Royal Mail to cease using trains

[D365]

If indeed RM are sending vehicles straight for scrap… what commercial advantage does this give them compared to selling them on?

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Thank you !
What is the significance of the move to Arpley? Is there a scrap facility there?
(Excuse my ignorance, I’ve heard of Booths at Doncaster, and another in south Wales)

 

[Adrian Barr]

What is the significance of the move to Arpley? Is there a scrap facility there?

I think it's most likely just a staging point in the DB yard at Arpley before the unit eventually moves somewhere else, perhaps to Newport for scrap as suggested in posts #274 to #279

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I think it's most likely just a staging point in the DB yard at Arpley before the unit eventually moves somewhere else, perhaps to Newport for scrap as suggested in posts #274 to #279

Interesting.
RM own the Class 325s so presumably they have to pay DB to move the trains to scrap?

 

[DanNCL]

If indeed RM are sending vehicles straight for scrap… what commercial advantage does this give them compared to selling them on?

It stops potential competitors from getting their hands on them. Varamis are known to be expanding and no doubt would have been quite keen on dedicated parcels units, but I suspect Royal Mail would have been more worried about the likes of DHL or Amazon.

Eurostar did similar with many of the unrefurbished 373s, scrapped them to stop anyone else from trying to set up a rival channel tunnel service with them.

Interesting.
RM own the Class 325s so presumably they have to pay DB to move the trains to scrap?

Royal Mail have contracted DB to carry out any further movements made by the 325s whilst in Royal Mail ownership, whether that be to scrap or until purchase by someone else.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

It stops potential competitors from getting their hands on them. Varamis are known to be expanding and no doubt would have been quite keen on dedicated parcels units, but I suspect Royal Mail would have been more worried about the likes of DHL or Amazon.

Eurostar did similar with many of the unrefurbished 373s, scrapped them to stop anyone else from trying to set up a rival channel tunnel service with them.


Royal Mail have contracted DB to carry out any further movements made by the 325s whilst in Royal Mail ownership, whether that be to scrap or until purchase by someone else.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Nym]

Converting to a parcels train is far from trivial at the moment so they do have a lot of value to competitors, particularly if they're willing to spend the money on the overhauls needed.

 

[WillPS]

If indeed RM are sending vehicles straight for scrap… what commercial advantage does this give them compared to selling them on?

As well as the valid point above, a tender and sales process takes significantly longer than sending vehicles to scrap - and might end with the same result.

Time is money.

 

[Washington]

If the units are sent for scrap, is there anything to stop Varamis or whoever buying them from the scrapyard?

 

[HSTEd]

If the units are sent for scrap, is there anything to stop Varamis or whoever buying them from the scrapyard?

Royal Mail may sell the units to a scrapyard on the condition that they are not resold as complete units, or sell them one or two at a time, selling them only as the previous one is put beyond use.

If RM wants the units destroyed, they will be destroyed.

 

[Nym]

Total destruction order. Not a rare thing and used frequently to prevent spares falling into the hands of other ROSCOs. Yet another wasteful result of our current state of railways

 

[Meerkat]

If indeed RM are sending vehicles straight for scrap… what commercial advantage does this give them compared to selling them on?

They don’t have to pay to store and insure them and they can get rid of any in house work relating to owning trains.

 

[D365]

Total destruction order. Not a rare thing and used frequently to prevent spares falling into the hands of other ROSCOs. Yet another wasteful result of our current state of railways

if it were possible to engage commercially with Porterbrook, the Class 325s ought to have a bountiful source of spares. The reality, however, is likely a very different story…

 

[Nym]

if it were possible to engage commercially with Porterbrook, the Class 325s ought to have a bountiful source of spares. The reality, however, is likely a very different story…

The 319s and 769s wouldn’t be a source for some of the most critical spares for the 325s at the moment.

Hopefully all the ETCS equipment gets pulled off for use elsewhere…

 

[zwk500]

The 319s and 769s wouldn’t be a source for some of the most critical spares for the 325s at the moment.

Hopefully all the ETCS equipment gets pulled off for use elsewhere…

do 325s have any ETCS equipment?

 

[Trainbike46]

Total destruction order. Not a rare thing and used frequently to prevent spares falling into the hands of other ROSCOs. Yet another wasteful result of our current state of railways

Was one of these applied to the 325s, or did royal mail just sell them to the scrapyard to get rid of them without caring if any spares get removed and sold on, or even the whole train gets resold?

 

[Nym]

Was one of these applied to the 325s, or did royal mail just sell them to the scrapyard to get rid of them without caring if any spares get removed and sold on, or even the whole train gets resold?

Unknown, that's usually commercially sensitive.

But I've known TDOs to be placed on fleets with common spares by certain ROSCOs to prevent spares falling into the hands of fleets run by other ROSCOs.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Unknown, that's usually commercially sensitive.

But I've known TDOs to be placed on fleets with common spares by certain ROSCOs to prevent spares falling into the hands of fleets run by other ROSCOs.

Reminds me of the buses parked up at one PTE in the run up to deregulation, where they added sand to the engine or smashed parts of the engines off, so rhey couldn't be sold on to rival companies.

 

[Defiance149]

Three cars were roaded away from Mossend for scrap last week, piecing together the info to hand it would appear to have been the motor coaches from 325006/07/13.

 

[Ewan M]

The disposals of the 325s have now commenced!

From Richard Clinnick on X:

“Cl.325 vehicles are now being scrapped after @RoyalMail ended their use in September. Parts of 325006/013 have gone to EMR in Glasgow for scrap, vehicles from 325007 have gone to EMR at Kingsbury too. Unimetals at Newport was due to take sets last week but the move was cancelled.”

I would include the link to the post but unfortunately atm the account is on protective mode which means that I am unable to do so as soon as I’m able to, I’ll add in the link!

 

[50002Superb]

Would be great to know when that Newport move is planned.

I assume that those three are already lined up and ready to go.

 

[The_Train]

Would be great to know when that Newport move is planned.

I assume that those three are already lined up and ready to go.

4Z71 1201 Arpley Sidings to Alexandra Dock Jn. T.C. is in for Thursday

 

[50002Superb]

4Z71 1201 Arpley Sidings to Alexandra Dock Jn. T.C. is in for Thursday

Thought those three were still at Crewe IEMD?

 

[Class15]

Thought those three were still at Crewe IEMD?

It’s a different three units. The ones at IEMD will probably go later.

 

[AndrewE]

Total destruction order. Not a rare thing and used frequently to prevent spares falling into the hands of other ROSCOs. Yet another wasteful result of our current state of railways

I absolutely agree. It's especially outrageous because these would have been procured with public money and (with the current need to try to control road traffic and decarbonise transport generally) such waste should be unthinkable. The narrow commercial interests of one company should automatically be over-ridden by the national need.

 

[The_Train]

Thought those three were still at Crewe IEMD?

It’s a different three units. The ones at IEMD will probably go later.

003, 009 & 012 are reportedly at Arpley so some or all likely to be moved tomorrow

 

[50002Superb]

It’s a different three units. The ones at IEMD will probably go later.

Thanks, do you know if they can be seen from a public place at all?

 

[Class15]

Thanks, do you know if they can be seen from a public place at all?

I wouldn’t know, but some of the depot can usually be seen from the Crewe-Chester line. Just depends which part of the depot they’re in.

The units at Willesden PRDC seem to have moved as the TDs are now showing empty, does anyone know where to?

 

[Ewan M]

4Z71 1201 Arpley Sidings to Alexandra Dock Jn. T.C. is in for Thursday

66168 taking 325009 + 325003 + 325012 on their final journey

 

[The_Train]

66168 taking 325009 + 325003 + 325012 on their final journey

Thanks for confirming