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Class 745 Stadler FLIRTs

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Astro_Orbiter

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It would be better to put minor maintenance facilities on the WAML. London-Stansted-Cambridge deserves nice trains, not only commuter crush cans.
Well yeah, apart from when one fails completely they run just fine on the west, and orient way is full of them overnight getting sanded and cleaned which seems to work just fine.
As you say, would be a shame for Stansted to lose their special trains to Norwich, as I'm sure if it got changed to a dedicated 720 fleet they'd be running as 2x5car all day for capacity anyway.
 

Class 170101

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It would be better to put minor maintenance facilities on the WAML. London-Stansted-Cambridge deserves nice trains, not only commuter crush cans.

But where could you fit 12 car trains that can’t be easily divided? Cambridge is already full there’s no room at Stortford and the only London end place other than Ilford which is Bombardier (now Alstom) territory is Orient Way and that’s hemmed in by the Eurostar depot.

I believe you could make Orient Way CS longer instead of wider. The only other site would be Broxbourne on the up side
 

Astro_Orbiter

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I believe you could make Orient Way CS longer instead of wider. The only other site would be Broxbourne on the up side
Yeah, and it's a strange argument that they can't be split easily, because as mentioned, orient way is their main overnight stabling location which is long enough, and if its a quick stick them somewhere during disruption kind of thing, doesn't matter if they don't split, the logistics of splitting tons of 2x720 and tucking them places wouldn't work unless pre planned by train planning. As always, in major disruption, everywhere will fill up very quickly with units.
 

Grumbler

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The diagram showing the train layout is extremely useful, but unfortunately the display changes so quickly you have to do several takes to find what you want, e.g. the nearest available restroom. The intermediate stops are useful but why take up so much time displaying simply the final destination?
 

dk1

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Good day today. All trains on the Norwich to London route booked for 1st class are correctly formed with a 745/0 today.
 

F Great Eastern

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Good day today. All trains on the Norwich to London route booked for 1st class are correctly formed with a 745/0 today.

I will have my 5th and 6th attempt at travelling first class on them in the second week in August - hopefully I manage to get one for at least one of the trips rather than have to claim compensation again!
 

dk1

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I will have my 5th and 6th attempt at travelling first class on them in the second week in August - hopefully I manage to get one for at least one of the trips rather than have to claim compensation again!
It’s improving but still several STEX units covering IC work. Can’t see that changing that much before mid-September when hopefully we return to a more normal timetable. Many more claims yet I would expect.
 

JonathanH

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Why do they want a brand new fleet off the WAML?
The 745s are based and maintained at Crown Point depot in Norwich. If one has an issue working a Stansted service, it is difficult to get them back to the depot for attention. It is also complex to get them back to Norwich for routine servicing. The WAML is basically 'too far from home' for the units.
 

Bayum

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The 745s are based and maintained at Crown Point depot in Norwich. If one has an issue working a Stansted service, it is difficult to get them back to the depot for attention. It is also complex to get them back to Norwich for routine servicing. The WAML is basically 'too far from home' for the units.
Oh, is the WAML not Norwich to London?
 

Kite159

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Sounds like the 745 on the 08;25 Norwich to London Liverpool Street train has sat down between Hatfield Peverel & Chelmsford

The unit on the 10;30 Liverpool Street - Norwich (104) terminated at Chelmsford and I assume is getting used to rescue it (with passengers transferred into whatever is running the Ipswich - London stopper.

(I'm currently sitting on a very busy pair of 321s for Clacton at Chelmsford)
 

dk1

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Sounds like the 745 on the 08;25 Norwich to London Liverpool Street train has sat down between Hatfield Peverel & Chelmsford

The unit on the 10;30 Liverpool Street - Norwich (104) terminated at Chelmsford and I assume is getting used to rescue it (with passengers transferred into whatever is running the Ipswich - London stopper.

(I'm currently sitting on a very busy pair of 321s for Clacton at Chelmsford)
It’s all going on this morning. The 10:45 ex-Stansted sat down to but is now on the move to Liverpool St 18 down.
 

Railperf

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Sounds like the 745 on the 08;25 Norwich to London Liverpool Street train has sat down between Hatfield Peverel & Chelmsford

The unit on the 10;30 Liverpool Street - Norwich (104) terminated at Chelmsford and I assume is getting used to rescue it (with passengers transferred into whatever is running the Ipswich - London stopper.

(I'm currently sitting on a very busy pair of 321s for Clacton at Chelmsford)
Passengers detrained onto 1Y11. That is now moving. Looks like a rescue train or loco coming into Witham. I am on 1P27 sitting at Witham. GA journey check says brake fault to blame. Huge disruption this morning. And trains are quite full too.

Passengers detrained onto 1Y11. That is now moving. Looks like a rescue train or loco coming into Witham. I am on 1P27 sitting at Witham. GA journey check says brake fault to blame. Huge disruption this morning. And trains are quite full too.
37601 is the rescue loco now arrived at Witham. 1P27 on the move wrong line towards Chelmsford.
 
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dk1

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Rescue loco came from Orient Way. Think the 10:30 down was pinned at Chelmsford to thin the service out due to bidi running. Offending unit is 009.
 

Railperf

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Rescue loco came from Orient Way. Think the 10:30 down was pinned at Chelmsford to thin the service out due to bidi running. Offending unit is 009.
I see 37601 almost every day at Temple Mills. Yep just passed 009.That will hit the delay mins per incident figure for the 745 fleet.
 

dk1

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I see 37601 almost every day at Temple Mills. Yep just passed 009.That will hit the delay mins per incident figure for the 745 fleet.
Yes it's based there now afaik. Not seen it for yonks in the GEML.

Not used in the end. 745009 is on its way back to Crown Point unassisted.
 

Railperf

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Yes it seems to be there most days.
Yes it's based there now afaik. Not seen it for yonks in the GEML.

Not used in the end. 745009 is on its way back to Crown Point unassisted.
Makes sense. I noted 009s headlights lit on the North end of the train
Yes it's based there now afaik. Not seen it for yonks in the GEML.

Not used in the end. 745009 is on its way back to Crown Point unassisted.
That incident aside - the Sunday running is really fast now. Fabulous! No congestion. Now recording sub 35 min times between Stratford and Colchester non stop. Best plan seems to be to leave Stratford around 2-3 late to get a clear run and not catch the 1YXX at Colchester. Though the Stansted service running via Stratford is delaying the Norwich train between Liverpool Street and Stratford today.
 
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dk1

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That incident aside - the Sunday running is really fast now. Fabulous! No congestion. Now recording sub 35 min times between Stratford and Colchester non stop. Best plan seems to be to leave Stratford around 2-3 late to get a clear run and not catch the 1YXX at Colchester. Though the Stansted service running via Stratford is delaying the Norwich train between Liverpool Street and Stratford today.
I know, I love it. Such a clear run with next to no slug 321s or freight getting in our way. We can have a real play on the GEML.
 

lxfe_mxtterz

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Do excuse my ignorance, and I hope this is fine to ask in this thread...

I'm booked onto the 08:00 service from London Liverpool Street to Norwich on Monday (9 August) - but, upon further inspection, this service doesn't appear in the printed timetables. Is there a reason for this?

And as an aside, is this service likely to have a buffet - or am I better off buying something before I get on?
 

dk1

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Do excuse my ignorance, and I hope this is fine to ask in this thread...

I'm booked onto the 08:00 service from London Liverpool Street to Norwich on Monday (9 August) - but, upon further inspection, this service doesn't appear in the printed timetables. Is there a reason for this?

And as an aside, is this service likely to have a buffet - or am I better off buying something before I get on?
The 08:00 is what was the 07:55 pre-Covid. Bring some supplies with you as you will not have catering. First down service with buffet/trolley is the 08:30.
 

F Great Eastern

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So finally I managed to have not one but two trips on First Class on the 745s.

I have to say the extra space is very welcome and the seats are decent and the environment is pretty nice. It was very quiet as well and the person on the buffet on the down trip was being rather generous with what they were giving to passengers so certainly is not something I will moan about.

I have to say that it's certainly a step change versus what has come before it and the old stock that it has replaced, although I would say there is not quite the same feeling of a difference in standard from first class to second class like there was on the older stock. I like them for what they do and certainly enjoy traveling on them.

The seats are much better than I expected previously, but still are a little hard in the upper back area, where the seat curves back around just before the start of the leather part of the seat. The rest of the seat is very comfortable however. A big thumbs up!

The manual announcements are now much clearer and easy to hear which is a big improvement. Now just the low volume of the TTS announcements at stations to fix. At Ipswich especially, it is dreadful and impossible to hear unless the station is quiet. And it's that system for sure causing the problem as manual announcements are loud!
 

Astro_Orbiter

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The 745s are based and maintained at Crown Point depot in Norwich. If one has an issue working a Stansted service, it is difficult to get them back to the depot for attention. It is also complex to get them back to Norwich for routine servicing. The WAML is basically 'too far from home' for the units.
It is but it isn't really, it's only 30 miles or so to Stansted airport from London.
To me it seems like they didn't order enough units and so the 745/1 are being sent East to make up for it, with a 720 sub fleet being modded for the airport work. All rather predictable sadly, and seems a great waste of time and effort.
 

JonathanH

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It is but it isn't really, it's only 30 miles or so to Stansted airport from London.
To me it seems like they didn't order enough units and so the 745/1 are being sent East to make up for it, with a 720 sub fleet being modded for the airport work. All rather predictable sadly, and seems a great waste of time and effort.
What has the distance from Stansted to London got to do with it? It is 150 miles from Stansted to Norwich via Liverpool Street. That is a long way to get to their home depot if there is a problem. They are maintained by Stadler so can't receive attention at Ilford.
 

dk1

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What has the distance from Stansted to London got to do with it? It is 150 miles from Stansted to Norwich via Liverpool Street. That is a long way to get to their home depot if there is a problem. They are maintained by Stadler so can't receive attention at Ilford.
Exactly. Not sure why this is confusing some so much.
 
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