139, 141 all not long been overhauled and years worth of miles/hours remaining. 507019 also not long off overhaul but believe it sustained damage in an incident and was deemed not worth repairing. I believe with the 508s they just didn't want to pay to extend the leases.

507019 struck a sheet of metal after leaving Cressington towards Hunts Cross which mangled the unit’s underframe.

I was disrupted by 777017 failing yesterday (twice) which caused 2U07 to start at Hillside and the cancellation of 2U27 and its return working. On a plus note, the WiFi was in good working order on 777020.

What a wonderful Metro Mayor we have for putting ego before a decent service for passengers. I’ve complained recently about the state the 507s are in internally. They are absolutely filthy.

 

[childwallblues]

Passed a Class 777 8 coach formation today (10 Feb.) - 777021 + 777??? on what I assume was 5T21, Kirkdale - Hillside.

Did not see all the Southport line diagrams, but those I did see were all 507s (and no 777s).

! was on 507007 on a very overcrowded 13:12 ex-Southport which left some passengers behind, and with much station overtime, was 8 minutes late at Liverpool Central. (Liverpool FC had a home match).

You should know better than to go on the Northern Line on matchdays. And it will only get worse in 2025 when Everton move to Bramley Moore Dock.

 

[Bikeman78]

All my recent experiences of 777s have been positive; there seem to be many more of them the Hunts Cross line now. But delays and cancellations are not helpful adverts for the system; even less so trains that are stuck between stations for many minutes or even hours. I like the new trains but really hope they will settle down soon.

Four of the 10 diagrams are booked for 777s now. Heading towards Southport, they work headcodes ending with 7, 8, 9 and 0.

 

[507021]

This is really important as some people (particularly those who won't have a bad word said about any new units) on here often comment that it is only enthusiasts "living in the past" who have issues with the new stock. The reality is, it goes way beyond that to the regular passengers who are no longer able to rely on this service to get them to wherever they need to be

Completely agree.

You should know better than to go on the Northern Line on matchdays. And it will only get worse in 2025 when Everton move to Bramley Moore Dock.

No he shouldn't, the powers that be should ensure the correct level of capacity is provided.

 

[sansyy]

No he shouldn't, the powers that be should ensure the correct level of capacity is provided.

As much as this is true we unfortunately cannot expect such basic levels of service anyone and should always assume worst case scenario and try avoid getting yourself into jams since the government is not going to assist in getting you a seat and to your destination on time.

 

[Dood75]

Passed a Class 777 8 coach formation today (10 Feb.) - 777021 + 777??? on what I assume was 5T21, Kirkdale - Hillside.

Did not see all the Southport line diagrams, but those I did see were all 507s (and no 777s).

! was on 507007 on a very overcrowded 13:12 ex-Southport which left some passengers behind, and with much station overtime, was 8 minutes late at Liverpool Central. (Liverpool FC had a home match).

777032 was with 021 on Friday in an 8 car formation on test so expect it was this

 

[trainophile]

Are there still guard's cabins on 777s? If so perhaps they should be retro fitted with one of those portable camping toilets, for emergency use in the event of hours long strandedness.

 

[YorkRanger]

No, there are no guards cabins on 777s (nor 507/508s), only drivers cab at either end of the train.