5 x 180s find home?

[djw1981]

Using the 180s for Manchester Airport to Scotland would seem to make sense. However this would presumably lead to the peak trains from Manchester that are currently formed as 2 x 185 seeing reduced capacity and as these are very busy to Bolton (usually possible to find somewhere to stand) that could be a problem.

There does seem to be no real reason not to add the Barrow or Windermere 185 to the Blackpool service that runs half an hour earlier and then in the worst case scenario make it wait at Preston to run in its normal path (thorough passengers could still get the xx15 from Piccadilly and change at Preston). This would then add useful capacity to the Manchester to Bolton/Chorley/Preston commuter flow and maybe that is what they are thinking of. (An added bonus would be that the xx45 from Piccadilly calls at Horwich Parkway improving conditions for anyone wanting to park and ride from there)

Scotland-Manchester trains become a new franchise in 2012, with electrified stock as soon as the manchester-Liverpool bit is electrified.

 

[tbtc]

But GC really don't need 14 180s

They do if they want to run all of their services rather than all the cancellations they are currently having

 

[dave59]

Sounds great!! solves all the problems and enough ex virgin coaching stock for east coast plus 'unified' fleet for them!

To be used on which route?

 

[pemma]

Scotland-Manchester trains become a new franchise in 2012, with electrified stock as soon as the manchester-Liverpool bit is electrified.

Electrification has been postponed. The idea was 4 car 350s come on to Manchester-Scotland (in the new West Coast franchise) to leave 185s to relieve overcrowding elsewhere on TPE. However, I could easily see TPE being awarded a franchise extension until electrification

 

[dave59]

Electrification has been postponed. The idea was 4 car 350s come on to Manchester-Scotland (in the new West Coast franchise) to leave 185s to relieve overcrowding elsewhere on TPE. However, I could easily see TPE being awarded a franchise extension until electrification

Doesnt make sense. Why cancel/postpone the electrification when it's the only route to much needed new capacity? The GWML scheme is "on hold" but the north of England "in-fill" work is (hopefully) still going ahead.

 

[pemma]

Doesnt make sense. Why cancel/postpone the electrification when it's the only route to much needed new capacity? The GWML scheme is "on hold" but the north of England "in-fill" work is (hopefully) still going ahead.

It does make sense as they'll be no electric trains to run under the wires. The Manchester-Liverpool electrification assumed that 350/1s would be on Manchester-Scotland by 2012 and that 319s would follow shortly afterwards on Manchester Airport/Victoria to Liverpool services. If the 350/1s are going to be on Manchester-Scotland in 2012 an EMU order needs to be placed now.

 

[RobShipway]

It does not make sense as you are going to need new trains when the Crossrail electricfication is complete to Maidenhead/Reading, so TL trains should be part of the same order whether it is Electrostars or Desiro's?

I can see an add on order to the Class 379's perhaps with these going to LM to replace the 350/1 & 350/2 trains which are then used for Crossrail.

With regards to the 5 class 180 trains, they should go to TPE.

 

[Class 33]

ive heard today whilst at work FGW or getting 5 180s back to cover for maintance for replacing turbo chargers within the fleet of HSTs than will mean retraining a few Drivers again.

cheers

mick

Is this still happening?

 

[pemma]

It does not make sense as you are going to need new trains when the Crossrail electricfication is complete to Maidenhead/Reading, so TL trains should be part of the same order whether it is Electrostars or Desiro's?.

So why does Manchester-Scotland electrification need to be complete by 2012 (the date on the Labour proposal) when Crossrail isn't going to be ready until at least 2017?

 

[EWS 58038]

I must have missed something, and havn't heared Captain_Deltic on this one either, but where does the stock come from? Are we talking about those 5 units currently leased by Eastcoast which were supposed to be doing the Lincoln services?

 

[pemma]

I must have missed something, and havn't heared Captain_Deltic on this one either, but where does the stock come from? Are we talking about those 5 units currently leased by Eastcoast which were supposed to be doing the Lincoln services?

East Coast have suspended the Lincoln services proposed by NXEC and are running services only as far as Newark instead using mk3 stock they already have. NXEC were proposing to use the 180s in double formation for portion workings which East Coast were never keen on.

 

[dave59]

East Coast have suspended the Lincoln services proposed by NXEC and are running services only as far as Newark instead using mk3 stock they already have. NXEC were proposing to use the 180s in double formation for portion workings which East Coast were never keen on.

I understood the Newark services were to be operated by 91/Mk4. If they are to be 90/Mk3 that is good news that these are to get used. So the ORR ruling that 125mph stock is mandatory south of Doncaster is no longer valid?

 

[pemma]

I understood the Newark services were to be operated by 91/Mk4. If they are to be 90/Mk3 that is good news that these are to get used. So the ORR ruling that 125mph stock is mandatory south of Doncaster is no longer valid?

I never mentioned class 90s being used. I just assumed it would be mk3 stock as East Coast were due to cut back Scottish operations slightly and stated they don't need extra stock anymore (in the 180s) to run the extra service.

 

[MCR247]

I never mentioned class 90s being used. I just assumed it would be mk3 stock as East Coast were due to cut back Scottish operations slightly and stated they don't need extra stock anymore (in the 180s) to run the extra service.

Cut back Glasgow trains which use MK4s

 

[rail-britain]

Cut back Glasgow trains which use MK4s

There are currently some Edinburgh services which are HST
These will be swapping to 225, releasing the HST for use elsewhere

 

[MCR247]

Yeah I suppose that makes sense